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White House Garden Guaranteed to Feed City Residents for Years to Come

By
Frank Phelps
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America’s success has largely depended on its ability to farm and provide food for its people. Now this agricultural heritage is solidly rooted in the South Lawn of the White House.

In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama first embraced a vision for change—and took steps toward reversing the increase of childhood obesity and high rates of lifestyle-related diseases.

As part of her plan to inspire kids to eat more veggies and fruit, she helped dig—and plant— a White House Kitchen Garden which has been a lush treasure of food and education for the nation’s capital since its debut 8 years ago.

WATCH: Obama Marked July 4th By Singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Malia Who Turned 18

The planting of this garden coincided with the creation of her “Let’s Move!” program in 2010, dedicated to helping kids and families find healthier lifestyles. The produce grown here doesn’t just benefit the presidential family, either. Surplus produce from the garden is donated to Miriam’s Kitchen, an organization that feeds Washington D.C.’s homeless population.

In early October, children from more than a dozen schools across the nation joined the First Lady for her final harvest. The occupants of the White House will be different come January 2017, but thanks to recent donation from a horticulturally-based company, not only will the beds of the garden remain; they will be expanded and maintained.

RELATED: Michelle Obama Holds First White House “Kids’ State Dinner”

“The South Lawn vegetables, fruits, and herbs inspire people across the country to eat locally, mindfully, and healthfully,” said George Ball, chairman and CEO of the donor company, W. Atlee Burpee. “Burpee is proud to continue our long history of inspiring gardeners by supporting the White House Kitchen Garden in one of America’s treasured national parks.”

Following the lead of the First Lady, more and more community gardens have been popping up every year. The communities that gather and plant healthy gardens find the gardens yield more than crops—they create healthy communities.

LOOK: Obama’s Fun Side: 18 Great Photos From the White House

In this season of political change, it’s nice to know that one constant will remain: a presidential garden will continue to symbolize the importance of community, and the benefits of nutritious food, and honest efforts applied.

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Breakthrough Study: Knowingly Taking Placebo Pills Eases Pain

By
Good News Network
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Conventional medical wisdom has long held that placebo effects depend upon a patient’s belief that they are getting ‘the real deal’. A paper published today in the journal Pain is the first to demonstrate that patients who knowingly took a placebo in conjunction with traditional treatment for lower back pain saw more improvement than those given traditional treatment alone.

”These findings turn our understanding of the placebo effect on its head,” said joint senior author Ted Kaptchuk, director of the Program for Placebo Studies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. “This new research demonstrates that the placebo effect is not necessarily elicited by patients’ conscious expectation that they are getting an active medicine. Taking a pill in the context of a patient-clinician relationship – even if you know it’s a placebo – is a ritual that changes symptoms and probably activates regions of the brain that modulate symptoms.”

MORE: How Negative Headlines Can Impact Your Mental and Emotional Health

Kaptchuk, with colleagues at Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada (ISPA) in Lisbon, Portugal, studied 97 patients with chronic lower back pain, which causes more disability than any other medical condition worldwide. After all participants were screened and examined by a registered nurse practitioner and board certified pain specialist, the researchers gave all patients a 15-minute explanation of the placebo effect. Only then was the group randomized into one of two groups; the treatment-as-usual (TAU) group or the open-label placebo (OLP) group.

The vast majority of participants in both groups (between 85 and 88 percent) were already taking medications – mostly non-steroidal anti-inflammatories for their pain, and none were on opioid medications. Participants in both groups were allowed to continue taking these drugs, but were required not to change dosages or make any other major lifestyle changes, such as starting an exercise plan or new medication, which could impact their pain.

RELATED: First Ever Quadriplegic Treated With Stem Cells Regains Motor Control in His Upper Body

In addition, patients in the OLP group were given a medicine bottle labeled “placebo pills” with directions to take two capsules containing only microcrystalline cellulose and no active medication twice daily.

At the end of their three-week course of pills, the OLP group overall reported 30 percent reductions in both usual pain and maximum pain, compared to 9 percent and 16 percent reductions, respectively, for the TAU group. The group taking placebo pills also saw a 29 percent drop in pain-related disability. Those receiving treatment as usual saw almost no improvement by that measure.

POPULAR: New Drug Inspires Hope For Alzheimer’s Cure

“It’s the benefit of being immersed in treatment: interacting with a physician or nurse, taking pills, all the rituals and symbols of our healthcare system,” Kaptchuk said. “The body responds to that.”

