Girl Builds Mobile Shelters Because ‘Nobody Should Sleep Outside’

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Jun 9, 2015

Two months ago, we broke the story about a man named Elvis who built a tiny mobile shelter for a woman sleeping in the dirt on his block.

Meanwhile, one nine-year-old girl has been doing the very same thing–and she came up with the idea all on her own.

Hailey Fort of Bremerton, Washington, first befriended a homeless man named Edward when he lost his job at their local supermarket. Hailey, who happens to be handy with an electric drill, decided to get to work building him a “mobile sleeping shelter,” and she knows what she’s doing.

Fifth Grader Runs Successful Nonprofit After Homework is Done

“If there was no insulation, he would get cold. If there was no tar paper, he would get a draft,” she told King 5 news. With a little help from her grandfather, who is a contractor by trade, she successfully built Edward a 8×4 wooden shelter.

Hailey, in fact, has a history of helping the homeless, having planted a garden to supply 128 pounds of produce for a local food bank. She has since received grants to help build more homeless shelters to donate to Edward’s friends in Bremerton’s “Tent City.”

Hailey’s fundraising campaign has already raised $29,000. You can also follow Haily’s Harvest on Facebook.

(WATCH the King-5 video below to see Hailey in action) –Story Tip from Denise Keeran

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Girl With Cancer Gets VIP Bono Experience From Caring Community and Ed Norton

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Good News Network

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Jun 8, 2015

For one young girl who wanted to see Bono in concert, last night was a dream come true.

14-year-old Lizzy Lawson, who has a stage 4 brain tumor, wanted more than anything to attend the U2 concert in Denver. When a student in Lizzy’s mother’s spin class, heard about the girl’s wish, she decided to start a CrowdRise campaign to help make it come true, in high style.

Tricia Canonic managed to raise nearly $4,700 to get Lizzy, her sisters and her mom tickets to the show, a limo ride from Fort Collins to Denver, dinner, a makeover and outfits for all of them.

Shortly before the night of the show, CrowdRise co-founder Edward Norton decided to contact LiveNation himself in order to get the girls an upgrade. He also called his friend, Bono, to make it all happen.

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The family was bumped up to the front of the house, provided with backstage passes, and got to meet the band.

“There were presents for all the girls, and extra love for Lizzy. The Edge talked to us at length, as he shared about his family’s battles with cancer,” said Lizzy’s mom, Meredith. “There are so many people in need in the world, even in our own community, that for us to be so lavished with love and support indeed makes me feel unnaturally blessed.”

U2 had been so personable and kind to Lizzy, she said it was “like she got to watch her friends on stage” during the show.

Friends of Lizzy and her family continue to raise funds for her care on CrowdRise, and though local events.

“The number of people who took it upon themselves to become involved in so many different ways after that….all of these people with so much talent, each using and giving what they had, that’s a masterpiece,” said Meredith. “That’s humanity at it’s best.”

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Former Fish Farmer Feeds a Million Children Every Day

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Terry Turner

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Jun 8, 2015

In a modern-day tale of feeding the multitudes, a former fish farmer is serving free, nutritious meals to a million school kids around the world every weekday — five million meals every week.

Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow started Mary’s Meals in 2002, and the group celebrated reaching the one-million mark last month at a village in Malawi, the country where he first started feeding hungry children. He coordinates the organization’s efforts from a small shed on his father’s farm in Scotland.

Named after mother Mary in The Bible, the charitable effort distributes lunches to students in 12 countries. MarysMeals.org says a $19.50 donation will feed a child for a full year.

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“It makes me feel strong and I am able to understand what my teachers are telling me,” 14-year-old Marita Wyson said at the celebration in Malawi. “My grandmother doesn’t have to worry so much about how she will provide food for me and my sister.”

Last month MacFarlane-Barrow published a book about his mission, The Shed That Fed a Million Children, to help spread the word about Mary’s Meals. He decided to create his charity after seeing school kids without enough to eat during a 2002 trip to Malawi. He now feeds 25% of primary school aged children in that country today.

He says even though they’ve reached an impressive milestone, serving a million meals a day, he wants to feed even more.

(WATCH the CNN Heroes video below)

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First Photos of Princess Charlotte With Brother, Prince George

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Linda Hernandez

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Jun 8, 2015

Who’s in the mood for a royal cuddle?

The baby Princess Charlotte, now one-month old, couldn’t look prettier – and Prince George’s kisses be any sweeter – in these newly released photos of the royal siblings.

Duchess Kate took the photographs herself last month at Anmer Hall, the royals’ country home in Norfolk.

In a modern move, Kensington Palace released one of the photos through its official Twitter and Instagram accounts, recognizing the hundreds of thousands of followers it gained since the Princess’ birth on May 2.

