Citizens of New York joined together to coordinate a “universal clap” appreciating all of the first responders and health care workers!
What a beautiful example of people coming together during this time!
Free cooking classes? Sign me up!
Bored at your house? Always wanted to learn how to cook?
Thanks to the generosity of Milk Street Cooking School’s Christopher Kimball, the Boston-based cooking school is offering free cooking classes during the pandemic!
Milk Street is a beloved cooking school and magazine, and they are generous enough to provide some entertainment during this challenging time. They are offering a variety of classes including, “Sweet Baking,” “Pasta Perfect,” and “The Art of Kitchen Improv.” Classes will be completely free until the end of April!
Check out their website, and improve your cooking skills!
If you need an uplifting story about modern medicine that’s not related to COVID-19—here you go 😊
I have lived my entire life with Cystic Fibrosis.
Growing up with this genetic disease, I constantly felt different. Be it coughing every few minutes, being out of breath after walking, or hospitalizations that took me into isolation and away from my friends, I knew that my life was not normal. Pair this with a life expectancy in the mid-40s, and every day brought up new uncertainties. I waited for years and years, following the science closely, in the hope that some type of new treatment would help me. There was one medication in the clinical trials that showed a lot of promise that it could be my essential cure, but I had no idea if or when I’d get it.
Fast forward to October 21st, 2019. I was headed back to my study abroad program in Barbados after a hospitalization in Miami. One text from my dad - “Your medicine was approved by the FDA, 5 months early!” – and my life changed in an instant. I started sobbing. My phone started to blow up as the news spread around the country. My friends and family called me in tears, knowing how big this was. Trikafta, the medicine that had the potential to change everything, had just been approved five months ahead of schedule by the FDA. If all went well, I’d be on it as soon as I returned to the US in December. It’s a weird feeling – almost indescribable – the moment you realize your life is going to change forever. Everything I knew, all of my struggles, had the potential to be gone.
On December 12th, I popped the champagne with my family and took my first dose of Trikafta. We cheersed to the first day of the rest of my life. And everything changed.
Fast forward three months: My lung function is above 100%, and I have lung capacity better than a healthy non-CF person my age. I can take big deep breaths without gasping for air or having a coughing fit. I can actively feel the small alveoli in my lungs (that had never been used before) start to work for the first time.
My doctors are astonished with how well I’ve done on this drug, and my life expectancy has gone up and continues to steadily increase. My boyfriend and I can plan our future together because I know I’ll actually have a future. I’ll walk across the stage to get my college degree! ! I can get a dog! I can get my Masters! I’ll have kids one day! I watched my world and all my possibilities open up before my eyes. Now, the sky is the limit for me, and I plan on taking advantage of every single opportunity that comes my way. For the rest of my long, long life.
Written by Abby Robinson
No delivery fee! Thanks Uber Eats for helping local restaurants stay open 😊
Across the U.S. and Canada, UberEats has created a policy to support 100,000 independent restaurants: a “no delivery fee,” and marketing campaigns to support local restaurants.
By creating the no delivery fee, UberEats is encouraging people to order takeout from local, independent restaurants who will undoubtedly suffer much more than large, established chain restaurants. I don’t know about you… but I am definitely more likely to order from a restaurant that has free delivery than one with the standard delivery cost!
UberEats is also generously supporting first responders and healthcare workers during this time, by committing to provide 300,000 free meals throughout the United States and Canada.
Ever secretly wished you could be on Glee? Now’s your chance!
Photo Retrieved : Today.com
With the healing power of music in mind, musician James Sills created “The Sofa Singers,” in response to the coronavirus pandemic. His idea allows hundreds of people to sing together, from their sofas.
James Sills hosts weekly, free, singing sessions, and you can sign up online to be a part of the fun! Although you will not be able to hear everyone sing, you will be able to see everyone’s smiling faces. Click the link below to see his website, and sign up to join the next session!
When EVERYONE needs a distraction—bear hunts!
Have you noticed a bear in the window of your neighbors house or apartment? Or maybe a rainbow drawing?
People across the United States have been putting bears in their windows to entertain the children of their neighborhoods. They have created a game: a “bear hunt.” It has been putting smiles on the faces of children and adults alike!
In addition to bears, many houses have also been displaying pictures of rainbows and uplifting messages in the windows of their houses, to lift spirits and spread joy. Although presenting a bear in a window is a small action, it is definitely going a long way in the lives of children and their families.
Seriously. We love people.
Two adorable children in Columbus, Ohio, decided to lift the spirits of their 78-year-old neighbor, by playing music for her! The brother-sister duo dressed up and played on her porch, while maintaining social distancing regulations!
In case you haven’t seen this one.… more beauty from Italy.
In cities all throughout Italy, quarantined citizens have been singing from their balconies. They have been creating beautiful music in the streets to maintain morale during this difficult time. Their songs are uplifting and beautiful!
When quitting is not an option.
Photo: Sam Hustler, SWNS
27-year old Sam Hustler inspired many with his determination to raise money for charity, in South Woodford, Essex, a suburb of London, England.
Sam had been training for London Landmarks Half Marathon, which had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. When he heard the news, he decided he would still run the half marathon, even if that meant running the length of his balcony of his third-floor apartment 7,000 times.
