Cohen, who played the title character in “Borat,” and Fisher, star of “The Great Gatsby” and “Wedding Crashers”, divided their contribution evenly between two international charities.
Half will help Save the Children immunize 250,000 Syrian children against a measles outbreak in their country.
Benny the shelter dog isn’t sure what to think when strangers show up outside his kennel door, but once he figures out he’s being adopted, his enthusiasm takes off like a rocket.
The eight-month-old pit bull mix had spent weeks living at the Los Angeles, California Carson Animal Care Shelter before being offered a forever home earlier this month.
A delightful video shows Benny, shy at first, retreating into the corner of his kennel as dogs bark and the shelter worker steps inside.
But, as soon as he realizes he has a new family, Benny’s ready to go — strutting his stuff on the way out and sniffing a few “good-byes” to those left behind — with nearly non-stop tail wagging along the way.
(WATCH the video below from Saving Carson Animal Care Shelter via Facebook)
“Everything’s bigger in Texas,” the old saying goes, and Texans are demonstrating their hearts are bigger than any storm.
Since December 26 when the Dallas area was hit by tornadoes — some with winds as strong as 200 miles per hour — so many volunteers have come to the rescue that recovery teams have sometimes turned them away because of an over-abundance of help.
Cities have started asking people to sign-up before arriving at disaster sites to better manage the volunteers. The city of Garland has set up a website specifically for people who want to help. In Rowlett, citizens have set up an unofficial Facebook page to let community members know what and where contributions are needed.
“This is an amazing community,” Rowlett resident Brandi Hurst told Good News Network. “Many restaurants and grocery stores have been giving away food to those affected, complete strangers have opened their homes and have been searching for missing pets— such an outpouring of love!”
Neighbors have been stopping by Moates Elementary School in Glenn Heights to drop off toys and food for displaced families sheltering there.
About 400 people showed up Monday at another elementary school to salvage desks, books, and other school supplies from the building that had been destroyed while unoccupied in Red Oak.
“This really hit home,” Periete Todd, a volunteer at the shelter, told KXAS News. “Everybody cannot just sit at home and not participate… It is awesome, it shows what a great community that we live in.”
Area Chick-fil-A restaurants discarded their “never open on Sunday rule” to make free sandwiches for first responders and storm victims.
This morning Chick-fil-A is breaking their own rule and cooking on a Sunday. For the best reason possible, to help feed those first responders and people in need affected by last night's tornadoes.
“A huge thank you to Chick-fil-a from the Garland FD!!!!” Garland firefighter Kevin Douglas wrote in a Facebook comment. “The sandwiches have been awesome and kept us going. God bless y’all!!”
Other first responders are getting financial help from the Dallas Police Department’s “Assist The Officer Foundation.” At least 17 officers had their homes damaged or destroyed in the storms. The foundation has handed out $20,000 in two days to help police officers and their families with temporary housing.
Dallas-based American Airlines has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross’ relief efforts in the four-county area around the city affected by the storms.
And people are not forgetting the animals.
Volunteers are patrolling damaged neighborhoods, rounding up lost pets and helping them find their families. In the video below, Comia Peoples cried tears of joy after searchers reunited her with her dog, Lexi, after finding the pup in the ruins of her Glenn Heights home.
The Dallas Morning News put together a collection of 15 links to help people locate pets lost in the confusion of the storms.
Christian humanitarian organization World Vision normally sends relief packages around the world, but the storm hit close to home, so the group began distributing hygiene kits, family food packs, blankets and clothing from its nearby Grand Prairie warehouse.
Even as they were helping fellow Texans, there was enough charity in the Lone Star State to overflow to others. That same Grand Prairie warehouse also readied shipments for storm victims in Mississippi and Georgia over the weekend.
Photos: Kristina Ortega and Patrick Gustafson, Rowlett TX, Facebook
A busboy’s honesty has led to an avalanche of “tips” from people rewarding the 50-year-old man for his good deed.
As soon as Johnny “Thumper” Duckworth found an envelope full of $100 bills on the floor of the diner where he worked, he gave it to his boss and got right back to work.
His boss, Randy Emmons knew $3,000 was a huge amount of money for Duckworth, who has no car or home and whose wages are garnished to pay medical bills. He rides his bike through cold and snow to get to work on time.
