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If You Donate to Robert Downey Jr. Fundraiser, You Could Hang Out With Him at Avengers World Premiere

By
McKinley Corbley
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It’s been over one year since a young Scottish boy with a rare disease asked for help from Iron Man, his favorite superhero. Now, Robert Downey Jr. is stepping up to answer the call to action.

Aaron Hunter is a 7-year-old boy from Alexandria, Scotland who suffers from ROHHAD syndrome: a rare and incurable disease that causes the person’s organs to malfunction and fail.

Back in 2017, the ROHHAD Association granted Aaron a wish that he used to ask for Iron Man’s help in raising awareness for the debilitating disease. The youngster then made a video for the charity organization’s social media page explaining his situation and calling the Hollywood star to action.

When the video went viral, Downey Jr. reached out to Aaron to see what he could do to help with the cause. In addition to raising awareness for ROHHAD syndrome on social media over the course of the last year, Downey Jr. made a video earlier this week that is bound to make a huge difference for the disease.

RELATED: Robert Downey Jr. Comes to the Rescue of Bullied 7-Year-old

In the video, Downey Jr. says that his charity organization Random Act Funding will be holding a contest to raise money for ROHHAD syndrome research.

For every $10 donated to his Crowdrise campaign, contest participants will have a chance to attend the World Premiere of Avengers: Infinity War in Los Angeles with Downey Jr. on April 23rd.

MORE: People Are Posting Stories of Celebrities Being Nice to Them and it is Incredibly Refreshing

Not only that, but the winner will be flown from anywhere in the world to Hollywood, California; stay for two nights at a four-star hotel; and be invited to the after party.

The contest ends on April 13th, so be sure to get those donations in soon.

(WATCH the A-lister’s call to action below)

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Versace Joins Alliance of Fashion Labels That Are Ditching Animal Furs From Clothing Lines

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Italian fashion company Versace has just announced that it is joining the ever-growing list of designer brands that are ditching animal fur from their clothing lines.

Donatella Versace told The Economist’s 1843 magazine in an interview on Wednesday that her family’s company no longer wanted to employ the material because “it doesn’t feel right”.

“Fur? I am out of that,” Versace said. “I don’t want to kill animals to make fashion.”

Armani, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren are just a few examples of fashion companies that have already ditched animal furs. Furla, another Italian fashion company, announced on Thursday that they would be going fur-free starting in November 2018.

RELATED: Mom Turns $700 into a $65 Million Company After Manufacturer Calls Her ‘a Stupid Woman’

In October, Gucci said that they would be auctioning the remainder of their fur products so they could give the proceeds to animal rights organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

PJ Smith, the senior manager of fashion policy for HSUS, said: “With this announcement, Gucci will help to change the way the luxury fashion industry considers animals.”

MORE: McDonald’s is Finally Ditching One of the Worst Offenders of the Environment

“There is a growing segment of new, ethically-minded consumers who care about innovation and social responsibility and want nothing to do with outdated and inherently cruel products, like fur. Gucci understands this and will likely reap the benefits as a result.”

Fashion companies aren’t the only ones taking a stance on fur farming, either – the Norwegian government also passed legislation in January that will require all 340 of the country’s fur farms to close by 2025.

Click To Share The Exciting News With Your Friends (Photo by Shane Adams, CC)

‘Superwoman’ Surgeon Hikes Through Snow For 3 Hours So She Can Operate on Her Cancer Patient

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Lindsey Chisholm is being called a superhero after she made an 8-mile hike through a blizzard so she could operate on a patient with colon cancer.

Scotland had been in the middle of red alert weather conditions as mountains of snow brought the country to a standstill earlier this month. Chisholm, who lives in Anniesland, realized that she could not use her car to get to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley for the surgery scheduled the next day.

In addition to being a consultant surgeon, however, Chisholm is also an avid winter hiker. So with snow poles in hand, Chisholm woke up early the next morning, donned her winter gear, and walked for three hours through the snow.

Meanwhile, Chisholm’s patient Iain McAndrew was already resigned to thinking that his surgery was not going to happen. Throughout the day, he overheard nurses who had made it through the snow talking about how other hospital staff members were calling out of work and staying home for the winter storm.

