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47 Kenyan Villages to Get a “Solar Powered Classroom in a Box”

By
Sonja Schulken
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solar classroom twitter aleutia

Just add sunshine, and you’ve got an instant classroom.

The “Solar Classroom in a Box,” a solar powered modular pod built entirely off the electrical grid, has landed in rural Kenya, where there’s lots of sunshine but little electricity.

solar classroom computers twitter aleutiaThe 20-by-9-foot classrooms can accommodate up to 40 students at a time, and come ready with 11 desktop computers, monitors, a server, projector and even a screwdriver for assembly.

“For nearly all, this will be their first ever experience with a computer,” Mike Rosenberg told Gizmag.com. Rosenberg is the founder of Aleutia, the British computer company behind the project.

Each classroom is made up of local materials, such as cinder blocks and a corrugated tin roof, with a light gauge steel frame. The panels are assembled on site, each marked with a number for easy construction. Aleutia’s Twitter feed shows one of the classrooms being built.

 

The solar boxes cost about $20,000 each and have computers specifically designed to operate in the dust and heat of rural Africa.

Solar panel installation CC OregonDOT

New U.S. Plan for Solar Power Will Light Up Low-Income Homes

One of Kenya’s largest corporate charity groups, the Safaricom Foundation is footing the bill.

Aleutia plans to send them to each of Kenya’s 47 counties, where an estimated 20,000 kids will benefit from the little classrooms soaking up the sun.

(READ More at Fast Company) – Photos: Aleutia, Twitter

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High School Of Entrepreneurship: All Students Prepared to Start Businesses

By
Terry Turner
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Patino School video screenshot Patino School

This is not your typical high school — there are very few lectures, students write on walls, and the first class doesn’t start until 9:00 am — and when the inaugural class of 150 tenth graders graduate, they will be prepared to start and run their own businesses.

The Phillip J. Patiño School of Entrepreneurship, named after a local educator, is believed to be the only school of its kind in the U.S., set up specifically to train students to start their own businesses.Roger Federer African kids Twitter-850px

Federer Builds 50 New Preschools in Africa, Hugged by Kids on First Visit (WATCH)

The curriculum will teach basic courses through real-life experience. It aims to boost individuality and harness the creativity that comes from it into a future business model for each student.

Located in Fresno, California, its school year kicked off this week with “disorientation” — teachers are pushing students to find new ways of learning, like encouraging brainstorming sessions where kids write their ideas on glass walls and working in small groups rather than always in a classroom setting.

The whole experience is supposed to mimic a company — one of the reasons for the 9:00 am start time.Bully Free Zone sign- LoveShareCare.com

Grandparents Convert House Into “Safe School” for Bullied Students

Over the next three years, students will work with local business leaders and pitch their ideas to potential investors.

Some of the kids already have business plans in mind, like 15-year-old Guadalupe Depaz who wants to create a clothing line for short women like herself or Imani Purvis, a 10th grader who wants to open a dance studio.

(WATCH the Fresno Unified School District video and READ more in the Fresno Bee) — Photo: Fresno Unified School District video — Story tip: carilyn

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Quick-Thinking Teen ‘Befriends’ Couple to Thwart Kidnapping in Progress

By
Sheila Key
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Kidnapping Thwarted - Malyk Bonnet - Laval Police Facebook

It was none of his business, maybe, but Malyk Bonnet didn’t like the way the guy at the bus stop was treating the woman he was with. And she looked scared.

He thought maybe he should intervene, but how?

Bonnet decided to keep his eye on the couple and follow his instincts.

The 17-year-old cook had just completed a shift at work in Montreal, Canada, and saw his chance to help when the man asked him for money, saying he and the woman needed bus fare to get to the town of Laval, some 25 miles (40km) away.

Thinking on his feet, Bonnet not only got the money for them, but also announced that he, too, was headed to Laval. He hopped on the same bus as the couple, and when they stood up to get off, Bonnet stood up, too, and offered to buy them dinner.

Pretending to go to the restroom, Bonnet instead borrowed a stranger’s cell phone to call police. So good was the teen’s facade that when law enforcement arrived to arrest the man and escort the woman to safety, the kidnapper had no idea it was Bonnet who had tipped them off. Elli pre-op smile

Young Woman is Proof That Trusting Your Heart Can Save Your Life

“(The woman) looked at me, and she was almost crying, and I said to myself, ‘I did good,’” Bonnet told CBC News.

