The 5 Best Ways To Show Your Kids Love: How Many Do You Do?

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Apr 19, 2015

We know that the single most beneficial thing we can do for our kids is to love them. Kids thrive when they feel loved.

It seems straightforward, doesn’t it? We all know how to love our kids, don’t we? But I’m not sure that love is that straightforward.

I know my husband and I show our love for our kids in different ways. My husband is much more expressive in telling the kids he loves them, and giving them lots of cuddles. Whereas, I’m more likely to help my kids, and teach them how to be a decent person.

Despite our best intentions, things can easily get in the way of showing our love – busyness, competing demands, stress, lack of sleep, and the list goes on.

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But it’s worthwhile to remember these five ways to show our kids love. And recognize when we do them.

1. Being warm and affection ate

Being warm and affectionate is one of the more obvious ways we can show our kids love. It could be morning cuddles, snuggling up with a book at night, or randomly saying ‘I love you’.

2. Doing activities together

Kids get a lot of value and enjoyment out of doing fun activities with us whether it’s sitting on the floor with a puzzle, finger painting or going for a bike ride. Even if it doesn’t seem fun for us (and there are a million others things that need to get done), getting involved in our child’s fun can be infectious.

3. Paying attention

One of the more powerful ways to validate our children and help them feel loved is to pay attention to them. They want us to notice when they do something new or fun or funny! If we’re too distracted, we can miss moments to share in their world. We can’t pay undivided attention to our kids every minute of every day (and we wouldn’t really want to because that doesn’t necessarily help our kids). But taking a little time every day helps show our love.

4. Saying no

I think one of our most important jobs as parents is to help teach our kids what’s appropriate and acceptable behavior. Kids learn this when we set some boundaries and stick to them. That involves saying no when we need to, even if our kids don’t like it. To me, that is another very important aspect of loving our children.

5. Focusing on strengths

I think everyone, including kids, really thrive when we reinforce and encourage their strengths. Sometimes we can be so focused on stamping out the negative behaviour that we forget to highlight and encourage the good behaviour. All of our kids have amazing strengths that we can cultivate and delight in everyday.

There are probably so many other ways to express our love, but I think these five are most important. What do you do to show your kids you love them? Tell us in the comments below…

Jodie Benveniste is a psychologist, parenting author, TEDx speaker, and author of four parenting books, including Intuitive Parenting: Unlocking the secrets to raising incredible kids. Visit her website at jodiebenveniste.com.

Like the article? Share it, and show US some Love! – Photo by Philippe Put, CC

China Fights Water Pollution, Bans Paper Mills and Oil Refineries

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Good News Network

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Apr 19, 2015

China will ban water-polluting paper mills, oil refineries, pesticide producers and other industrial plants by the end of 2016, as it moves to tackle severe pollution of the country’s water supply.

The long-awaited plan comes as the central government steps up its “war on pollution” after years of industrial development that have left one-third of China’s major river basins contaminated.

(READ the full story from Reuters)

Photo: Guangzhou river by sanfamedia.com, via CC

Sacrificing to Help Brother Go To School, Selfless Sister Is Rewarded With Tuition

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Apr 18, 2015

Sometimes, good things happen to good people.

Young Lauren Burgos had always planned to go to college, possibly even to become a lawyer. But when her father died while she was still in high school, she took a job to help her family, eventually working 40-60 hours a week at a Manhattan hotel so her brother could attend college, while she helped pay the rent. Dreams of higher education became a distant memory for the 22-year-old, but her family never forgot.

When her brother, Matt, learned that Strayer University was looking to award scholarships to people whose obstacles had forced them to take a detour in life, instead of pursuing college, he submitted Lauren’s story of selflessness.

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At a surprise birthday party last month, Lauren Burgos stood aghast when her family in Brooklyn broke the news that she was one of three people chosen to receive a full scholarship– and money for books, too.

“You sacrificed… you kept me going,” her brother Matt told her.

“I’m getting a full ride to school,” Lauren told a camera crew that was recording the surprise for Strayer. Laughing and wiping away tears, she dared finally to dream again.

“In five to ten years, I will be a self-confident, independent woman traveling the world.”