WATCH: Virginia Jeep Club Shuttles 150 Nurses to Hospital During Blizzard (Video)

Then, to McAndrew’s shock, Chisholm arrived.

“I couldn’t believe she’d walked nearly eight miles to do surgery on me,” McAndrew told BBC. “When she walked in my heart took a wee jump. I thought it was amazing. If there is a real-life superwoman she is it.”

“I didn’t think it was big deal,” Chisholm told BBC. “I had the right equipment, I knew there was no avalanche risk, I was not going to get lost, there were places I could stop on the way if the weather did become absolutely terrible so I just didn’t think anything of it.”

(WATCH the BBC video below)

Click To Share The Superhero Story With Your Friends – Photo by BBC

“Teach me to appreciate what I have, before time forces me to appreciate what I had.” – Susan Lenzkes

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Quote of the Day: “Teach me to appreciate what I have, before time forces me to appreciate what I had.” – Susan Lenzkes

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?

How to Cultivate a Monk Mindset

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The Lesson: Immediately after graduating college, Jay Shetty gave up a fancy life at a corporate firm in London so he could pursue happiness with a group of monks in India. Now, after returning to modern society, he wants to share his wisdom with the world. In this podcast, Shetty touches on everything from what it was like being a monk; to the greatest lessons he ever learned from the monks; and how his religious lifestyle launched him into a career as an online spiritual speaker.

Notable Excerpt: “The first thing you learn at monk school is learning how to breath – cause we’re taught that the only thing that stays with you from the moment you’re born till the moment you die is your breath. When you get stressed, what changes? Your breath. When you get angry, what changes? Your breath. When you’re sad, what changes? Your breath. When you’re happy, what changes? Your breath. Every emotion is experienced with a change of the breath. When you learn how to navigate and manage your breath, you can navigate any situation in life.”

The Speaker: Jay Shetty is an inspirational speaker, YouTube show host, and content creator who turned away from his pursuit of wealth and fame at the age of 22 so he could become a monk and wander across Europe and India. Now, as his career blossoms across social media, Shetty is considered to be one of the most widely-viewed international motivational speakers with millions of viewers seeking his wisdom on life, love, business, and health.

The Host: After spending years of his young life and athletic career struggling with his own emotional wellbeing, a crippling injury left Lewis Howes without an identity and without any work. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, however, Howes recreated himself as a multi-million dollar media producer, motivational speaker, bestselling author, and podcast host. The ex-football player now spends his days chatting with the most inspirational icons of this generation on his School of Greatness podcast.

Podcast: The School of Greatness podcast is available for download on Soundcloud and iTunes. You can also watch footage of the interviews on Howes’s YouTube channel.

Books: Howes is the author of the New York Times bestselling book “The School of Greatness”: an in-depth collection of lessons and wisdom that he has gathered from interviewing hundreds of the world’s greatest role models and thinkers. Howes’s latest book, “The Mask of Masculinity”, is based on his experience with the dangerous stereotypes and expectations that are placed on men in modern society.

(LISTEN to the inspiring talk below or read the transcript at the episode’s website) – Photo by TomTranuf, CC

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Adidas Sold 1 Million Shoes Made Out of Ocean Plastic Last Year

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Apparel company Adidas has been making shoes out of ocean plastic pollution – and according to a recent news report, they sold 1 million pairs last year.

The sportswear corporation told CNBC that they had started selling three versions of the Ultraboost recycled plastic shoes in 2017.

Each pair of shoes, which were made in partnership with environmental organization Parley for the Oceans, reuses the equivalent of 11 plastic bottles.

All of the plastic was gathered by Parley workers from beaches and coastlines around the world before it could make it into the ocean.

LOOK: These Blobs May Be the Future of Plastic Water Bottles

The Parley for the Oceans website reads: “In remote areas, we establish systems to intercept plastic waste before it ends up in landfills, gets burned, buried or tossed into rivers or oceans. We don’t see recycling as the ultimate solution for plastic pollution, but keeping plastic that has been already produced in use reduces the need for new, virgin plastic.

“Together with its corporate partners, Parley develops programs which incentivize consumers to return their end-of-life products and keep plastic in a closed loop.”

