Feel Good Friday - 9/11 Day

Today is the 25th anniversary of 9/11, marked nationwide as the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, and it felt like the moment to finally spotlight 9/11 Day.

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Irvine, California, the mission of 9/11 Day is "to inspire millions of Americans and others to rekindle the remarkable spirit of unity and compassion that arose in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, and to perform good deeds and other acts of service in tribute to the 9/11 victims, survivors, first responders, and members of our military who bravely rose in service in response to the attacks." Co-founders David Paine and Jay Winuk started the organization after Jay's brother Glenn, a volunteer firefighter, was killed at the World Trade Center.

A premier project is 9/11 Day's Meal Pack which mobilizes thousands of volunteers each September 11 to pack shelf-stable meals that are donated to local food banks for families facing hunger. Since 2016, volunteers have packed more than 20 million meals nationwide. The organization also provides free lesson plans to K-12 classrooms, helping teachers explain 9/11 in ways that emphasize the unity that followed, not just the history.

For this year's 25th anniversary, 9/11 Day awarded $3 million in grants to nearly 200 nonprofits, schools, and community groups across 40 states, with more than 70% going to youth organizations and K-12 schools. The anniversary also brought the UNIITE For Good campaign, an interactive pledge map where actor Pete Davidson, whose firefighter father was killed on 9/11, is helping rally one million pledged good deeds by today.

If you'd like to support 9/11 Day today, there are many ways to do so. You can pledge a good deed at 911day.org, sign up for a Meal Pack shift through their volunteer page, or make a donation. Just $25 funds 50 to 75 meals. You can also amplify their message on social media. Follow 9/11 Day on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube and share their stories of unity and healing with your network. Here's to turning today into something good.