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These Anarchists Are Fixing Portland’s Pothole Problem

By
McKinley Corbley
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The potholes in Portland were getting worse and worse and the city residents kept waiting and waiting for someone to fix them.

That’s why these Oregon anarchists headed for the streets and took matters into their own hands.

Portland Anarchist Road Care – or PARC – is an organization made up of local anarchist volunteers who fix pesky potholes by themselves, rather than waiting on the city government.

CHECK OUT: Public Raises $100K For Widower Selling Kindling to Pay Wife’s Medical Bills

What they’re doing is technically illegal, however PARC says that they prefer to rely on community solutions instead of depending on the Portland Bureau of Transportation to fix their problems. Plus, they have already filled up 5 of the city’s potholes and are taking requests for more.

“The city of Portland has shown gross negligence in its inadequate preventative care through this winter’s storms, and through its slow repair of potholes as weather has improved,” says PARC. “Daily, this negligence is an active danger to cyclists and causes damage to people’s automobiles, and an increased risk of collision and bodily injury.”

“Portland Anarchist Road Care aims to mobilize crews throughout our city, in our neighborhoods, to patch our streets, build community, and continue to find solutions to community problems outside of the state.”

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by PARC)

Teacher Given $1Mil Prize For Life-changing Work in Isolated Arctic Community

By
McKinley Corbley
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Canadian middle and high school teacher Maggie MacDonnell beat out thousands of applicants for the world’s best teacher prize this week thanks to her 6-year career in an isolated little village north of the Arctic Circle.

The Nova Scotia native was awarded the Global Teacher Prize of $1 million in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Sunday. The award has become one of the most prestigious gestures of recognition for excellent teachers worldwide. The ceremony served to praise Maggie’s astounding work in the village of Salluit.

The community has a small population of 1,400 people and can only be accessed by plane. The harsh weather conditions of the village has resulted in extraordinarily high rates of teacher turnover. Maggie’s school doesn’t even have a principal because he resigned after six weeks of stress leave. Most other teachers simply leave their posts mid-way through their term.

RELATED: Teacher Creates Chairs From Tennis Balls to Soothe Autistic Students

The frigid, isolated conditions also lead to higher rates of substance abuse, self-harm, depression, sexual abuse, and suicide as a means of escape amongst students.

As a means of combatting these factors, Maggie has established a fitness center in the village so students can embrace a healthier lifestyle instead of resorting to drugs or alcohol. She has allocated funds for a $20,000 in-school nutrition program; created a life skills program for women dealing with the burdens of traditionally enforced gender rolls; and motivated her own students to raise $37,000 for Diabetes Prevention.

WATCH: Beloved Teacher Has Different Secret Handshakes for All 40 Students

Maggie has even become a temporary foster mom for several of her students and local children.

“Maggie’s whole approach has been about turning students from ‘problems’ to ‘solutions’ through initiatives such as ‘acts of kindness’ which has dramatically improved school attendance,” says the Global Teacher Prize page. “Specific examples include: running a community kitchen, attending suicide prevention training and hiking through national parks to understand environmental stewardship.”

If all of those achievements still don’t illustrate how much compassion MacDonnell has for her village, she also said that she plans on using the $1 million prize to further improve her community’s lifestyle and infrastructure.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Super Sponge Can Cleanse Mercury From Polluted Water Within Seconds

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Good News Network
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Mercury is very toxic and can cause long-term health damage, but removing it from water is challenging. To address this growing problem, this lab team created a sponge that can absorb mercury from a polluted water source within seconds.

Thanks to the application of nanotechnology, the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Sciences team developed a sponge with outstanding mercury adsorption properties where mercury contaminations can be removed from tap, lake and industrial wastewater to below detectable limits in less than 5 seconds (or around 5 minutes for industrial wastewater). The sponge converts the contamination into a non-toxic complex so it can be disposed of in a landfill after use. The sponge also kills bacterial and fungal microbes.

Think of it this way: if Como Lake in St. Paul was contaminated with mercury at the EPA limit, the sponge needed to remove all of the mercury would be the size of a basketball.

