On Throwback Thursday, we’ve got a video you may have missed from 2012…
It was race day at Colonial Hills Elementary School in Columbus, Ohio, and 11-year-old Matt Woodrum, who has cerebral palsy, was trailing behind his classmates. He was determined to finish the 400-meter race, though, and kept on going.
Along the way, gym teacher John Blaine decided to catch up with him, and that teacher started a field-wide movement that is sure to move you, too. Check it out in the ABC News video above to see it all unfold.
Nine-year-old Gabrielle Garcar wanted an iPad more than anything. Because her family is struggling financially, she set up a lemonade stand outside of her grandmother’s Ohio condo in hopes of raising the money herself.
When 22-year-old sheriff’s deputy Zak Ropos stopped by for a cup of the sweet stuff and learned what the little girl wanted to do with the money—use the device for schoolwork, and to play games on—he pulled her mother over and told her he’d check to see if the old iPad he had at home was still useable.
It wasn’t. But instead of calling it a day, he bought her a brand new one.
“She’s 9 years old and she’s willing to work for what she wants, and I found that very admirable of her,” Ropos told TODAY.com. “I knew her lemonade stand wasn’t probably going to bring in enough money for a tablet.”
Ropos is surprised his actions have become so widely celebrated—the photo above got 2 million views on the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page—especially since, he said, he works with lots of generous cops, including two deputies who bought a boy a bike to help him get to soccer practice and a lieutenant who recently donated $200 to a needy family.
(READ more at TODAY.com) — Photo: Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Facebook
Freeze! Now, Nice and Easy, Share This With Your Friends:
A Buffalo, New York teenager who was told she’d never be able to talk has found her voice – and it’s pitch-perfect.
19-year-old Amber Simone was born with a birth defect that required surgeries at just six months old – operations that doctors warned would potentially affect her ability to speak.
Amber’s surprising recovery saved her voice, and a friend recently recorded her singing at a pool party, and posted the video. Nobody expected it to get over two million views between Facebook and YouTube.
When the folks at Edgar’s Mission in Australia found little Soda Pop, she was not in good shape.
The lamb seemed very determined to live, though, and Pam Ahern, Founder and Director of the animal rescue, was determined to find a way that could help her walk again.
Pam fashioned a tote bag with four holes in it, one for each leg, and held little Soda Pop up as she tried to help her gain strength in her legs.
Within a few days, the little lamb seemed happier after all the nursing and all the little kisses Pam gave her.
“Her wonderful story is an important reminder that our greatest glories lie not in falling, but in rising every time we fall,” said Pam.
By the end of the week, Soda Pop triumphed and was walking on her own.
We’re all familiar with KIND Bars, the tasty snacks that brag about their “ingredients list that you can pronounce.”
What you may not know is that they’ve been running a campaign that has resulted in over one million acts of kindness as part of their #kindawesome initiative, which celebrates random acts of kindness from strangers.
The incentive? Free KIND bars, of course, and a voucher for you to pass along to a fellow do-gooder.
For the last twelve years, KIND Bars Founder and CEO, Daniel Lubetzky, has been working to bring kindness to all corners of his community. The corporation has done everything from backing a nonprofit every month with $10,000, to setting up “flower walls” in the city so strangers can pick a flower and pass it on to someone who needs a smile.
The #kindawesome campaign was born because Daniel also believes that everyone’s kindness should be rewarded.
If Daniel or a KIND employee sees someone performing an act of selfless kindness, they will celebrate the gesture by giving them a voucher for a free KIND Bar, along with another voucher to pass on to someone else. Twitter and Instagram are all flooded with hash-tagged pictures and stories about the contagious feelings of happiness that were born.
Daniel credits the inspiration for the movement to his father, telling USA Today that while his dad was in a concentration camp during the Holocaust, a German soldier took pity on his hunger and threw a potato at his feet. Daniel says that he was always very touched by this story, and that it must have taken a lot of courage for a soldier to show kindness to his enemy.
If you know of someone that could use some recognition for their kindness, send an email to [email protected] and tell them all about it.
(WATCH Daniel talk about his passion for kindness in the video below)
Be Kind Enough to Share the Story With Your Friends… (below)
Rikers Island has quite a rap sheet these days, but for many of its female inmates, it’s a whole other song and dance—especially when Kate Mulgrew, who stars in the popular Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” comes by.
New York’s Stella Adler Studio of Acting has been coaching women there to act, dance and write and read poetry. So far, 300 women have completed the six-month program since it launched in December. The first round of classes culminated with a moving performance called, “Our Circle,” which played to an audience of fellow prisoners, guards and guests who gave them a standing ovation.
