Sometimes the news can be, well, not so inspiring. When headlines get you down, it’s important to remember that positive things are still happening all around us. Here are five hopeful and encouraging stories to pay attention to this week:
How a Nursing Home Got Its Groove Back
A nursing home in North London has gone to some seriously creative lengths to keep its residents occupied during lockdown. The activities coordinator, Robert Speker, arranged for the nursing home residents to recreate album covers from famous musicians. Just a few of the artists recreated were David Bowie, Adele, Elvis Presley, and Taylor Swift. After the pictures were widely shared, Speaker launched a GoFundMe in order to raise additional funds for the nursing home. Check out the pictures and read more here.
100 Laps to Knighthood
Remember Captain Sir Thomas Moore? The British veteran, known as “Captain Tom,” originally planned to walk 100 laps around his garden before his 100th birthday in order to raise $1,000 for the National Health Service. He has now achieved more than he ever imagined. A few weeks ago, we shared how he was able to raise over $37 million. Now, today, he will also receive a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth! Captain Tom summed it up best when he ended his tweet with #FridayWillBeAGoodDay. We couldn’t agree more. Read more here.
A Pandemic Can’t Keep These Two Apart
Mary Daniel didn’t let COVID-19 keep her from spending quality time with her husband of 24 years. Beginning in March, Steve, who lives at an assisted living facility due to early-onset Alzheimer’s, could no longer receive guests. While the couple tried to talk via FaceTime and through his bedroom window, it was not quite enough for Mary. Therefore, when a position opened up to wash dishes at the facility, Mary took advantage of the opportunity to be able to see her husband regularly. Now, 114 days after they were first kept apart by COVID-19, they are finally able to hug each other again. Even with a face mask, Steve recognized Mary the moment he saw her. Read more.
From Scrubs to Gowns: Dressing Essential Workers for Their Big Day
Bride Across America, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit, is donating wedding dresses to healthcare workers who have been working hard during the coronavirus pandemic. The company originally started as a service to give away dresses to military women and first responders, and now they feel it is only right to expand to hardworking healthcare heroes. The flagship store is located in Andover, MA, however the company has been shipping all across the U.S. so that other brides can try on the gowns as well. From Boston to California, and everywhere in between, this company is bringing smiles to deserving brides. Read more.
A Sanitation Worker’s Success
Rehan Staton, a young sanitation worker, had the surprise of a lifetime when, just a few years after getting rejected from every college he applied to, his inbox was flooded with law school acceptances from Harvard, Columbia, and more. Throughout his youth, Staton’s family had faced a number of challenges and he began working in sanitation after graduating high school. However, his coworkers encouraged him to reapply to colleges. Not only did Stanton get accepted, he eventually graduated from the University of Maryland with an incredible 4.0 grade-point average. We can’t wait to see what Staton achieves next! Read more about Rehan’s amazing success story here.