RELATED: Biology Professor Donates Beard to Help Clean Up Oil Spills, You Can Too

This is an important advancement for the state of Minnesota, as more than two thirds of the waters on Minnesota’s 2004 Impaired Waters List are impaired because of mercury contamination that ranges from 0.27 to 12.43 ng/L (the EPA limit is 2 ng/L). Mercury contamination of lake waters results in mercury accumulation in fish, leading the Minnesota Department of Health to establish fish consumption guidelines. A number of fish species store-bought or caught in Minnesota lakes are not advised for consumption more than once a week or even once a month. In Minnesota’s North Shore, 10% of tested newborns had mercury concentrations above the EPA reference dose for methylmercury (the form of mercury found in fish). This means that some pregnant women in the Lake Superior region, and in Minnesota, have mercury exposures that need to be reduced. In addition, a reduced deposition of mercury is projected to have economic benefits reflected by an annual state willingness-to-pay of $212 million in Minnesota alone.

According to the US-EPA, cutting mercury emissions to the latest established effluent limit standards would result in 130,000 fewer asthma attacks, 4,700 fewer heart attacks, and 11,000 fewer premature deaths each year. That adds up to at least $37 billion to $90 billion in annual monetized benefits annually.

MORE: Amount of Mercury, DDT and Other Contaminants in Fish is at 40-Year Low

In addition to improving air and water quality, aquatic life and public health, the new technology would have an impact on inspiring new regulations. Technology shapes regulations, which in turn determine the value of the market. The 2015 EPA Mercury and Air Toxics Standards regulation was estimated to cost the industry around of $9.6 billion annually in 2020. The new U of M technology has a potential of bringing this cost down and make it easy for the industry to meet regulatory requirements.

(Source: University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Sciences)

Soak Up Some Positivity: Click To Share (Photo by Ke Xu, CFANS)

Boy Embarrassed by Skin Condition Overjoyed to Meet Dog With the Same

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Good News Network
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Carter Blanchard was always embarrassed by his skin condition, but now thanks to a Labrador pup with the same disease, he doesn’t mind so much.

Carter and Rowdy the dog were both diagnosed in 2015 with vitiligo, a rare auto-immune condition that causes certain areas of the skin to have different pigments.

The two met online over a year ago, but they were only recently able to meet in person.

RELATED: Swipe Right For Unconditional Love: App Pairs You With Adoptable Pets

When they finally did manage to meet at Rowdy’s home in Canby, Oregon, however, the connection was magical.

And thanks to an impromptu photo shoot with Sit Stay Photography, the two will be able to remember their special encounter forever.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Sit Stay Photography)

Corporation Surprises Grieving Father Secretly Tending a Mystery Memorial

By
McKinley Corbley
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For 12 long years, everyone puzzled over who was tending the mysterious memorial on the hilltop bordering a Chevron scraping station.

The memorial, located near the company’s facility in Richmond, California, was bordering the fence that surrounded the property. Even though no one was ever seen visiting the tribute, it was always delicately managed with flowers and solar lights.

The site’s upkeep remained a mystery until last year when the Chevron facility’s fencing required upgrades. They left a note at the site with the company’s number, asking the anonymous visitor to give them a call regarding the memorial.

RELATED: World’s Longest Marriage Ends in Husband’s Death: Wife Says It was Blessing to be Married

They eventually received a call from Ray Olson, the caretaker of the grave. The grave itself belong to his son – also named Raymond – who died in a car accident relating to a drunk driver back in 2003.

Ray assumed that Chevron was reaching out to him to tell him that they needed to remove his memorial

Little did he know, Chevron executive Joe Lorenz collaborated with the local neighborhood council to create a proper canonization of Raymond’s son.

CHECK OUT: Late Daughter Unknowingly Left Priceless Gift for Grieving Mom

A permanent park bench was erected in the park with a plaque commemorating the late Raymond, along with a photo of the youth.

“We said, ‘This is your spot, Ray. You no longer have to come at night,’” Lorenz told NBC.

