When Wyatt Erber learned about a summer-long scavenger hunt in his town, he went for it. And when he learned the winner would pocket a cool $1,000, he immediately knew what he would do with the money.
“Let’s do this to help Cara!” he announced to his mom.
It turns out that Wyatt did win — and, without hesitation, made good on his promise.
President Obama got a lift in Fort Pierce, Florida recently by a pizzeria owner who can bench-press 350 pounds and was really happy to see him.
Even though the business owner is a registered Republican, he said he was swept away by Obama’s enthusiasm — and he swept the President off his feet in a huge bear hug.
Lunchtime conversations with strangers can sometimes lead to miraculous luck. Such was the outcome for an Alabama woman working at a sandwich shop whose friendship with a compassionate Methodist Pastor led to a fresh start.
Jessica lost her home in the Huntsville tornado last year and during the past year she has been homeless, hopping from her mother’s house to shelters, and motels, all while working two jobs and caring for her two children, according to WHNT.
Compounding her misery, when Pastor Calvin noticed her absence from the Subway shop, he found out she was being hospitalized with cancer.
Hearing the news drove him to galvanize an army of do-gooders at his Ford’s Chapel United Methodist Church.
The congregation renovated the dilapidated trailer home, installing new flooring, plumbing, and electricity. The process took two months and Jessica got her first peek on Sunday.
(READ more of the story from Huffington Post)
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Lunchtime conversations with strangers can sometimes lead to miraculous luck. Such was the outcome for an Alabama woman working at a sandwich shop whose friendship with a compassionate Methodist Pastor led to a fresh start.
Jessica lost her home in the Huntsville tornado last year and during the past year she has been homeless, hopping from her mother’s house to shelters, and motels, all while working two jobs and caring for her two children, according to WHNT.
The Davis community in California with help from Giant Bicycles has come together to create a heartwarming final chapter for a cross-country bicycle rider in route for her charity.
Earlier in August, Alyssa Chrisman, 21, was near completion of a 4000 mile ride from North Carolina to Santa Cruz to raise funds for the nonprofit Bike & Build. Alyssa and other riders stopped in downtown Davis to visit the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame and museum. Even though her bicycle was locked to two others, the $1,500 Giant touring bike was stolen outside while they toured the building.
After hearing about the theft, community members quickly located a replacement bike for Alyssa to use on the final leg of her journey.
The effort to replace her original bicycle prompted its manufacturer, Giant, to agree to donate the same model that was stolen.
Bike & Build organizes cross-country bike trips in support of affordable housing in the United States.
Between 2003-2011, Bike & Build contributed more than three million dollars to fund housing projects, including more than $605,000 donated from the summer of 2011. The group hopes to donate the same amount this year.
Federal health authorities Monday added 58 types of cancer to the list of covered illnesses for people who were exposed to toxins at the site of the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
The publication of this final rule marks an important step in the effort to provide needed treatment and care to 9/11 responders and survivors through the WTC Health Program.
Patients with broken spines have reported having feeling restored to areas that had previously been paralyzed, after receiving stem cell injections.
Scientists said they were ‘encouraged’ after two of three patients injected with donated embryonic brain tissue responded to treatment at Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland.
SendFudge.com has partnered with the Good News Network to award free gourmet fudge to five people who are consistently doing nice things to make a difference in other people’s lives.
After we sent out a request for nominations, we received stories lauding inspiring people across the country, but from among them we chose 5 winners to be honorary “Good News Ambassadors”.
The five good news heroes will be able to choose from among 40 tempting flavors from SendFudge.com including diabetic-friendly selections.
Here are the honorary Good News Ambassadors, who always “give a fudge” about others while helping to uplift society.
1) Kengi Carr – You know immediately upon meeting him that this man is someone special.
As part of an innovative effort to tackle Miami’s problem with homelessness, 400 residents have traded the downtown streets for a live-in community farm project in south Florida that grows produce for an upscale restaurant.
Verde Gardens, a $17.2 million, 145-unit complex built for Miami’s formerly homeless, boasts a 22-acre organic farm that gives many of the residente their first steady job in years.
As part of an innovative effort to tackle Miami’s problem with homelessness, 400 residents have traded the downtown streets for a live-in community farm project in south Florida that grows produce for an upscale restaurant.
Verde Gardens, a $17.2 million, 145-unit complex built for Miami’s formerly homeless, boasts a 22-acre organic farm that gives many of the residente their first steady job in years.
President Obama signed an Executive Order that will help the federal government better meet the current and future demand for mental health services and substance abuse treatment for our troops and veterans, as well as their families.
According to the White House, the executive order will hire 800 peer-to-peer support counselors, using veterans to support other veterans, and push to complete the hiring of 1,600 additional mental health professionals by June, 2013.
The double amputee Olympic runner, Oscar Pistorius was the inspiration for a veterinary technician in St. Cloud, Florida to stop the request to put down a 2-week-old chihuahua puppy born without functioning front legs.
Vickie Dryer decided to rehabilitate him instead.
The double amputee Olympic runner, Oscar Pistorius was the inspiration for a veterinary technician in St. Cloud, Florida to stop the request to put down a 2-week-old chihuahua puppy born without functioning front legs.
