Every day we share stories of hope – joy – Love!
“..you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.” Philippians 4:8 (The Message)
Enjoy some GOOD NEWS each day with LifeSongs. And if you know of some good news, share it here! Thank you for sharing hope each day with listener-supported, uplifting LifeSongs!
Friday, May 26, 2023
Cookie sales are an essential part of providing for Girl Scout activities across the country, but even more so for Troop 6000. This specific troop is made up entirely of girls who are experiencing homelessness or living in shelters in the Greater New York area. Providing hope, encouragement and inspiration to these girls is something the Girl Scouts take very seriously. Providing adventures and resources to these families in their time of need is straight up joyous.
Troop 6000’s cookie sale covers all fees for the girls including trips, summer camps and other activities. The troop has sold more than $1.6 million worth of cookies since 2017, benefiting about 2,500 women and girls across more than 20 shelters. Troop 6000 is also inspiring other communities across the country to form similar troops for their communities.
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Seagulls can be quite aggressive when they see food. It’s become a problem at the Blackpool Zoo, so much so, that they have hired seagull deterrents to protect zoo visitors while they enjoy lunch.
The seagull deterrents are visitor service team members dressed up as giant birds, who swoop around the eating zones to keep the REAL birds at bay. Plus they take pictures with kids, which is sweet.
View this post on Instagram
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Is it Family Game Night?
Hasbro is re-releasing new versions of many of their games, including Scrabble, the Game of Life and Trivial Pursuit. The differences? larger game pieces, bigger fonts and other little changes to make it easier for seniors to enjoy the games.
One spectacular tweak they are making to the new Trivial Pursuit is some blank cards where you can add your own personal trivia! No matter your age or physical abilities, we should all get to enjoy playing board games together.
View this post on Instagram
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Kenyatta Coleman and her husband Derek, of Baton Rouge, learned late in her pregnancy that their baby had a rare and dangerous brain condition known as vein of Galen malformation. When the couple learned of a clinical trial run by a trio of Boston-area hospitals to address such a condition, they were in.
Despite serious potential risks for mom and baby, surgeons were able to successfully perform the ultrasound-guided procedure in March. In utero surgery has been used for other issues before, but this was among the first for such a rare and delicate condition. Two days later, Denver Coleman was born, weighing 4 pounds and 1 ounce. Doctors say she’s doing very well, and there’s no sign she needs any further intervention.
“She’s shown us from the very beginning that she was a fighter,” Kenyatta said. “She’s demonstrated … ‘Hey, I wanna be here.’ It was just… the most beautiful moment being able to hold her, gaze up on her and then hear her cry.”
Monday, May 22, 2023
St. Mary’s Academy is on a roll! Earlier this year a couple of their students made national headlines for uncovering a way to use trigonometry to prove the Pythagorean theorem. But smart kids is sort of St. Mary’s thing.
In fact for the last 17 years they have a 100% college acceptance rate for their graduating seniors. This year was no different – however it was even MORE spectacular. They set a school record for most scholarship offers in school history!
St. Mary’s have just 24 girls in their graduating class this year. 2 dozen young women. Not only were they all accepted into college, collectively they were offered almost $12 million in scholarships! WOW! I hope they walk with confidence into their grown-up lives. They all walked the stage to get their diplomas last Thursday.
YOU ARE THE GOOD NEWS!
Everyday that you hear an uplifting song, a message of hope or a word from God through LifeSongs Radio is because of the generous support of you – the listening family of LifeSongs! You can still make a difference and GIVE HERE!
Today's Good News - Heroes & Helpers
Share your GOOD NEWS stories! Tell us about the Helpers & Heroes in your life - folks that make a difference - so we can share the good news!
Friday, May 19, 2023
As beach season really kicks off, one big concern stretching from the Caribbean to the Florida coast, on around to Mexico, is the massive amount of sargassum seaweed washing up on shores. The stinky suffocating mass is making a mess, but where some see a nuisance, Omar Sanchez sees the building blocks to a better life.
Omar was hired to clean up piles of sargassum off the beaches along Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Instead of just burning it off or adding to a landfill, Omar combines the seaweed with clay to make a super affordable, highly sustainable brick through his company SargaBlock.
To prove how great his building blocks are, rated for 150 years of solid building material, he uses the bricks to build affordable housing for single moms.
View this post on Instagram
Thursday, May 18, 2023
Protecting the environment has a new superhero … well at least he’s dressed like one. Jonathan Olanlokun swiftly moves through the streets of Osogbo in Nigeria picking up garbage off the streets. And he does it all in a very form-fitting Spider-Man costume!
Why the tights? To draw attention to the work! Cleaning up the environment can be fun and funny. No one bats an eye when a regular citizen picks up some garbage to clean the streets, but when kids see Spider-Man raking up garbage in their neighborhoods, they are more likely to pick up some too on their way home.
