Six non-coronavirus stories from GoFundMe that will make your day
Dr. Kwane Stewart: “The Street Vet”
Dr. Kwane Stewart is a veterinarian that provides medical care to animals who belong to people experiencing homelessness. By keeping pets on the streets healthy, Dr. Kwane is able to help their owners stay happy.
GoFundMe: Callan Valentine’s Roses
Callan came up with an idea to make sure that every girl in his high school felt special on Valentine’s Day. His plan? To hand-deliver a rose to every single girl at his school. With the help of a few of his friends, Callan brought his dream to fruition.
GoFundMe: Kate’s Run
Kate is an English teacher in rural Louisa County, Virginia, where many of her students come from financially insecure households. To show her students anything is possible, Kate ran 100 miles to raise money for students in her class to attend college.
GoFundMe: Jim Ford, Repo Man
Jim Ford was given the assignment to repossess a car from an elderly couple who were behind on their payments. Upon meeting them, he was so touched by the couple’s kindness that he decided to try to help them keep their car instead. Jim took matters into his own hands and changed all of their lives forever.
GoFundMe: Azalea & Mitiku
Azalea was adopted from Ethiopia in 2010. Seven years later, her adopted parents found out that Azalea was actually a twin—and her parents set up an opportunity for the two siblings to meet. When the twins finally met, Azalea’s mom, Sophie, realized that Mitiku was hearing impaired. She made it her mission to help Mitiku get the medical care he needed to repair his hearing.
GoFundMe: A Miracle on School Street
When George Dakin Jr. woke up in the hospital, he was stunned to find out that a homeless man named Austin had saved his life after he had fallen to the ground from a sudden heart attack. When George was finally able to meet Austin, he found himself in awe of his kind heart, and he immediately started working to help Austin get back on his feet.
Need a distraction? Listen to these happy stories from the GoFundMe podcast
Meet Jason and Gunnar.
Jason’s dog, Gunnar, was left with a spinal injury after he was hit by a truck. Given the option of euthanasia, Jason decided there had to be a solution to keep Gunnar alive—so he invented an idea of his own that ended up helping hundreds of other dogs stay mobile and healthy in the process.
Meet Megs.
When Megs Yunn met an 11-year-old girl named Beverly, she had no idea that she was about to embark on a journey that would allow her to help over 30,000 children in the Pittsburgh area. Megs learned that Beverly had never once celebrated her own birthday, so she launched her own nonprofit that helps kids in need celebrate their special days in style.
Meet Amy.
Amy Jandrisevits’ work as a social worker brought her into the homes of many children who were battling life-threatening illnesses. She quickly realized that these children who were battling chemotherapy and other challenging ailments weren’t ever able to find dolls that looked like them in toy stores. To show them that they are beautiful just the way they are, Amy started making custom dolls that look exactly like the little boy or girl they see in the mirror.
Meet Kofi.
Kofi Thomas had a grand vision for a 13,000-foot plot of land in Bushwick, Brooklyn that had fallen into disrepair: He wanted to create an amazing public garden that could feed and unite neighbors. After toiling for months to repair the space, Kofi created the Good Life Garden, where he now grows food for those in need.
Looking for a thoughtful read? Dive into these GoFundMe Heroes stories.
Meet Jenny.
Six-year-old Jenny Shaw spent four nights in the hospital when she was diagnosed with a type of cancer called Wilms tumor. After she got better, Jenny decided she wanted to make sure other kids at the hospital never felt alone—so she made them all gift bags filled with items to help them feel safe. Now three years later, Jenny has since started her own nonprofit where she continues to raise awareness and advocate for children with cancer.
Meet Philip.
Philip Pavone had no luck selling two motorized wheelchairs in his pawn shop. To see if there was anyone he could give them to, he placed an ad in a local newspaper to donate the wheelchairs. He was overwhelmed with the response that flooded in over the next two weeks—there was a big need in his local community. Philip started repairing broken wheelchairs and scooters and donating them to folks in need. Eleven years later, he hasn’t stopped.
Meet Sir Darius.
Sir Darius Brown was devastated when he heard that thousands of animals lost their homes during Hurricane Harvey and ended up in animal shelters. With a little creative thinking, he came up with a plan to help dogs and cats get adopted by sewing them bow-ties to make them look extra cute and friendly.
When Julie Schwietert Collazo heard a story on the radio about a refugee family that had been separated at the US border, she knew she had to do something to fix the situation. Two years later, she runs a charity that is dedicated to keeping immigrant families together by providing them the financial and legal support they need to have their best chance at seeking asylum.
In need of more feel good stories? We’ve got you covered
Although the news is filled with grim COVID-19 updates, it’s important to find good news stories during the coronavirus crisis to be reminded that there are always wonderful things happening in the world. We do our best to share happy stories with the world on social media—if you’re looking for a daily pick me up, follow GoFundMe Heroes or subscribe to the podcast. You can also find more good news on the GoFundMe YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. And if you’re looking for stories of kindness that have come out of COVID-19, take a look a the below video for inspiration.
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