”Our findings demonstrate the placebo effect can be elicited without deception,” said lead author, Claudia Carvalho, PhD, of ISPA. “Patients were interested in what would happen and enjoyed this novel approach to their pain. They felt empowered.”

Kaptchuk speculates that other conditions with symptoms and complaints that are based on self-observation (like other kinds of pain, fatigue, depression, common digestive or urinary symptoms) may also be modulated by open-label treatment.

INSPIRING: Philippine Teen Discovers Powerful Natural Poison Against Zika Bugs

“You’re never going to shrink a tumor or unclog an artery with placebo intervention,” he said. “It’s not a cure-all, but it makes people feel better, for sure. Our lab is saying you can’t throw the placebo into the trash can. It has clinical meaning, it’s statically significant, and it relieves patients, which is essential to what medicine means.”

“Taking placebo pills to relieve symptoms without a warm and empathic relationship with a health-care provider relationship probably would not work,” added Carvalho.

(Source: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center)

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Meet The Woman Inspiring a Community of ‘Kindness Warriors’

By
McKinley Corbley
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cate-cook-submitted

We’ve seen examples of kind pedestrians paying good deeds forward, but Cate Cook is trying to inspire an entire community to follow in her footsteps.

Cate has been the secret orchestrator of hundreds of secret sweet gestures all over Adelaide, South Australia since January. Her Yours Kindly Facebook page documents all of her anonymous gifts – from leaving bubble wands on park benches, to leaving change taped to parking meters, to leaving flower bouquets in public spaces.

The page has over 2,800 self-identified ‘Kindness Warriors’ who have been inspired by Cook’s gestures and imitated the generosity in their own communities.

MORE: Man’s Cancer is Healed After Doing Random Acts of Kindness for a Year

“We are a kindness community and people are often sharing kind deeds that they have done – leaving chocolates, opening doors, buying care packs for homeless people, writing inspirational notes, paying for someone’s coffee, etc.,” Cate told the Good News Network. “Recently after a TV interview, the cameraman and sound technician both said that what I am doing is inspiring and such a great thing that they were going to go and do acts of kindness too. It truly is a ripple effect.”

As further evidence of her compassionate nature, Cate celebrated her 62nd birthday in August with 62 different acts of kindness around the city.

WATCH: Simple Act of Kindness Marks His Third Day on the Job

The mission supposedly took seven and a half hours to complete, but she says it was well worth it.

“It was a long, but incredible day. The smiles and genuine appreciation on the faces of people were so uplifting. It truly was a magical day, and I would say the best way to spread happy cheer and enjoy my birthday.”

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Watch Baby Elephant Rush into River to ‘Rescue’ Her Favorite Human

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Good News Network
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Kham Lha the baby elephant loves her human trainer so much, she isn’t afraid of putting herself in danger to rescue him – even if the danger is imaginary.

As Derrick was lazily floating down a river, Kham Lha believed him to be drowning, so the young pachyderm wasted no time. It plunged into the stream pushing through until she could nudge him out with love and concern.

RELATED: Baby Deer Refused To Leave Side of Man Who Rescued It

Kham Lha is the youngest elephant at the Elephant National Park in Thailand. Their bond with Derrick was solidified when he became her tender caregiver following her rescue from captivity in the tourism industry last year.

The duo has become best of friends—on land or water.

(WATCH the video below)

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New Use of Molecule May Fight Obesity by Converting ‘Bad’ Fat to ‘Good’ Fat

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Good News Network
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Obese Woman Runs for exercise on Beach

New research, published online in The FASEB Journal, suggests that activation of a chemical in the body through an estrogen receptor reduces obesity and metabolic diseases in mice by converting bad fat (white fat) to good fat (brown fat), which increases metabolism and may facilitate weight loss.

“Obesity is the underlying cause for several diseases that could result in mortality,” said Ramesh Narayanan, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. “Safe and effective treatment for obesity is highly needed, and (this type of) targeting might be one of the strategies to safely combat obesity.”

RELATED: Pasta, Please! –In Moderation it Can Help Keep Weight Down Says Large Study

To make their discovery, Narayanan and colleagues used three groups of mice. One group was fed with normal rodent diet, while two groups were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) to make them obese. One of the obese groups was treated with the chemical, beta-LGND2, which made them significantly leaner than the other mice fed a HFD. The beta-LGND2-treated mice had higher body temperature and oxygen consumption, indicating higher metabolism rate.