Mulgrew was in that first audience, and was so moved by the performance she met with prisoners individually afterwards.
Rikers womens’ uniforms are grey, but they were permitted to don pink t-shirts for the show.
The women say the opportunity to express themselves through theater definitely helps with their rehabilitation.
“I can honestly say this program has given me my human back,” inmate Latanya Jones told the Oneida Daily Dispatch. “It’s made me remember that this is not forever. It’s just for right now.”
A formerly homeless young man has taken to his mother’s sewing machine to design special pieces for those who are still struggling.
Inspiration first struck as Xavier Elliott, 10, watched his mother, who runs a veteran support group, sew a purse.
“I think the idea came to him from everything we have endured and wanting to make a difference for other people,” Stephanie Elliott told the Huffington Post.
Xavier, who previously spent some time in a homeless shelter with his family, started out by using his own allowance to foot the cost, and has since received a number of monetary and material donations—along with several offers of new sewing machines—after his story was broadcast by local Phoenix television stations.
According to the Elliott Family Charity Facebook page, he is being treated to a fashion camp where he can learn how to design clothing from professionals, and may even get an invitation to appear on the Ellen Degeneres show.
In addition to clothing, Xavier wants to make tote bags so homeless kids have a place to put their clothing.
(WATCH the video below from KPNX-TVor READ more at Huff Post) – Photos from Elliott Family Photos, FB
Teddy will only drink water from a crystal glass with ice cubes, loves the labels on his toys, and enjoys a good underarm tickle. But this huge dog didn’t always have it so good.
When Teddy arrived at Annie Blumenfeld’s home in Fairfield, Connecticut after being rescued from a high-kill shelter in Texas, he was infected with heartworm disease, the treatment for which is expensive and sometimes life-threatening.
Fortunately, after a month of treatment, Teddy made it out on the other side, happy and healthy. But it wasn’t enough for Annie to just breathe a sigh of relief—she wanted to help more dogs avoid the same fate.
Annie, then just an eighth grader, created nonprofit Wags 4 Hope to help spread awareness of heartworm disease and help animal shelters pay their medical bills.
To fund that mission, she paints beautiful watercolor and acrylic portraits of people’s pets, which go for about $30 apiece. So far, she’s painted over two hundred of them, donating them to silent auctions and handing them over to excited pet parents who have commissioned them. Coupled with additional donations from supporters, she has raised over $40,000 to date.
“Many people stop Teddy all the time when I walk him, and I always explain how he was rescued and his story,” she said. “A lot of these pet owners had never heard of heartworm disease, so I always try to get the word out even on walks.”
She also worked with her state representative for over a year and half on a bill called HB-5422, An Act Concerning Awareness of Heartworm Disease and the Standard Dog Licensing Form, which requires the dog licensing form to confirm whether a dog has received the correct preventative medications.
“I had watched many committee meetings on TV before I even had this idea, since they always seemed so interesting, with all of the different points of view,” she said. “But I didn’t know what to expect.”
She proposed the bill in January 2014, and the Connecticut Agriculture Department decided to make the change in December 2014. Next, she plans to lobby for this change to be made in southern states, where heartworm is most prevalent.
Right now, Wags 4 Hope is a one-woman show–and a lot of work. In addition to painting portraits and pushing for new legislation, Annie takes “pet responsibility crafts” to local libraries to teach kids how to properly care for their pets.
Annie helps local kids learn about pet care through arts and crafts.
She also started a Wags 4 Hope club at her high school, Fairfield Ward. Together, those 50 students raise funds for local shelters and rescues by holding bake sales and donation drives. Ideally, she says, Wags 4 Hope clubs will soon be operating in a number of different schools.
To keep up with this devoted dog advocate and all their future successes, follow Annie and Teddy on Facebook.
(WATCH Amy testify in the video below):
Paws and Reflect, Then Share This Story With Your Friends….
Japanese club-goers and night owls can soon bust a move – legally – and dance til dawn.
Until last week, dancing was prohibited by law in public places after midnight. The ban dates back to post-World War II, in an attempt to cut down on crime in dance halls.
In 2013, thousands petitioned for the repeal of the archaic ban, seeing it as, well, tapped out.
Feeling pressure to ‘get down’ with the times, the Japanese government finally changed the law, in part to accommodate visitors to the upcoming 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The updated regulations take effect next year.