He did more than good, according to Laval Police Lieutenant Daniel Guérin, who told CBC that in 24 years of policing, he’s never seen anything quite like what Bonnet did.

Bonnet didn’t even know the police were already searching for the couple. The 29-year-old woman had reportedly been kidnapped a few hours earlier, and authorities were pretty sure they knew by whom—a dangerous ex-boyfriend who was under a court order to stay away from her.ontario-road-CC-ChristinaT

Michigan Man Follows Intuition to Become Hero in Life-saving Rescue

The Laval cops were so impressed with Bonnet’s decision-making, which they said probably saved the woman’s life, that they took up a collection to reimburse him for the money he spent. They raised $255 for the quick-witted young hero.

Bonnet was delighted to have his cash returned, and his proud mother bought up eight newspapers as keepsakes.

(WATCH the video below or READ more from the CBC) — Photos from the Laval Police Service, FB

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How Do Dogs Show Us Love? Let’s Count the Ways in This Beautiful Video

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Good News Network
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bulldog milos kitchen video

“Your tail wagged, my heart skipped a beat, and I knew you were the one. Thank you for always having my back.”

This poignant video from Milo’s kitchen totally puts into words what we’ve always felt, but many have not have expressed, about our beloved four-legged friends.

Their recent “Dog Happy Survey” of 3,000 U.S. dog parents found that ‘man’s best friend’ enriches our lives in surprising ways that often go unappreciated:

  • 86% of dog parents say their dog “comforts me immeasurably”
  • 71% say their dog “reminds me to seek out more joy in life”
  • 64% say their dog “makes me look forward to going home more than anything else”
  • 63% say their dog “makes me much more patient and responsible”

So, give Fido an extra hug, and maybe go buy him something nice.

And remember, on National Dog Day and every day: unconditional love is great, even if it is wet and slobbery.

(WATCH the video from Milo’s Kitchen below)

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Science Discovers Sweetgrass is Natural Mosquito Repellant, Native Americans Knew All Along

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Good News Network
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sweetgrass screenshot WCCO

Mother Nature often knows best–and when it comes to repelling mosquitoes, sweetgrass is one of its secret weapons.

This is no surprise to Native Americans, who have long used the fragrant plant to ward off insects. But now science is finally catching up.

In a recent study, researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture identified the two compounds in sweetgrass that mosquitoes don’t like: coumarin and phytol.Rooftop garden -Metro Atlanta Task Force For Homeless fb

Homeless Shelter’s 80-Bed Rooftop Garden Cultivates Fresh Food and Job Skills

Scientists used the substances to create fake blood samples to see which ones would repel the pesky bugs. They found that the samples containing the sweetgrass ingredients were just as effective as the chemical repellent, DEET.

But duration is key.

“It may work well in our bioassay for three minutes,” Dr. Charles Cantrell told the BBC, “but how does it work for three hours? These are questions that we’re going to try to answer over the next year or two.”

5 Common Kitchen Products Are the Recipe for Great Skin and Hair

Despite concerns about its toxicity to humans, DEET is still the go-to ingredient for repelling bugs. But the demand for safer products is driving scientists to look to nature and traditional folk remedies.

When it comes to getting mosquitoes to buzz off, sweetgrass is a true home remedy. It is easy to grow in your own garden or as a potted plant. A single clump can live up to five years.

(WATCH the video below or READ more at Smithsonian) – Photo: WCCO News

 

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Scientists Find Way to Turn Cancer Back Into Healthy Tissue in Lab

By
Terry Turner
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Fotointeresantes, CC license

cancer-cells-cervical-Flickr-cc-fotosinteresantes

A 2015 discovery could eventually slam the brakes on cancer and shift it into reverse.

Mayo Clinic researchers in Jacksonville, Florida believe they’ve discovered a way to turn cancer cells back into healthy tissue.

The research is only lab-based for now, but the researchers are hopeful they’ve discovered a new mechanism for fighting — or even curing — cancer.

As cells get older, they’re supposed to quit dividing, but that doesn’t happen with cancer cells; they continue multiplying to form tumors. The researchers discovered a breakdown in communication within the body that allows cancer cells to continue dividing–and they’ve found a way to reprogram those cells.