(WATCH the heartwarming video below)

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Her Student Debt Was Paid in Full After A Bank Heard Her Family Story

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Apr 18, 2015

After a former college student shared her heartbreaking family story on CNN last month, her student loans totaling $54,000 were completely wiped off the bank’s ledger within hours.

Rhea Shannon, 26, a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC, was left without a parent to help repay the debt after her father died serving in Afghanistan. Her soldier dad had been a huge advocate for continuing education, so he cosigned on her loan before reenlisting to help pay them off.

Shannon could not keep up with the payments, was grieving, and having to face collectors alone, when she told CNN Money her story. Within two hours of the broadcast, she received a call from the Tragedy Assistance Program (TAPS) who informed her she no longer owed a cent because the nonprofit organization, which supports families after the death of a service member, has a partnership with JP Morgan Chase.

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The debt was forgiven through the mega-bank’s Military Survivor Program, which is always on the lookout for cases like Shannon’s. Since the program started in 2013, JPMorgan has forgiven $4.3 million in student loans, car loans, mortgages, and credit card debt held by fallen service members.

And, while the heavy burden was being lifted from Shannon’s shoulders, she also learned about a TAPS scholarship that will cover her Master’s degree.

“Thank you God, and thank you Dad,” she told CNN.

(WATCH video below from CNN Money)

CORRECTION: GNN incorrectly identified the woman’s father as a Marine. The story has been corrected.

Innovative Crowdsourcing of Tweets, Phones Can Give Early Warnings of Quakes, Floods

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Terry Turner

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Apr 18, 2015

Your smartphone could save your life before disaster strikes. Researchers are turning smartphones and social media into early warning systems for earthquakes and floods.

In two separate developments, researchers have found a way to use smartphone GPS sensors to detect earthquakes and Twitter to track major flooding in real-time.

In the first case, NASA helped scientists to crowdsource the GPS in smartphones and tablets to measure sudden shaking in the ground. The phones then sent warnings to other phones farther and farther away. The early warning reached people several seconds before the quake’s tremors got to them.

“The speed of an electronic warning travels faster than the earthquake shaking does,” explained Craig Glennie, a report author and professor at the University of Houston in Texas.

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The system only works with major quakes, magnitude seven or higher, but if as few as 5,000 phones and tablets in a major city sense a tremor, that’s enough to send out an early warning — and buy people valuable time to take cover.

“Most of the world does not receive earthquake warnings mainly due to the cost of building the necessary scientific monitoring networks,” said U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist and project lead Benjamin Brooks, who published their findings in the journal Science Advances.

At the same time, researchers are using smartphones with a Twitter app to track major floods.

Disaster planners used tweets from two years of flooding in Indonesia to create real-time flood maps that could warn people of rising water and help them determine where to send rescuers and resources.

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This speedy method can produce a map within around a minute of messages being posted, Deltares flood expert Dirk Eilander told Reuters.

People in Jakarta were posting 900 tweets per minute during February’s floods. Researchers used those pictures and descriptions to recreate what people were seeing, then plotted it onto a map. The amateur observations weren’t as accurate as professional gauges, but the descriptions matched professional measurements in two-thirds of the cases.

Disaster responders can use the maps to spot areas with the greatest need for response and to speed up recovery efforts.

Both the earthquake and flood warning systems are relatively inexpensive and put important parts of disaster preparedness in the hands — or pockets — of everyone with a smartphone.

Photo credit: Ed Yourdon, CC

Monkey Presumed Extinct is Photographed in Congo Forest

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Apr 18, 2015

A rare monkey not seen for nearly half a century and thought to be extinct has been spotted by two primatologists working in a Congo forest. Their expedition yielded the first-ever photograph of the elusive Bouvier’s red colobus monkey.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reported the good news this week after researchers Lieven Devreese and Gaël Elie Gnondo Gobolo returned from the Ntokou-Pikounda National Park, a protected area that safeguard gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, and other species.

Guided by local people familiar with the area, the team found a group of red colobus in the swamp forests and confirmed that the species is not extinct.

