Hello lovely readers, and welcome back to another week of delightfully Uplifting Stories!
Things are getting scary out there. I don't know about you, but I feel like every time I look at a screen, there's negativity, forceful marketing tactics and 800 ads for stuff I don't need. But! I am starting to see more and more positive news stories, videos of cute puppies, and snippets about people helping each other.
I found that being really intentional about what I allow in my feeds has REALLY helped.
You probably already know this, but when it comes to the internet, and especially social media, you will get more of what you are consuming. So if all you're tapping on is videos of angry people ripping clothes out of each other's hands at a sample sale...you're going to be bombarded with more.
Just a simple reminder that YOU are in control of what you consume.
And every time you downvote, block or hide negative, gross or ugly accounts and behavior, it sends a vote against those things. More importantly, it helps your peace of mind, since you won't have to see them any more.
On that note: in this week's Uplifting Stories, we have:
A simple call out for a companion lead to an outpouring of support for one young man with special needs.
Donna Herter, mom to 24-year-old Christian Bowers was struggling to figure out how to help her son meet new friends. While he had many friends when he was in high school, it's since been hard to connect with someone who can be a really good friend in his life.
She decided to post a message on Facebook, offering $80 to a young man, aged 20 to 28 years to hang out with Christian and play video games with him for two hours. She received 5,000 comments within hours, including suggestions from parents and many people volunteering to help out.
One of the new friends Donna contacted (After interviewing) is James Hasting, a young man who is passionate about helping people with disabilities.
"When I first read the post, I was heartbroken that she felt she needed to pay people to be friends with Christian," Hasting told CBS News.
Donna's post also brought about many other opportunities for Christian to make new friends, including hanging out with local firefighters and bowling with local Marines.
"He every night goes to bed with a smile on his face. He tells everybody about his new friends. He gets so excited talking about life now and what he's doing," Herter said. "But I still think the one thing he likes the most is that one-on-one. Just that guy coming over." - Mom, Donna Herter
It just goes to show you what can happen when you ask for help!
India's birds - especially sparrows - are in trouble. Things like these are affecting or destroying their habitat:
But one man is taking matters in to his own hands - by building sparrow nests that help keep the little birds safe. Known as the 'Nest Man,' Rakesh Khatri, an environmental activist in New Delhi is a former documentary filmmaker who has dedicated his life to protecting ecosystems.
Using materials such as jute, plastic trash, sticks, grass ,leaves and other degradable items, Khatri has taken his mission to involve students and people across India to get involved, patiently sharing his method of crafting bird nests that can be placed outside artificial concrete structures or the tiny nooks and gaps of old buildings.
From teaching children and adults in 3,500 schools across India, to starting the Eco Roots Foundation in 2012, Khatri's efforts have resulted in hundreds of thousands of nests.
One very caring little boy is spreading kindness all around town in Central Florida.
From hand painted rocks to leaving kindness cards for homeless people and bringing a smile to local seniors, 6-year-old Duke van Bemmel wants to spread positivity wherever he can.
He recently placed some of his freshly painted rocks around the facilities at Lakewood Center in Seminole County, hoping to bring joy to the people who live at the long term mental health facility.
"One says, 'I heart you.' One says, 'I believe in you.' One says, 'Be kind.' One says, 'You are loved.' One is 'xoxo,'" Van Bemmel said.
Duke and his mom Windy started the random acts of kindness project back during the pandemic, and the 6-year-old decided he wanted to keep going with it.
When Monique Sotomarino, Montgomery, Maryland mom of three special needs boys, didn't feel there were safe, judgment-free spaces for her sons to thrive and be accepted, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
She opened That Smoothie Place, her business that now partners with Montgomery County Public Schools to provide internships and jobs to kids with special needs. The internships allow them to gain work experience and service industry skills.
“I didn't want to focus just on higher functioning individuals, but individuals of all abilities and give them their opportunity to try this place out,” said Sotomarino.
They started with a small smoothie truck, and they now have their first storefront location in Damascus, Maryland. Their mission is to build an inclusive workforce environment where no one is left behind. Oh - and to serve delicious smoothies, salads and bowls.
“I believe all of us can learn from one another. We all have our sets of differences and no matter our abilities. There's always a learning experience. I wanted to normalize engaging and seeing individuals with special needs in the workforce.” - Monique Sotomarino, from ABC News interview
You can also follow them on their Instagram page.
People are celebrating National Nurses Month this May, as well they should!
These caring people make up a significant chunk of our workforce, and often spend more time with our loved ones than their own.
This year, American TV personality Bobbie Thomas partnered with the skincare brand Curél to provide some well-deserved pampering to some very special nurses in New York City.
She got to interview some of these wonderful caregivers, and then surprise them with a $500 gift card to the spa of their choice, as well as a Curél treat bag.
Bobbie also asked them, "What's the best way to thank a nurse?" The most common answer? "Just say Thank you." It goes a long way.
The Curél Cares campaign donates to the American Nurses Foundation, which supports nurse research, education, scholarships, and comprehensive programs supporting health, wellness, and patient care.
I highly recommend watching the heartwarming video of Bobbie interviewing nurses on the streets of New York City!
Tell us what you think in the comments below, or share your own story here or on our Instagram page.
Until next week, take care of each other!
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Thank you so much for these positive stories! They are indeed uplifting and mean so much to me. It helps to balance the negativity that can overwhelm a person.
Thank you C! There's a lot of negativity out there, sometimes even one positive message makes all the difference. Take care 🙂