View this post on Instagram
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
The Run For Good program was started by Saucony shoes to encourage kids to get active and express themselves with fun, youthful design. They invested $25,000 in the design program and partnered with Children’s Hospitals to find their designers.
Five of those kids were right here in New Orleans. KK Roots, Brenna Roberts, Zachary Cression, An-Nour Shakov and the late Colt Wolfe were a part of the pilot program and they turned out some stunning designs.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Perry Schaffer is a Ravens fan – born and raised in Glen Burnie, MD. He’s been rockin’ purple, gold and black since he was a little kid. Perry is especially a fan of quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has been open about his faith and giving God glory for any success he’s found.
That inspired Perry to help raise up the next generation of Ravens fans by personally purchasing 20 (pretty expensive) Lamar Jackson jerseys to give to kids who can’t afford them. Perry set up at a local run/walk family event and just started handing out the free jerseys to kids as they crossed the finish line!
Monday, May 15, 2023
Ginny Schrappen was at church when a minister friend handed her a letter. It was from an inmate serving decades for murder, who simply wanted someone to talk to. Ginny wrote back and thus began a pen-pal friendship that spans decades.
Lamar Johnson never gave up hope that his wrongful conviction would be overturned. He served 28 years of the sentence before the evidence overturned his conviction. Shortly after his release, how do you think Lamar celebrated? He got together with pen-pal, Ms. Ginny!
Friday, May 12, 2023
Chivalry is alive and well – lived out by 6 year-old Kaiden Montague. While on a field trip to the zoo, a downpour interrupted the fun. Kaiden saw some classmates, a couple of little girls, getting cold and wet, so he quickly took off his jacket and held it over them to keep them dry.
For real? What a gentleman! A teacher saw the gracious act and snapped a picture for Kaiden’s mom to see the kindness her son did not hesitate to show. Just a few days later, the school presented Kaiden with a certificate celebrating his chivalrous act.
Thursday, May 11, 2023
Austin, TX Fire Department Engine 6 saw a 95-year old resident struggling to mow his lawn and immediately pulled over, hopped off the truck and made quick work of all the yard work, while joking and talking with their neighbor/new friend. In the Texas heat, that’s quite a gift, but these civil servants didn’t think twice about it. Do you have servant’s heart like that?
@austinfiredept @austintexasgov spotted helping an elderly gentleman mow his lawn #publicservice #thankyou pic.twitter.com/iANQny4VLW
— LTK (@epialla) April 21, 2023
Wednesday, May 10, 2023
When Russia invaded Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians were forced to abandon their homes and, in many cases, their beloved pets. When days of abandonment turned into weeks, Odesa-based veterinarians Valentina and Leonid Stoyanov, decided to stay put and care for the animals left behind.
Within a week of Russia’s invasion, the Stoyanovs had around 400 animals in their care. They take in pets and wild animals alike, treating them and adopting them out or returning them to their natural home. They’ve even wound up keeping some of their patients, including a blind husky named Casper whose owner died during the conflict.
Despite the challenges of their work, including a health scare for Leonid, the Stoyanovs told CNN Heroes that they remain committed to their work. “We just hold on and continue to do what we do because we see how it is important for animals, for all these lives around us,” Valentina said.
Tuesday, May 9, 2023
This Summer we’ll see a bunch of Barbies take over the silver screen – but in stores there is already a genre defying Barbie Doll waiting in the toy aisle, wearing a stunning puffy-sleeved floral dress with pink accessories and a winning smile. She’s also the first-ever Barbie to represent a woman with Down syndrome!
Created in collaboration with the National Down Syndrome Society, the new Barbie was sensitively designed to share several of the same physical characteristics as people with Down syndrome. She wears hot-pink shoes, which match her necklace with three upward chevrons, a symbol of the three copies of the 21st chromosome, which cause the characteristics associated with Down syndrome.
She’s the latest doll to join the Barbie Fashionista collection, a line that features dolls of several races, skin tones and body types, as well as dolls that use wheelchairs or have a prosthetic leg. Lisa McKnight, Mattel executive vice president and global head of Barbie & dolls, said the doll was made to “counter social stigma through play” — and look good doin’ it!
View this post on Instagram
Monday, May 8, 2023
A North Carolina church radically changed the lives of thousands of local families – and for pennies on the dollar. Trinity Moravian Church in Winston-Salem bought $3.3 million of medical debt belonging to over 3,300 area families, and the parishioners made it happen with just over $15,000 in donations.
The church partnered with the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, which buys bundles of debt “at a fraction of the original cost” and typically purchases large amounts from low-income families whose debt is debilitating. Debt forgiveness has Biblical roots, AJ writes: In the Old Testament’s Book of Leviticus, “jubilees” during which debts were forgiven were held every 49-50 years.