RELATED: Simple Blood Test Could Detect Cancer Ten Years Before Symptoms Show

“As both the pre-diabetes condition of metabolic syndrome as well as obesity itself continue to threaten the health of millions of people in many parts of the world, we need all the new findings dedicated researchers can give us,” said Thoru Pederson, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. “The notion that the fat in our bodies comes in two physiological forms has long been known, but here we have the intriguing prospect of a beneficial pharmacological switch.”

Especially since most hunger-reducing therapies, despite their modest efficacy, have safety concerns that underscore the need for effective peripherally-acting drugs, if mortality is to be reduced.

(Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology)

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15-Year-old Girl Continues Dancing Even After Amputation (WATCH)

By
Frank Phelps
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gabi-schull-youtube

Even though Gabi Shull lost one of the most important tools necessary for dancing, she overcame her deficit to continue doing what she loves.

Gabi goes to Warrensburg High School in Kansas City, Missouri. She attends regular classes, participates in extracurricular activities, and has hobbies no different than her peers – but this 15-year-old is different than most teens.

7 years ago, she injured her knee while ice skating. When the pain persisted for several weeks longer than doctors had predicted, she underwent an MRI scan which exposed an abnormal growth in Gabi’s knee. She and her mother Debbie were then given the diagnosis that would change their lives forever—a cancerous tumor was growing, caused by osteosarcoma.

“When we were told this news,” Debbie wrote in an article, “it was shocking, heartbreaking, scary, unnerving, and so many other emotions—all at the same time.”

After several rounds of unsuccessful chemotherapy, there were no options left except for amputation.

WATCH: Young Girl Accidentally Runs a Half Marathon, Wins Medal

In June, 2011, Gabi Shull went in for surgery, hoping she could turn it into a new beginning.

The road to recovery was swift, because her progress was fueled by passion. Merely 9 months after her operation, she began to walk again. Then, she started dancing.

“Dancing means a lot to me,” explains Gabi in a Truth 365 video. “I think it’s the main thing that motivated me to keep going and to learn to walk again, because I really just wanted to get back on the stage again.”

From jazz to hip hop, ballet to contemporary, Gabi expresses herself through movement – and Keith Andrews, her prosthetist, makes sure she has the equipment to do so.

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

In order to cater to Gabi’s dancing needs, Andrews designed and manufactured a cone shaped prosthetic foot meant to mimic the “pointe” stance of a ballet dancer.

“They took out my knee area, which is the portion the cancer was in,” says Gabi. “They took my lower leg and foot, twisted it 180 degrees backwards, and attached it to my thigh. Whenever I point my foot, it straightens the prosthesis, and whenever I flex my foot, it bends the prosthesis.”

Gabi is not only an inspiration, but also an example – an example showing us that the beauty of dance comes not from an able body, but rather from the passionate heart that beats within.

(WATCH the video below)

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This Machine Relocates Trees So You Don’t Have to Cut Them Down (WATCH)

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Good News Network
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Are you thinking of removing a tree that grew to block your sunny office window? If so, keep in mind that you may be able to do it without causing the tree’s certain death. With a new machine, it can be sent to a new home.

The Dutchman Curved Loader Mount Tree Spade is a machine designed to relocate trees instead of destroying them.

MORE: Shimmering Leaves in Paris are Actually Tiny Wind Turbines

The blades of the machine dig into the ground around the roots, and hoist the load directly onto a truck, where it can be transported to greener pastures.

(WATCH the video below)

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Teen Dashes Down the Bleachers to Lift Spirits of Crying Cheerleader

By
McKinley Corbley
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teen-lifting-cheerleader-alexis-perry-rodriguez

When Addie Rodiguez broke down into tears during a cheerleading routine, it only took a little boost to lift her spirits once more.

The 9-year-old was performing with her Central Catholic High School cheerleading team at a football game in San Antonio, Texas. During a special portion of the routine, the fathers of the cheerleaders are supposed to come in from the stands and hoist their respective daughters onto their shoulders.

Addie’s father, however, could not be there.

25-year-old Abel Rodriguez was at a military base in California for Air Force training.

MORE: Teen Creates ‘Sit With Us’ App For Bullied School Children

When the the little girl started crying at the thought of her missing dad, an ROTC senior high schooler named Matthew Garcia dashed down through the bleachers so he could lift her into the air himself.

“(Addie) was kind of shocked and scared at first, but then when he knelt down to tell her, ‘I’m going to pick you up, too,’ she was really happy and thankful,” Addi’s mom Alexis Perry-Rodriguez told TODAY. “She said, ‘He saved my life, mom!’ He made her feel so good about herself.”