Moved by the powerful new memorial, Olson said that he now finally feels equipped to accept his son’s death.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends (Photo by NBC News)

Google is Devoting $50 Million to Closing Global Educational Gap

By
McKinley Corbley
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As kids in the modern world learn more and more through the use of technology, some school children without that same access to internet start falling behind.

According to Silicon Valley-based corporation Google, 130 million students worldwide are still unable to read or do math – even after four years of primary education – due to a lack of resources. 74% of students have little to no global connection or internet access.

That’s why the corporate tech titan is devoting $50 million to closing the worldwide education gap over the course of the next two years.

MORE: Google Maps Can Now Tell You Which Businesses are Wheelchair Accessible

Google will address this problem by distributing the grant money amongst nine nonprofit organizations around the world that are dedicated to tackling tech-based learning solutions.

Technology-based learning can give students access to quality, up-to-date materials and resources; provide proper training and engagement to teachers; and help children keep up with their education despite conflict or violent crisis.

RELATED: 7-Year-old Applies For Job at Google, Gets Letter Back From CEO

As the program proceeds, Google will also supplement volunteers who can assist in rural areas with complex subjects like user experience design, translation, offline functionality and data analytics.

This is not Google’s first time stepping up to the plate for global learning initiatives – the company has already donated over $110 million to close gaps in education.

“Around the world, students in low-income communities have to learn with fewer books, out-of-date texts, and materials that are culturally irrelevant or even in the wrong language,” says Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink, education lead at Google. “Technology can bypass the geographic and financial boundaries that block educational resources from reaching students, while also making those resources more engaging, interactive and effective.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

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70-Year-old Ran Marathon on Every Continent in Just 7 Days

By
McKinley Corbley
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Chau Smith has already run 70 marathons during her time as a jogger – so for her 70th birthday, she decided to do something extra special.

That’s why Chau ran 7 different marathons on all 7 continents in the time span of only 7 days in January.

The challenge, known as the Triple 7 Quest, took Chau to Perth, Australia; Singapore; Cairo; Amsterdam; Garden City, New York; Punta Arenas, Chile; and King George Island, Antarctica. Immediately after every marathon, Chau would jump on an airplane to the next destination, catch some sleep at the hotel, and start another marathon the next day.

Though the differing climates proved to be a struggle and Chau suffered from severe sunburn, she still completed the challenge.

RELATED: 17-Year-Old Blind Pole Vaulter Wins Bronze at State Championship

In the months preceding the marathons, Chau would use whatever time that she didn’t spend running her dry-cleaning business in Independence, Missouri to train.

“It took me eight months to really train,” Smith told CNN. “The last four months, I really put in long, long runs. Every week, I ran from 15 miles to 130 miles.”

Chau plans on attempting to run the Triple 8 Quest – the same series of marathons, but including the microcontinent Zealandia – with her running company Marathon Adventures.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Run This Story Over To Your Friends: Click To Share (Photo by Chau Smith)

Abused Shelter Dog a Hero for Finding Naked Girl Shivering in Cold

By
McKinley Corbley
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Peanut the dog is being hailed as a heroic hound after she rescued a 3-year-old girl from freezing temperatures – and a terrible home.

On Friday morning, Peanut’s owner in Delta County said that her pup started going nuts for seemingly no reason at all.

“She was running up and down the stairs, barking and yelping,” writes Peanut’s owner. “She then went and got my husband, who was in the garage working on some projects, and alerted him that she wanted to go outside. He said he could hear her running around upstairs but didn’t understand why.”

RELATED: Mysterious Cat Rescues Injured Tourist From Swiss Mountains

After letting her outside, the dog went charging into the fields surrounding the couple’s house.

When Peanut’s dad chased after her, however, he found that she had stopped in front of a small naked girl who was curled up and shivering in the cold. The husband scooped up the child, wrapped her in his sweatshirt and brought her back to the house.

“He called 911 and reported the incident,” says his wife. “By the time the ambulance and police arrived, the little girl could only say one thing – ‘doggie’.”