Vickie Dryer decided to rehabilitate him instead.
Before Howard Cooper sold the car dealership that he’d owned for 47 years, he stipulated that all 89 employees must keep their jobs.
Workers like Bob Jenkins, a 26-year mechanic, were thrilled. But not as shocked as they were when they were handed checks worth tens of thousands of dollars — thank you bonuses for their years of service.
“I was shocked,” Jenkins said, of 83-year-old Cooper’s generosity.
(READ the story from AnnArbor.com)
A horror crash almost cut the racing driver in half – but now he’s back and has won two gold medals in handcycling at the paralympic games in London.
Alex Zanardi astounded doctors by surviving the 220mph smash which sliced him in half.
The story of the ex-Formula One driver, even among Paralympic triumphs of humanity over disaster, is one of the most heartwarming tales of London 2012.
Egypt’s prime minister says Qatar has agreed to invest $18 billion in Egypt over the next five years.
The funds aim to help revive Egypt’s battered economy and lure back foreign investment that has all but disappeared since last year’s uprising.
Because September is National Yoga Month, we are updating a previous story with a handy downloadable infographic.
Good News Network viewer Mehndi Rao created the infographic to illustrate the 6 poses in the article below as a ready reference. (You can download and print from page two of this article)
Fifteen years ago, I would recoil from any form of exercise, as well as any green foods, I was overweight, inflexible … and debilitated by back pain. The 40 extra pounds on my frame — plus tight, shortened back muscles and weak abs — left me moving like an 80-year-old version of myself.
I started reading up and realized a shocking number of people suffer with back pain, partly from hours of sitting in a way that flattens the low back curve. (BTW, a Balance Ball Chair System, the very one I’m sitting on as I write this, is a great tool to help build core strength and re-align your spine.)
Then, I found yoga. Over time, using some of the same poses I’m showing you here, I built a lean and pain-free body.
With just a few moves, you can bring your legs, hips and spine into proper alignment, release tension and gain supportive strength. These poses provide traction for your spinal muscles as you root through the hips and let a gentle pull or gravity make space between the spinal bones. You’ll walk taller and enjoy a body that’s no longer stopping you, but rather serving you to live, move and play to the fullest.
Important tips for back pain sufferers
Don’t overemphasize your ab work. A common misconception about healing back pain is that the back is weak and you should just work the core more. Actually, when you only work the core muscles — as in, a hundred crunches a day — you may just be shortening your front body to match the back one. This can further pull on the spine and cause more disc compression and too little (or too much) curvature. The six-pack might look good in magazines but those bunchy, contracted muscles are actually not so hot for your back.
Breathe slowly and deeply through the nose for the duration of the practice. On your inhales, flare the ribs wide, and as you exhale, contract around your navel, still maintaining a long, natural spine.
Note: Consult your doctor or physical therapist before starting, especially if you’re experiencing severe back or leg pain now or during the practice, or if you have known disc problems, like hernias or degeneration.
Fists Forward Bend
Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Bend your knees and release your torso over your legs until your belly touches your thighs (or as close as you can get). Make two fists and place them in the opposite elbow creases. Relax your back, neck and head, and squeeze fists actively.
Fists and bent elbows together are a central nervous system trigger that causes your back muscles to open. You’ll feel it after just a few breaths!
Take 10-20 breaths here, releasing more tension from the back with every exhale.
(Continued on Page 2)
Finding himself besieged by a gaggle of young female devotees, Felix Finkbeiner is an environmental superstar and author of the book Tree by Tree… at the helm of a global network of child activists whose aim is to mitigate climate change by reforesting the planet.
The boy’s initiative, Plant-for-the-Planet, is a campaign for kids created in 2007 when he was just nine.
According to Wikipedia:
It was when Felix’s teacher set the assignment to prepare a school report about the issue of climate change, that Felix was first inspired. While conducting his research he came across the story of Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Kenya who had worked to plant over 30 million trees across Africa as part of her ‘Green Belt Movement’. At the end of Felix’s presentation he shared the idea that the children of the world could plant 1 million trees in every country on Earth.
Planting the first tree at his school marked the official launch his campaign. Students in Bavaria and across Germany also got involved and continued to plant trees under the Plant-for-the-Planet name. After one year 150,000 trees had already been planted. During the following year the organization effectively developed into a worldwide movement after Felix was elected to the United Nations Environment Programme children’s board during the group’s conference in Norway.
By the start of 2011 there were children participating in more than 93 countries.
(WATCH the video below and READ the story in the Telegraph)
While some adolescent boys can induce hysterical adulation in young girls, Felix, 13, is no Justin Bieber. And yet, on a wet Sunday afternoon in southern Germany, he finds himself besieged by a gaggle of young female devotees.
Felix Finkbeiner is an environmental superstar and author of the book Tree by Tree who is at the helm of a global network of child activists whose aim is to mitigate climate change by reforesting the planet.
We hear all the time that we need to get off the couch, stop watching TV and get moving.
But what if watching TV under specific conditions could actually provide the mental boost we need to recharge for a difficult task?
New research from the University at Buffalo found that watching a rerun of a favorite TV show or movie may help restore the drive to get things done in people who have used up their reserves of willpower or self-control.