Lift Up The Good News: Click To Share – Photo by Alexis Perry-Rodriquez

Mother Honors Her Stillborn Child by Donating 16 Gallons of Breast Milk

By
McKinley Corbley
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wendy-cruz-chan-facebook

Wendy Cruz-Chan was heartbroken when her 19-week-old son Killiam became stillborn due to a rare uterine infection.

But she wasn’t about to let her depression keep her from doing something good.

Even though her child was gone, her body kept producing milk – so Wendy and her husband agreed they would pass it on to other mommas as a way of honoring Killiam.

RELATED: Airplane Passenger’s Kind Gesture Brings Mom to Tears

After 3 months of pumping every few hours, Wendy was able to donate 16 gallons of breast milk to babies in need.

Once her body stops producing the nourishing substance, the proud mother plans on campaigning to bring better medical care for stillborns into hospitals worldwide.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Young Traveler Uses Hilarious Photos to Reassure His Mom (LOOK)

By
McKinley Corbley
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scuba-diving-momimfine-instagram

Jonathan Quiñonez has never been much of a texter – so as a way of keeping in contact with his mother while he toured the world, he created a photo series to let her know that he was doing just fine.

 

skydiving-momimfine-instagram

The 27-year-old had worked as a consultant in Belgium when he got tired of the monotony and decided to hit the road.

 

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After his plane landed in Cuba, Jonathan started racking up the adventures—scuba diving in Panama, hiking in Machu Picchu, sky diving in Mexico, and surfing in Brazil.

 

mountain-momimfine-instagram

His 62-year-old mother isn’t the only one who fell in love with the photos either – Jonathan collected more than 178,000 Instagram followers keeping up with his adventures.

 

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Send This Story Around The World: Click To Share – Photos by Jonathan Quiñonez

Hero Refugees Capture Bomb Suspect When Police Couldn’t

By
McKinley Corbley
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german-police-youtube

Amidst the negative media following the Syrian refugee crisis, one story stands out amongst the rest as a shining example of bravery.

A 2-day manhunt was underway in Germany when 22-year-old Syrian Jaber Albakr escaped from police forces following a raid on his house. The criminal who is suspected to be inspired by ISIS had been hiding explosives in his apartment building when law enforcement arrived.

Meanwhile, a refugee named Mohamed A. had been chatting with Albakr through a website that connects migrants.

After Mohamed picked up the fugitive from the train station, however, he and his friend recognized him from a news segment warning the German public of his escape.

MORE: Syrian Refugee Saves Ontario Wedding With Master Sewing Skills

They quickly put him in a headlock, tied him up with electric cable, called the police, and refused to accept money in exchange for his release.

“The young men have earned the Federal Cross of Merit,” Social Democrat defense expert Johannes Kahrs told Bild daily, adding they had shown a profound respect towards Germans. “It is hard to imagine more integration, it is exemplary,” he said.

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Police Officer Sees Woman Swerving in the Road So He Buys Her Dinner

By
McKinley Corbley
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We know that it’s a police officer’s job to protect and serve, but protect and serve dinner?

Officer Emanuel Dotch was driving towards Florida on the Interstate 10 when he noticed an erratically driving car ahead of him. Amidst their swerving, the mysterious driver almost side swiped a truck, so Emanuel decided to pull them over.

It was a little old lady driving from San Antonio, Texas to Pensacola, Florida.

When she insisted that she was fine, Emanuel offered to buy her dinner since she had apparently not eaten since lunch time.

MORE: Policeman Drives 100 Miles So Youth Can Be Home After His Sister Dies

After paying for her meal at a nearby Waffle House, the officer waited in his car for her to finish.

“She walked out and tried to offer me some money,” Emanuel wrote on Facebook, “but I told her I couldn’t accept that because it’s apart of my job to protect and serve so she asked me would I accept a hug and I told her I would do that. The moral of the story is if we would just look out for each other, this would be a better country.”

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends – Photo by Emanuel Dotch

Photographer Captures Lava, Meteor, and Milky Way in One Shot

By
McKinley Corbley
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lava-mike-mezeul-ii

This jaw-dropping photo was no walk in the park – figuratively, at least.

American photographer Mike Mezeul II hiked 13 miles through the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii so he could capture the Milky Way, the moon, and lava all in one shot.

LOOK: Hawaiian Volcano Erupts Into Smiley Face Just as its Flow Reaches the Sea

Since Mike couldn’t stay too long due to a high risk of being burned by the lava, he packed it up after the meteor shot through the top left corner.

