Weekly Uplifting Stories - October 9th, 2023

Difficult times can leave you feeling powerless. You feel like nothing you do makes any difference.

But that's not true. 

Look around and you will come across many examples of average, everyday folks making a positive impact on the world in their own way. 

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”― Ian MacLaren

Let's take inspiration from the feel-good stories we found this week! Allow these stories to replace your feelings of despair with hope. 

This week, we have stories about:

• A single mother on a mission to help families meet a basic need
• A worldwide movement is bringing people together through bicycles
• St. Bernard dogs help people heal
• Students perform random acts of kindness every week

Woman committed to supporting families struggling with diaper need

Teresa Baur, a single mother from Lane County, Oregon, came up with the idea of setting up a diaper bank after noticing several posts about diaper needs on social media. 

“I had seen families on social media asking for diaper support and pleading, “I’m on my last diaper and I don’t know what to do,"" says Baur. 

Since there are no government subsidies specifically for diapers, many families struggle to afford diapers - a basic need for babies.

Teresa set up the nonprofit Lane County Diaper Bank that provides free diapers to families. She has been actively hosting community awareness events, and donation drives to bring more attention to this cause. 

The diaper bank has received great support from the people in her community. Thanks to grants and successful diaper collection drives, the diaper bank now serves 600 families each month. 

“We’ve been in operation since 1972 and this is the first time we’ve gotten any kind of help like this," says Denise Gartin of 1st Way Pregnancy Resource Center.

This organization is making cycling more accessible for the elderly

Started by Ole Kassow, Cycling Without Age is an organization that gives people who are not able a chance to ride a bike. The idea is to give people their mobility and sense of freedom by making cycling accessible. 

The organization consists of ‘chapters’ across the world, which are run by local volunteers. The volunteers help the elderly and people with disabilities experience the joys of cycling and enjoy nature with the help of specially-made bikes, called ‘trishaws’. 

Cycling Without Age is based on generosity and kindness. 

“People get drawn to this because there is almost like an innate feeling in every one of us that we want to be kind to other people,” said Kassow

Cycling Without Age has 3050 chapters, powered by an incredible 39,000 volunteers in over 50 countries.

St. Bernard dogs transition to their new role as therapeutic aide

Historically, St. Bernard dogs were known for rescuing people from difficult mountain paths and avalanches. These dogs are a Swiss symbol.

Although St. Bernards are no longer used for mountain rescues, these gentle giants are still saving lives. They work in hospitals and nursing homes, helping people undergoing therapy.

“The St. Bernard today is a breed that works on the social front. They work in hospitals and nursing homes with senior citizens. They work wonders.” says Andrea Zollinger, a member of the Barry Foundation.¹

The Barry Foundation helps train St. Bernards for their therapeutic roles. The non-profit is dedicated to managing the oldest Saint Bernard breeding kennel in the world.

Students perform random acts of kindness every week

Members of club Trailblazers at Toledo Technology Academy meet every Tuesday to perform random acts of kindness in their community. 

From making fiddle bands for dementia patients to helping take care of puppies at the local animal shelter to buying gifts for a single father with three children, these kids know how to make an impact through their kind actions.  

They are ready to help people in any way they can. The Trailblazers even stepped up to encourage one of their own. 

When Melody Basta, TTS intervention specialist and advisor for the Trailblazers club, and her husband were recovering from a motorcycle accident, these kids made a large get well soon card filled with kind messages. 

"I just really appreciate the kids and their kindness. It made us feel better." - Melody Basta

These kids are doing a great job of reminding us of the importance of looking out for each other. Kindness doesn't always require grand gestures. Simple acts of writing a nice note, or giving someone a compliment can go a long way in boosting optimism. 

What's Your Uplifting Story?

And that wraps it up for this week! 

Do you have any Uplifting Stories of your own? You can contact us in the comments below, or reach out on our Instagram page. We might just share your story in a future article.

Thanks everyone for reading, and have an uplifting week ahead. Take care and see you next week! 

Source: 

¹ Inside Edition

Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva