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When Two Sons Could Not Be With Their Dad for His Birthday, They Took Out a Billboard Asking for Help

By
McKinley Corbley
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An amused father has been given a very singular birthday gift courtesy of his two cheeky adult sons.

Since Chris and Mike Ferry both live in Florida, they were sad that they could not be with their father in Linwood, New Jersey for his special day.

As kids, they would always celebrate their devoted dad’s birthday by going out to dinner and alerting the restaurant staffers of the special occasion so they would “make a fuss” on his behalf.

Because they could not continue their mischievous tradition, however, they decided to recruit some outside help.

WATCH: Groom Can’t Contain His Laughter When Bearded Best Man Shows Up in the Dress Where His Bride Should Be

Their father, Christopher Ferry, was oblivious to their plans until last week when he woke up to a text message from a number he did not recognize.

“Thursday morning, I got a text that said ‘Happy Birthday,’ and I said, ‘Who’s this?’” Ferry told CBS3. “‘Nick.’ ‘Nick who?’ ‘Oh, you don’t know me.’ ‘How do you know it’s my birthday?’ ‘I read it on a billboard.’”

Sure enough, Mike and Chris had taken out an entire billboard reading “Wish My Dad a Happy Birthday – Love, Your Sons.” The billboard also featured Ferry’s name, face, and phone number.

LOOK: Cop Surprised – and Delighted – When He Finds the Car He is About to Ticket is Made of Snow

Initially, they only expected their father to receive birthday well wishes from friends and family members who recognized his face – but with the billboard hanging above the Black Horse Turnpike in Atlantic City, his phone quickly became flooded with messages and voicemails from total strangers wishing him a happy birthday.

The billboard prank has made Ferry something of a local celebrity, too. Ferry said: “The waitress recognized me, she said, ‘Oh, you’re the billboard dad’ — so that’s my new handle, I’m the billboard dad. I love it, it’s really cool.”

MORE: Watch Ex-NASA Engineer Design Glitter Bomb Trap as Revenge for Thieves Stealing His Packages

Though the slew of well wishes has pretty much rendered Ferry’s phone temporarily unusable, he says that he is taking the outpouring of love in stride. As of yesterday, he had received over 15,000 well wishes from strangers – some of the messages included praise for raising such adoring sons; others included heartfelt anecdotes about their own fathers.

Regardless, it seems pretty safe to say that Chris and Mike have made up for their absence on Ferry’s birthday, which is on March 16th.

“We’re very excited to see my dad smile because he really deserves it,” said the brothers.

(WATCH the news coverage below) – Photo by CBS3

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Unable to Find Housing After His Historic Prison Release, Kim Kardashian Offers to Pay 5 Years of His Rent

By
McKinley Corbley
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Kim Kardashian-West isn’t just a famous social media starlet – she is also an advocate for judicial reform.

That’s why she is volunteering to pay for five years of rent on behalf of Matthew Charles, one of the first inmates to be released from prison as a result of recent criminal justice reform.

The First Step Act, which was approved with sweeping bipartisan support back in December, reduces federal prison sentences for nonviolent offenders.

Charles was first convicted of drug charges and sent to prison in 1996. After serving 20 years of his 35-year sentence, he was released in 2018 as a result of his conviction being deemed “unfair” – only to be sent back to prison for a second time shortly after his release.

RELATED: Parkinson’s Researchers Now Have $24 Million To Keep Going Thanks to Funding From Michael J. Fox

Thanks to the legislation’s approval, however, Charles was released from prison in early January. He even attended the State of the Union address at the personal invitation of President Donald Trump.

Despite finally achieving his freedom, Charles has not been able to receive approval on any of his housing applications because of his criminal background.

Upon hearing about Charles’s struggling to find housing, Kardashian-West then reached out to the former inmate and offered to cover his rent for the next five years.

LOOK: Inmates Write Heartfelt Letter to Police Department Offering Condolences for Slain Officer

“Kim reached out privately to Matthew yesterday after hearing he was having a hard time getting approved for an apartment and has generously offered to pay five years of his rent,” Tim Hardiman, a senior producer at CMT in Nashville, told US Weekly earlier this week. “He was overwhelmed by Kim’s offer and graciously accepted.

“Her generosity will allow him to save enough money to eventually put a down payment on a house. It’s truly changed his life,” he added.