(READ more from the Independent) – Photo by dat’ via CC
Where one monumental Buddha statue once stood, another has been recreated with the help of a 3D laser light projection.
A wealthy Chinese couple made it their mission to restore the image of one of the two sacred Buddhas of Bamiyan, statues that towered over central Afghanistan for 1,500 years.
Fans of both ancient history and advanced technology, the couple developed a special projector to recreate the taller, 175-foot statue in the valley’s cliff where it stood before the Taliban destroyed it in 2001.
The statue (left) was hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs in around 507AD – until the Taliban destroyed it (right).
About 150 people came out to witness the temporary display in the empty cliffside of the Bamyan Valley, which is now a UN World Heritage Site.
The couple has also reportedly donated the projector to a local conservation group that will recreate the 3D image every year.
(READ more from the Shanghaiist) – Photos: YouTube
Don’t Let this Story Become a Relic – Share Below…
Four-year-old Andersen decided that in addition to being the flower girl at her mother’s wedding, she was also going to be the bride.
It was a title she expected everyone to take seriously during the Knoxville, Tennessee nuptials on Saturday, June 13th.
Therefore, it logically followed that when photographer Leah Bullard told the bride and groom to kiss, Andersen would grab the ring bearer and plant one on him, right on the lips.
What resulted was a scene-stealing shot that has gone positively viral over the past week.
Feel free to start sending thank-you letters to Jessica Gall Myrick, an assistant professor at Indiana University Bloomington who has officially confirmed that watching cat videos helps you feel more energetic and less stressed out.
Translation: watching Grumpy Cat is actually good for you.
The study revealed that in addition to decreasing negative feelings and increasing positive ones, most people who view these videos do so while they’re at work – the purrfect place to receive that extra boost of endorphins!
“We all have watched a cat video online, but there is really little empirical work done on why so many of us do this, or what effects it might have on us,” Myrick said. “Even if they are watching cat videos on YouTube to procrastinate or while they should be working, the emotional payoff may actually help people take on tough tasks afterward.”
Over 2 million cat videos were uploaded to YouTube in 2014 alone, wrangling up 26 billion views. The feline fodder fills the most popular category on YouTube.
Based on her report, Myrick believes that online cat videos could eventually become a form of low-cost pet therapy.
For your viewing pleasure, and for the sake of your health, check out these Office Cats below…
Use Your Paw to Pass This On to Your Friends… (below)
When parents deem it safe for their children to walk to the park alone, that’s good enough for the state of Maryland.
This week – for the second time – Child Protective Services cleared Danielle and Sasha Meitiv of wrongdoing for allowing their two young children, ages 6 and 10, to walk around their Silver Spring neighborhood alone.
The couple’s “free-range” parenting style sparked a national conversation when they were investigated in April after police picked up the kids about a mile from their home. The Meitivs have always encouraged their children to become independent through exploring on their own – like most kids did just a generation ago.
A few weeks ago, the Maryland Department of Human Resources clarified its statewide policy, saying children walking or playing outside alone does not constitute neglect.
Danielle Meitiv said the family is relieved and happy, but looks forward to working in the future to make sure parents’ choices for raising their children continue to be respected.
When Denise Altheide says goodbye to her mother and heads off to college, she’ll literally leave a piece of herself behind.
Denise’s mother, Faith, was born deaf, and has recently lost her vision – and her husband.
Faith’s social worker wanted to help make the transition easier for mom by surprising her with a 3D printed model of Denise so she can continue to connect with her daughter through touch.
Gratitude is an elixir. It helps us to appreciate what is already good in our life (instead of overlooking it) and help us to get through not-so-great times. It is also linked to so many health and wellbeing benefits.
Practicing gratitude – and it is something you need to do and practice – is great for adults, but it’s also great for kids. It’s something we can teach our kids every day.
It’s not about forcing them with saying things like ‘you should be grateful!’ It’s about guiding them to make the practice of gratitude a normal way they live their life.
Here are some ideas for teaching our kids gratitude:
1. Make a list of the good things
At bedtime or some other quiet time during the day, you can ask your child, ‘What’s something good that happened today?’ Have a chat about it. Recognize it. Appreciate it.
2. Teach thankfulness
As part of family life, we can reinforce the importance of thanking those who help us. Remind your kids to say thanks and congratulate them when they do.
Kids can help out around the house. Because that’s what we do in our family: we help each other. We do things for each other to make this a nice place to live.
4. Notice the little things
Little kids are really good at noticing the little things: the lady bug on a leaf, the dog wagging it’s tail, and the smell of spring. We can notice the little things too and share them with our kids.