Share a glimpse at these cuties (below)…

Lives Changed as Charities Give Away More than 400,000 Hearing Aids

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Terry Turner

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Jun 8, 2015

A woman cries, children smile, and old men hug everyone around them as they experience the joy of hearing once again – some, for the first time.

The gift of hearing is “one of the most transformational experiences you can give,” says Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation set up by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group.

Her organization began partnering with the Starkey Hearing Foundation four years ago. Together the charities recently worked with volunteers from around the world to outfit dozens of people in Soweto, South Africa with hearing aids.

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It’s part of the Starkey foundation’s pledge to donate a million hearing aids to low-income people in more than 100 countries within ten years. The group has been giving away free hearing aids for decades – and more than 100,000 annually since 2010 – tuning their mission into an amplified success.

(WATCH the video below)

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Doorman Surprises Sick Child Staying at the Hotel with a Puppy (WATCH)

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Linda Hernandez

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Jun 8, 2015

Twelve-year-old Brandon Leach has a new little buddy to help him cope with his chronic illness, thanks to the generosity of a hotel doorman.

Fairmont Copley Plaza doorman Michael Eades noticed that Leach, who has mitochondrial disease and frequently stays at the Boston, Massachusetts, hotel with his family during treatments, seemed to suffer less when he was around the hotel’s resident dog that provides guests companionship.

So with the family’s blessing, Eades searched for the perfect dog, and the entire hotel staff chipped in to buy the black English Labrador puppy.

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“At first, I just thought he was bringing out a puppy that I could pet,” Leach told WCVB News. “I could not believe this is my little puppy.”

No surprise, Leach named his new dog Copley, and his family has already noticed a difference in the boy’s condition.

The breed makes for a great therapy and service dog, and according to the Eades, because black Labs can be trained to recognize choking symptoms associated with mitochondrial disease.

(WATCH the video above)

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Woman Keeps Hair During Chemo Thanks to New “Cooling” Cap

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Terese Schlachter

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Jun 8, 2015

Donna Tookes has a thick and slightly wild mane of silver hair. It’s something of a trademark for her.

When she learned she had breast cancer, the thought of losing her look was devastating.

“I felt dizzy, weak at the knees,” Tookes told NBC News.

She underwent surgery, followed by chemotherapy.

Meanwhile, her husband, Darryl Tookes, conducted a bit of research. He found a clinical trial for a system called, “DigniCap,” and asked doctors at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York to include his “mature, youthful looking” wife.

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The cap, which cools the scalp to 37 degrees during treatment, slows the metabolism of follicles so they don’t divide as quickly. Out of 101 women who took part in the clinical trial, about 70 of them kept 50% of their hair.

Donna kept all of hers.

“I still looked like myself,” she said.

The cap is not yet cleared for use in the U.S. and is still in clinical trials.

(WATCH the videos below or READ more at NBC News)

To hear more from Darryl and Donna, check out the video below.

Oldest Jockey and First Latino Ever to Win Triple Crown Donates Winnings

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Good News Network

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Jun 7, 2015

Ending the sport’s 37 year drought, the thoroughbred American Pharoah galloped into the history books at the Belmont Stakes Saturday to become horse racing’s first Triple Crown winner since 1978.

Riding the horse to victory earlier this year at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Victor Espinoza, 43, became the oldest jockey to win all three races in one season, and the first Latino to do so.

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The jockey, who was afraid of horses as a boy in Mexico, traditionally donates 10 percent of everything he wins to City of Hope, the cancer research and treatment center. But after becoming only the twelfth jockey to claim Triple Crown glory, he said he would be donating all his prize winnings, $80,000, to the Duarte, California center.

American Pharoah’s trainer Bob Baffert, who lost three Triple Crowns prior to Saturday’s victory also announced he would be donating $50,000 each to charities for retired race horses and permanently disabled jockeys.

(WATCH the exciting finish below or READ about the horse race at Seattle Times)

China to Phase out Domestic Ivory Market, Crack Down on Illegal Trade Online

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Good News Network

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Jun 7, 2015

The illegal ivory trade in China was delivered two major blows last month when the state government and the country’s largest social media platform began clamping down to protect the endangered African elephant.

During the public destruction of 662 kilograms of confiscated illegal ivory (1500 lbs) in Beijing, the Chinese government said that it was working to close down the nation’s legal domestic ivory market.

The May 29 announcement from the State Forestry Administration said Chinese authorities will “strictly control ivory processing and trade until the commercial processing and sale of ivory and its products are eventually halted.”

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“This decision will have a profound impact on wild elephant conservation and ivory trafficking,” said Lo Sze Ping, Chief Executive Officer of WWW China.

The recent destruction of tusks and carved ivory that were seized since 2014 follows an ivory destruction event held in Guangdong, China, in January 2014 when 6.15 tons of confiscated ivory were crushed.