RELATED: In Successful Cancer Trial, Therapy “Dissolves” Stage IV Tumor in 3 Weeks

They have identified a previously unknown link between two parts of cell growth — cell adhesion and microRNA (miRNA).

Cell adhesion holds cells together and sends information to miRNA to control their growth. When that communication breaks down, cancer cells can grow out of control.

The Mayo Clinic researchers discovered that if they pumped more miRNA into the cells, it re-established that communication and reversed the process. Lead researcher, Dr. Panos Anastasiadis, said it’s like applying “the brakes” to restore normal cell growth.

MORE: Meet the Chicago Teen Who May Cure Colon Cancer

“It’s a significant step forward in understanding how certain cells in our body know when to grow, and when to stop,” Henry Scowcroft, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information manager told the Telegraph. He, and the Mayo Clinic researchers, say there is still a lot of work to be done before they’ll know if their discovery can work in actual cancer patients.

The research findings were published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.

(READ more at the Telegraph) — Photo: fotosinteresantes, CC

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4 Adorable Pups With Heartwarming Stories for National Dog Day

By
Good News Network
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pajama dogs the blue boys instagram

In honor of National Dog Day, a day designed to help raise awareness for the dogs of the world that still need to be rescued and adopted, we’ve pulled together a few adorable pups who will make you “Awww” out loud.

Founded in 2004 by animal advocate Colleen Paige, Dog Day has been supported by Jimmy Fallon, Paula Abdul, Willie Nelson, and even former U.S. President George W. Bush, whose dog, Barney the Scottish terrier, has starred in a series of videos.

Aside from being lovable, the National Dog Day Foundation reminds us that dogs put their lives on the line every day for their law enforcement partners, and selflessly help blind companions and those who are disabled every day.

If you have the means, consider adopting a dog this year—outfitting them in pajamas is optional.

You may not be able to actually pet these four furry guys, but we would like you to e-meet them…

This Shelter Dog Was Rescued by the Coast Guard

Mark-and-Charlie dog Pets for Patriots BlogFeeling the effects of empty-nest syndrome, Mark and his wife adopted a young Lhasa Apso named Charlie through the non-profit, Pets for Patriots.

Charlie had multiple disabilities, a low-grade heart murmur and epilepsy, which made the shelter dog extremely hard-to-adopt.

In spite of Charlie’s physical challenges, with guidance from a Pets for Patriots veterinary partner, Mark and his wife have been giving the one-year-old pup as much physical activity as he can handle.

“He’s very adorable and puts a smile on my heart,” Mark says.

These Cuddly Sleepover Dogs Have Their Own Instagram Following:

The Pajama-clad Blue Boys’ are English Staffordshire Bull Terriers From Brisbane, Australia

Goodnight friends ❤️????❤️

A photo posted by D A R R E N & P H I L L I P (@the_blueboys) on

 

This Dog Escaped Euthanasia and “Ran the Lunchroom”

Chieftain was a 10-year-old, 90-pound German Shepherd with severe separation anxiety when he arrived at Best Friends Animal Society in Utah, the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary. His anxiety was so bad that a trainer suggested he be euthanized, but the folks at Best Friends had other plans for him.

Chieftain Lunch_Best Friends Animal SocietyChieftain’s favorite place turned out to be the staff lunchroom. He got to hang out there with his caregivers a few times each week, and, to distract him from the food, they offered him something he would come to love even more — tennis balls. Instead of begging people for their lunches, Chieftain would make them laugh by chasing the ball around the room. All the while, his caregivers worked tirelessly to find him a home where he would feel safe.

As it turned out, the very first application that came in after he was ready to be adopted, ended up being the best home possible. Leslie Ames runs the Basset Rescue of Montana out of her home, so she’s always around, and happened to be looking specifically for a large, senior German Shepherd. Chieftain now enjoys hiking and running around on two acres of land, and keeps watch by the horse gate when Leslie feeds them every day.

Photos: The Blueboys Instagram, Pets for Patriots, Best Friends Animal Society

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Woman Reads to Shelter Dogs to Ease Their Loneliness—And Her Own

By
Sheila Key
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Dog Reader 1 Reddit user puglife123 aka Kathleen Costello

It all started because she missed her own dog.

After 14 years with her beloved Welsh corgi, Sandy Barbabella was at a loss when he died last year—terribly lonely, yet not quite ready for a new four-legger in her life.

