University Heights, Ohio, is asking residents to mark the 25th anniversary of September 11 by doing something deliberately ordinary and generous: complete three acts of kindness for people they do not know.
The city's Pay It Forward Day is planned for Friday, September 11, 2026. The invitation is open to residents of all ages, and the city suggests actions people can shape around their own time and resources.
Three useful ways to join in
The city's examples include buying a coffee for a stranger, donating food to a shelter or pantry, writing thank-you notes to first responders, and organizing or joining a neighborhood litter cleanup. Participants are encouraged to ask the recipient to pass the kindness along.
The city also recommends working with local groups, schools or businesses when a larger effort makes sense. None of these suggestions requires a grand gesture. The point is to make care visible and repeatable.
Part of a wider day of service
The local challenge fits within a much larger 9/11 Day movement. The national nonprofit behind 9/11 Day says it is working toward one million good deeds for the anniversary and expects 50,000 volunteers to pack 18 million meals for people facing food insecurity.
Those national figures are organizers' current goals, not completed totals. University Heights has not published a participation target or promised a measured community outcome for its local challenge.
A remembrance people can practice
The city frames the day as a way to remember those who died and to honor the people whose service helped others in the aftermath. Its invitation turns that idea into a short list anyone can adapt: help someone, strengthen a neighborhood, and make it easier for the next person to do the same.
Residents can take part on September 11 without registering through the city. People who want a structured opportunity can also explore the national 9/11 Day volunteer listings, where individual projects have their own locations, schedules and registration requirements.