Professor Posts Resume Of His Failures, And Succeeds in Encouraging Others

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May 3, 2016

The hungry, homeless, and poor always have a hot meal waiting for them at this Indian restaurant.

Parkash Chhibber, owner of Indian Fusion in Edmonton, Canada, has posted a sign on the establishment’s back door promising free meals for anyone who needs one. The sign reads:

“Dear Friends, If you are hungry and have no money to pay, just ring the bell below or come in for a free meal box/coffee any time.”

He offers a vegetarian option as well as meat dishes and every day has fed up to 15 people.

Chhibber says it’s a way to give back to the community after a 1992 accident left him with broken bones and unable to work.

“I went from king to beggar in one night,” he told CBC News. “I always had fire in me that if ever I had a chance to help, I would.”

LOOK: Coffee Shop Employees Console Widow Through Window of Drive-Through

Immediately after paying off his business loan two years ago, Chhibber began helping others. He started offering the free meals in October, 2015, and says he next plans to create an additional seating area if those coming for free meals want to stay.

(READ more at CBC News) — Photo: Indian Fusion, Facebook

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College Students Invent Gloves that Speak Sign Language Out Loud

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May 2, 2016

Two University of Washington undergraduates have won a $10,000 prize for their invention of gloves that translate sign language into audible speech, on the spot.

SignAloud wearable technology can recognize hand gestures that correspond to words and phrases in American Sign Language (ASL). Each glove contains sensors that record hand position and movement and send data wirelessly via Bluetooth to a central computer. The computer looks at the gesture data, and then the associated word or phrase is spoken through a speaker.

The Lemelson-MIT Student Prize is a nationwide search for the most inventive students. The team of UW sophomores, one majoring in science and the other in business, won the undergraduate category that recognizes technology-based inventions to improve consumer devices.

Navid Azodi and Thomas Pryor, who is studying aeronautics and astronautics engineering, honed their prototype until it could translate ASL into a verbal form instantaneously and in an ergonomic fashion.

“Many of the sign language translation devices already out there are not practical for everyday use. Some use video input, while others have sensors that cover the user’s entire arm or body,” said Pryor, a researcher in the school’s Composite Structures Laboratory and the software lead for the Husky Robotics Team.

“Our gloves are lightweight, compact and worn on the hands, but ergonomic enough to use as an everyday accessory, similar to hearing aids or contact lenses,” said Pryor.

CHECK OUT: Teen Invents Rain, Fire-proof Sleeping Bag for Homeless, and Offers Jobs

The duo met in the dorms during their freshman year and discovered they both had a passion for invention and problem solving. Azodi has technical experience as a systems intern at NASA. His long history of diverse volunteer work — which includes organizing dozens of blood drives — provided motivation to build a device that would have real-world impact.

The MIT prize money will help Pryor and Azodi reach their first target audience– the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and those interested in learning and working with American Sign Language. But the gloves could also be commercialized for use in other fields, including medical technology to monitor stroke patients during rehabilitation, gesture control and enhanced dexterity in virtual reality.

(SEE the gloves in action below, and learn more at UW Today)

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Ringling Bros. Parades Elephants for Final Time, Retires Them 2 Years Early

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May 2, 2016

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s has featured circus elephants in their show for the last time, officially retiring the animals last night and ending the policy of using performing elephants two years earlier than previously planned.

In March of last year, Feld Entertainment announced all of touring elephants would move to the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation by 2018.

WATCH This Former Circus Lion Feel Grass Again After 13 Years

With the final show Sunday night in Providence, Rhode Island, all 11 of the Asian elephants from the traveling circus units are being moved to their permanent new home in Florida. There they will join the rest of the Ringling Bros. herd of Asian elephants, for a total of 42 at the 200-acre Conservation Center.

Similarly, SeaWorld announced a plan in March to phase out their performance shows featuring orcas, and in a partnership with the Humane Society, to end captive breeding of the whales. The move effectively sun-sets there use, because SeaWorld ended their wild capture program years ago.

WATCH: Suspect Weeps When Judge Remembers Him as “Nicest Kid in Middle School” –It Changed His Life

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May 2, 2016

When a Miami judge recognized a defendant in her courtroom as a childhood friend, the burglary suspect broke down sobbing.

Courtroom cameras revealed the moment when Judge Mindy Glazer announced that Arthur Booth had been “the nicest kid in middle school” and they used to play football together. Through his sobs, Booth could not have heard his old friend wonder aloud how things could have gone so wrong.

WATCH: Amazing North Carolina Judge Sentences Veteran To Night In Jail–And Then Joins Him

But this pitiful scene was the catalyst for Booth to regain his pride and launch a happy new beginning.