Be sure to follow Mike’s future adventures on his website or Instagram page.

Click To Share The Stunning Story With Your Friends – Photos by Mike Mezeul II

Bob Dylan Awarded 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature

By
McKinley Corbley
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Bob-dylan-cc-brizzle born and bred

Legendary American folk singer songwriter Bob Dylan has just been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Even though the announcement comes with an abundance of naysayers and raised eyebrows, Dylan’s history of prose and iconic poetry speaks for itself.

The 75-year-old poet has not only created 37 studio albums ranging from grinding rock and roll grooves to acoustically crooning serenades, but he has also written a whimsically mysterious collection of poems called Tarantula and Chronicles – a flowing, buttery autobiographical memoir detailing his rise to fame and his musical trials in New York City. He has also published an encyclopedia of all of his lyrics from 1961-2012.

WATCH: Church Bells Ring Out David Bowie Melody, Space Oddity

Dylan’s hits were hailed as being revolutionary during such trying times as the Vietnam War. In his beloved single “The Times Are A-Changin”, you can hear gut-wrenching, politically charged lyrics describing the rocky cultural landscape of the 60s:

““Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don’t criticize what you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a’ changin’!””

RELATED: Forever Young: 25 Things to Know About Bob Dylan for His 75th Birthday

When Secretary of the Swedish Academy Sara Danils was asked about whether the musician deserved the prize, she simply said:

“Well of course he does — he just got it. He is a great poet in the English speaking tradition, and he is a wonderful sampler. … For 54 years now, he’s been at it and reinventing himself constantly, creating a new identity.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Watch This Man Save a Dog From Rising Elevator With Seconds to Spare

By
McKinley Corbley
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Ben Duke only had seconds to react when he found a terrified terrier with its leash caught in an elevator.

Duke, who is the General Manager at the Roadside Inn in Greenville, South Carolina exited a storage closet to find Boo Boo the dog in real trouble.

Boo Boo’s owner had stepped onto the elevator thinking that his dog was close behind – but he was not close enough.

VIDEO: Crowd Cheers as Girl Saves Unsuspecting Fan from Fast Fly Ball

As the elevator started to go, security footage captured Ben’s quick reflexes as he scoops the pooch up and tears the leash away from its collar with his bare hands.

The owner, who had been sweating bullets as he came back downstairs started crying tears of gratitude when he saw Boo Boo was safe.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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How This Unassuming Twitter Photo Saved the Life of a Man and His Dog

By
McKinley Corbley
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#DroneShot #HurricaneMatthew #HopeMills #Fayetteville

A photo posted by Director ???????????????? (@imsofirst) on

 

This videographer was just taking his drone for a spin over the flooding and damage from Hurricane Matthew – he wasn’t expecting to save any lives.

But after he posted a photo of a suburban neighborhood in Hope Mills, North Carolina almost entirely underwater on Twitter, he received an incredible message.

Aspiring photographer Quavas Hart was contacted by a man in Austin, Texas saying that the flooded house in the photo was where his twin brother Chris Williams was trapped inside with his elderly dog Lana.

WATCH: 4-Person Human Chain Saves Woman From Raging Floodwaters

Chris had already tried to call 911 twenty or thirty times with no success because of the overwhelming amount of rescue help needed after the storm.

Hart was about to prep his boat for rescue when he noticed a Federal Emergency Management Agency boat nearby. He used his drone to get their attention before saying that they should follow the robot to where a man was trapped in his home.

The million to one chance that Hart would publish the specific photo of Chris’s house is a miracle that the three will never forget.

RELATED: Man Makes 108 Pounds of BBQ For Displaced Baton Rouge Flood Victims

As Craig wrote on the GoFundMe page for his brother, “He later told me he didn’t realize how being trapped had affected him until he reached shore and felt that relief I guess only soldiers feel when they get back from a mission with all their friends alive.”

(WATCH the rescue below starting at 3:18)

 

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Man Uses Clever Way of Checking Up on His Grandma After the Hurricane

By
McKinley Corbley
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This 87-year-old grandma wasn’t expecting a pizza delivery boy to show up at her door– nor was she expecting him to also be delivering a message from her grandson.

Claire Olsen’s phone lines were disconnected following the wake of Hurricane Matthew, making it impossible for her to contact friends and family to let them know she was okay. Her worried grandson in Omaha, Nebraska, however, got tired of waiting and sent someone to check on her.

After calling the local Papa John’s in Palm Coast, Florida, he ordered a pepperoni pizza to be delivered to his grandmother’s house with instructions to call his phone number once they arrived.