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“We’re very pleased indeed that Lieven and Gaël were able to achieve their objective of not only confirming that Bouvier’s red colobus still exists, but also managing to get a very clear close-up picture of a mother and infant,” said WCS’s Dr. Fiona Maisels. “Thankfully, these colobus monkeys live in the recently gazetted national park and are protected from threats such as logging, agriculture, and roads, all of which can lead to increased hunting.”

Bouvier’s red colobus (Piliocolobus bouvieri) is a species of monkey endemic to the Republic of Congo, about which virtually nothing is known. First described in 1887, it is only known from a couple of museum specimens collected from three localities over 100 years ago. The authors of a book written in 1949 mention that the species lives in the swamp forests of the region, but the last unverified sightings of Bouvier’s red colobus monkey occurred in the 1970s.

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Red colobus monkeys (there are several species) typically do not flee from humans but look down at them from the trees, an unfortunate behavioral characteristic that has led to them becoming very rare wherever hunters are active. Hunting and logging decimated its population, leading some scientists to suggest the monkey was extinct.

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One of the Most Polluted Lakes in U.S. Welcomes Swimmers After 75 Years

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Apr 17, 2015

Once among the most polluted lakes in America, a 4.5 mile long lake in Upstate New York is considered by some to be clean enough for swimming –for the first time in 75 years.

Swimming has been banned on Onondaga lake since 1940 because of industrial pollution and sewage, but with hundreds of millions of dollars spent on water treatment over the past two decades, the pollution has dropped dramatically.

There still is no public beach, and officials warn people not to swim after big rains, because sewage runoff into the lake remains dangerous.

(READ the story from Syracuse.com)

UPDATE, August, 2015: New article about swimming demonstrates mixed reviews.

Nasal Spray Helps Alzheimer’s Patients Regain Some Mental Function

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Terry Turner

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Apr 17, 2015

An insulin nasal spray has shown it can boost memory and other mental functions for people with Alzheimer’s. Patients in the early stages of the disease who used the spray saw as much as a 25% improvement on tests of their mental manipulation and memory.

“Our team was surprised at the level of improvement for the participants with the gene that raises Alzheimer’s risk, as very few types of therapies have been shown to benefit these patients,” Dr. Suzanne Craft, professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest Baptist, told Fox News.

Craft is part of the team behind the Study of Nasal Insulin in the Fight against Forgetfulness, or “SNIFF.”

Insulin, which became available for medical use 92 years ago this week, is essential for managing blood sugar in the body, but it also plays a key role in brain function — allowing receptors to process memory.

“If you have Alzheimer’s disease, you see specific areas of the brain that are not utilizing the sugar the way they should. That has to do with the insulin receptors,” a Rush University Medical Center cognitive neurologist, Dr. Neelum Aggarwal, explained for KSFN News. “These areas of the brain now are not working.”

The spray delivers insulin directly to the brain, letting those receptors start working again. And the man-made insulin used in the spray causes no side effects.

The first study only looked at 60 patients over 21 days. The SNIFF team is now looking for 250 patients from across the country for much longer trials in 29 centers across the country.

To see if you qualify for the trials, you can go to the SNIFF website.

(WATCH the video below from KSFN, or READ more from Fox.com)

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Picasso Police Horse Paints in His Spare Time

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Apr 17, 2015

Well, this is a horse of a different color.

Jacob the police horse uses orange, greens, and blues to paint his abstract art while relaxing in a Florida pasture before his night job with the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Officer Jason Hughes, his trainer for six years, noticed how the horse, a mix of Percheron and thoroughbred, always liked to grab things with his mouth.

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“I was like, ‘You know, I bet if I gave him a paint brush, and put a canvas in front of it, he’d paint on it,'” Hughes says in a video posted on the police department’s YouTube page. “And, sure enough, he did. He took to it pretty easy.”

Hughes thinks the paintings are actually pretty good. The cooperative activity–with Jason loading the brushes and Jacob swiping the paint across the canvas– helps build trust between the two. In the evening, the partners saddle up downtown for patrols through congested areas of the city.