Charles later made a Facebook post praising the celebrity for her kindness, adding that “Kim did not do this for attention or publicity, but I had to share it, because it’s too good not to, and my heart is about to burst with happiness, that I wish you to rejoice in this news with me.”

 

Though Kardashian-West has not issued a formal statement on her compassionate gesture, she is reportedly working with California Gov. Christopher Newsom (D) to end the state’s death penalty sentence.

Be Sure And Share The Heartwarming News With Your Friends On Social Media – Feature photos by Kim Kardashian / Matthew Charles

Viral Internet Challenge is Spurring People Around the World to Pick Up Tons of Trash and Then Snap Photos

By
McKinley Corbley
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Rather than eating tide pods or spoonfuls of cinnamon, an eco-friendly new social media trend is inspiring people around the world to clean up litter.

 

 

Though the #TrashTag challenge has reportedly been around for several years, it recently became a trending topic on Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit.

 

 

Participants are challenged to find an outdoor area that has been littered with trash and take two photos of the scenery; one in which viewers can see the garbage, and the other in which they can see the revitalized area after you have cleaned up all the trash.

 

She’s picking up speed! from r/TrashTag

 

The impressive before-and-after #TrashTag photos have been circulating around the world – from Mexico and Belgium to New York and India.

 

 

The initiative is being lauded as a refreshingly impactful social media trend that is encouraging people from every demographic to participate in tidying up the planet.

 

 

The challenge is remarkably similar to the #StonerCleanupInitiative, an online effort that recruited potheads to pick up the trash around their favorite outdoor smoking spots back in August 2018.

 

 

Some people participating in the #TrashTag challenge have managed to tidy up roadsides simply by bringing along garbage bags on their day trips; others have boasted the dramatic results of organizing group cleanups.

Regardless, the photos are inspiring evidence of how – even though it can sometimes be a bit trashy – the internet has the ability to bring people together for the greater good.

 

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After Success of First 3D-Printed Home in US, 50 More Homes Are Being Built for Poor Families

By
McKinley Corbley
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It has been one year since this cozy little home, which was built in just 24 hours, was unveiled as America’s first permitted, 3D-printed home in Austin, Texas.

Now, the masterminds behind the house are beginning construction on 50 more homes for poor families in rural Latin America.

The initiative is being managed by Silicon Valley-based nonprofit New Story in collaboration with Icon, the tech company that designed the specialized 3D-printer. Once construction on their “first-of-its-kind” neighborhood is completed, it will be used to house families who make less than $200 per month.

The neighborhood’s speedy, inexpensive construction is being facilitated by the Vulcan II: a 3D-printer that was designed specifically for building cheap homes. After its printing predecessor made headlines for building its first home in Austin, the researchers spent the following year refining its design so that it could withstand harsh outdoor conditions and be easier to use.

LOOK: Café That Hires and Feeds the Homeless Has Just Built a Village for Their Rough Sleeping Employees

Icon says the Vulcan II is now commercially available for international use and they will begin actively shipping the printer beginning next month. Pre-orders are also being accepted for 2020 delivery.

“Vulcan II is ready to move out of ICON’s lab and into the world next month to begin its very good work of delivering affordable, resilient dignified housing around the world,” Icon said in a statement.

“Vulcan II is the first printer of its kind in that it has the capability of printing homes in which people actually want to live. It can be operated by anyone with basic training thanks to the improvements in automation, mechatronics and a suite of specialized software.”

Build Some Positivity With Your Friends By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Photo by New Story

When Two Dogs Became Trapped in Ice, the Perfect Russian Rescuer Happened to Be Walking By (WATCH)

By
McKinley Corbley
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The average bystander might be reluctant to plunge into icy waters in order to save two distressed canines, but thankfully, Timofey Yuriev happened to be in the right place at the right time.

In addition to spending time in Canada, Yuriev grew up in Siberia – so needless to say, he is accustomed to the cold.

Additionally, the 45-year-old is an experienced swimmer and free diver.

His unique skillset then came in handy earlier this week when he and his wife were walking their dog Kira around the Irvington Reservoir in New York.

RELATED: Watch Teens Pull Off Incredible Ski Lift Rescue of Boy Dangling 20 Feet in the Air

Upon investigating the nearby cries of a frantic woman, Yuriev found that her two Labradors had run onto the surface of the frozen water and fallen through the ice.