So the mother of four and grandmother of six decided to volunteer at the local animal shelter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and spend some quality time with furry friends who, like her, were missing their buddies.

Her dog, Angus, had loved being read to, so she brought along a book.Friday Night Lights Kitten Nursery Best Friends Animal Society

Clear Your Schedule: Baby Kitten Cuddling is a Real Volunteer Job

It’s now been 18 months since Barbabella first began settling into her chair beside the kennels every Tuesday at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. Shelter workers say it really calms down the dogs, but Barbabella says it does more good for her than it does for the dogs.

Dog Reader 2 Amy CrawfordBarbabella was unaware that photos of herself reading to dogs were spreading on the internet until the media started calling. A fellow shelter volunteer was so touched by the sight of her reading ‘Biscuit and the Little Pup’ to an old pit bull that she snapped a photo (above) and posted it on Reddit.

“She was so patient with the dogs—I watched her read to several—and they just loved being petted by her,” Kathleen Costello told TODAY.

Inspired by Barbabella’s style of volunteering, the shelter has announced that a read-a-thon is being organized for September.

The plan is to get kids involved, reading to the animals, with the added benefit of reading practice for the two-leggers, along with plenty of friendly companionship for the four-leggers.

(READ more at TODAY) — Photos: Kathleen Costello; (left) Amy Crawford, West. PA Humane Society

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Rare Sumatran Rhino From US Zoo Moves to Asia to Save His Species

By
Terry Turner
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Sumatran Rhino2 cc Tobyotter

A rhino from the Cincinnati Zoo is officially on a mission to Southeast Asia to save his entire species.

Harapan, an 1,800 pound Sumatran Rhino, will leave sometime this fall for a sanctuary in Indonesia dedicated to saving the Sumatrans, a species declared extinct in Malaysia just this month. Currently, only 100 Sumatran Rhinos remain in the world.Harapan Sumatran Rhino released Cincinatti Zoo

RELATED: Prince Harry Grows A Beard, Hunts Down Rhino Poachers in Africa

“We believe there is still time to save them and we are by no means giving up that fight now,” Dr. Terri Roth, Director of the Zoo’s Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) said at a press conference.

The Cincinnati Zoo has had a Sumatran Rhino breeding program for 25 years, the only place in the world that has successfully bred the endangered species since 1889.

Harapan (pictured above, right) is the only Sumatran Rhino on public view anywhere in the world outside Southeast Asia.

He’ll join his brother, Andalas, at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary where there are three possible mates waiting for him.

Harapan was the third rhino born at the zoo and with his departure the breeding program will come to an end in Cincinnati, but zookeepers say their research and the rhino will aid the breeding effort in Indonesia.

(READ more in the Washington Post)  Photos: (top) Tobyotter, CC; (right) Cincinnati Zoo

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Awww: Total Number of Endangered Pandas Just Grew By One (UPDATE)

By
Terry Turner
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panda-twins-released-Smithsonian

[Update] We reported earlier today, “Panda fans got a double-dose of cute Saturday with the birth of rare twin cubs at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC.” However, we got an update this evening that the smallest panda has died.

Panda mothers will not nurse a pair of twins, so the zoo’s staff had been trying to swap the cubs out every few hours so that the mother is only taking care of one at a time. But mama had strongly resisted giving up her larger cub today. The routine of bottle-feeding the other, while keeping it warm in an incubator, was supposed to increase the “survivability” of both cubs, but did not succeed.

panda-triplets-release-Guangzhou-s_Chimelong_Safari_Park

World’s First Surviving Panda Triplets Thrive in China

Zookeepers weren’t even aware that Panda mom Mei Xiang was pregnant until four days before she gave birth, but this is only the third time in history that a giant panda has given birth to twins in the U.S.

Mei Xiang is also mother to two other living cubs born at the National Zoo–Tai Shan, a male born in 2005, and Bao Bao, who turned two years old on Sunday.panda cub plays in snow-500px-NatlZoovideo

Panda Cub Plays in the Snow for the First Time (WATCH)

It’ll still be three or four weeks until the survivor’s gender is announced and, following Chinese custom, it won’t be named until it is 100 days old.

(WATCH the WJLA News video)  Photos: Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo – Story tip from Julia Freriches

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Huge Hole in Road is Left Unrepaired, So Neighbors Add a Fish Pond

By
Terry Turner
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Pothole becomes fish pond screenshot WJBK

When you hit a bump in the road, you can give up – or you can build a fishpond.