MORE: Cat Hailed as Hero After Saving Trapped Neighbor

Police then contacted Child Protective Services who took the girl and her sister into custody after their home was deemed “unsafe and unsanitary”.

Peanut’s inspiring actions aren’t the first time she’s encountered cruelty either – the pup was admitted to the Delta Animal Shelter in April with two broken legs and a stomach full of carpeting, according to the shelter’s Facebook page. The owners responsible were arrested and convicted with charges of animal cruelty.

But now almost one year after her adoption, the pup has been living in the lap of luxury and is happily accepting praise for coming to the rescue of a young girl in need.

Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Delta Animal Shelter)

It’s Official: Today is the First Ever National Rosie the Riveter Day

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Good News Network
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As a way of honoring the blue factory-tagged, butt-kicking female icon of WWII, March 21st has been dubbed the first ever American Rosie the Riveter Day.

Six real-life “Rosies” who worked on factory lines and ship yards during World War II are being honored today at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park visitors center in Richmond, California. The women, who are now all in their 90s, reportedly said of the event: “It’s about time.”

The proposal for the day of recognition was introduced by Senator Bob Casey and passed on March 15th with the help of several California Congress members.

RELATED: World’s Oldest Golfing Club to Finally Admit Women

The Rosie The Riveter Trust, a Richmond-based nonprofit organization, said in an announcement: “Most people don’t think of Rosie the Riveter as someone who paved the way for women’s equality in the workforce. The prevailing idea is that Rosie stepped up to fill a gap while men fought the war during World War II.

“While that was true, and many women were patriotic, a majority of women who went into the workforce as riveters, welders, electricians, engineers and more during the course of the years 1941 to 1945, were women of all ages seeking to gain high level skills and salaries after years of being passed over for jobs or doing backbreaking work as field hands, nannies and more. Some were young women who had not yet found decent work; some escaped abusive families.

CHECK OUT: Women Who Served in Vietnam are Happier and Healthier Than Average American Female

“But whatever the reasons why they descended upon towns across the U.S. that were producing ships and planes for the war effort, they found a new freedom, good money, and a chance to excel in unfamiliar formerly “men’s” jobs. Women’s History Month is a perfect time to celebrate what the Rosies truly did, both for our country, and for women, as they changed the way we work.”

Though the special day is currently only a one-time event since it still needs to be passed by the House of Representatives, our modern Rosies have said that they will continue rallying for it to become a national holiday in the future.

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Teacher Inspires Kids to Draw Breathtaking Portraits of Refugee Kids Instead of Themselves

By
McKinley Corbley
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Art teacher Amy Hall didn’t just want to teach her children about portraiture last semester – she wanted to teach them about empathy.

That’s why Hall started working in collaboration with the Memory Project, an organization that invites students and art teachers to create portraits of abused or neglected children in order to make them feel valued.

“Middle school can be tough (hormones, puberty, changing bodies) and I have found that sometimes drawing yourself is the most difficult thing to do,” says Hall.

“So, I worked with … this amazing organization [that] works in countries all over the world with children experiencing substantial challenges. My loving and compassionate students chose to work with children from Syria, because they felt these children could benefit the most.”

WATCH: WWII Refugees Write Comforting Letters To Syrian Refugee Youth

Hall’s students at the Friends School of Wilmington in North Carolina received photographs of Syrian children and orphans from Memory Project volunteers. After creating a breathtaking series of portraits based on the photos, they sent them off back to Syria.

The Memory Project workers then made a video of the kids’ reactions to the portraits.

Despite the joy clearly exuding from the children’s reactions to the portraits, Hall said that there wasn’t a dry eye in her classroom after they had watched it themselves.

MORE: Toronto Couple Gives Up Big Wedding to Help Syrian Refugees

“I remember spending all of November working on our portraits,” says one of Hall’s students named Louise. “I knew they were going to Syria, but I didn’t really know exactly where they were going or how they were going to get there. All I knew is that they were going to someone who needed it.

“When we received the video I was blown away by how happy the kids were. In both the refugee camp and the orphanage, they barely had anything because they weren’t able to keep all their personal belongings, so the fact that they had these pictures was a huge thing for them.”