Commit To Cleaning Up Negativity: Click To Share The Good News With Your Friends (Photo by Adidas)

Dog Adorably Jumps Double Dutch Ropes Being Turned by Two Other Dogs and a Human

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Some dogs can play dead; other dogs can fetch toys; but what about a dog jumping double dutch rope?

In a video that was uploaded by Ryan Young, a reporter for SEC country covering the Florida Gators basketball team, a dog named Scruffy takes the stage for a halftime show.

WATCH: Daily Dose of Cute – Dachshund Shows Off Skills by Maneuvering Maze of Plastic Water Bottles

While Scruffy’s human holds the ends of two jump ropes, two additional canine companions are in charge of the other ends of the ropes.

Though Scruffy bungles his first attempt at double dutch, he nails the performance the second time around – and the crowd goes wild.

Young posted the video with a caption reading: “They say no cheering on press row, but I was really rooting for Scruffy to nail the second attempt. Awesome.”

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The Pawesome Video With Your Friends – Photo by Ryan Young

When Flight Attendant Discovers Passenger Has Parkinson’s, He Escorts Her By the Hand to First Class

By
McKinley Corbley
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A flight attendant’s persistent compassion towards a passenger with Parkinson’s disease is being shared across the internet after a woman shared his story on social media.

Sharon Radcliffe was on a Delta Airlines flight from Detroit to Nashville last week when the flight attendant, Jeffrey Jones, discovered that an older woman in coach class struggled with the neurodegenerative disease.

To Radcliffe’s surprise, Jones immediately took the senior by the hand and escorted her to an empty seat in first class.

“For the ENTIRE flight, I could see him checking in on her, patting her back, helping her get up, walking her (holding hands) up and down the aisle and generally ‘mother hen-ing’ her,” Radcliffe wrote on Facebook.

WATCH: Humble Waitress Who Sliced Ham for Senior is Rewarded For Her Kindness With Holiday, Scholarship

When Radcliffe asked if he needed any help caring for the woman, Jones simply said: “I got this.”

“He told me his grandmother had Parkinson’s and that he was all good, but that he very much appreciated my offer for help,” said Radcliffe. “As I sat in my seat, I literally had tears in my eyes.”

Radcliffe, who works at a hospital in Marquette, Michigan, praised Jones for his kindness before she left the plane. Then, she posted the photos of Jones to Facebook where they have been shared thousands of times.

LOOK: Donations Pour in for Sick Boy After Dad Jokingly Responds to Accidental Text

As news outlets continue to pick up the story of Jones’s compassion, the flight attendant also took to social media to express his gratitude for the experience.

“All of the positive comments, shares, feedback, etc have been an amazing and humbling experience for me,” wrote Jones. “And thank you to Delta for showcasing my story… which happens to be one of thousands upon thousands of the good deeds and hearts we as flight attendants perform and share everyday in and out of the air.”

Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends (Photo by Sharon Radcliffe)

Here’s How Thousands of Birds Are Being Saved From Flying into Toronto Buildings

By
McKinley Corbley
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While glass buildings may seem like a harmless feature of modern architecture, this is not the case for the millions of birds who fly into windows every year – but this Canadian city is quickly becoming a leading example on how to protect birds from the dangers of glass.

Toronto made history in 2009 when they became the first city in the world to mandate bird-friendly buildings. This means that any structure that is built within Toronto city limits must incorporate several features that prevent birds from accidentally flying into the glass.

For starters, Toronto buildings are no longer built with excessive glass paneling so birds are not tricked by the surface’s reflections. Much of the glass that is on the exterior of the building features some kind of pattern that makes it recognizable to avian eyes.

Some windows are recessed into the buildings in order to reduce reflections. Other windows are simply equipped with blinds or sun shades.

LOOK: Endangered Parrots Won’t Stop Messing With Traffic Cones So the Cheeky Birds Have Been Given Their Own Roadside Gyms

Since birds can also be drawn to bright spots in the sky, city buildings turn off their lights at night.

In addition to mandating that all new Toronto buildings are constructed with these avian-friendly guidelines, older buildings have also been given slight upgrades to accommodate the migrating species.