Originally, he had planned to raise about 500 euros, (640$) for a local charity, Haven House Children Hospice, an organization that supports children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses. Due to his dedication and commitment to running on his balcony, he actually ended up raising 1,900 euros (2,400$) for the children of Haven House!
Go Sam!
Turning lemons into 400 meals for healthcare workers.
Credit: SWNS
Fiona and Adam Gordon were forced to cancel their wedding reception, leaving them with 400 meals… and no one to eat them!
The company who was catering the event, Galloping Gourmet, is owned by a man who has a connection with a local charity, Hull4Heroes. He gave the couple a call, asking if they would be interested in donating their food. Fiona and Adam immediately decided to donate the meals to Hull4Heroes. Hull4Heroes was then able to get the food to the hospital staff at the National Health Service (NHS), a publicly funded healthcare system in England! Ultimately, Fiona and Adam’s donation was able to feed over 400 staff over the course of two days!
Written by Morgan Rector
Why are colored balls so much fun?
The Bryn Celyn Care Home in Maesteg, Wales, decided to create a fun game for their residents, a life-size, ‘Hungry Hungry Hippos’ game! Watch as the residents laugh and play in this heartwarming video!
4-year olds classmates celebrating a birthday on Zoom—maybe cuter than the puppy bowl?
Schools across the nation have been mandated to shut down, leaving thousands of children at home.
To keep spirits up, one school in Santa Clara County held a virtual birthday party for one of their students. Though they couldn’t celebrate in person, the children all sang happy birthday together and watched as the birthday girl blew out her candles and pretended to feed her cake to all the other kids on the call!
The joy in these students reminds us all of the necessity of connection during this time—even at preschool age—and warms our hearts!
Story Submitted by Carin Altshuler
Edited by Morgan Rector
Adorable sea otters at your fingertips. Thanks Monterey Bay Aquarium!
Need a happy break from the news? The “Sea Otter Cam” has come to the rescue!
The world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium had to shut its doors to the public, but they wanted to continue spreading joy!
To solve the problem, the Sea Otter Cam—along with other webcams featuring different exhibits—were launched.
What the world needs now… 🎵
Berklee College of Music students work together to create a virtual performance of “What the World Needs Now is Love,” by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Shelbie Rassler, a senior student, came up with the idea that has touched thousands. It is truly a beautiful performance!
What to do when you accidentally find 50,000 face masks?
Employees in an IKEA in Sweden recently discovered a stash of over 50,000 face masks in their warehouse… and donated them to a hospital in Sweden!
Why did IKEA have so many face masks? They had purchased them after the bird flu outbreak, and had not used all of them.
Upon discovering the stash of masks, the store logistics manager decided nearly instantly to donate them. He phoned the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, the largest hospital in Sweden, and the hospital was overjoyed to receive the donation!
Written by Morgan Rector, story from goodnewsnetwork.org
A company-wide movement of kindness
Industries across the world are suffering and are leaving many employees unsure how and if they will be able to pay their monthly expenses.
One Bay Area company experienced an outpouring of kindness from within their own walls, as employees decided to donate their vacation pay to employees that were affected the most by the hour and pay cuts.
This act of generosity and kindness started by a few, sparked a company-wide movement to open monetary donations to the company or to any specific individuals, in order to assure that the suffering employees would be able to pay their monthly bills.
Thank you to all who are practicing generosity and supporting each other during these difficult times. Your kindness does not go unnoticed.
Story Submitted by Anonymous
Edited by Morgan Rector
This 17-year old created a COVID-19 tracker site visited by hundreds of millions from every country in the world.
Image courtesy of The Today Show
Avi Shiffman, a 17-year old high school junior, has impressed us all with his brilliant COVID-19 tracker app.
Updating every minute, his app allows people world-wide access to the newest data, and has become a vital resource for millions. The site has been visited by people in every country all over the world.
Buy Avi a coffee!
Thank you. Just thank you. 😪
The Today Show released a heartwarming video, saluting the healthcare workers, first responders, nurses, grocery store employees, truck drivers, and the many other people that are working tirelessly and sacrificing to ensure we are all safe.
We love you Neil.
Neil Diamond posted a COVID-19 rendition video of Sweet Caroline, replacing lyrics to his classic song with lines such as “hands, washing hands,” and “don’t touch me.”
Not only is he spreading important messages of critical safety precautions during this time, but he is brightening the days of the millions who have watched the video. Plus, we get to see his adorable golden retriever!
National Geographic photographers create Ocean School. Yes Please!
Two National Geographic photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier have founded #OceanSchool.
These two inspiring humans post daily on their Instagram accounts with riveting photographs and stories of our oceans and the animals that inhabit them. They are a beautiful example of using online resources to ensure that although schools may be stopped, education does not need to stop.
Their daily posts inform children and adults alike about the wonders of our natural world and are always greeted with thousands of comments from those who follow their work.
Their recent lessons have included critical articles explaining the state of our planet, including stories of polar bears, friendly baby elephant seals, walruses, and manatees. If you wish to educate yourself about the ocean, visit their Instagrams (@paulnicklen, @mitty), or check out their website www.sealegacy.org.
Written by Morgan Rector