Trinity Moravian Church Rev. John Jackson said that while he hopes the medical system is eventually “fixed” to prevent medical debt from weighing so heavily on people, “what we can do is what we’re doing now, buy some of the debt and forgive it.”
Friday, May 5, 2023
Not only is it Cinco de Mayo, it’s also nearly National Nurses Week! To celebrate, Chipotle is giving away over $1 million in free fresh-Mex lunches for healthcare professionals. I love living in a world with “Burrito Care Packages.”
2,000 healthcare workers will win Burrito Care Packages that include 50 free entrees for their team. Over 100,000 nurses and their support staff will be swimming in burritos, chips and guac by next weekend.
But this isn’t a one time deal for Chipotle – they’ve donated over $4 million in food to medical workers since the pandemic began back in 2020.
Thursday, May 4, 2023
Dillon Reeves was presented an award for “an extraordinary act of courage and maturity” by the school Superintendent at Lois E. Carter Middle School. Dillon happened to be seated near the front of his school bus when his bus driver got on her walkie to alert the bus hub she was feeling dizzy.
Before she could pull the bus over, the driver passed out and the loaded school bus began to drift into oncoming traffic. Dillon threw his bag to the ground and leapt up front, steering the bus to a stop in the middle of the road. He got the school bus into park and yelled for another student to call 9-1-1.
Within minutes first responders were on the scene and treating the driver. No students, property or the bus suffered any damage. While the driver was treated, other buses came to take the kids home. But no one will be forgetting Dillon Reeves anytime soon! The hero 7th grader!
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Dennis Barnes is a graduating senior at International High School in New Orleans – and his future is still up in the air. He’s definitely going to college, he’s just got to figure out which one.
He applied to 200 schools – so far he has offers from 125 colleges and universities and over $9 million in scholarship offers. If that sounds like a lot – you are not wrong – it’s a US record, far more than any other college-bound high school senior has ever achieved.
And Dennis has EARNED these offers – he has a 4.98 GPA, is a leader in the National Honor Society and fully fluent in Spanish to the point he’s received accolades from the Consul of Spain. Technically Dennis is already a college student, having been dually enrolled in high school at and SUNO for the last 2 years.
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Covenant Presbyterian Church committed to pay off over $20,000 in lunch debt for the Austin Independent School District. For many of those students, the food they get at school is the most secure meal they know. But it wasn’t enough to just cover the overdue bill, Covenant Church is also covering the cost for lunches through the rest of the school year!
This isn’t the first time this Church has demonstrated God’s love in Austin, either. In previous years they paid off medical debt and provided services for the homeless population of Central Texas.
Pastor Thomas Daniel said, “[T]his is a gift given to every student who qualifies – no strings attached – [it] embodies the free and unmerited grace we have all received and is the foundation of our Christian faith.”
Monday, May 1, 2023
When faced with lost luggage, you could rightfully get angry, but out of such a situation, one woman became a beacon of hope!
While her husband waited in line at Southwest customer service, Brittany waded through the sea of luggage searching for their bags; a needle in a haystack scenario. But Brittany is a problem solver and didn’t want her search to go to waste. She began snapping pictures of luggage that had tags and texting the number with the bag to the owner letting them know exactly where their bag was.
Brittany sent nearly 80 texts, connecting folks to their bags before she found her own. Some were so appreciative they sent her gift cards in gratitude!
Friday, April 28, 2023
Sixteen year-old Sammy Berko was rock climbing at the gym. He reached the top, rang the bell and then had a life ending heart attack. Gym workers and paramedics spent two hours doing CPR and trying to revive the young, vibrant boy, but to no avail. Finally paramedics called his time of death.
Sammy’s parents sat with him in shock. They spoke with him, apologizing that they couldn’t save him; praying and crying over their son’s body. And then Sammy Berko came back to life!
The parents started screaming for the doctors again. How could this be? It had been nearly two hours since his heart stopped! There was simply no way. And yet, Sammy is alive. He is in physical therapy now, and despite his brain being without oxygen for so long, has only suffered minor short term memory issues. A certified miracle!
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Brittany Thompson was all set to walk down the aisle – she had her something “old” – a family heirloom, her late grandmother’s bracelet, featured heavily in her pre-wedding pictures. But somehow the clasp had given out and it fell into a pile of hay at the venue.
PANIC. What could they do? It was a last ditch effort, but they begged the garbage truck operators to search the garbage they had picked up after the photo shoot. After getting permission, Waste Pro worker Jeff began the search and sure enough – nestled in a bag of decorative hay was grandma’s bracelet!