“We heard a woman screaming,” Yuriev told CBS2. “The first [dog] fell in and then the second fell in. They tried to climb out but the ice was breaking and they couldn’t and after a little while they just stopped moving.”

Knowing that emergency responders would not respond in time, Yuriev immediately took off his clothes and started practicing the breathing techniques that his Russian grandfather taught him to prepare for the cold. The woman tried to keep him from going into the water, but he insisted on taking the plunge.

MORE: Kidnapper Got More Than He Bargained for When He Chased Woman into Karate Dojo

Yuriev then waded into the reservoir with Kira at his heels. Using his elbows to break through the frozen waters, he forged a path through the ice until he reached the first dog. Kira, meanwhile, made her way behind the distressed dog and coaxed it into following her owner. Kira and Yuriev then did the same thing with the second dog until both pups were in the arms of their tearful owner.

Yuriev credits his rescue operation’s success to his time spent in Russia. He jokingly explained his Siberian upbringing to The Journal News by saying: “We have only two seasons — big winter and small winter. But we had to have fun somehow, so a lot of us were used to cold water.”

That being said, Yuriev added that he is delighted his skillset could come in handy under such conditions – and he would be happy to do it all over again if he had to.

(WATCH the video below or our international viewers can watch it on the CBS News website) – Photo by Melissa Kho

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“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” – Terry Pratchett

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” – Terry Pratchett

Photo: by Ressty, CC license via Flickr

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

This Library Gives Away Hundreds of Free Prom Dresses to High Schoolers Saving Their Money for College

By
McKinley Corbley
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High school proms are often unforgettable celebrations for teenage students preparing to start the next chapters of their lives – but unfortunately, prom outfits can be pretty pricey.

That’s why the Dallas Public Library started giving away hundreds of free prom dresses to high school students.

For the sixth year in a row, the library hosted their Fairy Tale Closet program at both of their Texas locations during which students were encouraged to hunt through racks upon racks of free, new, and gently-used formal wear that were all donated by local residents and retail outlets.

LOOK: ‘Sad’ Dog Looking For Kids to Read to Him at the Library is Now All Booked Up

This year, the library is also offering a LGBTQ-focused event later this weekend for teenagers who want to feel more comfortable finding their own unique getups.

“I was a little nervous we wouldn’t collect enough dresses for two events, but I’ve been blown away by the generosity of people in Dallas,” said Melissa Dease, the library’s Communications and Youth Services Administrator. “Instead of not enough dresses, I don’t have enough racks to hold them.”

The event not only helps graduating high schoolers to save money for college, but it also helps teenagers to feel more comfortable using the library as an invaluable resource for their academic and personal needs.

LOOK: Library Hangs Helpful Poster For Subjects People Might Be Embarrassed to Ask About

“The Fairy Tale Closet is a way for the library to engage with teenagers and build a relationship among high school students,” says Dease. “This encourages teens to take advantage of the library’s resources and to see the library as a welcoming, safe space in their community.”

This is not the first time that libraries have offered more than books to their patrons. The San Francisco Public Library became the first US library to hire a mental health specialist for their homeless guests – and in just seven years, the social worker helped 800 homeless Californians and found housing for 150.

WATCH: Trash Man Creates Free Library Out of 20,000 Books Found in Garbage

Back in August, the New York Public Library started stocking neckties, handbags and accessories so that low-income patrons could check them out for job interviews.

Similarly, the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore was nominated as one of the Nicest Places in America in recognition of the various services they have offered to the patrons at all 22 of their locations.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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Prices of Nearly 400 Anti-Cancer Drugs Slashed by Up to 87%, Expected to Save Patients Millions in India

By
McKinley Corbley
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Hundreds of lifesaving cancer medications will now be available to Indian patients at a much cheaper cost, according to a recent announcement from the government’s pharmaceutical department.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) issued a list of 390 different anti-cancer treatment brands that are receiving price cuts, some of which are being cut by as much as 87%, effective immediately.

The list of price cuts brings 42 new unscheduled anti-cancer drugs that were previously unaffected by government regulation under a price cap that will offer financial relief to over 2.2 million cancer patients across the nation.