It turns out the lost money belonged to one of his regular customers at Randy’s Southside Diner in Grand Junction, Colorado, who immediately rewarded Duckworth with $300 for returning the Christmas shopping cash.
”He’s one of the most honest people I know,” Emmons told TODAY. “That’s life-changing money for him, and for him just to turn it in like it’s nothing, that’s something to me.”
Duckworth’s integrity, even while facing poverty, motivated Emmons to set up a GoFundMe page called “Tip Thumper” to raise enough money to give a new start to the man who is sleeping on friends’ couches.
A genetically pure herd of American bison has been living in Utah’s Henry Mountains, a discovery offering new hope that wild herds can be expanded to once again roam freely in the West.
Most bison alive today have been interbred with cattle after the iconic prairie species was nearly hunted to extinction. But, scientists having run DNA tests on some of the 350 bison in the Utah herd have now confirmed they are direct descendants of roughly 20 wild bison transferred from Yellowstone National Park in 1941.
Farmers started cross-breeding cattle with bison in the 1800s hoping to create livestock that could flourish in the arid lands of the desert southwest. It was assumed that wild bison, roaming freely with cattle would also interbreed with domesticated livestock, but this rare herd has avoided that for 70 years.
The Utah herd, though grazing closely by cattle, showed no signs of brucellosis – a livestock disease that ranchers fear bison could spread if reintroduced to parts of the country.
“This is a remarkable finding considering these free-roaming, legally hunted animals live on unfenced public lands and graze alongside livestock,” Johan du Toit, wildlife ecologist from Utah State University, and one of the researchers said.
He adds that the herd could be an important resource in restoring bison to their historic range across the American West.
A bachelor’s over-the-top Christmas display attracted thousands of spectators — and even a wife.
Chad Koosman didn’t have much time for dating around the holidays. He was busy running 50 miles of wire and cord to power the 450,000 lights in his annual display.
But, like shepherds are attracted to a bright star in the Christmas story, his future wife, Angie, was drawn to see the fantastic display — and she saw quite a catch in the Minnesota bachelor, especially his charitable, giving nature.
Chad has been raising money for a Christian charity every year since he was in eighth grade. His light extravaganza has collected more than $400,000 in donations for the charity in eight years.
Drivers being pulled over for minor violations were skeptical, tearful, and ultimately thankful when a deputy sheriff handed them $100 bills instead of traffic tickets.
The sheriff’s department in Monroe County, Georgia sent out Deputy Timothy Campfield armed with a stack of money to surprise motorists.
“Use it on your young ‘uns,” he told one man he pulled over.
The new owner of a vacant house asked a homeless squatter on the property to leave, but then returned to offer the polite young man a job — and a room in the house.
James Eppler had been homeless since he was 16 and recently found shelter on the old house’s porch. When Chris Crever bought the property in Portland, Oregon, he confronted Eppler and told him he had to move on.
Eppler thanked Crever–which startled the new property owner into seeing him differently. The homeless man was grateful that Crever had been polite in telling him to leave, which made him feel like a human being.
The respectful exchange shifted everything.
The new owner offered Eppler a job helping to repair the house and told him he could live in one of its rooms temporarily. The homeless man suddenly had a place to sleep and to shower.
It was the last thing these Muslim families expected while dining out in America’s Deep South on Christmas Eve — a stranger’s random act of kindness was like a “light” in the darkness.
Eslam Mohamed was enjoying himself in a party of seven adults and five children at a local Olive Garden restaurant in Augusta, Georgia.
Mohamed wrote on his Facebook page that despite all the suspicions and political rhetoric about Muslims in America, the gesture shows “there is still light in the dark, there is still hope within the frustration.”
After the French Interior Minister called for strengthening security during Christmas worship services, a group of 12 Muslim men stood outside the entrance to one church in Pas-de-Calais to offer protection from any possible terrorist attacks.
The symbolic show of unity during midnight mass was organized by Hashim El Jazaoui of the Union of Muslim Citizens in the northern French area of Lens, reports Belgium’s RTL.
“We want to say that we are all together. We are brothers. We are in the same boat. If the boat sinks, we all sink. If mentally ill people want to kill us, they will have to kill us all together,” El Jazaoui reportedly said in a statement.
The warm gesture was received with gratitude by the clergy and the 200 Christians who attended Thursday’s service and offered words of peace to the Muslims.
She’d been in the hospital herself earlier this year for cancer treatment and knew from experience how much kids would rather be home for the holiday.