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
The Boston Marathon is one of America’s premier sporting events. Runners not only get to brag that they did it (and marathoners LOVE to brag) but they get to tour one of the nation’s oldest cities. And for years, one of the sites included a happy golden retriever holding a Boston Strong flag. That was Spencer.
Recently Spencer passed away at the age of 13. But he had become sort of a mascot for the Boston Marathon over the years – and a superstar in the New England Golden Retriever community. This year, to honor Spencer, more than 100 golden retrievers and their families walked together to the Boston Marathon finish line in bright yellow Golden Strong bandanas.
Not only did 100 golden retrievers make exhausted marathon runners grin at the finish line, but the families raised $1000 for the Morris Animal Foundation in honor of Spencer.
View this post on Instagram
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
When he’s not starring in an action movie, encouraging people to reach their health goals or speaking out against hate, Arnold Schwarzenegger is … fixing potholes, apparently! The former governor of California posted a video showing him and his team patching up a hole on a street that had worsened after bad weather delayed attempts to fill in a temporary paving job.
In the video, a man even stops by and exclaims that he’d been waiting a long time for the hole to be fixed. Yeah, we’ve all been there.
You know we often refer to our elected officials as “public servants” but here’s 75 year old Arnold actually being a servant for the public!
Monday, April 24, 2023
A woman in Maine heard about a local little boy who had his bike stolen and she felt led to help. She purchased a new Spiderman bike, complete with helmet, bike lock and training wheels for the 3-year-old and then dropped the new bike off at a police station so they could connect with the family.
The police were so impressed with her kindness – and gave her some cash for the toll roads home. Then they found out she was currently living out of her car.
Now there is a fundraiser to help this bike delivering angel and she even inspired others to donate bikes to the police department to give to other kids in need.
Friday, April 21, 2023
Libby the cat has been a comfort to patrons of the Ashville Free Library for a long time. Libby is 19 years old! Generations of kids have come in to borrow The Hobbit or Where the Red Fern Grows or a Judy Blume book, and enjoyed a cuddle with the beautiful gray cat.
But as Libby gets older, her vet bills get higher. As you can imagine, a little free community library doesn’t have a lot of extra cash to take care of a 19 year old cat. The staff decided to start a fundraiser to help care for Libby in her later years and to say there was an outpouring of love would be an understatement.
Families smashed the $1500 goal, more than doubling the need, in order to provide the best life for Libby, who has been the perfect reading companion for so many.
Thursday, April 20, 2023
William was born with quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy. The brave young boy is all smiles from his wheelchair, but like most little boys he wants to be running! His parents Mark and Jessica did some research on how to build parallel bars so William could practice walking at home. The family went to their local Lowes to try and figure out just how to make this dream come true.
At Lowes the family met an employee, Dave Urban. Dave was inspired by their idea – grabbed their online plans and began hunting down materials and getting them cut just right. Together Mark, Jessica and new friend Dave watched William test the rig out.
As this brave kid pulled himself up and began to shuffle forward, all three of the adults were fighting back tears of joy and pride.
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Daniel Kablutsiak’s son Hunter was diagnosed with Stage-5 Kidney Disease at the age of 16. Daniel was a blood type match, but because of his weight, he wasn’t allowed to be a kidney donor. That was all he needed to know to make some major life changes.
Over the course of one year, Daniel worked with doctors to manage his food, increase his exercise and he was able to drop 85 lbs. Surgery is scheduled and both Daniel and Hunter are enjoying a new lease on life.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Forget the Easter bunny, it’s six-year old Luke Flerlage of O’Fallon, MO delivering pastel candy. Luke has volunteered with Alleluia Baskets over half his life, since he was just 3!
Alleluia Baskets delivers easter baskets to senior citizens and kids whose families are in need. His mom inspired him to be a volunteer, but the first time he saw someone smile because he brought them an Easter basket, it became his passion!
Last year Luke set out to collect 100 items for Alleluia Baskets. He recruited friends and family and eventually put together over 1000 items! This year, he needed a moving truck for the over 12,000 items he and his Easter crew put together.
Monday, April 17, 2023
Getting lost in a good book can be like therapy for your soul. You make friends, go on adventures and see the world all on the pages of a good story. Emily, a 19 year old woman from Maryland, spent a lot of her childhood with her nose in a book, and now uses her love of reading to bring hope to children and families all over.
While Emily was in high school her father (Mike) battled stage 4 thyroid cancer. As Emily worked at her family’s restaurant and cared for her father all while trying to graduate high school, she dealt with severe depression. She found a lot of hope in books and decided to be proactive about life instead of wallowing in self-pity.
Emily founded For Love and Buttercup, a book collection and donation non-profit to get used books to children’s hospitals for kids fighting cancer. She says “I thought about how buttercup flowers represent everything pure and innocent and happy in the world.” And she knows how a good book can provide hope.