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Hughes has developed custom brushes that are easier for Jacob to hold with this teeth and after just a few months training, each canvas improves–paintings that Officer Hughes hopes be sell to raise money for charities.

(WATCH video below)

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Social Worker Finally Adopts Boy Who Begged Church For A Forever Family in 2013

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 17, 2015

It was her all along.

After a heartfelt plea to his church in 2013, a 16-year-old Florida boy’s prayers were answered by the very woman who was was by his side all along, helping the foster teen look for a home.

Good News Network first covered the story when Davion Navar Henry Only stood in front of a church congregation publicly asking someone, anyone, to love him. Touched by his plight, following widespread media coverage, more than 10,000 families came forward asking for information about adopting the teen.

Eventually, he moved in with a Reverend’s family, but was later rejected and sent back to foster care, after numerous fights broke out in the home.

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After months of feeling totally dispirited, Davion telephoned his social worker, Connie Bell Going, known to him as “Miss Connie”, and asked the same question that he’d posed several times since the age of seven.

“How do you feel about adopting me…?”

As a single mother of three, she had always wanted to take him in, but held out hope for finding a family with a father. But she decided it was time and by the next month, Davion was spending weekends with her daughters, Sydney, 21, Carley, 17 and adopted son Taylor, 14.

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In December, Davion moved in, and the legal adoption process began.

The two celebrated his adoption on their shared birthday in February by signing the papers together, and on April 22 it will become official.

Indeed, they have the same birth date, further evidence that this family was meant to be.

(WATCH Davion’s 2013 church plea below) Photo from Connie Going FB Page

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Lonely Veteran Finds New Friend in a Four-Legged “Battle Buddy”

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Apr 17, 2015

Since leaving the army, Chris’s days have been–well, lonely. Like many veterans, Chris missed the camaraderie and closeness of his fellow soldiers.

Chris thought perhaps a cat would be the solution, so he took a trip with his girlfriend–who lived in another state, at the time–to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay “just to browse.”

A little Puggle (Pug and Beagle mix) had other plans for Chris.

“When we passed through the kennel with the small dogs, we absolutely fell in love with Darla when she yelped at us to come see her,” he said. “She was adorable and was very distressed about being in there. I set up a meeting with her in their yard and she was extremely affectionate and friendly. We knew just then that we were going to take her home.”

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Darla, then five years old, had been surrendered by her previous family because they were unable to support her financially.

Chris and Veronica wouldn’t have to worry about that, thanks to a partnership between the shelter and a nonprofit called Pets for Patriots, an organization that helps veterans and military personnel adopt adult and special needs pets. By providing veterans with a range of benefits, pet parenthood is instantly more affordable–on an ongoing basis. Pets for Patriots has active partnerships with shelters, rescues, and animal control facilities nationwide, offering veterans discounted adoption fees, “welcome home” packages of food and collars, and continued veterinary discounts for the men and women who have served our country.

“There’s a mistaken impression that everyone will qualify for a service animal,” said Beth Zimmerman, Founder and Executive Director of Pets for Patriots. “But for most veterans, a companion pet can be just as therapeutic, and even life-saving.”

Darla quickly became a four-legged battle buddy for the decorated veteran. For her part, the little dog has taken well to her new life, including ditching her own bed to sleep under the blankets with Chris.

No longer lonely, Chris takes Darla to the dog park to stretch her legs every morning, and the two spend the rest of the day together until Veronica gets home. A typical day consists of sniffing absolutely everything, giving dirty looks to skateboarders, and keeping an eye out for the local pet store, which she recognizes instantly as one of her favorite places to go. Darla refuses to be left alone in any room, ever, and thus has become great at helping out with the laundry.

Chris one day hopes to open his own bar and grill, with uniforms that sport Darla’s picture, but whatever the young Army veteran decides to do, Darla will have his back.

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“The loyalty and affection she gives me can make any day so much better,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how mad, irritated or stressed out I am, because once I walk through that door she makes everything go away and helps me to relax. She helps me keep my head up.”

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$70K Minimum Wage: CEO Takes Huge Pay Cut to Raise Pay For Loyal Workers

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Terry Turner

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Apr 17, 2015

You may not be able to put a price on happiness, but a $70,000 a year minimum wage might take your mind off your problems.