“When you’re at home, you have the best Christmas ever,” Sadie told TODAY. “When you’re in the hospital, you don’t have a very good Christmas. I just wanted it to be better for them.”
Sadie started her toy drive November 20 with a video asking for donations. She and her parents hoped to collect 300 toys originally, but box after box kept arriving until they had 1,276 items — bikes, scooters, giant stuffed animals, doll houses, Legos, and just about anything else a kid could hope for on Christmas morning.
A moving company donated a truck and labor to deliver all the toys to the hospital, right after Sadie posed for a photo with them in the family driveway.
The tradition at the hospital is for Santa to hand three presents to each patient, and another gift to each sibling. The hospital relies on donated gifts each year, but a spokesperson says this was the best selection of gifts they can remember, thanks to the sleigh-full that came from Sadie.
The homeless people of London weren’t expecting gifts on Christmas, and they definitely were not expecting them from a Muslim Santa Claus.
Nubaid Haroon decided to send out a compassionate reminder of his religion’s core tenant this holiday season by wrapping up presents he bought with his own money and delivering them to homeless people on the streets.
His goal was to challenge stereotypes about Muslims – and spread a little Christmas cheer at the same time.
“I think that a lot of people think because Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas that we don’t accept it when people celebrate Christmas,” wrote Haroon in an email to TakePart. “But in reality my family give chocolates and food to neighbors/friends regardless of their race/religion. It’s just about being one with the community.”
8-month-old Jett has been fighting a rare form of leukemia at the Children’s Hospital in Louisiana with few positive results since he was born.
His parents, Brittany and Tylan Self, having tried everything to aid their baby boy, heard that there was an experimental treatment available at John’s Hopkins hospital – 1,100 miles away in Baltimore.
Due to Jett’s weakened immune system, commercial flying could be fatal, and the 16-hour drive would be too long.
After searching high and low for a solution, James Davison, the owner of Davison Trucking, suddenly swooped in to save the day – literally.
James heard about Jett’s dilemma from Congressman Dr. Ralph Abraham, who served with him in the National Guard. Though he didn’t know the struggling family personally, he said he is happy to fly them to Baltimore in his private jet—especially when he heard the boy’s father serves in the Guard also.
They were his neighbors but so much more. Now he has honored their memory by buying their family home and donating it to Habitat for Humanity.
Bill and Janice Henning were like second parents to Lenny Bazemore, who grew up in the working class row houses in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Their son Curt was Lenny’s first childhood friend.
“I had a beautiful childhood—filled with family, friends and neighbors like the Hennings—and though we didn’t have much, we didn’t need much because we had each other,” Bazemore wrote to Good News Network. “I remember there were times when there wasn’t enough food, I remember poverty, but most of all, I remember love, good friends and a safe neighborhood.”
So when Curt, who had fallen on hard times, asked his old friend to buy the house where he grew up, the home across the street from where Lenny’s Mother still lives, it was nearly impossible to say no.
52 West Basin Street, just outside of Philadelphia, was where Janice and Bill taught the neighborhood boys the meaning of brotherhood, discipline, and caring for others. Before Janice passed she said to Bazemore, who grew into a successful businessman, “Please look out for Curt.”
The real estate investor and owner of Bazemore Design Group and Bazemore Enterprises wondered if he realistically could flip the property. How could he earn a return on his investment with a projected purchase price of $45,000?
“I drove around my old neighborhood thinking about what I could do to make it great again,” Bazemore says. “And then it struck me. ‘Don’t renovate the house for financial gain. Give it away to a family who needs it more than I do.’”
He decided to donate 52 West Basin Street to Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County along with $50,000 to renovate and make it an energy efficient home. In 2016 it will go to a deserving family who will finally achieve their dream of home ownership.
“I’m thankful that I’m in a position to do something like this in my hometown,” said the entrepreneur, who also owns an art gallery and restaurant. “I’m blessed to have a successful career as a real estate developer and I believe that once you reach a certain level of success, you have to start giving back.”
After he purchased and donated the home, he moved Curt, who had no job, into one of his apartments in Manayunk and gave him a job.
“Donating the Henning house gave me a beautiful feeling, and it feels good do the Lord’s work,” Bazemore added. “Certainly, not everyone can give away a house. But in this season of giving, I hope that everyone will open their hearts and offer what they can to help someone else’s dreams come true.”