As Emily prepares for college next year, she’s still actively distributing books through For Love and Buttercup – so far she’s donated over 15,000 books! And she gets help moving those big boxes from her now cancer-free dad.
Friday, April 14, 2023
Watson Elementary School in Chilliwack, British Columbia has spent the last seven years teaching their students the joy and benefits of KINDNESS. Their annual Kindness Project has only grown in scope and impact each year. It used to be just one or two classes of third graders participating, but this year, multiple classes from 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade wanted to make a difference!
Step One: Raise money by selling cupcakes. The classes managed a net profit of $1400.
Step Two: Go to local parts and hand out flowers, chocolates, dog treats and coffee to strangers.
Step Three: Put together care packages for homeless people.
The community was so touched that many strangers found the teachers and gave them some cash saying, “This is for next year’s Kindness Project!”
Thursday, April 13, 2023
Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue – the four things every bride is supposed to have on her big day. When Tanya Walsh walked the aisle, her beautiful wedding dress was her “something new” and it held a very special place in her heart.
Tanya’s dress was a gift from her mother, who was already in palliative care and passed away just weeks after the family-centered nuptials. Tanya put the dress in storage at her father’s house and always planned on making it a “something borrowed” for her two daughters. But in a comedy of errors her father accidentally donated it to Goodwill while cleaning out closets!
Tanya took to Facebook in a last-ditch effort to recover the heirloom. Friends and strangers helped by sharing her story over 1500 times and just a few days later, an employee at a nearby Goodwill contacted Tanya with the good news – her dress was found and waiting for her!
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Damar Hamlin is making sure his near death experience helps prevent others’. Last season in the middle of a game, Damar Hamlin went down and didn’t get up from the field. The Buffalo Bills safety suffered a heart attack and his life was saved from well trained medical personnel using an automated field defibrillator to restart his heart.
Now the pro football player is using his platform to push Congress on the Access to AEDs Act that would get life saving equipment to schools around the country and provide training to make sure student athletes are given every chance of success and safety on and off the field. More than 7000 kids a year in the United States suffer from a sudden cardiac event and this bi-partisan program will go a long way to ensure their recovery.
View this post on Instagram
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Make-A-Wish was able to grant a dream for a young Oakland Athletics fan. Gabriel De La Cruz is battling cancer – and staying active is a key part of that battle. So he was thrilled to throw out the ceremonial pitch for his A’s on opening day!
Not only was the pitch a solid strike, he was greeted by his favorite player, Tony Kemp, who let Gabriel know he’s got summer plans this year. The Oakland A’s and Make-A-Wish also secured Gabriel an invite to attend the Major League Baseball All-Star game later this Summer in Seattle!
A dream come true ✨
Last April, Gabriel De La Cruz was diagnosed with B-cell leukemia at age 13. Tonight, he threw out the first pitch and his wish was granted to attend the 2023 @MLB All-Star Game. 💛💚@SFWish | #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/uSFyHTYy71
— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) March 31, 2023
Monday, April 10, 2023
Arizona resident Coral Amayi lost her precious digital camera 12 years ago when her tube flipped over while on a river tubing trip. It had pictures from her wedding and bridal shower. She thought it was lost forever.
But just a couple of weeks ago, Spencer Greiner was walking along the Animus River and spotted a rusted old camera on the banks. He rescued the SD card and sure enough, the computer recovered all of the picture files! He posted his find on social media and it didn’t take long for the internet to do its thing.
Coral said she literally got up and was dancing for joy when she saw her pictures.
Friday, April 7, 2023
Katrina Mullen is a 23 year veteran of the neonatal intensive care unit at Community Hospital North in Indianapolis. She’s also a mom of five. But her heart just made room for an even bigger family.
Katrina grew close to one of her patients – a 14 year old teen mom who had triplets at just 26 weeks. As the very young new mom waited with her babies in the NICU, Katrina and Shariya formed a special bond.
When the Indiana Department of Child Services became concerned for the living conditions of this 14 year old mom and her preemie triplets, Katrina stepped up and adopted all four of them. The teen mom and her babies!
Now the babies are doing great, growing strong – and their mom is back in school and on track to graduate this Summer!
Thursday, April 6, 2023
Some folks can look at equations and numbers and see the hidden patterns and ancient truths – while I have to download an app that tells me if I can afford to get lunch out today. Two New Orleans East students have that special mathematic minded vision and are making waves in the global math world!
St. Mary Academy’s Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson gave a presentation at the American Mathematical Society’s Annual Southeastern Conference showing how they proved the Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry without using circular logic – which was thought to be impossible for THOUSANDS of years! The math geniuses say their school motto “No excellence without hard labor” is what drove them to do the impossible.