Fed up with waiting for city hall to respond to complaints about a massive trench dug and left in their Detroit street, neighbors turned the maintenance lapse into a fishing hole.

A Michigan gas utility had ripped up the road and dug the 15-by-four foot wide hole three years ago, and never filled it in. Then, a city water line started leaking, filling it with water two feet deep.welcome-to-cleveland-roof-sign-in-Milwaukee-googlemaps

Hilarious Rooftop Sign Confuses Airline Passengers Flying into Milwaukee

When complaints yielded little help, neighbors took matters into their own hands, stocking the pit with carp, bluegill, and goldfish then breaking out the fishing rods in a humorous protest.

The city is now finally looking into the water leak and the road may soon be repaired.

Until then, residents say they’ll enjoy the only neighborhood fishing hole on the east side of Detroit.

(WATCH the WJBK News video) — Photo: WJBK video

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A Capital One Representative Makes My Daughter’s Day

By
Kalen Raynor
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I sit here in awe as I write this post. A few days ago I called Capital One to get a new debit card since it stopped working in certain machines. As I talked to a nice lady in Virginia who helped overnight me a new card, my daughter was trying to put her Yankee charm bracelet on.

Kaya loved this bracelet and for some reason, the charm fell off. I couldn’t fix it and she started to cry while I was on the phone.

The lady on the phone asked how old Kaya was and said she had a daughter around the same age and she knows how upsetting something like that could be. She said she would try to hurry up so I can get off the phone.

I got my card in the mail and all was normal until today when I got a package from the lady at Capital One. She sent a Charm Bracelet kit and the note below. This was the nicest gesture a stranger has done for me in a really long time.bob and ellen wallace-wedding-submitted

Banking On Kindness: How One Phone Rep Went Above And Beyond The Call

It makes me happy to think there are still wonderful people in this world, even though all we hear is the negative. This is a special thank you to Jocelyn from Capital One who I do not know and I may never know. You put a bright smile on my daughters face today.

capital-one-note-submitted

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How to Keep a Whale from Choking: Do What He Did (WATCH)

By
Terry Turner
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whale-fisherman-help-weather-channel-video

When a whale found himself choking on trash, he approached some nearby boaters in Australia’s Sydney Harbor to ask for help.

The whale, who had a plastic bag and fishing line stuck near its mouth, swam alongside the boats, flapping its flippers on their hulls as the people aboard tried to help by removing the obstruction.

A young fisherman, Ivan Iskenderian, finally snatched the bag during one of the passes, letting the whale breathe a sigh of relief.white-humpback-whale-New-Zealand-Dept-of-Conservation-750px

Rare White Whale Spotted as Sightings Hit Record High in NZ (WATCH)

It was even grateful enough to hang around and pose for some selfies with its rescuers.

(WATCH the 7 News Australia video below) – Photo: Ron Kovacs video

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New Best-selling Book Designed to Put Children to Sleep in Minutes

By
Terry Turner
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the-rabbit-who-wants-to-fall-asleep cover Amazon

Weary parents are rejoicing. The book topping the best seller list at Amazon.com is no longer Harper Lee’s new book, but a self-published tale about a rabbit who wants to fall asleep.

“The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep” is a children’s book written by a Swedish psychologist who has harnessed simple techniques through the written word to send kids off to dreamland–and it works.

The book includes cues for parents to yawn, use a slow, calm voice in places and emphasize certain words to lull their children into sleep.Dr Suess What Kind of Pet Screenshot PBS News

Brand New Book by Dr. Seuss–Was Lost–Now Published 55 Years Later

“It helps the child to focus and makes them a part of the story so that they fall asleep along with the rabbit,” author Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin told the Telegraph.

Ehrlin spent three years getting all the elements in the right order in the 26-page paperback, and the reviews from parents have been impressive.

“Bedtime just went from taking 2-3 hours to taking 12 mins,” one parent wrote on Amazon. “We made it to the middle of page 2.”Tree-book-tree-Screengrab (1)

Children’s Book Grows Into a Tree When You Plant It

Forssen Ehrlin’s sleepy time tome is the first self-published book ever to top the Amazon charts, and has already been translated into seven languages.