Ten months later, when he finished his sentence and left jail, Glazer was waiting for him alongside his family with a welcome hug and a promise that she would help him get his life back on track.

SEE More Inspiring Judges on the Good News Network Justice Page

“You’re going to do something good for somebody else,” Judge Glazer told him Booth as he was released. “This is a group effort to see you succeed. Don’t let us down.”

(WATCH the video below from Inside Edition

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College Student Mows Seniors’ Lawns for Free While Teaching Values to Youth

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May 2, 2016

An Alabama college student has been cutting grass for free to help single moms, the elderly, and disabled, while teaching local youth the values that can turn boys into men.

Rodney Smith, Jr. (pictured, right) started mowing the lawns in Huntsville, Alabama last fall, using his time between classes at Alabama A&M to reach a goal of mowing 100 yards before winter.

WATCH: Disabled Veteran Converts Wheelchair into Snow Plow to Help Town

Rodney is from Bermuda, where he says people help each other and are always friendly. “That’s what drives me to help people.”

Last month he was getting ready to launch his mowing service for the summer, when he heard about this 93-year-old woman in the photo trying to cut grass by herself. Smith and a friend showed up to do the job for her.

“Have no fear, Raising Men Lawn Care is going to make sure her lawn is done every two weeks!” he wrote on Facebook.

In November, when a local TV station gave him $300, calling it a “pay it forward” gift for his good work, he used it to create the non-profit service group, Raising Men Lawn Care Services. He also launched a crowdfunding page to buy lawn equipment and other supplies — including t-shirts emblazoned with a logo to promote unity and pride.

CHECK OUT: Lonely Elderly Pianist Places Ad, Drums Up 80 Musicians to Jam

Smith says he is using his free lawn services to teach teens “a sense of accomplishment, self-esteem, moral value and purpose in themselves.”

(WATCH the video below from Briggs and Stratton) — Photo: Rodney Smith, Jr., Facebook

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Man Starts to Tutor Homeless Woman When He Learns She Can’t Read

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May 2, 2016

He thought it was quite impressive that the homeless woman never asked for money. It was the reason a Florida man decided to take the time to ask her about herself— and those answers changed both of their lives for the better.

Greg Smith is resigned toward the many homeless people asking him for money. He wears a suit and tie as he travels around downtown Orlando, Florida for his job, and looks like he has cash to spare.

But one homeless woman stood out. Amy Jo never asked for money, just wished him a good day as he hurried by. Smith decided to start buying her lunch once a week.

“For 30 minutes to an hour I get to hear how positive she is, even though she really has nothing,” Smith wrote on his Facebook page.

During one of those lunches, she “dropped a bomb” on Smith: the reason she remained homeless was because she couldn’t read. Any money given to her by strangers, she spends on reading lessons, hoping it will help her get a job.

“So now not only do Amy Joe and I sit and have lunch, I’m teaching her to read,” Smith wrote. “I rent one library book a week and we read it together Tuesday and she practices on her own throughout the rest of the week.”

CHECK OUT: Cool Tiny House Village Opens With Electricity to Care for Seattle Homeless

He’s even created a GoFundMe campaign that’s raised more than $2,000 to help Amy Joe learn to read and get back on her feet.

Smith encourages others to seek out “their Amy Joe,” and thinks that such helpfulness for someone in need could begin by simply smiling and saying hello.

(WATCH the video below from Greg Smith) — Photo: Greg Smith, Facebook

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Children Form ‘Human Arrow’ to Lead Helicopter to Escaping Thieves, Win Award

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May 1, 2016

For their wily method of catching crooks, this group of kids is being honored for exceptional creativity in the service of police.

The children from Red Hill, Surrey formed a human arrow, by arranging themselves on the ground, to point to two escaping burglars and convey their whereabouts to the pursuing police helicopter.

SEE: More Good News About Cops in the Good News Network Police Page

The Red Hill police department has given the youths special awards for their assistance which helped lead to the thieves’ arrest.

(WATCH the BBC video above)

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Obama’s Comedy Routine ‘Kills’ at White House Correspondents’ Dinner (Full Video)

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May 1, 2016

Journalists, politicians and celebrities gathered once again, ready to laugh, at the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner.

Former Daily Show comedian, Larry Wilmore was the featured funny man, but President Obama delivered the most anticipated speech of the night– his eighth and final standup routine for the annual gala in D.C.

During his remarks, the president poked fun at himself and others–including all the presidential candidates– and got huge laughs.