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
John Watson has always been a fitness enthusiast. He’s also an advocate for people with disabilities, inspired by his daughter Emma, who has cerebral palsy. When he was looking for ways to help adults with intellectual disabilities find employment, he hit upon a great idea to combine his passions.
His nonprofit, Bloom Fitness, brings the life-affirming benefits of movement to people with intellectual disabilities. Bloom Fitness partners with programs like adult daycare centers or residential homes, where Watson’s trained volunteer instructors lead classes like cycling, yoga, Pilates and dance. Classes are free to the athletes, many of whom are low-income, and they’re designed to be accessible to anyone.
“Wellness and movement – for this population, that’s critical,” John says. “We create a sense of pride, belonging and love.”
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Kevin Pearce’s life was changed forever in 2009 when a snowboarding accident left him with a traumatic brain injury. He had to relearn how to do almost everything — how to walk, how to talk — and he says he couldn’t have done it without the help of his older brother Adam.
From their hard work together was born the Love Your Brain Foundation! Founded in 2014, the Love Your Brain Foundation offers weeklong retreats and community-based yoga classes across the US for people who have a traumatic brain injury as well as their caregivers.
Recovering from a TBI can be very isolating – and community is essential to recovery! Adam says, Adam said. “At these retreats, people are given the space to lean into those deep challenges and express them and talk about them.” The organization also trains yoga teachers on how to incorporate their rehabilitation techniques into their own classes.
Monday, April 3, 2023
On March 21st, the World celebrated Down Syndrome Day. 3/21 represents the 3 copies of the 21st chromosome in the DNA of people with Down Syndrome. LifeSongs is honored to have friends at GiGi’s Playhouse who share a passion for loving some wonderful families who have members with Down Syndrome.
20 years ago, Nancy Gianni was inspired by her newborn daughter GiGi to change the way the world views Down syndrome and send a global message of acceptance for all. She established the first GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center in the suburbs of Chicago in 2003. Since then, the GiGi’s Playhouse network has grown to over 55 Down Syndrome Achievement Centers in the US and Mexico, and even a Virtual Playhouse that serves people in over 80 countries around the world!
Each location provides free educational and therapeutic-based programs to individuals with Down syndrome and their families, from prenatal diagnosis to adulthood through the loving work of many volunteers. A committed group of parents and friends in our community established GiGi’s Playhouse New Orleans in October 2020 and they are spreading the message of acceptance and kindness in our community every day.
Friday, March 31, 2023
When Sterling Heights police responded to a car accident, they didn’t plan on becoming delivery drivers for the night, but “to serve and protect” is what they do!
Bryanna Fantozzi was delivering dinner and groceries for DoorDash when she hit a patch of ice that rendered her car undriveable. The six-month pregnant mom and her daughter who was also in the car were ok, but in desperation to get her job done she asked if the cops could help her finish the delivery.
Officer Allen quickly took on the job, making sure the groceries were still cold and the Texas Roadhouse meals were hot when they arrived on time at the customer’s home. Turns out the order was for another mom who was stuck home caring for four sick kids, so it was pretty essential!
Officer Allen simply jokes it was a miracle the hot yeast rolls made it to the delivery site because they made the police cruiser smell way too good.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
A South Carolina family felt an abundance of compassion and concern for their Dominos delivery driver, Barbara Gillespie. At 72, Barbara is beloved by her Dominos family, in fact she was elected Team Member of the Year in 2022. But the job was becoming taxing for this sweet lady who always has a smile on her face.
While making a delivery to the Keighrons, she tripped and dropped the food. She was ok, but embarrassed. The family, however, wanted to show her some love – so they started a fundraiser to help her retire in comfort. A quarter million dollars later and Barbara turned in her two weeks notice!
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Katrina Kohel has got SPIRIT – even if the rest of her cheer squad doesn’t. The high school cheerleader found out just weeks before the big state cheer competition that her fellow squad members quit the team. Her coach told her not to worry, they would still go to the event as spectators, but Katrina had other plans.
She performed on her own.
Katrina whooped and hollered and jumped and flipped and had the entire arena going nuts! Just a single determined cheerleader who wanted to make her school proud. In fact, she finished in 8th place for their division – the highest ranking her school had received in years!
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
8 year-old Kayzen Hunter LOVES going to Waffle House! It’s his favorite restaurant which he and his grandpa frequent. Kayzen even has a favorite waiter named Devonte.
Over MANY trips to get pecan waffles and hash browns, the Hunter family got to know and love Devonte, his wife Aissa and his young daughters Jade and Amoura. One day Kayzen found out his friends were struggling to find a home and living out of a motel. Plus Devonte’s car was falling apart which kept him from making all of his shifts at Waffle House.