A Seattle CEO is willing to give it a try — and he’s cutting his own salary to pay for it.

“You might be making $35,000 a year right now,” Price told 70 employees during the announcement. “But every one of you will definitely be making $70,000 a year and I’m super excited about that.”

Price got the idea after reading a research paper on happiness which showed extra money makes a big difference in the lives of people earning less than $70,000 a year.

Gravity Payments is a small company, so he couldn’t help but overhear people talking about their struggles with rent increases and unexpected bills.

The company, founded in Price’s college dorm room when he was only 19 years old, has since handled nearly 6.5 billion in payment transactions for 12,000 businesses.

He managed to make it through the 2008 recession without laying off any employees or raising prices, despite losing 20% of his business. Most of those young workers stuck with him through the hard times and he sees the wage increases as a way of returning that loyalty.

“I think this is just what everyone deserves,” Price told KING-TV. “Seeing people grow here has been amazing. And so, I just wanted to, just like, pass that along to the next generation of team members.”

Price will pay for the raises partly by digging into his company’s expected $2.2 million profits this year, and the rest will come from cutting his own $1 million annual salary. For the time being, Price will earn $70,000 a year — just like everyone else at his company.

“To hear those numbers is just — Wow!” Alyssa O’Neal told KING. She’s one of 30 employees who’ll see their salaries actually double. “I have this goal of being a 21-year-old home owner and I’m going to reach that now, and I am stoked.”

(WATCH the video below or READ more from the NY Times)

Restaurant Owner Leaves Note For Dumpster Diver Promising Free Meal

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 16, 2015

Just like any good mom, this Oklahoma restaurant owner wants to make sure everyone is well fed.

When Ashley Jiron, owner of sandwich shop P.B. Jams in Warr Acres realized someone was sifting through her trash for food she posted fliers promising a free meal with no questions asked. The fliers told the anonymous person, “You’re a human being and worth more than a meal from a dumpster.” Her sentiment went viral after she also posted the notice on Facebook.

“I am a mother of two little girls and I’ve struggled like a lot of single parents out there, and I’ve had to ask for state assistance, food stamps, and such,” Jiron told ABC News, adding, “Sometimes as simple as even just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is very comforting to somebody and maybe even offer them a few words.”

To date the person has not taken Jiron up on her offer, but she has vowed to leave the notes up until he or she does.

Her peanut butter and jelly shop has gained worldwide attention thanks to her humanity. Jiron plans to put the new celebrity status to good use. This past Sunday she launched the #ShareTheNuts program, which allows patrons to pay for the less fortunate.

(WATCH the video below, or READ the story from KFOR-TV)

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Black Cat Becomes A Nurse, Tending to Every Wounded Animal

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Good News Network

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Apr 16, 2015

When a rescued two-month-old kitten named Radamenes was rushed into a Polish clinic last year, doctors didn’t think he would make it. Plagued with an extreme respiratory infection, they were planning to euthanize him – but, then he started to purr. It was the beginning of a miraculous recovery for the black kitty, and through it all he might have learned some tips about care giving.

He began seeking out ill animals that might need comfort or warmth. The staff noticed that Radamenes paid special attention to those, like himself, undergoing the most serious treatments. Whether hugging or grooming the patients, the “nurse cat” spends much of his day purring the sickest back to health.

Radamenes has become quite the celebrity in the town of Bydgoszcz, attracting many visitors who want to observe his loving technique. And, like any good nurse, he doesn’t favor one species over another.

The photos, by Marta Sowińska, show him gingerly draping himself over any wounded area and watching over patients on their journey back to recovery.

This is one black cat these pets are happy to have seen cross their path.

(SEE more photos at the Polish website, TV Meteo)

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10 Year-old Girl Saves a Life Three Hours After Learning CPR

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Apr 16, 2015

It’s been said that you never know when CPR will come in handy–including minutes after you’ve learned it.

Literally three hours after learning the technique, a 10-year-old girl in Seoul performed it on an unconscious man who’d just had heart attack near his apartment building.