RELATED: Hospitals Slam the Industry by Creating Their Own Nonprofit Drug Company, Hitting the Market in 2019

The price cuts are expected to collectively save roughly 8 billion Rs ($115 million) in medical bills.

The government-regulated price cap is maintained as a means of preventing pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers from profiting off of essential anti-cancer treatments, according to The Times of India.

“The trade margin rationalization for 42 anti-cancer drugs was rolled out as Proof of Concept, stressing on the new paradigm of self-regulation by the industry,” said the NPPA in a statement. “The manufacturers of these 42 drugs have been directed not to reduce production volumes of brands under regulation.”

Cure Your Friends Of Negativity By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – File photo by Gatis Gribusts, CC

When Woman is Drawn to Number Combination, It Wins Her 30 Different Lotto Prizes in the Same Drawing

By
McKinley Corbley
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This Virginia woman has become a prime example of why you should always listen to your instincts.

Last month, Deborah Brown felt strangely drawn towards a sequence of numbers: 1-0-3-1.

“A couple of times during the day, I saw those numbers,” the Richmond resident told the Virginia Lottery.

Because she couldn’t shake her attraction to the numeral sequence, she bought twenty different Pick 4 lottery tickets, all with the same combination of numbers.

RELATED: Unemployed Man Wants to Find Stranger Who Returned His $273M Lotto Ticket So He Can Share the Wealth

Later that very same day, she went ahead and bought ten more of the tickets with the same sequence. Feeling confident, she waited to see if she was a winner.

As it turns out, her instincts were correct: all thirty of her lottery tickets were winners. If she had just bought one ticket, she would have just won the top prize of $5,000 – but with all of her winning tickets combined, she won $150,000.

MORE: Good Manners Pay Off – When Man is Desperate to Meet Lotto Deadline And Stranger Lets Him Go First

“I nearly had a heart attack!” Brown exclaimed.

According to a Pick 4 lottery spokesman in a statement to The New York Times, Brown’s success is all the more shocking considering how the odds of winning the Pick 4 lottery are reportedly about 1 in 10,000.

Though Brown says that she doesn’t have any plans for her winnings just yet, she says she might use the money to do some home renovations.

Be Sure And Share This Incredible Story Of Intuition With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Virginia Lottery

World’s Largest National Wealth is Now Being Withdrawn From Oil and Gas Stocks

By
McKinley Corbley
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Norway boasts the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund – and they have just announced that they will be dumping billions of dollars worth of investments in oil and gas firms.

The Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), which manages roughly $1 trillion worth of the nation’s assets, announced earlier this week that they would begin withdrawing their investments from 134 international fossil fuel companies, amount to roughly $8 billion.

They did, however, say that they would be keeping their investments in oil and gas companies that have added renewable energy sources to their divisions.

Though the divestment is largely motivated by the nation’s attempt to financially diversify their assets away from their current dependence on gas and oil, Greenpeace UK’s oil campaigner, Charlie Kronick, told The Guardian that the divestment sends “a clear signal that companies betting on the expansion of their oil and gas businesses present an unacceptable risk, not only to the climate but also to investors.

RELATED: Norway to Become First Country That Bans Palm Oil Biofuels That Are Linked to Deforestation

“While [certain companies] are excluded from the current divestment proposal, they must now recognize that if they continue to spend billions chasing new fossil fuels, they are doomed.”

The divestment is a welcomed follow-up to a 2017 report from Norges Bank, the national bank which manages the sovereign wealth fund, urging legislators to dump oil and gas assets. It is also a continuation of the fund’s shift away from fossil fuels after they withdrew their investments from coal companies in 2015.

Ireland became the first country to divest their national sovereign wealth away from all gas, oil, and coal companies after they passed the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill in January. The decision resulted in $8.5 billion being pulled from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund.

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Rather Than Wasting Ugly Potatoes, Couple Uses Them to Make Scotland’s First Potato Vodka

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Good News Network
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SWNS
SWNS

Rather than allowing their produce to go to waste, these two Scottish farmers are making vodka from potatoes which are too “ugly” to sell in supermarkets.

Graeme Jarron and his wife Caroline grow thousands of potatoes to sell to supermarkets every year – but a huge amount of their misshapen spuds, which don’t meet the supermarket standard, often end up going to waste.

And so the creative couple decided to start using the ugly crops to make vodka from their Ogilvy farm, making it Scotland’s first potato vodka distillery.