(READ more at the Telegraph) — Photo: Amazon

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Recycling The Love: She’s Delivering Leftover Wedding Flowers To The Elderly

By
Terry Turner
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Shawn Chamberlain screenshot 2 Full Bloom

An Idaho floral designer is putting wedding flowers back to work after the ceremony — something she calls “recycling the love.”

Shawn Chamberlain is celebrating her third year of taking donated nuptial blooms and repurposing them as bouquets for patients in hospices, nursing homes, assisted living facilities.

MORE Kindness: Great-Grandma Delivers Bag Lunches to Feed 200 Needy Kids Every Day

It all started one day while she was caring for wildflowers outside of a hospice and saw a young mother through a window. Chamberlain bundled up a quick bouquet and handed it off to a nurse, asking that she take it to the woman to let her know someone was thinking of her.

Thinking of You screenshot Full BloomSo far, her “Full Bloom” project has delivered hundreds of flower arrangements–all anonymously.

She works with brides and their florists or wedding planners to pick up the donations after the ceremony, and recently scored 27 bouquets at a time from a single wedding.

RELATED: Flower Stories Are Always in Bloom on Good News Network

“That’s 27 patients that are going to have a little sunshine by their beds,” Chamberlain said. “It takes the decorations of a ‘great party’ and turns them into something special again for someone new.”

(WATCH the video below) Photo: Full Bloom video — Story tip from Laetitia De Nys

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Teen’s Simple Question Saves a Man’s Life, Baby Is Named After Him

By
Terry Turner
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Jamie Harrington facebook Peter Varga Humans of Dublin

When a teen set out to buy a sports drink, he never expected he’d end up saving someone’s life.

On his walk to the store in Dublin, Ireland, Jamie Harrington noticed a man sitting on the edge of a bridge, crying. He talked the man into coming down and sat with him for another 45 minutes, listening to his problems and consoling him.origami sisters create for charity

Young Sisters Raise $650,000 Folding Origami to Build Wells Across World

Jamie convinced the unnamed man to check into a hospital and called an ambulance for him.

They exchanged phone numbers and sometime later, the man texted Jamie to tell him his girlfriend was pregnant with a boy, and they were naming the baby Jamie.

The man said that Jamie’s first words to him, “Are you okay?” ring in his head everyday, because those words saved him.Coast Guard swimmer completes triathlon-distance swim to rescue 4

Coast Guardsman Swims a Mile in Dark and Rough Seas to Save Fishermen

“I can’t really understand how these few words could save his life,” Jamie told the Humans of Dublin Facebook page, “But he told me, ‘Imagine if nobody ever asked you those words.’”

(READ more at The Journal) — Photo: Peter Varga, Humans of Dublin Facebook page

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This Celebrity Just Granted His 500th Make-A-Wish for Sick Children

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Good News Network
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rocco john cena 500th make a wish youtube

Twenty-three World Heavyweight Championships aren’t nearly as impressive as holding the record for most wishes granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Last week, wrestling champ John Cena granted his 500th wish to Rocco Lanzer, an eight-year-old boy who has been battling leukemia.

WWE wrestler answers wish for a boy - TODAY show“He’s nice and strong and inspirational,” Rocco said before Cena surprised him on the Today Show. “He reminds kids to never give up.”

Cena took a seat next to Rocco on the couch and presented him with a championship belt and tickets to his next show.

John Cena granted his first wish in 2004, and kids across the country have been requesting to meet him ever since.Beyonce sings with blind Aussie girl

Beyoncé Grants Girl’s Dying Wish at Concert (WATCH)

Cena is the most requested celebrity Wish granter for the organization, which began fulfilling wishes for young cancer patients three decades ago.

The WWE superstar also was named the second most charitable athlete in the world by DoSomething.org. The top spot went to Real Madrid European football do-gooder Cristiano Ronaldo, with Serena Williams, Neymar, LeBron James and Ronda Rousey also named as most charitable on the 2015 list released this month.

(WATCH the video below from WWE)

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Thousands Volunteer To Become Firefighters In Washington State

By
Terry Turner
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Wildfires Twitter Washington DNR

When leaders in Washington state asked for volunteers to help fight wildfires, they weren’t expecting this.

After the call went out on Friday, more than 3,000 people signed up—in the first day.Lawyer Alex Thomason 2 with fire truck screenshot KHQ

Lawyer Bought His Own Fire Truck and is Fighting Wildfires to Help Community

“We appreciate your enthusiasm to serve, (and) have been overwhelmed by the strong response,” the Department of Natural Resources posted on its website.

