From Tragedy to Unity: David Paine and Jay S. Winuk on Building 9/11 Day

This week on Next Steps Forward, program host Dr. Chris Meek is joined by the co-founders of 9/11 Day, David Paine and Jay S. Winuk. Together, they share the remarkable story behind how a day of national tragedy was transformed into a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance, now inspiring tens of millions of Americans to honor those lost in the September 11 attacks through acts of kindness, volunteering, and community service.

David and Jay discuss the origins of the movement, the deeply personal loss that shaped its mission, and how service became a unifying force across the country. They also explore the ambitious vision behind the 25th anniversary of 9/11 Day, which aims to mobilize the largest day of service in American history through nationwide volunteer initiatives, education programs, and cross-sector partnerships.

At a time of increasing division, this conversation highlights the enduring power of service to bring people together, strengthen communities, and reaffirm shared humanity.

About David Paine: David Paine is the co-founder and president of 9/11 Day, the nonprofit organization that led the formal establishment of September 11 as a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance. Over the past 24 years, 9/11 Day has inspired tens of millions of Americans to honor the victims and heroes of 9/11 through acts of kindness, volunteering, and charitable giving—transforming a day of tragedy into a powerful annual moment of unity and service across the country. For the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Paine and his co-founder Jay Winuk are leading an ambitious national effort to organize what is expected to be the largest day of service in American history. The initiative will feature 50 large-scale, multi-city service projects focused on critical needs such as hunger relief, alongside expanded education programs and grantmaking to support schools, nonprofits, and youth organizations nationwide.

This historic effort is powered by an extraordinary coalition of influential partners — including the NFL, Major League Baseball, National Governors Association, U.S. Conference of Mayors, America250, AmeriCorps, Points of Light, and many others — and is supported by more than 600 corporate partners, including Delta Air Lines, Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co., JPMorgan Chase, American Express, Citigroup, Pfizer, Blackstone, The Coca-Cola Company, Starbucks, and many other leading corporations committed to advancing service and unity nationwide. At a time of deep division, Paine is advancing a bold, unifying vision for civic engagement — one that invites Americans of all backgrounds to join together in shared purpose through service. His work is rooted in the belief that even in the face of profound loss, acts of compassion can help bridge divides, strengthen communities, and reaffirm our common humanity. Through his leadership, he has helped build a lasting national movement grounded in empathy, unity, and the enduring idea that doing good for others is one of the most meaningful ways to remember.

About Jay S. Winuk: Jay S. Winuk is co-founder and executive vice president of 9/11 Day, the nonprofit organization that began and annually organizes the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. On September 11, 2001, Jay’s brother Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney, volunteer firefighter and EMT, was killed in the line of duty at the World Trade Center. Inspired by his brother’s lifelong devotion to community service and courageous actions, Jay joined David Paine in 2002 as co-founder in helping to build and lead the 9/11 Day observance. Jay is a frequent public speaker and a leading national voice about volunteerism, charitable service, terrorism, individual empowerment and his own experience as the brother of a murdered 9/11 first responder. His work, commentary and personal story have been featured in major news media reports, documentaries and books throughout the nation and world. Jay was a featured speaker at the nationally televised ServiceNation “Presidential Candidates Forum” at Columbia University, representing the 9/11 family community and delivering his remarks just prior to those of candidates U.S. Senators Barack Obama and John McCain.

Since co-founding the nonprofit 9/11 Day organization with David Paine, Jay has spoken about charitable service and volunteerism before dozens of audiences – including at national conferences, corporate and annual meetings, press conferences with national legislative leaders, charitable events, on Capitol Hill, at colleges and high schools and more. In addition to his leadership role for 9/11 Day, Jay serves as president of Winuk Communications, Inc., the public relations agency he founded in 1994. He and his firm have won numerous national public relations awards, including multiple Silver and Bronze Anvils from the Public Relations Society of America, the industry’s highest honors. In this capacity Jay has provided PR support to many of the nation’s leading corporations, nonprofits and other organizations.