Here’s humanity at its best during these trying times of a global pandemic
As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, people are coming up with heartwarming ways to help each other. One woman in the UK, for instance, has come up with a simple way for neighbors to help each other by creating a digital postcard that people can easily print and Read More...
Chef José Andrés to offer free meals to those ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt normal life across the globe, Michelin-starred chef José Andrés is offering free meals to those in need. The chef has transformed eight of his acclaimed restaurants in New York City and Washington, DC, into community kitchens to serve to-go meals Read More...
This veterinarian walks the streets to treat the pets of homeless people
At the Optimist Daily, we love to spotlight people who go the extra mile to help out their communities. With that in mind, we bring you the story of Kwane Stewart, a veterinarian who walks around the streets of California treating animals owned by homeless people—for free. When Stewart first Read More...
Want to volunteer, but don't know where to start? Follow these 3 steps
The beauty of volunteering is that while you’re helping those in your community, you’re also giving yourself a reason to feel good. In fact, some research suggests that volunteering can even help us heal. Having the intention to volunteer is great, but actually getting started is a whole other Read More...
This Texas village gives the homeless a permanent home and a sense of community
The world looks a little brighter from the front porch of your own home. It’s a sight more than 200 formerly homeless people are waking up to each morning at the Community First! Village – a planned suburbia in Austin, Texas which provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive Read More...
This community of women in Kenya have restored a dying coral reef
Three years ago, the coral reef along the Kenyan coastline was almost totally destroyed in some areas. Rising surface sea temperatures had triggered devastating bleaching episodes for the fourth time in less than two decades, and with the whitening of coral came a dwindling of marine life. Read More...
To plant 90,000 trees in Los Angeles, the city is giving free trees to residents
Want a free tree for your yard or neighborhood? Well, if you live in Los Angeles, you’re in luck. Under the city’s Green New Deal, LA will give out up to seven free yard and/or street trees to qualifying residents in a bid to plant 90,000 trees in the city over the next two years. Neighbors Read More...
Chicago is seeing book returns surge 240% after the mayor eliminated fees
A little over a month ago, we published a story about Chicago libraries doing away with overdue book fees, which are disproportionately affecting the city’s lower-income residents. Now, one month since the fines were eliminated, Chicago libraries are reporting a 240 percent increase in the number Read More...
Slingshotting pumpkins and other ways to deal with post-Halloween pumpkin waste
After each Halloween, more than 1 billion pounds of pumpkin get tossed out and left to rot in America’s landfills. Some are thrown away the day after Halloween, contributing to the 30.3 million tons of annual food waste in the U.S. When left to decompose in a landfill, that food waste Read More...
Kids in Indian town pay their tuition fees with plastic waste instead of money
Used plastic is usually seen as a waste product, but for the students of a school in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, it is no less than a means to acquire free education. As a way to make school more accessible and help clean up their local community, the primary school of Akshar began to Read More...