How overwhelmed with politics, bad news, and violence have you become? If you’re anything like us you need a really large dose of HAPPY, stat. Fortunately we are super glad to be able to oblige you with a bunch of feel-good stories including the miracle of a late-night call to a wrong number; a toddler gone missing in a hurricane found alive and well; a school helping their students get clean clothes. We go on to highlight four big stories found on a fantastic website called Good News Network (synopsis and links below). You need to be inspired? GNN has it all wrapped up in an “Good News/Inspiring” tab for you to get your feelz on. Want to shop sustainably or give back as you receive? There’s a Good Gifts section to lighten your wallet with little or no guilt! Want to get involved? Click that Get Involved tab to get started. We can’t extol the virtues of this much-needed website enough.
Ahem. Sidenote. Remember last week’s noisy leafblower mess we fought to record through? Yeah, Enrique the gardener and his trusty leafblower are back. BUT!! GOOD NEWS!! (ha… hahahaha…. BWAHAHAHHA how easy was THAT?) You won’t know just how much Kris lost her mind because we managed to edit most of it out. If you can get through the first 2 minutes of the episode, we promise you will not be sorry because Enrique finally settles down and the birds chirp in the background once again and the real meat and potatoes of the episode are related sans-annoying whirring machine. Ahhhhh….all is right with the Universe yet again.
Story #1: Coast-to-Coast Hiking Trail
The first story is an article on Good News Network called, “Epic New Trail Will Allow Cyclists and Hikers to Travel 3,700 Miles Across America From Coast to Coast“ which is about a proposal to create a 3,700 mile hiking/biking trail that spans America from Washington, D.C., to Washington state. It will utilize about 50% of pre-existing trails and fill the gaps to make this the coolest – and longest – unbroken trail in the states. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) has been working on the initiative for about a year now, and needs 1,000,000 pledges to help this trail become a reality. We’re all about anything that unites anything AND gets people off their couches, out of their houses and doing good things for themselves with friends. WOOHOO! And of course, Kris has a dark-side take on this story, but you’ll have to listen to find out what it is. Oh, and then there’s her attempt at a Scottish accent. #cringe #eyeroll. For more information on the Countryside and Rights of Way Act in Great Britain, check here.
Story #2: Gardeners Unite Globally for Pollinators
Photo by Leonardo Jarro on Pexels.com 
Photo by Jean van der Meulen on Pexels.com
Have you walked down the sidewalk and seen a dead, or struggling, nearly-dead bee? Does it seems like that is happening a lot over the last few years? It is. Part of the problem is a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder which has huge ramifications since pollinators such as bees are responsible for every 3rd bite of food you put in your mouth . The article on GNN called, “Over 1 Million Gardeners Have United to Create Global Network of Greenery That Nourishes Bees and Butterflies,” explains how the National Pollinator Garden Network has successfully encouraged pollinator gardens worldwide to create habitats that help sustain much needed bees and butterflies and wasps! Be sure to check out the links for more information on what Kris talked about if you wish to create one of these habitats where you live.
Another way to help bees is to provide sugar water to grounded bees. To avoid a scenario like Kris’ attempt as described in the episode, there’s this handy Bee Savior Card you can carry and use to aid the next little buzzer you see struggling to survive.
Story #3: Alice’s Kids
Photo by Eleazar Ceballos on Pexels.com 
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com 
Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.com
The next article we found on GNN is called, “Charity Has Been Secretly Fulfilling Small Wishes for Homeless Kids Who Could Use the Self-Esteem Boost,” highlighting a non-profit organization called Alice’s Kids which provides short-term financial assistance for immediate needs of children living at low- or poverty-level income. Relying on a network of social workers, counselors and teachers to guide them, Alice’s Kids makes anonymous donations, allowing parents to provide for their children’s needs with dignity. Please follow Alice’s Kids on Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook. Please share this information and considering donating. In this day and age these “small actions” make the HUGEST impact.
Story #4: Girls Save Dad’s Barber Shop & Shave Stereotypes
This one packs a huge punch as well. The article, “They Disguised Themselves As Boys in Order to Pay the Bills, Now ‘Barbershop Girls’ of India Given Scholarships,” tells the story of Neha and Jyoti, from the Banwari Tola village in Uttar Pradesh, India. When their barber father fell ill, the likelihood of them sustaining the business (and paying medical bills and funding their education) as women was slim, so in a major act of gender stereotype middle-finger flinging, they disguised themselves as men and then proceeded to very successfully run the barbershop. Gilette (yes, THAT company) then stepped in, and with the help of cricket star Sachin Tendulkar, delivered scholarships to the girls for their education. Check out Sachin’s awesome take on it all on his Instagram page. To view the video Kris talks about, you can watch on the GNN link above. Unfortunately a link to the video on YouTube showed it as unavailable. #ShavingStereotypes.
For more stories and details, check out our “Good News” episode on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.
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