In other good news for elephants, the Chinese internet giant with the most widely-used social media platform and messaging app–Weixin (WeChat)–has launched a campaign to combat illegal online wildlife trade. Tencent, which founded the Weixin and QQ microblog platforms has already shut down a group of social media accounts which were proven to be involved in illegal online wildlife business activities.

Partnering with The Nature Conservancy and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Tencent launched an official account on Weixin, called ‘Tencent for the Planet’, to provide a reporting channel for clamping down on the illegal activities online, after it had learned through user complaints about the steady growth of illegal wildlife trade on the Internet.

To promote elephant conservation awareness, Tencent also opened a voting process for Weixin users for a new set of emoji featuring elephants.

Other nations and territories to destroy ivory stockpiles recently include Belgium, Republic of Congo, France, Gabon, Hong Kong, Kenya, UAE and the USA.

Photos: (top) Tencent, (home) Martin Harvey © WWF

Man Flies 1200 Miles to Donate Stem Cells to Save 7-year-old Girl

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Good News Network

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Jun 7, 2015

Priya Shah was fighting a losing battle with a rare disease and was forced to drop out of school when none of her family members were a match for a stem-cell transplant.

That’s when a 44-year-old stranger from Dubai flew in to become her knight in shining armor, traveling all the way to Gujarat, India to donate his own to the seven-year-old.

(READ more from Times of India)

“Bucket List Dog” Cuts Ribbon at Shelter Where He Was First Adopted

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Good News Network

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Jun 7, 2015

We heard back from Thomas Neil Rodriguez, aka DJ Neil Armstrong, who told us that Poh, the pup he’s been taking on a Bucket List trip across the country, continued his great adventure as the guest of honor at the animal shelter where he was first adopted by his loving caretaker.

Neil and Poh returned to the North Shore Animal League yesterday in Long Island, New York to cut the ribbon on the group’s 21st Anniversary Celebration and 36-hour adoption event.

Ten days ago, GNN broke the story–which immediately went viral on American news websites–about the former shelter dog’s heartwarming end of life journey, which Neil documented on Instagram.

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“Your article is what made Poh’s story go viral. Before your article he had approximately 5000 followers, he now has 97,000. Thank you again!” Rodriguez wrote to GNN.

The 16-year-old pup was adopted from the North Shore Animal League back in 1999, and has since traveled to dozens of US states, dipped his toes in the Pacific Ocean and befriended a horse in New Orleans.

“This is a really nice thing for Poh, he gets to return to where he came from after getting to see the world.”

Rodriguez was presented with the dog’s Mutt-i-grees® Rescue Registry papers along with a Certificate of Appreciation for raising awareness about the importance of adoption and the human-animal bond.

It is hoped that 2,000 rescue animals will be adopted in this weekend’s event in New York.

Send this on a journey to meet your friends and followers…(below)

Students Wait in Line for Autographs – From School Janitor

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Good News Network

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Jun 6, 2015

Dozens of second-grade students waited in a long line this week just to get Mr. Steve to sign their yearbooks.

Mr. Steve is not a teacher or principal, he is the school’s beloved custodian.

The Alan Shepard Elementary School in Bourbonnais, Illinois posted the photo on the Facebook page for their school district this weekend and the image was viewed and cheered more than a million times.

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“He pays attention to the kids… he knows who they are,” Principal Shirley Padera told WQAD. “The kids know if anything happens, Mr. Steve is going to take care of it.”

“This picture is not about me!” said Weidner. “It’s about the children of Alan Shepard school.”

“My signature to me or anybody else is just that a ‘signature’. But to those kids it’s more than a name on paper.”

(READ more from WQAD)

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One Chick-fil-A Owner Is Donating 200 Sandwiches to Iowa Pride Event

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Good News Network

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Jun 6, 2015

Revelers at the Iowa City Pride fest this year will be eating chicken and fries donated by a local owner of the fast food franchise most associated with anti-gay sentiment.

Adam Donius, the owner of a Chick-fil-A in Coralville, Iowa was happy to become a sponsor of the annual gay pride picnic on June 19.

(READ the full story from the Business Insider)

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Giving Away $29 Billion Earned This Pair a Lifetime Philanthropy Award

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Good News Network

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Jun 6, 2015

Warren Buffett presented the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy to the couple who has given away more money than anyone in the history of humanity–Bill and Melinda Gates.

The Microsoft founder and his wife have poured $29 billion dollars into eradicating polio from the world, protecting Africans against Malaria, and even searching for the best toilet to help global sanitation efforts.

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“I’ve studied the great foundations, whether it’s Rockefeller or Carnegie or Julius Rosenwald or George Eastman, Bill Hewlett, Dave Packard, Henry Ford… But in no case did the founders of those foundations remotely pour the personal time and effort and brainpower into their foundations that Bill and Melinda have. They have been spending, and I’ve observed it, certainly 50 hours a week, maybe averaging 60 hours a week.”

