Stories of people helping each other, often without being asked and demanding nothing in return, were a heartwarming counterpoint to the destruction from unprecedented flooding along the Souris valley in north-central North Dakota. Brought together by word of mouth, church and civic networks, social media and random encounters, those with housing and supplies to spare gave willingly to those without.
A fresh foods program at the Leavenworth Penitentiary has inmates growing a quarter million pounds of produce every year, which produces free healthy food for them, and more than 80,000 pounds in donations to help feed the needy throughout Kansas City.
An 84 year-old tinkerer has invented many useful items, but all were rejected by every company and investor, until now. A small company agreed to invest in a word game he came up with called "Dabble," which is now sold in 50 stores nationwide and won the 2011 Game of the Year Award from Creative Child Magazine.
Knowing that empowerment comes with the ability to read, journalist Swagat Thorat launched India's only newspaper for the blind. Now, twice a month, 24,000 blind individuals can read the news.
A Japanese lingerie maker unveiled a line of Support Japan clothing that carries messages of encouragement from overseas as the country struggles to recover from a devastating quake and tsunami.
A Vietnamese family faced certain death trying to escape communist rule in a crowded fishing boat that was taking on water as a storm approached. Thankfully, an American captain aboard the USS Morton knows the importance of making an exception and found them in time to rescue the 52 people on board.
Over the weekend, a Southern California student who thought he was destined to live life in a wheelchair triumphantly walked across the stage at commencement with the help of mechanical braces and motorized joints directed by a computer brain.
Two decades ago, a wedding photographer battled breast cancer. Now, she is giving back by making wedding dreams come true for couples like Melissa and Jeff whose budding romance was struck early by the same harsh diagnosis. A dream $30,000 wedding was donated with the help of 30 different Colorado vendors.
Air traffic controllers at the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center in Hampton, Ga., stayed at their work stations on April 27 to guide planes around tornadoes, even though the twisters were headed right at them and at the homes of their families.
The University of Pennsylvania received a $225 million gift for its School of Medicine to create an endowment for providing more financial aid to students, recruiting more physicians and scientists and supporting innovative research. The Philadelphia Ivy League university described the gift by philanthropist Raymond G. Perelman and his wife as the largest in its history and one the biggest ever nationwide given to a medical school.
The SF Mirrors Project is a public art project with one simple purpose at it's core - to spread a bit of random happiness. The idea is to create a public art installation overnight throughout the city of San Francisco spreading messages of inspiration, encouragement, and hope.
A new book explains a decade of research by psychologists that finds that self-compassion may be the most important life skill, imparting resilience, courage, energy and creativity. It's also a skill many people lack.
For 10 years, Kirti Dwivedi watched her mother suffer from kidney disease. When she reached out for help via Twitter, she said, "I never thought that we would be able to find somebody that would be willing to be a donor, let alone a match."
Returning veterans find new life as they transition out of war and into a different kind of service, helping homeowners hit by devastating disasters like the recent tornadoes, first in Alabama and now in Joplin, Missouri.
A jail-based brand that includes crispy potato chips, crunchy cookies and formal shirts is transforming the lives of inmates and prepare them for a fresh start through vocational training in diverse fields, thanks to the successful launch of TJ'S brand (named for the prison).
It would be easy — expected, even — for Mary Johnson to hate Oshea Israel. After all, he killed Johnson's only son, in 1993. He went to prison for that — and toward the end of his sentence, he become a man to whom Johnson could make peace.
Trying to turn art into action, commuters walking near State and Madison streets in downtown Chicago had a striking new image in their sights last week: a giant, six-story yellow mural encouraging viewers to Go Do Good. The banner campaign is hoping to inspire 100,000 good deeds by Chicagoans this summer.
The story of man's evolution. Is it just a tale of survival for the fittest -- the strong eating the weak? Not anymore. Scientists now see that kindness plays a role, along with sympathy, empathy, cooperation and collaboration.
After the Japanese government ordered the people of Minamisoma to stay indoors after the nearby nuclear plant started leaking, the 25,000 isolated residents who remained were facing starvation. The mayor posted a plea for help on YouTube and received hundreds of boxes of food from individuals, and truckloads of relief goods from nonprofit organizations.
A few months ago, the grandson of one of the survivors of the Bataan Death March traveled from Northern Virginia to Japan with an old photograph in his hand. It was a grainy picture of a young Japanese boy who helped save his grandfather's life.
Recent Stories
A Heartfelt Reminder to Appreciate the Ones We Love
Cherish the Woman Who Stands by You
Breaking Generational Cycles of Pain
Living by Your Own Values, Not Others' Approval
When Life Brings Rain, It’s Okay to Rest
Before You Judge Someone's Life, Take a Moment to Walk in Their Shoes.
A Friend Who Spreads Gossip is Not a True Friend at All
The Value of Human Connection Over Digital Convenience
The Quiet Kind of Love
One Day, Your Mom Won’t Call You Anymore
I’ve reached a point in my life...
Happiness is a mindset, a conscious choice we make every day