According to the BBC video below, bird deaths were almost completely eliminated after patterns were added to several pre-existing building windows.

WATCH: Mesmerizing Video of 10,000 Snow Geese Taking Flight Will Soothe Your Soul

These groundbreaking initiatives are thanks to the work of the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) – a charity dedicated to saving birds from the dangers of reflective city glass.

Michael Mesure, FLAP’s Executive Director, said in a statement: “FLAP’s years of tireless work in bird conservation has finally produced one of our most desired results, which up to now could only be dreamed of. Let us not forget: Toronto could never have become a champion in bird-friendliness without the pinnacle roles played by the stakeholders of Lights Out! Toronto, Toronto City Council, and City of Toronto Planning Department staff. For this, FLAP and the birds are eternally grateful.”

(WATCH the BBC video below)

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“The past should be a springboard not a hammock.” – Irving Ball

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Quote of the Day: “The past should be a springboard not a hammock.” – Irving Ball

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?

The Poem That Inspired a Non-Violent Revolution in Hungary 170 Years Ago: “Nemzeti dal” (National Song)

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Good News Network
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The Nemzeti dal (“National Song”) is a poem that was essentially at the heart of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.

170 years ago today, on March 15, medical students, philosophers, and writers like Mór Jókai, joined the famed poet Sándor Petőfi in a local café near Budapest as he raised his voice and recited his fiery poem. He also declared a list of 12 demands for freedom and independence—demands that were mostly granted within days by the king, thanks to a youth-sparked non-violent protest that marched across the city.

As a result, a new Hungarian Parliament, with Lajos Batthyány as its first Prime Minister was established and the government passed a sweeping package of reforms called the “April laws”, creating the basis for a liberal democracy. March 15 has since become a national holiday in Hungary. (Read more about the protest from GNN)

The translation below is literal, attempting to convey the precise meaning of the original text. (Magyar refers to a Hungarian)

Nemzeti dal

Talpra magyar, hí a haza!
Itt az idő, most vagy soha!
Rabok legyünk vagy szabadok?
Ez a kérdés, válasszatok! –
A magyarok istenére
Esküszünk,
Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább
Nem leszünk!

Rabok voltunk mostanáig,
Kárhozottak ősapáink,
Kik szabadon éltek-haltak,
Szolgaföldben nem nyughatnak.
A magyarok istenére
Esküszünk,
Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább
Nem leszünk!

Sehonnai bitang ember,
Ki most, ha kell, halni nem mer,
Kinek drágább rongy élete,
Mint a haza becsülete.
A magyarok istenére
Esküszünk,
Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább
Nem leszünk!

Fényesebb a láncnál a kard,
Jobban ékesíti a kart,
És mi mégis láncot hordtunk!
Ide veled, régi kardunk!
A magyarok istenére
Esküszünk,
Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább
Nem leszünk!

A magyar név megint szép lesz,
Méltó régi nagy hiréhez;
Mit rákentek a századok,
Lemossuk a gyalázatot!
A magyarok istenére
Esküszünk,
Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább
Nem leszünk!

Hol sírjaink domborulnak,
Unokáink leborulnak,
És áldó imádság mellett
Mondják el szent neveinket.
A magyarok istenére
Esküszünk,
Esküszünk, hogy rabok tovább
Nem leszünk!

The National Poem

On your feet, Magyar, the homeland calls!
The time is here, now or never!
Shall we be slaves or free?
This is the question, choose your answer! –
By the God of the Hungarians
We vow,
We vow, that we will be slaves
No longer!

We were slaves up til now,
Damned are our ancestors,
Who lived and died free,
Cannot rest in a slave land.
By the God of the Hungarians
We vow,
We vow, that we will be slaves
No longer!

Useless villain of a man,
Who now, if need be, doesn’t dare to die,
Who values his pathetic life greater
Than the honor of his homeland.
By the God of the Hungarians
We vow,
We vow, that we will be slaves
No longer!

The sword shines brighter than the chain,
Decorates better the arm,
And we still wore chains!
Return now, our old sword!
By the God of the Hungarians
We vow,
We vow, that we will be slaves
No longer!