5. Give love more than gifts
Kids need our love more than anything. Not endless rooms of stuff. Give them more love and less stuff.
6. Be a good role model
Our kids are watching and learning from us. If we practice gratitude, our kids will learn how to practice gratitude too.
7. Talk about the positive after anger flares
During those tough times. After those meltdowns. Once some sort of calm has returned. Talk about the positives. Find the good. Not in a superficial or ‘let’s-ignore-that-horrible-feeling’ way. But in a gentle and genuine way. As a tonic.
How are you teaching your kids gratitude?
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 online family wellbeing course at Intuitive Parenting Part 02: Your Family Wellbeing.
According to a recent United Nations report, there are 216 million fewer hungry people in the world today than in the 1990’s – and nearly 100 million fewer in just the last three years.
Bangladesh is one country that’s seen a dramatic improvement, having reduced its chronic hunger rate by more than 50 percent since 2000.
The once-impoverished South Asian country is now a self-sufficient rice producer, focused on small-farm mechanization, irrigation, and boosting women’s economic power and girls’ education.
“Bangladesh is one of three success stories of the last 10 to 15 years – Ethiopia and Nepal are the other two – that give us some hope on this goal,” Professor Glenn Denning of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs told the CS Monitor.
Of 129 countries monitored, 72 have cut their undernourishment rates in half, on target with the 2015 Millennium Development Goal set by the Food and Agriculture Organization.
“The near-achievement of the hunger target shows us that we can indeed eliminate the scourge of hunger in our lifetime,” said FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva.
Almost 4 months ago, I lost my sister to stage IV metastasized breast cancer. It was a very hard loss. So when my Mother called to tell me that she had been diagnosed with stage IV metastasized lung cancer just weeks later, my 5-year old daughter, Daelynn, and I were heartbroken. We made a special trip to Wisconsin a week ago to spend time with my Mother and say our goodbyes, which we hope won’t be the last.
A few days ago, Daelynn saw a commercial on television about donating hair to those who have cancer. First, she asked if she could give hers to Grandma. I told her that Grandma probably would rather her donate it to another little girl who might need it more. She asked if I thought her hair was long enough to share with someone who needs it, to which I said yes. I told her it would mean that she would have short hair, and she told me in a very positive voice, “Yes, it’s only hair, it’ll grow back!”
Dear hair, we’ve been together a long time…
Today she decided it was time for the cut and was very excited about sharing her hair. We measured and cut off 9 inches, which she placed in a Ziploc bag.
She then made a speech so sweet, that I got all teared up.
“Dear hair, we’ve been together a long time, but I know you will make any little girl who can’t have her own hair very happy.”
She LOVES her short hair and says that now two people are happy. I told her that more than just two people are happy and that I was so proud of her for choosing to do such a beautiful thing for someone else. She wanted me to make note that she was sending her hair in honor of her Aunt Kelsie and her Grandmother Kay Lee.
There are proud mothers, and then there’s this lady.
Ovella O’Neal of Southern New Jersey decided to shout her son’s praises to the world. As a high school graduation gift for her son, Aljelani “A.J.” Igwe, she rented a large billboard that reads: A Mother Can’t Raise a Man, But I Raised a Gentleman.
The “congratulations” message for her son, posted near A.J.’s school in Camden, New Jersey, is also intended to serve as an inspirational message for other single parents.
A.J. is planning to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering at Rowan University in the fall.
(WATCH the video below for more) – Story tip from Alan Wallace
Proudly Share This Story With Your Fellow Scholars…
A tee ball team of princesses stepped up to the plate this week to prove that girls can be tough AND pretty.
The squad of little girls known as ‘The Freeze’ from Edmond, Oklahoma took their group photo dressed as Elsa from Disney’s princess movie Frozen.
Their mothers collectively decided that it would be a good learning experience for the young girls, and hope that the message is clear: whether you prefer sparkles or getting down and dirty, it’s important to be authentically you.
One of the girl’s mothers, the photographer Betsy Gregory, posted the photos on Facebook in the hopes of encouraging girls of all ages to be themselves.
“I think a lot of young women see the picture as empowering — empowering from the sense that you can be cute, sparkly and tough, and that’s okay,” Gregory told Today. “Beauty comes from the inside and that’s what we want to teach these girls. That you can do things and be pretty, but what is inside is what matters most.”
All Photos used with the permission of Betsy Gregory
Share This Story With all the Girls in Your Life….