“We grow potatoes for supermarkets, but you would be surprised at the high demand for evenly-shaped potatoes,” says 38-year-old Graeme. “Before they are sent away, we look at them and take out all the wonky ones. By that, I mean ones that are either too small or too big.”

LOOK: In Bid to Cut Food Waste, Kellogg’s is Using Their Rejected Cornflakes to Make Beer

“Also if they have a shading of green, supermarkets don’t want to touch them,” he added. “Supermarkets want potatoes that are a nice medium size, so that’s why we thought we should use the wonky potatoes to make vodka and its worked out great.

“If we didn’t use them, they would have gone to waste.”

Ogilvy Vodka is now preparing to open the doors to its new £150,000 ($191,000) visitor center near Forfar, Angus, and Graeme hopes the experience experience will become a must-see for spirits lovers.

SWNS

Tours will start on a vintage tractor and trailer, which will showcase a behind-the-scenes look at potato farming.

The Jarron family have farmed the land at Hatton of Ogilvy farm since 1910, but they only recently teamed up with the brewing and distilling laboratory at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh in order to start producing Scotland’s first potato vodka in 2014.

MORE: Instead of Dumping Rejected Food Shipments into Landfills, Truckers Are Donating Them to Local Charities

Ogilvy Vodka is now distributed to independent bottle shops, farm shops and delis across the UK for just £36 per 700-milliliter bottle.

SWNS

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“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert A. Heinlein

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert A. Heinlein

Photo: by L.F. Lee, CC license via Flickr

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

After Spending Years Facilitating Adoptions, Mom Finally Finds Response for Nagging Peers (MOTH Monday)

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Good News Network
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Today is MOTH Monday on Good News Network: In partnership with The Moth, a nonprofit dedicated to the art of storytelling, we bring you the most uplifting speakers from live stages across the world.

Even though Maris Blechner used to work as a high school English teacher, she could never find the right words for when her peers commented on her choices as a mother.

Blechner and her husband are the parents of two adopted daughters and a biological son – and even though their children are their pride and joy, she has often received bothersome comments about her decision to adopt.

Blechner has since watched her children grow up and have children of their own. She has also started her own adoption agency and helped dozens of parents adopt kids of their own; and after all these years, her experiences with adoption has finally given her the words she was searching for in response to people nagging her about adoption.

Listen to her story below…

The Moth gives people an opportunity to tell a true story in front of a live audience, and sometimes their stories are chosen to air on the radio show, now celebrating its tenth year, and broadcasting on 485+ public radio stations—and on The Moth podcast, which is downloaded over 52 million times a year.

The Moth’s third book, Occasional Magic: True Stories About Defying the Impossible will be published in March 2019 and is available for pre-order from your favorite bookseller now.

(LISTEN to the sweet story below)

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28-Year-old Inventor Unveils Contact Lenses That Correct Color Blindness

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Good News Network
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A 28-year-old Canadian inventor has developed a specialized set of contact lenses that can correct color blindness.

Gabrielle Masone first became inspired to design the lenses based on her own experience with vision problems as a child.

After studying chemistry in college, Masone launched Colorsmith Labs Inc. in 2017 as a means of developing the corrective lenses.

Now, after working in partnership with scientists from St. Mary’s University in Halifax, she has finished a prototype that will soon be tested on humans.

WATCH: Hundreds of People Are Being Cured of Blindness Every Day With Cheap, Minutes-Long Surgery

She hopes that the lenses will save people the annoyance of having to wear bulky tinted glasses.

“I mean, not everyone wants to walk around in tinted glasses, you know?” she told CTV Atlantic with a laugh. “We all love Bono [U2’s lead singer] but no one wants to look like him every day.”

Masone and her team at St. Mary’s are now looking for investors to finance the lens’s manufacturing.

(WATCH the interview below) – Photo by CTV News Atlantic

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When Son Posts Photo of Sad Dad in His Empty New Donut Shop, the Tweet Attracts Hundreds of Customers

By
McKinley Corbley
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A man’s viral tweet about his dad’s newly-opened donut shop has become a prime example of the positive power of social media.

“Billy’s Donuts” enjoyed its grand opening in Missouri City, Texas on Thursday. The owners had named the store after their son, Billy By, and they were excited to start slinging pastries.