MORE: Man Makes 108 Pounds of BBQ For Displaced Baton Rouge Flood Victims

When Lance Tyler dialed the number in front of Claire’s house, her grandson answered in a panic, still worried about the senior. Though Claire was initially confused about the unsolicited pie, her face lit up at the sound of her relative’s voice.

Lance may have received an extremely hefty tip for his good deed, but he said the whole experience was far more inspiring than any gratuity.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Watch These Instructors Teach Kids in Hospice How to Dance

By
McKinley Corbley
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dancing-youth-dancin-power

The younger patients of children’s hospitals might have a hard time keeping their spirits up during treatment, but this organization is showing that all it takes is a little dancing.

Dancin Power is a nonprofit organization that gives free dance lessons to children in hospice care. Since their debut in 2006, instructors have been inspiring sick kids to find joy and healing through dance.

The teachers are trained to customize their lessons for whatever disabilities the children may have. Whether they’re wheelchair-bound, or need to stay in sterilized environments, Dancin Power volunteers are ready to accommodate any hinderance.

RELATED: Dad Builds Halloween Costumes Around Wheelchairs as a Nonprofit

The dancing doesn’t just give the youth joy during their illness – it also gives them a chance to exercise and have fun.

“Every day we learn so much from our kids, they are so resilient and strong even when facing challenging times,” Dancin Power said on their Facebook. “We are grateful to be a positive part of their lives during those hard times. We hope that you too can find strength and resilience when facing hard times!”

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Airbnb Hosts Are Opening Their Doors to Hurricane Evacuees

By
McKinley Corbley
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free-airbnb-hurricane-matthew-airbnb

Though thousands of families in the southeastern United States are fleeing their homes because of Hurricane Matthew’s devastation, thousands more homes are opening their doors to let them in.

Thanks to Airbnb’s Disaster Response Program, hosts nearby the danger zone have been emailed requests to nullify their fees for hurricane evacuees – and many are rising to the occasion.

The program started in October 2012 following the destruction of Hurricane Sandy on the East coast because of one host in Brooklyn offering his home up for free. Over 1,000 other New Yorkers followed his example and welcomed victims and families into their own homes.

Through collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Airbnb has been educating hosts on proper response and procedure following natural disasters.

RELATED: ‘Airbnb’ for Refugees Matches Migrants To Europeans Volunteering Homes

The program also helps on-site disaster relief volunteers find housing near their target areas.

“Throughout my career, I’ve seen the terrible devastation that disasters can inflict, but I’ve also seen the powerful ways that communities come together to respond and recover,” says Kellie Bentz, Airbnb’s Head of Global Disaster Relief. “At Airbnb we have a real opportunity to use our disaster response program to help these communities in a time of need. We look forward to collaborating more with agencies like FEMA around the world.”

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Hilton Offers Paid Parental Leave For Housekeepers And Cooks, Too

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Good News Network
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Hilton Worldwide’s industry-leading parental leave policies now cover both hourly and salaried Team Members at Hilton’s owned and managed properties, as well as the company’s corporate offices. The new policies represent the best parental leave benefits offered by any major global hospitality company in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The benefits available to Team Members at owned and managed hotels and corporate offices with one year of service or greater include:

  • All new parents – including fathers and adoptive parents – receive two weeks of fully paid parental leave.
  • New mothers who give birth receive an additional eight weeks of maternity leave, for a total of 10 weeks of fully paid leave.

Hilton remains committed to creating an environment that supports balance between work and family for its Team Members across all areas of the company. Hilton’s hourly Team Members in the U.S., who account for approximately 75 percent of the company’s U.S. workforce, will be covered under these new parental leave policies.

RELATED: $70K Minimum Wage: CEO Takes Huge Pay Cut to Raise Pay For Loyal Workers

The newly-implemented parental leave policies are just one example of Hilton’s commitment to offering benefits that provide greater personal and professional flexibility to Team Members. In 2015, Hilton announced a new GED Assistance program to help Team Members in the U.S. earn their high school equivalency. In addition, the company introduced 10-day advanced scheduling for hourly Team Members and continued to expand remote workforce opportunities.

“When our Team Members feel great about where they work, it is reflected in the exceptional experience that they provide to our guests,” said Matt Schuyler, Chief Human Resources Officer, Hilton Worldwide. “We are proud to continue driving significant change in our industry by introducing parental leave policies that reflect our strong support for all Hilton Team Members and their families.”

(Source: Hilton)

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