The Magyar name will be great again,
Worthy of its old, great honor;
Which the centuries smeared on it,
We will wash away the shame!
By the God of the Hungarians
We vow,
We vow, that we will be slaves
No longer!

Where our grave mounds lie,
Our grandchildren will kneel,
And with blessing prayer,
Recite our sainted names.
By the God of the Hungarians
We vow,
We vow, that we will be slaves
No longer!
—PETŐFI SÁNDOR (1848) —Translated by KŐRÖSSY LÁSZLÓ (2004)

 

Why Rob Lowe Believes You Have to ‘Get Fired to Get Hired’ – in 2 Minutes

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The Lesson: We never know what’s good luck and what’s bad luck. Actor Rob Lowe illustrates this truth with a story about Amy Adams’s career that was featured in Gretchen Rubin’s happiness podcast.

Notable Excerpt: “Amy had planned on starring with me on a hopefully big CBS drama and suddenly, that was over. So she was able to have a meeting on a movie she would have been otherwise unavailable for. The movie was Junebug, and she got the part. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination. It launched her into the A-list. The Dr. Vegas disaster was her gift.”

The Host: Dubbed a “Happiness Guru”, best-selling author Gretchen Rubin started her career in law and was clerking at the Supreme Court when she realized she wanted to be a writer. To date, the Manhattan-based speaker has written several biographies, self-help guides, and indexes on the happiest places and practices in the world.

Podcast: Her top-ranking, award-winning podcast, “Happier with Gretchen Rubin,” which discusses happiness and good habits.

Books: Rubin is the author of “The Happiness Project”, which spent two years on the New York Times bestsellers list. Her books, including “The Four Tendencies”, “Happier at Home”, and “Better Than Before”, have sold almost three million copies worldwide in more than thirty languages. Additionally, Rob Lowe has published an autobiography called “Stories I Only Tell My Friends” and a collection of romantic memoirs called “Love Life”.

(LISTEN to the inspiring tidbit today or read the transcript of the quick podcast here)

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Couple is Shocked to See Themselves in the Same Tourist Photo From Years Before They Met

By
McKinley Corbley
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While some people might think that this is an ordinary photo of two Chinese tourists posing in front of an outdoor sculpture, the story behind it is actually much more surprising.

The 18-year-old photo depicts Xue, who is visiting the May Fourth Square in the seaside city of Qingdao as a means of lifting her mother’s spirits following a surgery. In the background, you can see Ye, who was on a tourist trip that his mother had booked for herself. Due to a sudden bout of appendicitis, however, Ye went in her place.

The weird thing about the picture? They’re going to be married in eleven years – but they don’t know it yet.

Xue and Ye first met in the city of Chengdu in 2011. They fell in love, got married, and gave birth to twin daughters. But up until this week, they had no idea that they had come so close to meeting each other in a town that is thousands of miles away from their current home.

MORE: Because His AirBnb Guest Had a Heart Attack, Man’s Ingenuity is Now Saving Thousands of Lives

They only discovered the missed connection when they were going through old photos and noticed that Ye was standing in the background of Xue’s photo, posing for a picture of his own.

According to the couple’s friends, the photograph is a definite sign that they were meant to be.

“When I saw the photo I was taken by surprise and I got goosebumps all over my body,” Ye told Sina News. “I also took a photo, it was the same posture [as captured in Ms Xue’s photo], just from a different angle.”

“It seems that Qingdao is certainly one of the most special cities [for us]. When the children are older, we will go to Qingdao again and the family will take a photo again.”

Be Sure To Share The Story Of Serendipity With Your Friends

Confident Cat Leaps With Bed in Mouth and Lands Perfectly in Napping Position

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The Olympics may be over, but we are holding up perfect scorecards for this astonishingly talented tabby cat.

In a video that is being shared across the internet, a feline can be seen perched atop of a cabinet in a veterinary office with a kitty bed clutched in its mouth.

With the fearlessness of a trained athlete, the cat jumps from the cabinet onto a table below – and lands perfectly inside of the bed.

RELATED VIDEO: Have You Ever Seen a Shaolin Monk Pierce a Pane of Glass With a Needle?

