Jeff Parness, like many New Yorkers, was changed by the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He lost a good friend when the Twin Towers fell, but was also deeply moved by the support the city received from across the country following the attack.

In 2004, he established New York Says Thank You, a nonprofit organization that sends volunteers from New York City, particularly the city’s beloved firefighters, to help rebuild other disaster-stricken communities each September.

“I want to show the world that New Yorkers will never forget what people did for us following 9/11,” says Parness.

And, volunteers from those towns often join Jeff in continuing to ‘pay it forward’ on subsequent projects which, to date, have involved more than 7,000 people nationwide.

A new documentary on Jeff & his organization, “New York Says Thank You”, premieres next week at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Watch the film’s trailer, and CNN’s Hero of the Week video below… (READ CNN story here)