Another student named Lily said: “Although the paintings were fun, seeing the kids’ faces when they took out their portrait was definitely the best part. I love making people happy, and seeing kids who usually can’t do the things we can is awesome.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends

George Clooney Surprises 87-Year-old Fan With Birthday Flowers

By
McKinley Corbley
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Hollywood superstar George Clooney took some time out of his busy Sunday to grant an 87-year-old fan’s lifelong dream on her birthday.

Since Pat Adams had always wanted to meet the iconic actor, an employee of her retirement home – Sunrise of Sonny in Reading, England – sent a letter to Clooney asking if he could stop by for a visit on her birthday.

“The lady in the picture, loves George Clooney and mentions everyday how she would love to meet him, especially as he lives so near to where I work,” wrote Linda Jones, the staffer responsible for the letter. “So a letter has been sent asking if it would be possible for her dream to come true.”

WATCH: George Clooney And Julia Roberts on Carpool Karaoke w/ Gwen Stefani

Sure enough, Clooney made the journey from Berkshire to Reading with flowers in hand and a birthday card for Pat.

Pat was totally shocked and delighted by the star’s appearance. The two snapped a photo together and chatted for a while until Clooney had to leave.

Staff say that Pat is still grinning from ear to ear from the charming encounter, marking this birthday an event that she is sure to never forget.

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends (Photo by Sunrise of Sonny UK)

10,000 New Yorkers Given Roses Today on International Happiness Day

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Good News Network
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In honor of today being the International Day of Happiness, these volunteers took to the streets of New York City armed with a truckload of 10,000 roses.

A team of workers representing Proflowers, an online flower delivery company, spent the day handing out free roses to stressed out New Yorkers.

CHECK OUT: Valedictorian Anonymously Posts Kind Words About all 657 Schoolmates

“Previous research has revealed a link between flowers and a person’s happiness,” says Proflowers. “Studies show that fresh flowers have a powerful impact on overall happiness for the recipient, and for the giver, too. We set out to demonstrate this.”

The campaign, appropriately named #GiveHappy, was created to embrace the spirit of the holiday and remind people to just be happy.

After being given the flowers, grateful New Yorkers made such comments as “I feel so happy”, I feel special”, and “They make me feel beautiful”.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share This Blossoming Story With Your Friends

7 Great Quotes By Rock ‘N’ Roll Legend Chuck Berry Who Died Saturday at 90

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Good News Network
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The “Father of Rock and Roll,” guitarist and singer-songwriter Chuck Berry, died Saturday at the age of 90, while surrounded by his family in Missouri.

With songs such as Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, (Gotta Be) Rock and Roll Music, and Johnny B. Goode, Berry took rhythm and blues basics and added distinctive guitar solos and showy onstage antics to lay the foundation of rock and roll.

Despite brushes with the law and years spent in prison, his music was a major influence on the rock icons of the future. Berry was in the first class of musicians inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986; he was cited for having “laid the groundwork for not only a rock and roll sound but a rock and roll stance.” (Remember Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future, when he strutted to “Johnny B. Goode” at the high school dance in 1955, and a member of the band called up his cousin “Chuck” to share the new sound?)

RELATED: Michael J. Fox Nails Soulful Guitar Solo, Playing For Parkinson’s Research

Berry is included in several of Rolling Stone magazine’s greatest-of-all-time lists, including being ranked fifth on “the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.” Johnny B. Goode was ranked 7th on the “Greatest Songs” list, voted on by people in the music business.

He got his first break, after moving to Chicago and meeting Muddy Waters, who told him to go to see the owner of Chess Records. In 1968, he wrote an autobiography about his life.

His forthcoming album CHUCK, which was originally announced on his 90th birthday, October 18, is due out this year. It will mark the first release by Berry in more than 30 years.

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“Working to prepare the release of this record in recent months, and in fact over the last several years, brought Chuck a great sense of joy and satisfaction,” wrote his family in a note this weekend on the website, ChuckBerry.com.