The workers inside the office can be heard simultaneously gasping in disbelief and laughing with delight.

Though media sources have not confirmed the identity of the cat, nor the location of the office, the video is being hailed as the most impressive example of purrrrrkour to date.

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The Pawesome Video With Your Friends – Photo by Jukin Media

Disney Has Launched $100M Initiative to Make Children’s Hospitals Around the World Less Scary For Kids

By
McKinley Corbley
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The Walt Disney Company has just announced that they will be launching a $100 million initiative to revolutionize children’s hospitals around the world so that they’re more comforting for kids.

As a means of better understanding the medical experience, Disney has adopted a “Team of Heroes” to research what aspects of hospitals scare young patients the most.

Though the entertainment company will be working with more hospitals over the course of the next five years, they are kicking off the project at the Texas Children’s Hospital.

Not only is the facility the largest children’s hospital in the country, but they also have a special relationship with Walt Disney himself.

RELATED: From Terrifying to Terrific – Man Redesigns MRI Machine to Delight Children Instead of Scare Them

Back when the hospital was first under constructed in 1952, Walt Disney commissioned a special painting of the building featuring some of his most famous branded characters in the foreground.

As a means of honoring their shared experience with the company, Mark A. Wallace, who is the president and CEO of the hospital, presented a copy of the painting to Disney’s CEO and Chairman Bob Iger during a press conference on Wednesday.

WATCH: The Story Behind This Hospital Employee Who Was Named DarthVader at Birth

Iger said: “We chose Texas Children’s Hospital because they are global leaders in pediatric care as well as the largest children’s hospital in the country and their dedicated healers share our commitment to support the emotional well being of young patients and their families.

“We’re going to use our beloved characters and renown creativity to bring our timeless stories to life in innovative ways and hopefully transform a hospital stay into a warmer, more personalized environment for each patient.

(WATCH the video below)

Help Make Some Dreams Come True: Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Texas Children’s Hospital)

America’s First Permitted, 3D-printed House Was Built in Texas in Less Than 24 Hours

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America’s first permitted, 3D-printed home has just been created in Austin, Texas.

The stylish house was created by ICON, an innovative construction company, and New Story, a charity dedicated towards providing shelter for families in the developing world.

After the successful establishment of the home in Austin, the organizations are now working towards building a whole community of the 3D-printed homes in rural El Salvador or Haiti.

Each home costs roughly $4,000 to create, with a small amount of additional human labor. All the materials for the building are locally-sourced and made from mortar. Additionally, each home takes only about 12 to 24 hours to make.

RELATED: World’s Largest 3D Printer Makes Almost Zero-Cost Homes Out of Mud

ICON co-founder Jason Ballard said in a statement: “With 3D-printing, you not only have a continuous thermal envelope, high thermal mass, and near zero-waste, but you also have speed, a much broader design palette, next-level resiliency, and the possibility of a quantum leap in affordability. This isn’t 10 percent better, it’s 10 times better.”

Assuming the organizations are able to achieve their fundraising goal, families could move in as soon as the third quarter of 2019. Once they complete the community in El Salvador, ICON and New Story will “democratize the technology to other non-profits and governments to scale around the world.”

(WATCH the video below)

Build Some Positivity: Click To Share With Your Friends (Photo by New Story)

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey

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Quote of the Day: “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness.” — Oprah Winfrey

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?

The Homeless in San Diego Are Getting Jobs Thanks to a 16-Year-old Boy

By
McKinley Corbley
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Kevin Barber may only be 16 years old, but that hasn’t stopped him from helping dozens of homeless people get back on their feet again.

Barber is the instigator behind the Wheels For Change six-month pilot program that was launched in his hometown of San Diego, California.

The program pays homeless residents $11.50 an hour to perform daytime labor shifts around the city, like picking up trash and erasing graffiti. Alpha Project, the organization that started the program, then helps to connect the workers with social workers, housing, and financial advisors.

While similar projects have started cropping up in other American cities, Barber is responsible for bringing it to San Diego.