Earlier that day, she had learned to press down 30 times per minute, and that’s exactly what she did until the man began to wake.

Believed to be in his 50s, the man was taken to the hospital and later released. She had saved his life.

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“I was scared, but just wanted to help him out,” she was quoted as saying by the Korea Times. “Now I know CPR can really help people. I want to take my friends to the training.”

Responded to the call was the Gangseo Fire Station–where she’d just learned CPR.

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Cloud Lifts India’s Waste Pickers Off Trash Piles Without Ending Recycling

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Good News Network

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Apr 16, 2015

The third largest city in India piles up huge amounts of garbage every day, while recycling very little. Thousands of Bangalore’s poorest citizens pick through dangerous trash heaps scouring for things to sell. The only ones doing any large-scale recycling, they only end up earning about $72 a month for their hazardous work.

A brilliant scheme started by IT professionals, “I Got Garbage,” is taking waste management into the 21st century, using the cloud to address the city’s mounting trash problem. The company replaces the dangerous and unhealthy practice of landfill waste picking with a door-to-door model, collecting the valuables and recyclables before they end up in landfills. The service sends pickers to homes and offices to sort through the trash there and charges about $1.60 a month to show up daily at a client’s door to separate organics and recyclables.

So far, the project has rescued more than 5,000 waste pickers from trash heaps while doubling their income to about $144 a month. If a husband and wife work together, that’s enough to send their kids to school.

At the same time, “I Got Garbage,” brainchild of the Mindtree consulting firm, has recovered 2,350 tons of recyclables that would otherwise have been added to Bangalore’s trash heaps.

The team behind “I Got Garbage” has other business models in the works, including one in which pickers sell their clients composting kits to recycle organic waste at home.

Next up: expanding the program into other Indian cities in the months ahead.

Photo credit: I Got Garbage Facebook Page

POWWOW Diverts 30 Million Pounds of Produce Annually From Landfill to Food Banks

By

McKinley Corbley

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Apr 16, 2015

About four billion dollars worth of produce is imported from Mexico every year at the border of Nogales, Arizona, for distribution around the U.S. and Canada. Much of that food, however, doesn’t make the cut. Thirty to forty million pounds of the fruits and vegetables were being thrown into landfills because it was too scarred, too ripe, or too small.

Fortunately, Yolanda Soto developed a solution.

As executive director of the Borderland Community Food Bank, Soto began salvaging the rejected produce 20 years ago and started to feed families in need. To the three hundred-plus hunger-relief organizations across the US now on Soto’s email list, Borderland can offer $70,000 worth of food at the heftily discounted price of $800 — which adds up to about two cents a pound.

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Borderland’s agency distribution program, Produce On Wheels With Out Waste (POWWOW) also presents up to ten million pounds of perishables each year to Arizona communities, churches, and schools who are invited to come and donate ten dollars, and shop for up to sixty pounds of produce. Volunteers sort the produce and box it up for distribution.

To ensure maximum use of the veggies, Borderlands gives any produce that isn’t fit for consumption to nearby farms as compost or animal feed.

It is thanks to determined individuals like Yolanda that hungry families have been provided with healthy, fresh, nutrient rich nourishment that was destined for the landfill.

We Stumbled Upon a Lincoln Lovefest at Ford’s Theater 150 Years After His Death

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Good News Network

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Apr 15, 2015

The most fortuitous thing happened while I was entertaining an out-of-town friend in Washington, DC yesterday, driving her around to see the cherry blossoms out of the rain. When it was time for lunch we spotted a restaurant at 10th and E Streets and DJ said, ‘Hey, there’s Ford’s Theatre.”

It turned out serendipitous because the National Park Service was hosting an around the clock tribute that day–the 150th anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in that very theater.

Lincoln fans young and old lined up on the brick sidewalks under umbrellas waiting to take the free tours that would continue past midnight.

Dozens dressed in period clothing playing real characters who were at the theatre that fateful night. We talked to this US Army officer who said that he was enjoying the performance of Our American Cousin that evening. It was Good Friday.

