“The goal is to create a critical mass of good deeds, leading to positive change in the world.”
By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZIUpdated: MARCH 28, 2017 05:18Good Deeds Day as it was marked in Holon in 2016.(photo credit: SIVAN FARAG)
Some 1.5 million Israelis are expected to do some good on Tuesday as part of the eleventh annual Good Deeds Day, a project encouraging people to volunteer and give back to the community.Good Deeds Day was initiated by Ruach Tova (“Good Spirit”), a nonprofit organization that is part of the Ted Arison Family Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Arison Group.This year, Good Deeds Day has expanded its activities in Israel and the organization said it hopes to see one in five Israelis take part.“The goal is to create a critical mass of good deeds, leading to positive change in the world,” businesswoman and philanthropist Shari Arison, who founded Good Deeds Day, said ahead of the event.The fundamental idea of the initiative is that every person has the ability to do a good deed, whether large or small, that can help another person and set an example for what our world could look like every day of the year.“We have built an immense infrastructure of good deeds,” Arison said. “Each individual can do a good deed, but togetherness creates power. Together we can shift the pendulum to the positive side, tapping into a tremendous source of hope.”This year, the highlight will be the activities planned for the afternoon in city parks, shopping malls and centers throughout the country with options for the whole family, in which the public can drop by and perform a “good deed in passing.”Additional projects are set to take place from North to South as schools and youth groups, businesses, soldiers and students are expected to participate in preplanned good-deeds activities.Among the various projects, volunteers will clean up forests and beaches, renovate and paint welfare institutions, hold “fun days” for underprivileged or special- needs populations, engage in activities with Holocaust survivors and with the elderly and plant community gardens.The day has also become a global endeavor and will include some 93 countries, including Brazil, Taiwan, Italy, the United States, Germany, Argentina, Russia and Panama, all of which are set to mark the day on April 2nd.
“This project, created eleven years ago, has crossed borders to become a unifying international force, thanks to its simplicity and the ability of each and every person to connect and participate,” Arison said.Last year, 1.3 million Israelis participated in 14,000 projects across the country on Good Deeds Day, including 99% of municipalities.For more information on Good Deeds Day events in Israel: www.good-deeds-day.org.il/events (Hebrew only)