Kayzen worked with his mom to create a GoFundMe page for his favorite Waffle slinger. What started with a lofty $5,000 goal ended up six figures – over $100,000 for the family to get a new car and move into a much better apartment!
Monday, March 27, 2023
When disaster strikes – help floods in. We see it time and again, around the world. Earlier this year when terrible earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria the world reacted with incredible generosity. Teresa Gray and her nonprofit Mobile Medics International were on the scene in mere hours. Her team treated hundreds in that first week and a half. They befriended locals and interpreters which allowed them to communicate with many injured and bring peace and calm to a crazy and devastating situation.
Around the block other groups worked in response to the earthquake thanks to funds pouring in from sports stars around the world – especially beloved soccer players who did a telethon the day after the earthquake and brought in over $44 million dollars!
Bad things happen every day. But good people respond with hope and love every day too. Be encouraged! And thank you for being one of those good people making a difference in the world!
Monday, March 13, 2023
Aaron Cabrera is a real life hero, but it has cost him dearly. Born in Cuba, Aaron and his family sought political asylum in the United States. He grew up in Texas and the day after 9/11, at twenty years old, he joined the Army.
Aaron Cabrera served his country with valor for nearly a decade – doing two ours in Iraq. He earned a Purple Heart, a Combat Action Badge, a 2-starred Iraq Campaign Medal, five Army Commendation Medals and many other awards and accolades. But these were hard fought awards. Aaron took shrapnel to the back and nearly lost his life. To this day he is dealing with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
But this is a GOOD NEWS story. Aaron continues his journey of recovery through counseling and music and teaching yoga to other veterans. After losing a son to suicide he founded Diego’s Wish to help other families going through loss. Instead of all of his medals, he wears his heart on his sleeves and that is why he was honored by Operation Finally Home with a newly built house, fully furnished and the mortgage paid in full!
Overwhelmed by the life changing gift, Aaron Cabrera said, “Moving forward, tomorrow is a new day, thanks to all of you. A new life begins on the other side of that door; a new life that hopefully makes my sons proud.”
Friday, March 10, 2023
Jason was in line getting groceries and struck up a conversation with Kevin, who was waiting just behind him. Then that awful stomach squeezing thing happened where the cashier told Jason he had “insufficient funds” to get his groceries. Jason had just deposited his check and apparently it hadn’t hit the bank yet.
Kevin stepped up and quickly flashed a card saying “I got you.” And groceries are NOT cheap. The newly cemented grocery buddies went viral on social media not just because of Kevin’s generosity to a stranger, but because now the two are inseparable, even going to each other’s family gatherings!
Thursday, March 9, 2023
Delayne Ivanowski loves her dad. And she got to honor and DISobey him in the most amazing way. Her father, John Ivanowski, suffers from a kidney disease. The chronic illness put him in complete kidney failure and the doctors didn’t give him much time to live without a kidney donor.
The problem was, John had outright forbidden Delayne from donating her kidney. Years before, John had lost a son, Delayne’s brother, to cancer. He couldn’t bare the thought of kidney donation complications for his daughter. But Delayne worked with the doctors and donated her kidney in secret.
After the successful surgery, Delayne in a matching hospital gown and portable IV, visited her dad’s hospital room. He was shocked and a little angry … but that faded pretty fast at the enormity of the gift given by his loving daughter.
And to top things off, after going viral on social media with the story, financial donors helped cover the cost of both surgeries.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Chris Sweeney was a missionary for 12 years in Africa. Now back home as a Brother of Sacred Heart, he’s finding ways to continue living out the mission. His plan and hope is to build a cafe on the Northshore that employs people with special needs. It’s a cause close to his heart because his nephew Reid has Down Syndrome.
After having knee surgery last year, Chris found biking to be great exercise and physical therapy. So he’s going to go on an epic 6,000 mile bike quest from New Orleans to Washington D.C., Seattle and San Francisco. He’ll sleep at campgrounds and travel light as he shines Jesus from the bike lane and raises funds to open that cafe!
The bike trip began on March 1st and will end this summer in July, hopefully fully funding the Reid Rocks Cafe.
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Pastor Corey Brooks was led by the Holy Spirit to build a transformational community center in the heart of Chicago. But that’s crazy expensive! How would he raise the $35 million needed? Corey says God told him to pitch a tent on the roof and wait. So he did.
Pastor Corey Brooks camped each night in a tent on the roof of a building in Chicago. The building is in a rough part of town – O Block. Gang violence runs rampant. The need for the Gospel and hope is evident everywhere. And the community has heard about Jesus from the Rooftop Pastor – as Corey Brooks has come to be known.
After nearly a year in often freezing Chicago temperatures, the community and donors from around the world have already raised over $28 MILLION to make this new community center happen. Wow! (We can’t tent camp on the roof of LifeSongs, but we will be fundraising soon – Shareathon starts next week!)