WATCH: Four Sets Of Twins Stage Time Travel Prank on NYC Subway

Obama’s speech included a short film, taking a funny look at what life might be like after the White House, and his last words ended with a mic-drop.

(WATCH the full speech below)

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After Harrowing Survival, Beagle Airlifted To Happy Life Miles Away

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May 1, 2016

It’s a miracle this 2-year-old beagle is still alive.

Found in a shelter in Whitesville, North Carolina, Boscoe had heartworms so bad they weren’t sure he would survive the treatment.

It’s not clear how the 30 lb. dog got there, but Boscoe’s foster parents, Amber and Cory, fought hard for him and cared for him through rough medical treatments until it all ended in success. It took 6 months for the pooch to get healthy enough to finally travel to Pet Match for adoption.

That’s when Pam Knichel and Christine Farrell of Pet Match Rescue, outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, contacted the Pilot.dog Foundation about delivering Boscoe to them several states away. Steve Rhode, the pilot for the non-profit group, flew with his wife to pick up Boscoe in Lumberton, just two more of the many people who worked together to save the adorable dog.

“Corey brought him to us at the airport and you could tell it was really hard for him to give up Boscoe, he’s such a good dog, but they already had two other fosters and two dogs of their own. Corey gave the hound a big hug and a kiss and they said goodbye in a touching moment.”

WATCH: Bear Literally Can’t Stop Jumping For Joy After Being Rescued

After they were up in the air, Boscoe settled in to snuggle on the lap of Steve’s wife, Pam, who is the group’s logistical manager and dog handler.

“He liked being under the blanket and at times he’d put his head in Pam’s jacket so you couldn’t see him at all,” Steve told Good News Network. “He was such a sweet boy, despite his hard life.”

LOOK: Scientist Collects Wondrously Cute Sloth Photos in New Book “SLOTHLOVE”

Landing in Pennsylvania the couple finally got to meet the Pet Match Rescue team in person.

“It’s so great to finally put a face to someone you’ve gotten to know but have never personally met.”

The Rhodes couple wished the pooch a wonderful and happy life and flew back to their home airport in Raleigh, North Carolina, knowing Boscoe was safe–and ready for adoption in Latrobe.

”It was a long day, but so happy we could be a part of taking this beagle to his last chance at a wonderful life.”

(CHECK OUT more airlift rescues at the Pilot.dog website)Share Boscoe’s Happy Travels With Your Friends

Blind Son Sees Mom For The First Time, Calls Her Pretty (WATCH)

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May 1, 2016

Every child would like to know what their mother looks like. For this boy, he’s been wondering for 12 years.

Christopher Ward Jr. has been considered legally blind his whole life–until he was invited to Washington D.C. from his home in Forest, Virginia and looked through a pair of electronic goggles.

eSight’s hands-free headset contains a small, high-speed camera that captures live video, which is sent to an LED screen in front of the user’s eyes, allowing them to see with “unprecedented visual clarity,” according to the company’s website.

“The very first thing he did was turn to me and say, ‘Oh, Mommy! There you are!” his mother Marquita Hackley, told ABC News. “And then to hear him say, ‘I saw my mom, and she was very pretty,’ was so heartwarming.”

“Aside from pretty, just the fact he could even see me meant the whole world to me.”

He already completes his school assignments with enthusiasm using a braille typewriter, and Marquita hopes the new technology will open more doors for the precocious pre-teen.

BREAKTHROUGH: New Procedure Allows Kidney Transplants From Any Donor

Though the goggles cost $15,000, mom is determined to raise the money with help from her community.

(WATCH the ABC News video above)Share This Story With Your Friends To Raise Awareness For Christopher’s Cause

Poor Family in Mexico Given New Home and New Start From San Diego Group

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InternationalRelief

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Apr 30, 2016

Today, Rosario’s life changes forever. Today, the mother of six becomes a homeowner. Tonight, she will not sleep on a dirt floor. Today means her family will soon be reunited.

On this cloudy day in April, International Relief Teams and Project Mercy, a local nonprofit dedicated to improving the living standards of families in the shantytowns of Tijuana, are partnering to build the Lopez/Campos family of Tijuana, Mexico a home.

WATCH: Virginia Jeep Club Shuttles 150 Nurses to Hospital During BlizzardFor the past year, Rosario and her husband Gerardo have been cramped in a makeshift shack, comprised of scrap materials and tarps, with their three boys in the desolate squatter’s community of Fuentes Del Valle, located just 15 miles south of the US border. Their tiny structure that is divided into two rooms: a bedroom with a bunkbed and a dresser, and a kitchen with a stove connected to a gas tank, a basin, a countertop, and a broken table propped up by a chair.