RELATED: After Denver Hired Homeless People to Perform Day Labor For the City, More Than 100 Landed Regular Jobs

Barber first heard about the Wheels For Change initiative from a TED talk video about the positive effects that the program had had in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The young activist was so inspired by the ingenuity of the program, he contacted city officials about hosting a Wheels For Change trial run. When they said they were on board, Kevin’s mom bankrolled the expenses for the pilot.

Now, upon seeing the success of Wheels For Change in San Diego, city officials are considering financing the program in the future.

CHECK OUT: The First Canadian City to Eliminate Homelessness –Here’s How They Did It

In the mean time, however, Kevin is raising money to fund the program for the 150 homeless people who are currently on its wait list.

“The program is simple,” says Kevin. “Several days a week, a van will pick up homeless people who express an interest in working. The van will take them to work picking up trash, pulling weeds, clearing brush, etc. At the end of the day, workers will be driven back to Alpha Project, or to the City’s new tent structures for the homeless, and will be compensated for their work. Here they may also get shelter arranged.

“The goal is to get the homeless connected with social services they need, into housing, and offer them the dignity of working. It empowers people and gives them work. We believe this is a win-win for the city, the homeless, and our community.”

Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends (Photo by Kevin Barber)

A Year After Their Fight Went Viral, Two Teens Are Still Learning From the Man Who Stepped in

By
McKinley Corbley
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It’s been one year since a video of a street fight between Sheldon Ward and Jamar Mobley first went viral – but their fists weren’t the reason why the clip made headlines worldwide. It was because of the man who stepped in to stop the fight.

In a video that was recorded by a young onlooker, the two teens from Atlantic City, New Jersey can be seen brawling in the street. Their peers can be heard egging them on and encouraging them to fight.

Suddenly, Ibn Ali Miller marches up to the group, steps into the middle of the fight, and demands that the youths stop exchanging blows.

“You’re almost men, you’re not kids no more,” Miller exclaims to the fighters. “Start acting like it. You’re going to get nowhere like this.”

WATCH: 3,000 Jews and Muslims Sign Up to Learn a Song Together–the Result is Perfect Harmony

He then insisted that he wasn’t going to leave until the two teens shook hands – and they did.

When asked earlier this week about why they felt inclined to listen to the man, Sheldon and Jamar both said that it was because they had never had father figures to tell them not to fight.

“He said to us what a father should have said to us,” Jamar told CBS News.

LOOK: An 8-Year-old Asked, What if the Whole World Made a Painting Together? And it Sort of Happened.

Now one year after the fight broke out, Miller still meets with the youngsters once a week to offer up his wisdom and advice. Not only that, but Jamar and Sheldon say that he has become a role model for the rest of the youths in the community as well.

“Once they know that someone’s paying attention, once they know that someone loves them, once they know that people are gonna be there for them and hold them to account, you know, they’ll rise to the occasion,” Miller told CBS News.

Maybe the best part of the whole story? Jamar and Sheldon are also now best friends.

“I just hated this person, I just wanted to fight this person, and now we’re calling each other brothers,” Jamar added.

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends – Photo by CBS News

Zoos Are Tweeting Yelp-Like Reviews of Animal Species and They Are Hilarious

By
Good News Network
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These zookeepers are taking the “cat vs. dog” debate to the next level.

 

Conservations and wildlife experts are posting hilarious appraisals of animal species in the style of online shopping reviews.

 

The ongoing joke first kicked off when the Oregon Zoo tweeted a picture of an otter with the caption reading: “4/5 stars. Overall very good first impressions. Sturdy built, totally winter-ready and waterproof. Only comes in brown but that’s actually a plus for me. #RateASpecies.”

 

Since then, dozens of wildlife specialists, aquariums, and zoo pages have joined in on the fray with amusing #RateASpecies reviews of their own.

 

The trend hasn’t been exclusive to wildlife specialists, either – other Twitter users wrote some pretty popular reviews as well.

 

The #RateASpecies hashtag is quite similar to the #CuteOff competition that broke out amongst zoos on Twitter back in January 2017.

 

Parks and zoos across the nation had all been competing to see who had the cutest resident – and while the world’s smallest deer could have won the general election, the Seattle Aquarium rebuked them with a picture of their newborn otter.

 

Check Out More Of These Amusing Tweets On The Next Page…

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