During the third act, a shot rang out and he realized that Lincoln had been terribly wounded. He and three other officers carried the president across the street to a boarding house (in orange, pictured behind). They feared he would not survive a trip to hospital and wanting him to be comfortable.

A reporter from the city’s Daily Morning Chronicle was writing in a notebook, seemingly preparing his notes on the terrible incident. Tourists picked up free replicas of the following morning’s April 15th edition featuring the article by Associated Press reporter Lawrence Gobright.

DJ and I felt so fortunate to be on the rainy block of 10th street that day, led by our hunger but satiated in the end by the veneration of American citizens and volunteers there, spurred by the free tours and pride of our own US government’s National Park Service, which runs the historic Ford’s Theatre and The Petersen House across the street where the Army officers had stood guard into the night while the city waited for news.

A banjo player strummed somber tunes from the Civil War era, a war that had ended just five days earlier.

The bloodstained pillow and pillowcases– and the black coat and top hat– on display are the ones used by Lincoln 150 years ago.

(WATCH a video from WJLA below)

Sweet Soldier Cooks Year’s Supply of Meals For Wife Before Deploying

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Kristy Cooper

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Apr 15, 2015

A way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach.

At least, that seems to be the proverb at the heart of 27-year-old Chinese soldier Yin Yunfeng, who cooked a year’s supply of meals for his wife before leaving on deployment.

Stationed in an isolated outpost in Tibet, Yin only sees 26-year-old Zhao Mai once a year. During Yin’s latest visit he was saddened to see that Zhao, a teacher in the city of Anshui in China’s Guizhou province, was so busy after work that she would often miss dinner.

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The devoted spouse commenced a cooking marathon to ensure his wife would be well fed. He lovingly made 1,000 dumplings, 150 liters (about 40 gallons) of her favorite noodle soup and dozens of homemade meals to get her by. Each neatly packaged meal was stored in their fridge and at the homes of nearby loved ones.

“I have to admit his food packages help me keep going and it’s great to know that he loves me. In some way, every time I have my meal, I know he is with me,” Zhao is quoted as saying in metro.co.uk.

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Her hubby didn’t stop there. In case Zhao needed cheering up, Yin hid several sweet treats with hand-written love notes all around their house, the whereabouts of which he plans to divulge during phone calls and letters throughout the year. In his first such letter to Yin he wrote, “Here is your first surprise. You can find a bag of raisins at the back of the sofa in the living room.”

The old adage is probably correct that food equals love.

(SEE the husband’s 12-photo slideshow in China Daily)

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Heart & Sole: Fashion Mogul Hand Delivers New Sneakers to Homeless

By

Kristy Cooper

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Apr 15, 2015

A man sleeping on the street is gently awakened by a question asking if he wears a size 9 or 10. After the stranger rummages through a duffel bag, a new pair of red and black sneakers is handed to him.

The stranger is Andre McDonnell, a self-proclaimed style maven who works in New York City’s fashion district. The 40-year-old began giving away new athletic shoes to homeless folks about three years ago, using the personal touch of hand delivery– usually in Grand Central and Penn Stations where many congregate. His one-man charity outreach, “It’s From the Sole,” distributed 4,000 pairs of sneakers last year alone.

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The inspiration for his work struck the Brooklyn man while he was playing basketball one summer and noticed a homeless man walking in the streets without shoes. Suddenly compelled to help, he walked over and gave the man the shoes off his feet, and a clean pair of socks he had in a bag. He has been “outfitting” the less fortunate ever since.

He has received many donations, maybe because he offers to send personal photos of the people wearing the donated items.

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For anybody out there who desire to make a difference, including businesses, McDonnell says, “I’m going to help you help them.”

He is now making It’s From the Sole a 501(c) organization, which will lead to even more donations of shoes. He also plans to recruit high school and college students to help pass out the kicks.

(WATCH the video below or READ more in the Metro) Photo by SummerShowerPro, YouTube

MULTIPLY the Good by Sharing below…

1. Being warm and affection ate

2. Doing activities together

3. Paying attention

4. Saying no

5. Focusing on strengths

CORRECTION: GNN incorrectly identified the woman’s father as a Marine. The story has been corrected.

1. Being warm and affection ate