Monday, March 6, 2023
Belle Irvin-Partridge regaled her children for years with stories from her time in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. But there was an important detail she left out, one that her daughter Brenda didn’t uncover until after Belle’s death: She was an integral member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only all-women, predominantly Black unit to serve in Europe during the war.
Brenda did some digging on the internet and stumbled upon a black-and-white photo of her mother in uniform alongside the other women of her battalion. Though the women didn’t see combat, their time in Europe wasn’t short on danger: They dodged German U-boats in the North Atlantic and survived a rocket explosion upon their arrival in England. The women worked tirelessly to sort and send mail to US service members stationed overseas.
It took decades for their work to be recognized but last year, President Joe Biden awarded the surviving members of the battalion the Congressional Gold Medal, and Tyler Perry is directing a film about the women. To Brenda, though, Belle Irvin-Partridge was just her mom — a quiet hero whose humble work made history.
View this post on Instagram
Friday, March 3, 2023
Gloria and Victoria Guerrier are brilliant twin sisters! They spent all of high school competing for the best GPA – neither ever scored under 100% on any test in all four years. They also compete in three varsity sports, earning county and state honors in track. But there can be only one BEST.
Gloria ultimately was named Valedictorian, with her twin Victoria as second place Salutatorian. But Victoria is itching for a rematch, in college! Both girls are headed to Yale University to keep egging each other on to greatness!
The overachieving twins plan to study computer science. “It’s like the saying, ‘How iron sharpens iron,’” Gloria said. “We really use each other to improve upon ourselves.
@abc7ny Gloria and Victoria Guerrier are twin sisters and they are also West Hempstead Secondary School’s valedictorian and salutatorian. #abc7ny #twins #smartkids #hardwork #fyp #news ♬ original sound – ABC7NY
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Diane Gordon was walking to work. It’s a 2.7 mile trek in the brutal cold of Detroit. Her car broke down last February and she’s had to choose groceries over transportation ever since.
As Diane walked to work she saw an abandoned sack outside of a convenience store. Inside was nearly $15,000 in cash and gift cards. That amount of money could have really helped Diane, but she did the right thing. She took the cash inside the store and called the local police.
It turns out the money belonged to a newly married couple – it was from their wedding earlier that very day. They were beyond grateful to have it returned. And that would be the end of this story were it not for a wife of one of the police officers who responded to the call. She was so touched by Diane’s determination to do the right thing even though she was in great need.
The police department said “the world could use a few more Dianes” as they posted a GoFundMe page for the good Samaritan. In less than 24 hours they had raised more than $40,000 for Diane! They are also working with a local auto dealer to secure her a new ride to and from work. (Ultimately over $80,000 was raised!)
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Local Jewish Chef Alon Shaya has won many awards for his Israeli cuisine. Now he is doing his part to rescue and restore what was lost during the Holocaust nearly a century ago.
Chef Shaya is working with Holocaust survivor Steven Fenves who managed to secure his grandmother’s cookbook while fleeing the former Yugoslavia. Afterall – nothing makes History and Culture come alive – nothing can bring people together – quite like a home cooked meal.
Fluffy potato circles stuffed with beef, garlic and sour cream with a touch of paprika sounds more than a little mouth watering – but the History of the dish comes from war-torn former Yugoslavia.
Tuesday, February 28, 2023
Rev. Farrell Duncombe was very grateful for those who inspired and challenged him.
Growing up Rev. Duncombe was known as “Little Farrell ” and was your quintessential pastor’s kid, always getting into trouble. He grew up in 1950s and 60s Montgomery, AL at the epicenter of the Civil Rights movement. Along with his father, pastor of St. Paul Church, his Sunday School Teacher Miss Rosalie never gave up on Little Farrell.
And because of their love and patience, Farrell would become a public school band teacher, then a principal and finally pastor of the church he grew up in. And by the way, Miss Rosalie, Little Farrell’s Sunday School teacher, was pretty famous.
Most folks knew her as Rosa Parks.
Monday, February 27, 2023
Many different styles of music were honored at the GRAMMY awards a few weeks back and yet so many of them owe their existence to little buildings in New Orleans where jazz was born. One of those little spots was called Perseverance Hall. In the early 20th century, along the river, jazz musicians cut their teeth looking for work just blocks away in the French Quarter.
Then the building became a church. And just a year and a half ago, the structure was demolished by age and Hurricane Ida. But good news – the Holy Aid and Comfort Spiritual Church of Eternal Life – AKA Perseverance Hall – is making a comeback. A federal grant, the dedication of Rev. Herald Lewis, his congregation and others pitching in are working to restore the space along Villere St.
NEED MORE GOOD NEWS? Click Here for previous Today’s Good News stories featured on LifeSongs!