Fuentes Del Valle is made up of a network of rocky, dirt roads and makeshift dwellings, housing about 150 families, migrants from central Mexico who have come in search of a better life and opportunity. There is no running water; water is trucked in every day, for a fee. Life is very challenging for these very poor families, but they are most likely better off than where they came from.

Rosario is from Sinaloa, Mexico and could barely make a living working in the fields to support her family. She and Gerardo, made the difficult decision to move with her three oldest kids with the hope of finding more steady work near the border. Rosario questions her decision every day to leave her three youngest kids with her mother in Sinaloa, including 16-month-old Mateo who is asthmatic and needs frequent nebulizer treatments.

On a typical day, after Rosario cooks breakfast for the family, Gerardo walks to his job at a hardware store nearby where he works seven days a week. Fifteen-year-old Ivan works with his father most days to help support the family. Rosario takes seven-year-old Emmanuel to and from school every day and 14-year-old Juan Carlos walks both ways to his school. Rosario grocery shops nearly every day because she doesn’t have refrigeration to help preserve food and then returns home to wash clothes and cook. When Gerardo comes home, he brings a new gas tank for the stove. After the family eats dinner, they go to bed early because they lack electricity. They wake up to start the routine over the next day.

CHECK OUT: Major Milestone For Church Group That’s Built 500 Homes In Haiti

However, today is not a routine day for Rosario. Today, a group of 50 IRT volunteers have arrived to build her a house.

“I never imagined I would ever own a home,” said Rosario. “I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited.”

She believes this house is her chance to reunite her family. Since they have been separated, she has ached to bring all of her children together again. Ivan, who just had his tenth birthday, told his mother living together under one roof is the best birthday present he could ask for.

Since June 2015, International Relief Teams has been working in Tijuana communities building homes for needy families. In collaboration with partner organizations Corazon and Project Mercy, IRT volunteers are helping to change the lives of families by building homes, bringing stability, and hope.

“I can see!” Guatemala Residents Given New Eyeglasses

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InternationalRelief

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Apr 30, 2016

Over 600 people in this tiny corner of Guatemala have been given 720 pairs of reading and distance vision glasses, as well as 332 sets of sunglasses.

“We need a lot of help here,” says Hubert Ayala, a resident of San Agustin, a remote, colonial village in Central Guatemala. Located over 50 miles to the northeast of the capital city, the region has few resources, its residents live on less than two dollars a day, few have running water or electricity, and poor vision problems are widespread.

WATCH: I Can See, Mommy! Baby With New Glasses Beams in Wonder

International Relief Teams (IRT), a San Diego-based nonprofit organization working to alleviate suffering from poverty and disasters around the world, is helping to abate this problem in this region of Guatemala and is changing lives in the process.

During the course of five days, IRT’s team of volunteers visited the town and screened its residents for correct vision prescriptions.

In this photo, a woman is amazed by how clearly she can see with a new pair of eyeglasses.

Ryan Reynolds Writes Loving Tribute to a Fan and Friend (LOOK)

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Apr 30, 2016

American dreamboat actor and star of Marvel comics latest film Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds just wrote the most heart-wrenching farewell to one of his biggest fans and bravest friends.

Colin McGrath has been called the biggest Deadpool fan in the world and thanks to the Make-A-Wish foundation, Reynolds traveled to Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Hospital in Alberta to surprise the teen with the first ever showing of the comic book movie.

Even though the youth struggled with cancer, Reynolds described him as sharing his great wit and gumption with everyone around him.

The two only met in person twice, but stayed in contact through texting. Since Colin passed away earlier this week, the celebrity actor penned a beautiful tribute to his courageous friend.

(READ Ryan’s Facebook post below…)

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Grandson Creates Video Reminder of 70-Year Marriage So Grandpa with Alzheimer‘s Will Never Forget

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Apr 29, 2016

Whether married or not, with grandparents or not, this touching response to true love–and the loss of it–could put a lump in anyone’s throat.

Alfred and Sylvia Paley have been happily married for 67 years, but now, at age 89, Alfred has begun to feel the effects of Alzheimer’s.

“Sometimes, I don’t understand what’s going on around me,” Alfred laments in the video above.

Their grandson Sam Maller, a journalism student at Syracuse University, wanted to preserve the memories of his grandparents’ deep and long marriage.

REAL LOVE: Penniless Artist in India Rides Bike to Sweden to Be With True Love

In a serenely beautiful series of interviews, photos, and clips, Sam has captured the essence of Alfred and Sylvia to serve as a reminder during memory loss, and to share as a lesson in love with the rest of the world.