But after a few days of running the little business, Billy’s dad was heartbroken by the lack of customers.

Billy then snapped a photo of his sad dad behind the shop counter and posted it to Twitter along with the address in hopes that it would spur sympathetic followers to stop by for a snack.

WATCH: Customers Keep Buying Up All of Donut Shop’s Pastries So He Can Go Home Early to Be With Ailing Wife

When Billy first made the post, “Billy’s Donuts” reportedly had 71 followers on Instagram; now, it has over 59,000.

Within days of posting the heart-wrenching photos, the post has racked up over a quarter-million retweets from social media users eager to cheer up Billy’s dad.

 

According to KPRC, dozens of people were crammed inside the store over the weekend, all of whom were enjoying pastries, donuts, sodas, and sweets.

The store even received several celebrity shoutouts from Twitter, YouTube star Casey Neistat, and actor James Woods.

 

 

On Sunday, Billy posted a photo of himself and his beaming father to Twitter announcing that they had sold out of donuts before they even closed at 1PM.

“Just wanted to update y’all! We completely sold out of donuts and kolaches!” wrote Billy. “You are all amazing. I can’t thank everyone enough for coming out and supporting local businesses. This means so much to my family.”

 

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Native American Tribe Donates $184,000 to Cover Funeral Costs of Alabama Tornado Victims

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Good News Network
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Alabama’s only federally-recognized Native American tribe is stepping forward to cover the funerary costs of all those who fell victim to the tornado in Lee County last week.

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is making a $184,000 donation to pay for the funerals of all 23 tornado victims, as confirmed by CNN with the coroner’s office earlier this week.

RELATED: Farmer Returns 700 Acres of California Coast to Native American Tribe

Since the tribe was originally going to be splitting the memorial costs with another unidentified Alabama business, the Natives upped their donation from $50,000 after the business backed out of the agreement.

“It is at times of greatest need that we often see our communities coming together to help one another – this is one of those times,” said Stephanie A. Bryan, the Tribal Chair and CEO of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected.”

CNN says that other local philanthropists will be making personal multi-thousand donations of their own in order to help affected families as well.

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India Gets Its First Ever Hospital for Abused Elephants – and They’ve Already Treated Dozens

By
Dobi Finley
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Photo by Wildlife SOS
Photo by Wildlife SOS

Just months after India was given its first ever hospital for rescued elephants, the facility has already treated 26 recovering pachyderms.

This special medical center was established in Uttar Pradesh by the animal welfare group Wildlife SOS, a nonprofit organization that has been rescuing wild animals throughout India since 1995.

In addition to saving abused elephants, the group has also rescued bears, leopards, turtles, and other endangered species.

Since the hospital opened in November, the nonprofit has rescued a total of 26 elephants from abusive tourist attractions such as circuses, temples, riding camps, and private owners.

WATCH: 170 Foxes Are Rescued From Fur Farm and Given New Home at a Buddhist Monastery

These conditions and situations of neglect generally result in the elephant suffering from a number of different medical issues, which is why the organization was in such dire need of an elephant hospital.

When rescued animals are first brought to the hospital, they are given a thorough evaluation by one of the center’s veterinarians. Since most of the animals are in poor physical condition due to years of neglect and malnutrition, the hospital has been specially designed to treat injured, sick, and geriatric elephants.

Photo by Wildlife SOS

To best serve its pachyderm patients, the hospital has wireless digital radiology, ultrasound, laser therapy, an in-house pathology lab, and a medical hoist for comfortably lifting disabled elephants and moving them around the treatment area. For regular check-ups – as well as specialty treatments – there is a jumbo-sized digital weight scale, laboratory testing capabilities, and a hydrotherapy pool.

The Wildlife SOS Elephant Hospital also has portable X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, and specialized foot-care tools. Since certain medical procedures and treatments require overnight observation, the hospital is equipped with special quarters for this purpose with infrared cameras for veterinarians to observe the elephant patients.

MORE: Watch the Badass Footage of Africa’s First All-Female Anti-Poaching Team in Action

One of the hospital’s current patients is an adorable female pachyderm named Holly. She is a former street-riding elephant who was confiscated from a private owner. Holly is completely blind in both eyes, and when she was rescued, her body was covered with chronic untreated abscesses. Due to malnutrition, she also has arthritis in her back legs.