7 Top Quotes by This Legendary Rebel Musician:

“I grew up thinking art was pictures until I got into music and found I was an artist and didn’t paint.”

“Don’t let the same dog bite you twice.”

“It’s amazing how much you can learn if your intentions are truly earnest.”

“I would sing the blues if I had the blues.”

“I’m a millionaire, but I cut the grass. And each time I cut it, it’s my grass. And that is satisfying.”

“This is my 1963 Ford. It was the only car I could A-Ford.”

“Praise doesn’t mean anything to me. I don’t judge myself.”

Click to Share Something Inspiring… Or, (2012 Photo courtesy of ChuckBerry.com)

4 Young Girls on GoFundMe Have Done More for the World Than Most Adults

By
McKinley Corbley
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The old saying “girls rule, boys drool” may not be exactly true, but these four young females are making a huge difference in their communities despite their age.

From providing supplies to the local homeless people or promoting literacy amongst fellow youngsters, these girls are kicking butt in ways that some adults may never achieve.

So in honor of International Women’s Month, here’s some of the most impressive girls on GoFundMe today.

4. Send 100 Girls to See Hidden Figures

13-year-old Taylor Richardson was blown away when she saw a screening of the film “Hidden Figures” at the White House.

RELATED: Afghan Girls, Not Allowed On Bikes, Shred On Skateboards Instead

Inspired by Michelle Obama’s speech about the importance of education, Taylor created a GoFundMe page to send 100 kids in her community to see the film and receive a copy of the book.

The outpouring of donations was better than she could have imagined – the campaign surged past her original goal of $2,600, raising almost $20,000 in total. Taylor was able to send 800 children all along the East coast to see Hidden Figures. Additionally, the surplus of donated finances is being used to send two children to Space Camp in Jacksonville, Florida.

3. Help Khloe Make A Difference

10-year-old Khloe Thompson created a GoFundMe page to finance “Khloe Kares”, an organization that orchestrates community service projects.

WATCH: Afghan Girls Fight Prejudice by Practicing Martial Arts

The campaign raised over $17,000, which is helping Khloe with a toy drive for homeless children; create hand-sewn bags of supplies for homeless women in the community; and organize future volunteering events with her charity.

“I believe that love is a blessing, and that’s why I love to do things for other people, and help people in need,” says Khloe.

2. Feminine Products for CSA-New Tech

Erin Bailey noticed that there were never feminine hygiene products available at her high school, Columbus Signature Academy in Columbus, Indiana.

The only way a student could get sanitary napkins or tampons was to visit the school nurse who charged a fee for the products.

RELATED: Youth Basketball Team Forfeits Season Instead of Excluding Girls

So for the last two years, Erin has paid for baskets of feminine hygiene products with her own money. The teen only recently created a GoFundMe page to help pay for the products, raising over $2,200 in one month.

“I’m asking for donations to help keep this up and running for students who during their periods, rely on this service,” writes Erin. “Anything helps! The money raised from this will go towards purchasing feminine products so that they will be free and available to the girls in our school!”

“If you are a woman or know one who knows what it is like to start your period and not be prepared please help this get out to the public!”

1. Liddy’s Chemo Kit Project

Lidiana Todoroff knows the pain of being close to someone suffering from cancer – her mother would always dread going to 6-hour chemotherapy appointments without anything to do.

That’s why Liddy, who happens to be a musician in Bend, Oregon, plays in a chamber ensemble in order to raise money for “chemo kits” – small boxes filled with fun things to do while undergoing chemotherapy.

LOOK: Daughter Finds Silver Lining And Fun in Last Days of Mom’s Terminal Illness

Though her mini-orchestra raised enough money for two chemo kits, Liddy had bigger aspirations. So she created a GoFundMe to pay for more chemo kits.

Thanks to Liddy, dozens of cancer patients might now be a little less sad while enduring treatment.

Click To Share These Inspiring Females With Your Friends – OR.

Denmark Rids Itself of Foreign Debt For First Time in 183 Years

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Good News Network
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After Denmark pays off the final installment of a $1.5 billion loan to the United States today, it will be the first time the nation will have been without foreign currency debts since 1834.