(WATCH their video or READ more at Forbes.com)

Operation Feel Good: Being The Change We Wish To See In The World

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jennifer mathews

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Jun 6, 2015

Good News Network inspired me to do something of my own. I made a video in hopes that it will inspire others–because one more person who is inspired is one more person who is making a difference.

I thank you for your website; it is awesome and has helped keep me stay focused on positivity!

I wanted to share this with your readers…

My wife and I shopped for groceries, made sandwiches, then passed them out– with clothes and cookies – to those in need.

This gentleman was very grateful: thank you for Operation Feelgood!

(WATCH my video below)

Trader Joe’s Exec Opens Nonprofit Grocery Store As a Low-Budget, Healthy Option

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Good News Network

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Jun 6, 2015

The former president of Trader Joe’s has opened the nation’s first not-for-profit grocery store in Dorchester, Massachusetts to give people a low-cost option for healthy groceries–and ready-made meals.

Instead of going to McDonald’s for lunch or dinner, low-income folks or locals who are too busy to cook can now come to the Daily Table and find quick healthy meal options freshly prepared on-site. Entrees like chicken penne are priced starting at $1.49, while side dishes like soup or salad range from 50¢ to $1.

Daily Table keeps prices low, according to SuperMarket News, by sourcing its food through overstocks, donations from supermarkets or manufacturers, and by acquiring blemished produce.

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But a quick look at their grapefruit (2 for $1), carrots ($.29 lb) and cucumbers (3 for $1) reveals no more imperfections than you’d find at an average farmer’s market.

The store at 450 Washington Street, which opened Thursday, is selling frozen vegetables, frozen pizzas, bread, canned goods, cereal, rice, salad greens, bananas and other produce. The store will not sell soda, snacks or candy.

cucumbers-carrots-in-grocery-bin-DailyTable-FB — The Daily Table

Doug Rauch, the former president of Trader’Joes, says he wants to feature prices that will “make you smile”, and hopes to locate more stores in the working class neighborhoods of Boston, but also others in Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, San Francisco and Baton Rouge.

(WATCH the video below from WBZ-TV or LEARN more at the Daily Table Facebook Page and website)

U.S. Adds a Hefty 280,000 Jobs in May, More Than Expected

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Good News Network

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Jun 5, 2015

Strong job growth in May shows that employers continue to remain confident about the US economy going forward.

The monthly federal report surprised economists with an increase of 280,000 jobs.

The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in March and April by a combined net 32,000.

(READ more about the report at NBC) Photo by Reyner Media – Story tip from carilyn

Miss Piggy the Muppet is Honored for Feminist Contributions (WATCH)

By

Terry Turner

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Jun 5, 2015

Television and movie diva, best-selling author and outspoken champion of porcine rights, Miss Piggy, was honored this week with a major feminist award. On top of that, she’s published an essay on feminism in TIME magazine.

The Muppet was honored Thursday in Brooklyn, New York, taking the stage to give a speech at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. She joins the ranks of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, journalist Connie Chung and author Toni Morrison, who have also received the Sackler Center First Award.

“Moi is thrilled,” Miss Piggy said in a statement. “It is truly wonderful to be celebrated and share this honor with fellow legends, role models, and pioneers of female fabulosity. We rock!”

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Center founder, Elizabeth Sackler, said in a statement that Miss Piggy was chosen for her “determination and grit” in teaching important lessons through television and film.

In her TIME essay, Miss Piggy says “feminism’s future must be proud, positive, powerful, perseverant, and, wherever possible, alliterative.”

(WATCH the video below – READ more from Reuters) Photo by ross hawkes, CC

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Man Takes Mobile Shower on the Road for Homeless People in Florida-WATCH

By

Terry Turner

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Jun 5, 2015

Drew Broderick knows how important a shower can be if you’re looking for work, or trying to keep your job, when you have no home. He’s been there.

When he lost his business and his home in 2008, what Broderick missed most was a hot shower. So, he turned his old construction trailer into a mobile shower and started towing it to missions and homeless shelters around North Fort Myers, Florida.

Since 2013, he has provided the homeless with more than 1,000 “hot heavenly showers” through the use of this innovative mobile device.

“They come out of there looking like a million bucks, giving me big hugs and crying,” Broderick told WBBH-TV with tears filling his eyes. “It’s been a beautiful experience.”

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Now, he’s hit a bit of a road block: his truck broke down earlier this year, and the mobile shower has been sitting in a backyard ever since, unable to go where it’s needed.

Broderick’s not giving up, though. He founded “Showers for Homeless Fort Myers,” created a Giveforward fundraising page to get his shower back on the road, and is looking for people to help him take the gift of a hot shower to the homeless again.

(WATCH the WBBH News video below) – Story tip: Jennifer Nasworthy

Shower your friends with this story…