Photo by Wildlife SOS

Holly is now finally getting the medical care that she needs at the hospital. The veterinary team is treating her arthritis with cold laser therapy and therapeutic ultrasonography. The veterinarians will be tending to her abscessed wounds daily until they can heal completely, and Holly is now getting proper nutrition with lots of fruits to eat (her favorites are bananas and papayas!)

Once they are treated, the elephants are sent off to one of two Wildlife SOS elephant sanctuaries in India: the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Mathura and the Elephant Rescue Centre in Yamunanagar.

This way, they can spend their golden years enjoying their retirement in much happier and healthier conditions.

(WATCH the news coverage below)

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“If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.” – Joseph Campbell

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.” – Joseph Campbell

Photo: by John Bodnar, Washington, DC, Capitol Hill

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

 

Simple Mistake in the Kitchen Turns into Sweet Success for a Homeless Veteran

By
McKinley Corbley
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Want to LISTEN to this story? Hear the segment HERE from The Good News Guru (GNN’s founder) on our Friday radio broadcast with Ellen K on KOST-103.5.
Or, Continue READING below… (Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes – or for Androids, on Podbean)

A simple mistake in the kitchen has uplifted the life of a caring veteran like yeast does for bread.

It had been a little over three decades since Stefan DeArno had been to his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina—but in 2017, his parents’ declining health compelled him to move back to the city.

At 56, the US Coast Guard vet didn’t have money for an apartment, and his parents lived in a tiny house, so he agreed to move into a homeless shelter.

Luckily, a veteran social worker managed to arrange a spot for him at One80 Place, a unique shelter that offers job training programs to its residents.

RELATED: Good Samaritans Pay for Hotel Rooms to House 70 Homeless People During Polar Vortex

During his stay at the shelter, DeArno enrolled in their culinary training program. He had always loved to cook, and had spent many childhood days watching his mother and grandmother in the kitchen.

To offer their program trainees some some job experience, the shelter partnered with a local food and wine festival. Besides volunteering, DeArno was encouraged to try and rub elbows with some of the chefs at the event.

It was there that he met Roland Feldman, the owner of the Smoke BBQ restaurant, who was drawn to DeArno’s cheerful attitude and charisma. The chef even took to calling him “Reverend” because of his tidy black and white outfits.

He offered the charming veteran a job—and one day last November, the rookie made a lucky mistake that would change his life forever.

WATCH: Rapper’s Insistence on Featuring Homeless People in Music Video Results in Family Reunion

Instead of adding buttermilk to a batch of cornbread, he accidentally used heavy cream. DeArno was afraid it would get him fired, but Feldman waved off the mistake and told him to pop the batter into the oven anyway. When it was finished baking, the cornbread was more moist, fluffy, and golden than usual.

Photo via Reverend Cornbread Co Facebook page

DeArno passed out the cornbread to the restaurant staffers and they were all stunned to discover that his altered version of a classic recipe was so delicious.

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Feldman was so impressed by DeArno’s creation, he offered to go into business him. Today, they are the co-owners of Reverend Cornbread Co.

As a result of the small-venture food startup, DeArno now has a steady flow of income and a place of his own, but he has not forgot the place that gave him hope. Even while caring for his parents, and the new business, he returns to One80 Place to volunteer as a tutor—and he uses his new food truck to hand out hot meals to the homeless.

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“Without hope you don’t have anything,” he told TODAY. “One80 place gave me hope and an avenue, because dealing with what I had to with my parents, to do something that I really love, which is cooking, it was a relief, ya know.

“To see people get satisfaction from something that I’ve created is one of the best feelings ever … I swell with pride just to see the smile on my mother’s face. And it was a great feeling, a great feeling.”

(WATCH the interview below) – Photo by Reverend Cornbread Co.

Cook Up Some Compassion By Sharing The Sweet Story With Your Friends On Social Media…

Simple Mistake in the Kitchen Turns into Sweet Smell of Success for a Homeless Veteran

By
Good News Network
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A caring veteran, Stefan DeArno, has moved out of the homeless shelter thanks to his charm, love of cooking, and a fortunate accident he made in a restaurant kitchen. Hear our Good News Guru tell the inspiring story on the radio in Los Angeles—during the March 8, 2019 Ellen K. Morning Show on KOST-103.5.

WATCH the video or read the full story on GNN…

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