At least 200 of the volunteers are equipment operators, many with their own backhoes and bulldozers able to cut fire lines.

DNR leaders are going through the list to see what qualifications the volunteers have.

The call for volunteers is still out, but only people with wildfire training and proper physical conditioning should sign up.

(Learn more from AP, via KCPQ News)  Photo: Washington DNR

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Solar-Powered ‘Mayflower’ to Cross Ocean 400 Years After Pilgrim Voyage

By
Sheila Key
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MayflowerAutonomousResearchShip 1 640 Shuttleworth Design released

You could call it Mayflower 2.0.

If all goes as planned, this high-tech, solar-and-wind-powered ship will follow the same route its pioneering namesake took, ‘from Plymouth to Plymouth,’ exactly 400 years earlier.

MayflowerAutonomousResearchShip 3 Shuttleworth Design releasedBut instead of Pilgrims—or passengers of any kind— a small fleet of passenger drones will be the ones “steering” the ship in the year 2020.

The vessel, nicknamed MARS—the Mayflower Autonomous Research Ship—is a joint venture of engineers at three UK entities: Plymouth University, autonomous-craft specialists MSubs, and yacht designers Shuttleworth Design.

If they succeed—and if nobody beats them to it—MARS will become the first surface vessel to complete an unmanned transatlantic voyage.Heart-shaped-solar-plant-released-Conergy-Australia-crpd-750pxs

Solar Panels in the Shape of a Heart Will Show Love for the Planet

“MARS will operate as a research platform, conducting numerous scientific experiments during the course of its voyage,” explained Professor Kevin Jones, the University’s Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, as Plymouth announced the Mayflower venture.

MayflowerAutonomousResearchShip 2crop Shuttleworth Design released“It will be a test bed for new navigation software and alternative forms of power, incorporating huge advancements in solar, wave and sail technology.”

Still in its design phase (photos are artist’s renderings of some early ideas), the MARS craft is expected to take 2½ years to build and another year to test—with no word yet on how long the designers think the actual voyage will take.

Unmanned vehicles have crossed the ocean before– in the air and underwater– but never on the waves.

(READ more at Popular Science)

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Why A Grown Woman Is Using KidzSprinkles To Get Her Vitamins

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Until I was seven years old, the only vegetable my parents could get me to eat was liquefied sweet potatoes out of a baby food jar.

Oh, and if my dad wanted me to take my Flintstone chewable vitamins, he would have to sit there and literally cheer for me while I downed them.

Fast forward 19 years, and I’m all about eating healthier, all by myself, like a big girl. In the process, I have been giving a lot of weird superfood items a whirl. I put Spurilina on my eggs (Sam I Am was right, I do not like green eggs and ham, either). I put Spinach and Kale in a blender. I put two scoops of chalky protein powder in my water.

kidzshakes pool shot

I was told that many multi-vitamin brands out there contained unnatural ingredients—especially the gummy ones—so I stopped taking those, too.

One day, not so long ago, I learned about a lovely, pastel-colored package containing Kidzsprinkles and Kidzshakes. They’re gluten-free, sugar-free, lactose-free, GMO free, and casein-free (excuse me while I Google what casein is) and each serving contains a boost of probiotics, vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, and omega-3’s.

“But, are they also good for adults? Do grown-ups eat them?” I asked shamelessly.

“They sure do,” said the Kidzsprinkles lady, who sent a package for us to review.

But, how does a chocolate peanut butter shake deliver the nutrition of leafy greens and and fruits?

Armed with a shaker of flavorless “sprinkle powder” and some strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate shake mix I got ready to drink a load of Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamins A, B, C, D, at a very low-calorie count.

I’ve been splashing one or two flavorless shakes to my eggs, salad, Indian food, you name it, and watching the probiotics and digestive enzymes rain down onto my food. Instant upgrade. Plus, I don’t even need my boyfriend to cheer me on as I ingest those vitamins.

kidzshakes vanilla submitted

Price-wise, the sprinkles (sold on Amazon) are pretty much in line with a bottle of a vitamins. The shake powders come in giant $44 vats, so it’s a commitment…but I imagine parents throw all sorts of money at lesser things.

Bottom line: if you have a kid, you need to get on this.

If you’re an adult without a kid, and you’re able to swallow your pride—and some Manganese—give it a try.

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