(WATCH the video above, from Sam.Maller.com)Share This Inspiring Idea With Your Friends…

Watch High School Teens Host ‘Senior’ Prom For Elderly at Nursing Home

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Apr 29, 2016

It’s high school prom season and these students decided to provide a memorable date for some unsuspecting seniors.

CHECK OUT: They Wanted Her to Undergo Cancer Treatment, But 90-Year-old Hits The Road Instead

Students at TERRA Environmental Research Institute in Miami, Florida organized a prom for ‘senior’ residents of a nursing home.

They decorated the Palace Nursing and Rehab Center and supplied flowers, corsages, and tiaras. They even brought along their school’s mascot to urge residents to get on the dance floor.

CHECK OUT: 82-Year-old Woman Finally Finds Long Lost 96-yo Birth Mother (WATCH)

There was a king and queen of the prom and the oldest resident, 101-year-old Eleanor Bessin, showed off the picture of the boy who took her to her first prom more than 80 years ago.

(WATCH the video below from TERRA TV)

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Honey Nut Cheerios Gives Back to Bees, Planting 3,300 Acres of Habitat

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Apr 29, 2016

The company that’s been using an animated bee to sell its cereal for years is spending some of its profits on protecting actual bees in the field.

Honey Nut Cheerios has cut a deal with farmers in their supply chain to set aside 3,300 acres of land to become natural habitat for bees and other pollinators in the United States.

A statement from parent company General Mills says the land is “the equivalent acreage of about 3,000 football fields” and full of essential food sources and homes for North American bees.

The habitats, to be planted with wildflowers and milkweed, will be a patchwork across 60,000 acres that are used each year to grow the oats for Honey Nut Cheerios. General Mills is working with the Xerces Society and the University of Minnesota to have it all in place by 2020.

“We have a big goal to try and achieve — 3,300 acres that’s a lot of pollinator habitat that has to get planted in the next several years.” Tom Rabaey, Principal Agronomist for General Mills said. “I think everybody can agree that by planting more habitat we’re gonna do a lot of good.”

Bees are necessary pollinators for about 90% of the food produced around the world. A decline in the bee population, which is linked to loss of habitat, pesticides, disease, and other factors, has concerned farmers and environmentalists for years.

In a twist, oats are one of the crops that is not pollinated by bees, but 30% of General Mills’ other products do rely on them, and Honey Nut Cheerios has relied on the happy, busy bee mascot to promote its brand. The company decided it was time to give back. Share The Buzz With Your Friends… (Photo by vojta001, CC)

Quiet Hour Instituted at Grocery Store is Gift for Autistic Shoppers

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Apr 29, 2016

Imagine a superstore so quiet you could “hear a pin drop.” It’ll be a reality when an Asda store in Manchester, England starts a weekly “quiet hour” for customers with autism and other sensitivities.

No in-store music, no flashing lights from TV screens, even the soft hum and rumble of escalators will be silent as they’re turned off. Workers will also hand out store maps featuring pictures instead of words to further help people with sensory challenges.

CHECK OUT: She Got Lesson in Patience From Young Target Employee Named Ishmael

Store manager Simon Lea came up with the idea after watching a mother struggle to help her autistic son. Lea helped her calm and focus the boy by giving him a football.

Afterwards, he talked with an employee who had an autistic child about what else he could do. They settled on the quiet hour.

On May 7, employees will come in an hour early, at six a.m., for the first trial run of Lea’s plan. He plans to make it a weekly event every Saturday after that.

“It’s all about helping people really,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “Six months ago I would have said ‘control your child’ even though I’ve got children. But speaking to people with autism and disabled people has helped me think about how I can make it a better place to shop.”

(READ more from the Manchester Evening News) – Photo: David Shankbone, CCShare The News Loudly…

Police Officers Turn to NBA to Help Find Size-17 Shoes For Homeless Man

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Apr 28, 2016

A Lawrence, Indiana police officer noticed the shoes on a seven-foot tall homeless man were torn and tattered, but he soon learned it is not easy to find size 17 shoes.

The officer, who wanted to remain anonymous, called up the Indiana Pacers basketball team for back up.

WATCH: Cop Saves Neighborhood Playtime With Gift Out Of The Blue

The NBA Pacers found a pair that had been made for former player Roy Hibbert and donated the bright yellow kicks.

When he tried on his new shoes in the Waffle House restaurant where he frequently eats, there was not a dry eye in the place.

(WATCH the video below) –Photo from Lawrence Police Department

Toucan Injured On A Road Gets 3D Printed Beak (WATCH)

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