Though the country still carries domestic debt, the improved national economy and fixed exchange rate policy makes for a historical event indeed.

RELATED: IKEA to Start Selling Homemade Textiles by Refugees

Denmark first raised foreign loans in 1757 issued from the Netherlands and Germany in order to bulk up their federal reserves – but as of now, the debt-to-gross national product ratio has become one of the lowest amongst major European economies, according to the European Commission.

“The central government has not needed to raise any loans in foreign currency, and the loans have been gradually repaid,” the central bank said on Monday.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Kevin Crumbs, CC)

Celebs On Social Media Raise Over $1.5M for Somalian Famine

By
McKinley Corbley
-

What started as a 2-minute Twitter video became an international campaign to save a nation of starving families.

Famine and blight has stricken the country of Somalia, leaving millions of people without food, livestock, or agricultural support.

The famine, which has been called one of the worst humanitarian crises since 1945 by the United Nations, led social media star Jérôme Jarre to investigate how he could fly supplies and resources to Somalia. After discovering that Turkish Airlines was one of the only airlines that flew to Somalia, he started a hashtag plea titled #TurkishAirlinesHelpSomalia asking the company to assist in delivering aid to the suffering country.

RELATED: 89-yo Man Surprised with $150K After Stranger Sees Him Pushing Popsicle Cart to Make Ends Meet

Soon after he posted the video, Hollywood actor Ben Stiller joined the campaign and made a similar 2-minute plea for the airline to help, shortly followed by football player Colin Kapaernick, and social media stars Juanpa Zurita and Casey Neistat.

Finally, a representative from Turkish Airlines contacted the group and said that they would be happy to provide a cargo flight with a 60-ton capacity for food and resources to Somalia on Wednesday. They would also allow food containers to be shipped to the country on their commercial flights until the famine is over.

This left the celebrity crew with 10 days to raise enough money for 60 tons of food. The stars created a Love Army For Somalia GoFundMe campaign with a $1 million goal. As of now, the page has raised over $1.7 million with a new goal of $2 million.

MORE: Former Child Brides Win Case in Court: Zimbabwe Bans Child Marriage

At the start of the campaign, the celebs plan on purchasing the food in Istanbul, as a thank you to Turkish Airlines for contributing the flight. They hope that as the initiative continues, they can start purchasing the food in Somalia in order to support the local economy.

For water, nonprofits currently working in Somalia say that water trucks can deliver about 2,000 liters from neighboring countries, which would support approximately 100 families of 6 people.

CHECK OUT: Now You Can Give Back by Hanging Out With Robert Downey Jr For His New Charity

Donations made to the campaign are also being processed by the Stiller Foundation, making them tax deductible.

“We are not sure how much you will all be able to contribute, or how many difficulties are gonna rise as we execute our mission,” says the stars. “But we know our hearts united together are unstoppable, and if we keep using our hearts, we will keep making the right moves. And this movement will achieve its goal.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Love Army For Somalia)

Can You Guess What This Dreamer is Dreaming?

By
deloreshively
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I was super moved by seeing this amazing soul today on my morning commute in Venice, California.

I became Inspired and humbled by this gentleman peacefully sitting in front of a ‘Dreamer’ mural—right in the center as if he were drawing power from the word.

He just looked so content to rest his head back and happily dream against the vibrant colors.

MORE:  Watch 80-Year-old Stun Music Store With Shredding Guitar Solo

I wonder what he dreams of, not letting a wheelchair confine him inside. He’s out in the world, in the sunshine and, I imagine, still dreaming. Imagining his courage and strength can be a great reminder of how beautiful life is, depending on your perspective and what you make of it.

The mural was painted by Ruben Rojas, co-founder of the non-profit BeautifyEarth.org. Rojas told Good News Network his goal was to use color in order to ”rid the world of blight and boring”.

POPULAR: Artists Fuse Nature Into Their Dazzling Street Art (LOOK)

MULTIPLY the Good – Share the Inspiration…

 

San Francisco Bans Sale of Non-Rescue Animals at Pet Stores

By
McKinley Corbley
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This is one pawesome victory for California animals without a home.