The Habitat for Humanity photo above shows Lenny at the ribbon-cutting, November 19, when work officially began on the Norristown residence where he learned the meaning of caring for family.
A woman who escaped a wildfire with her life was devastated to lose her most prized possessions in the flight but has a reason to be grateful this holiday, thanks to a local youth.
Deb was fleeing in her four-door sedan from the Pinery bushfire in South Australia in late November. She was carrying everything of value—baby pictures, photo albums, and laptop— when the air became so filled with dust and smoke that she became disoriented and bumped into another car.
After that, her vehicle stalled and wouldn’t start again. Deb had to abandon the car, and it was destroyed by the fire, along with all her prized possessions inside.
An apprentice training to be an auto mechanic, Fraser Hocking, decided to donate his old Pajero SUV to the couple after seeing an appeal on Facebook from community advocate, Mark Aldridge.
The 4-wheel-drive Pajero belonged to his mother who passed away last year, so Fraser figured it would be a “good legacy” to give it to someone who needs it.
Peter Mattaliano may not be your typical Kris Kringle, but ever since pulling Mary and Alfred’s one-hundred-year-old letters from his apartment chimney, he’s been playing Santa in their honor.
The two letters were addressed to Santa from the children of an Irish immigrant family that once resided in Peter’s Hell’s Kitchen New York City apartment. Since unearthing the documents during construction on his fireplace, Peter has been setting out toys and decorations as a Christmas homage for the children every year.
The Christmas charity campaign supported by Good News Network reported some very good news this morning—a last minute donation that organizer Brice Royer called a Christmas miracle.
An anonymous donor’s contribution of $4,455 pushed the campaign over the top to reach its $25,000 goal.
The catalyst for the generous donation was a tiny offering earlier this week: a man who had very little money of his own gave his last dollar to the campaign. Royer says Lou Jenkins from Chicago gave the smallest donation possible – $1 – but it may have been the most meaningful.
“That’s my last dollar in my account. But I know what it’s like to stay in a shelter… I can’t imagine what it would be like for a child,” he wrote on the pledge page.
News of the heart-felt donation then inspired someone to step out of their comfort zone and give nearly $4,500. They left this message:
“I felt inspired by that man who gave his last dollar. He gave 100%. My donation isn’t my 100%, but it’s pushing my comfort zone. Generosity is contagious. What if you also give outside your comfort zone?”
We all have blocks preventing us from giving. ‘I already give enough to local charities. I’m busy. I need to save money for myself and my family. My donation is too small to make a difference. Poverty can’t be solved. People should solve their own problems.’ We can’t change the world with these thoughts.
This fundraiser isn’t like anything I have seen before. What strikes me is the level of tenacity and kindness in those who have so little and yet give so much.
We need more innovative non-profit solutions like this solar powered tiny home. Merry Christmas to those who believe in miracles. You had your miracle today. It happened because one man gave everything he had.”
Congratulations to all who donated and to Francesca and Charlotte who will now have a home to live in while helping to start a pay-it-forward housing program. Royer, who is dealing with cancer and met the homeless mom and her four-year-old daughter because she volunteered to cook for him, wants to give a “big thank-you” to Good News Network.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without you and GNN!” he said on Facebook.
Francesca, who was going to have to move out of her women’s shelter in February, was overwhelmed in Vancouver, B.C. when she realized the goal had been reached.
“OMG, thank you Good News Network for all that you do. I can’t believe my eyes when I woke up to this wonderful news.”
It was the generosity of people throughout Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere, that lifted the dream of a nonprofit tiny-home community off the ground.
Royer had other good news this morning about progress toward that end. “A local bank expressed interest in funding the project for a tiny home community. They see this as a ‘high impact’ project. This might be an exciting partnership in the future!”
(WATCH a video below of Francesca hearing the news they were going to build her a tiny solar home)
Starting with a single cellist on the floor of a National Air and Space Museum gallery, and swelling to 120 musicians, The U.S. Air Force Band exhilarated museum holiday visitors with its first-ever flash mob.
The four-minute performance featured an original arrangement of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring/Joy to the World,” led by the band’s commander and conductor, Col. Larry H. Lang.
Unsuspecting museum visitors including tourists and school groups were astonished as instrumentalists streamed into the gallery from behind airplanes and space capsules, and vocalists burst into song from the Museum’s second floor balcony.
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