March 28, 2017

Good Deeds Day is being celebrated in Israel today and some 1.5 million Israelis are volunteering their time to benefit others and the planet in an array of activities.

Celebrated since 2007, Good Deeds Day is an annual initiative that was launched by businesswoman and philanthropist Shari Arison and the Ruach Tova (“Good Spirit”) nonprofit organization.

The international Good Deeds Day will be marked on April 2, 2017.

“Good Deeds Day has swept people from all cultures and backgrounds. millions of people in more than 70 countries participated in Good Deeds Day 2016, giving together four million hours of volunteering in over 15,000 projects – making Good Deeds Day the largest and most far reaching global day of good,” writes Arison on the Good Deeds Day website.

From painting a community center to giving food baskets to the needy, from helping the elderly to creating an urban garden, the Good Deeds Day website lists dozens of ways people can volunteer and give back to the community.

In 2016, Good Deeds Day won the 2016 George W. Romney Affiliate Excellence Award for “exhibiting outstanding excellence in leveraging, engaging and managing local change makers, and illustrating how individuals are motivated to collectively create change to address community needs.”

This year’s activities mark the 11th year of Good Deeds Day.

“Every year, we get excited all over again, seeing the huge turnout by masses of people in Israel and around the world who step up to do a good deed for their fellow people. The Good Deeds Day has become a day of giving. Private people, soldiers, students, retirees, and companies all join in the activities and contribute a lot to their fellow people, each according to their abilities and skills – and it’s wonderful to see,” said Arison.

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