A European footballer, Markus Rosenberg, must have grown to love the Birmingham area because before leaving as a consequence of his contract not being renewed, he gave everything in his home to a Northfield charity shop.
Plenty of people this spring wanted to send a wedding gift to Prince William and Kate Middleton, even after the couple asked that donations be made to one of 26 chosen charities instead. More than $1.7 million (over a million pounds) was raised for the occasion for the Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund, according to Buckingham Palace.
Neil Young was honored Friday in Los Angeles as the 2010 Person of the Year by MusiCares, an organization that provides emergency care and financial assistance to musicians in need.
17 years ago, a retired couple in Utah started making handmade wooden toys for poor and sick children. The little cars and trucks were received so enthusiastically in the local hospital, a workshop was set up which has since delivered more than 1.1 million toys to kids around the world -- a place where volunteers come to laugh and give their time in an effort to make kids happy around the globe.
Hundreds of California youngsters got the chance to experience a live NBA basketball game for the first time after Golden State Warriors athletes themselves reached out to community groups with stacks of free tickets.
At the ripe old age of 12, Sam Klein is a dedicated CEO of his own recycling business. He collects empty printer ink cartridges from local businesses, keeping them from the landfills, while earning hundreds of dollars by sending them back to manufacturers. Even more impressive, Sam has given more than $1,000 to charity.
The Boone County Family Restaurant in Rockford, Illinois has some very happy workers today. Three waitresses there, each in their 20's, stared in disbelief Saturday as a blond-haired woman inexplicably handed them three $5,000 checks. Despite their protestations, the generous diner, whose identity is being kept a secret, insisted that she and the other waitresses take it.
It's capitalism with a conscience. Nordstrom recently opened a test store where all profits go to charity. Starbucks has three coffee shops where a big chunk of the money made helps the needy. In the past few years, dozens of America's biggest brands have embraced social generosity.
Where a string of robberies in local shops might have made Lexington, Kentucky a more sad place, one coffee shop has conjured up a few pay-it-forward Christmas miracles. After thieves broke into A Cup of Common Wealth, the coffee shop's owners were blown away by the outpouring of love and support. Reports of additional robberies inspired the owners to rally the community, and give a free beverage to whoever spends money in those affected businesses. They also started a Community Christmas Tree that is spreading gifts to any in need -- even the burglars.
This photo posted on Facebook shows an El Paso Police Officer helping out a homeless man in need during a recent snowstorm. Officer Jose Flores noticed that he needed shoes, he went into the store and bought him a brand new pair of snow boots, socks, and gloves.
A hero guide dog and his blind owner who survived being run over by a New York City subway train drew enough private donations on Wednesday to keep the two together despite the dog's impending retirement.
Remember Aaron's Last Wish, the video showing his family giving a waitress five hundred dollars, as a last remembrance of their brother? Well, that cash was raised online from friends and family to fulfill Aaron's request to leave an awesome tip… like $500 on a pizza. Yesterday NPR reported, Three weeks later, the family has collected nearly $50,000 and three lucky servers have been surprised with $500 gratuities. The Collins family members are posting videos as they spread the good cheer. Here is the latest.
Starting today, Microsoft's Technology for Good program are donating Office 365 to nonprofits worldwide regardless of the organization's size. The offer is available in 41 countries today, and will be rolled out to 49 more by July 2014.
80-year-old Ruby Dunson has been raising abandoned children for 42 years. In all, she raised 10 successful children in her small brick home on Detroit's west side, eight of whom she agreed to take in after they were abandoned at birth or abused as kids.Read More
Last month Kevin Kennedy experienced a musician's worst nightmare after his white acoustic Yamaha Dave Navarro edition guitar was stolen at a local club. He shared the news on Twitter and Facebook and offered a $1,000 reward for the instrument's safe return. Last week, a brand-new guitar arrived in the mail - from Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro.
Taryn Thompson was astonished and grateful when strangers helped find her lost family heirloom. It was a special ring that her grandmother Louise Thompson left her after she passed away in 2007. As reported by WLEX 18 News, the western Kentucky student was attending a wedding in Lexington when she stopped into the Gratz Park Inn to freshen up. That's when she must have lost the ring… but, no one at the hotel could find it.
In October 2013, Louis Munoz donated one of his kidneys to William Lynch. The organ match would not have occurred without a bit of serendipity and a big love of football: Munoz and Lynch hadn't seen each other in years – then they found themselves randomly seated next to each other with season tickets for San Diego Chargers games.
Jona Rechnitz, who won $50,000 on the 2012 Superbowl just did it again ... by placing the same exact bet. Both times the NYC real estate mogul donated the winnings to charity -- $75,000 in total.
An organization called One Simple Wish has granted the wishes of more than 3,000 foster children providing a small piece of comfort and joy to kids still in need of a permanent family. Some wishes are important, like music lessons, but some are small, asking for crayons, or backpacks, which gives people of all incomes the opportunity to bless a foster child, especially during the holidays. See the list and grant a wish on the website, www.onesimplewish.org.
Sports Illustrated has named Conner and Cayden Long the 2012 SportsKids of the Year for their inspiring triathlon performances. Seven-year-old Cayden is unable to walk or talk on his own, but his nine-year-old brother Conner had an idea that would allow the two to participate in sports together. Conner pulls his brother with amazing determination letting him ride in a raft or cart, as the experience bringing them closer together with every race.
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