In a unanimous vote passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, city pet stores are prohibited “from selling dogs or cats not obtained from animal rescue organizations or shelters.”

While at first glance this may seem restrictive to adoption, the amended health code legislation will hopefully stop the support of puppy mills, which are large-scale breeding operations that sometimes raise puppies in inhumane settings so they can be sold for a profit.

RELATED: New Jersey to Become First State That Bans Declawing

The legislation also addresses puppy mill problems by banning the sale of dogs and cats under 8 weeks old.

Since there are millions of animals that are admitted to animal shelters and rescue organizations nationwide, the ban is a big step for rescue animals in need of forever homes.

“This proposed ordinance does not prevent responsible breeders from doing business in The City, and San Franciscans will still be able to purchase animals directly from breeders,” District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang wrote in the San Francisco Examiner. “People can still adopt from local shelters or find a specific breed from any number of breed-specific rescues serving the area. Instead, the ordinance is designed to bring attention to and halt the inhumane and deceptive practices of large-scale breeding operations that supply animals to pet stores and directly to consumers online.”

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Couple Creates Safety Alarm for Female Joggers ‘As Loud as a Rock Concert’

By
McKinley Corbley
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There’s already several apps and devices on the market that are designed to help keep women safe – but this one is worth singing about.

The Run Angel is a safety watch containing an alarm that – if activated – creates a cacophony of noise measuring 120dB – which is about as loud as standing in front of a speaker at a rock concert.

The device is also synced to an app on the wearer’s smartphone. If the alarm is set off, an alert is sent to the owner’s desired emergency contacts – or “guardians”, as they’re called. The notifications are sent via text messages and email notifying the guardians of the wearer’s location, along with a time and date stamp of when Run Angel was activated.

RELATED: Woman Saves Policeman From Attacker on the Side of the Road

The creators of Run Angel, David and Ellen Caren, are based out of Cork, Ireland. They first got the idea for the device when David accidentally deterred a possible assault on a female jogger.

“He was out running and a female runner passed him. He thought nothing of it until a man knocked into him at speed and turned on his tail and ran in the opposite direction,” Eileen told The Independent. “He realized that the man – who wasn’t wearing any jogging gear – was actually in pursuit of the woman until he bumped into David.”

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That’s when they decided to spend the next three years developing the device for the safety of female runners everywhere.

“From the early stages of development our focus was on the audible capability of our wearable – after all, the greater the sound, the greater level of attention one can attract in an emergency situation,” wrote the parents of three.

Retailing for a little over $100, the product is currently only available online, but will soon be appearing in European stores. The app is free to download.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Runangel)

Vancouver Bans the Use of Dolphins and Whales in Aquariums

By
McKinley Corbley
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CC Steve Snodgrass

beluga-whale-CC-Steve-Snodgrass

In a unanimous vote, the Vancouver, BC park board has banned the use of dolphins, beluga whales, and other cetaceans being held in captivity for entertainment or research purposes.

The decision to intervene followed an announcement by the local Vancouver Aquarium that it plans to build a multi-million dollar beluga exhibit for unveiling in 2029, and amid an ongoing investigation of whale treatment at the facility.

CHECK OUT: Manatee Population Has Rebounded 500 Percent, No Longer Endangered

The board affirmed its historic, bipartisan support of ethical cetacean treatment after two days of public meetings. Over 50 presentations, for and against the ban, were heard–with divided support expressed in the viewing audience. But due to the recent deaths of two beluga whales at the aquarium in November, and lack of evidence showing that handlers could provide proper care for the sea mammals, the ban was passed .

The Vancouver park board is comprised of seven elected representatives — and all were pleasantly surprised by the unanimous vote.

“We have a group of commissioners here who are caring, compassionate, smart, and do their homework,” said Green commissioner Stuart Mackinnon, according to the Vancourier. “We don’t always agree […] so did it surprise me that it was unanimous? Absolutely.”

You Should Dolphinately Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Steve Snodgrass, CC)

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