NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Throughout the summer, WCBS Newsradio 880 is presenting a series of reports looking ahead to the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Our series, "Rising from the Ashes," tells stories that inspire and teach; stories that honor the sacrifices of that day and how that work continues to impact the lives of others 20 years later.
On the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Jay Winuk asked people all over the country to commit acts of kindness.
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“We were encouraging people to do good deeds, in whatever fashion they felt comfortable doing,” he told WCBS 880.
The trend continued as “My Good Deed” and eventually transformed into the organization, 9/11 Day.
“I think the reason that 9/11 Day seemed to resonate is that, fundamentally, people believe in the idea that you can take something terrible and turn it into something good,” said co-founder David Paine.
The trajectory of the organization changed in 2009, when the group succeeded in having Sept. 11 become a National Day of Service and Remembrance – which they help organize every year now.
Paine notes that when the day was nationally recognized, thousands wanted to be a part of the day.
“So many nonprofits and employers and others were then sort of much more open to the idea of this being something that they wanted to be part of,” he said.
Winuk said since 2009, they've created their own volunteer effort.
“We are doing work in cities all across the country,” he said.
Including creating “meal packs, like we do in New York each year aboard the Intrepid, where we bring thousands of people together to pack nonperishable meals.”
The organization has helped to deliver millions of meals to people in need over the years.
Winuk added that he is grateful to be a part of this movement, which has become a way of honoring his brother, Glenn – an attorney and volunteer firefighter who ran into the World Trade Center on 9/11 and, unfortunately, never came out.
“I think Glenn would have been first in line, had he not perished on 9/11, because of the way he lived his life, because of his character, because of his ethics,” Winuk said. “He was always going out of his way for other people, he always recognized those who are less fortunate than him.”
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