Innehållsförteckning för The 2025 Helpers Edition från The Goodnewspaper

Catherine Szabad knows how hard holidays can be for those who have lost a loved one. “After losing my child, I experienced a silence I never expected — the world didn't seem to notice that everything had changed,” Szabad wrote. “That grief made me very aware of how isolating loss can be, especially when there's little space for others to recognize it.” That became the mission behind Szabad's company. Hearts in Bloom, in Buffalo, New York, which delivers free bouquets and gifts to widows and widowers on Valentine's Day. In its second year, Hearts in Bloom had over 300 volunteers — enough to triple the number of people who received gifts. This year, volunteer Morgan Cabana dropped off flowers for Rita Costantino, who lost her husband of 51 years in…

In Memphis, Tennessee, Elon Musk's xAI is building a massive data center, currently fueled by 35 unpermitted gas turbines, according to reports by TIME. Nitrogen dioxide concentration levels have increased by 79% in the area — made up of predominantly Black, low-income residents — since development began, according to researchers from the University of Tennessee. The Southern Environmental Law Center says the use of the gas turbines may be a violation of the Clean Air Act. Memphis Community Against Pollution formed in response to local climate injustice. In addition to working with health officials to express their concerns over xAI and other similar projects, the group launched an air quality monitoring program that will measure pollutants in the community and publish the data publicly, for free. “Today is a step…

When Rachel Griffin Accurso realized that her 2-year-old son had a speech delay, she took speech therapy lessons to learn how to help him reach crucial milestones. She adapted those strategies into songs and uploaded them to YouTube in 2019 as “Ms Rachel,” laying the first brick for an online platform that would soon air in millions of households. In a recent interview with Democracy Now!, broadcaster Juan González drew comparisons between Accurso and Mister Rogers, linking Rogers’ fight for racial justice to Accurso's tireless dedication to platform Palestinian children during the war in Gaza. “People say, you know, [Rogers] wasn't political. And he was political. He had such deep care for children and he took media so seriously, that it should really serve children and that it's a big…

At the dawn of Trump's second presidency, as ICE began ramping up efforts to target and deport migrant communities, Texas eighth grader Alexa Jaramillo was scrolling on social media. Here, she saw something that caught her attention: small red cards being shared in person and online. The cards are a free downloadable resource from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center providing legal information. They outline constitutional rights, in both English and Spanish — something her school community, with an 83% Hispanic population, would benefit from. Jaramillo asked her principal to print the cards out on red paper to distribute to parents in the pickup line at school. She cut out 500 cards by herself and enlisted other student volunteers to help distribute them. Parents nodded wordlessly or took the cards and…

Founded in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a movement of people from all over the world working together to end Israel's decades-long blockade of Gaza. The group is most widely known for sailing by boat to attempt to create a way to provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians through non-violent means.. This year, the coalition's efforts rose to prominence when acclaimed climate activist Greta Thunberg joined in, supporting dozens of other activists carrying aid like baby formula, food, and diapers. The group's latest effort was through the Global Sumud Flotilla, a coalition of 500 civilian activists on 42 boats. Although none of their boats reached Gaza — the closest vessel made it 25.5 nautical miles from its coast — their message was carried across the world. “Though we come from…

John Clarke Mills is no stranger to wildfires, one of which led to a seven-day evacuation that he spent huddled around an emergency radio, desperate for news. “I experienced a bunch of fires where there was just no reliable information,” the Californian told the Healdsburg Tribune. “Some fires are so small they're handled quickly, but you're still left wondering, ‘What's going on near my house? Should I pack to evacuate or not?’” That's when Mills funneled radio traffic from skilled operators (active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders) into an app called Watch Duty, which disseminates critical fire updates and evacuation notifications. In January, the app became an essential resource for thousands of Californians fleeing deadly fires in Altadena and Palisades. As their users doubled overnight, Mills’ team of…

On November 5, 2024, Sarah McBride made history as the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. In her first year in Congress, McBride has cosponsored more than 120 bills, returned $360,000 to her constituents through casework assistance, and passed the Equal Opportunity for All Investors Act, which provides expanded investment opportunities for women, veterans, and people of color. Through it all, McBride has contended with targeted attacks from her Republican colleagues on her identity, including frequent misgendering, and an effort to ban trans people from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity in the Capitol building. Commenting on the rampant political division, McBride told The New York Times that “hurt people hurt people.” “We are in this competition for pain when there is plenty of pain to…

In 2024, Tejasvi Manoj's grandfather narrowly avoided a $2,000 phone scam. When the 16-year-old looked into the larger world of cybercrimes, she felt inspired to help older people like her grandfather. Over the next year, she coded a new app called “Shield Seniors.” That app landed Manoj on the cover of Time magazine in 2025 as their “Kid of the Year.” Shield Seniors takes a multi-pronged approach to reducing fraud by offering guidelines on internet security and password strength, a 24/7 chatline, and an AI-powered tool that scans texts and emails for suspected scams. There is also a section for reporting fraud, which brings seniors added autonomy as they seek justice after a scam. “It will also explain why,” Manoj told Time. “Because our goal for Shield Seniors is to…

Mychal Threets is often seen on social media donning bright colors and a delightfully unruly afro. In early 2024, after sharing earnest videos about how much he loves working at the library, he was relentlessly bullied. The internet went to bat for him, and he has since skyrocketed to a combined nearly 2 million followers on TikTok and Instagram. And he hasn't stopped. Between impassioned videos sharing new books, heartfelt pep talks about mental health, and advocacy for public media, everything comes back to one core belief: Everyone belongs at the library. This year, Threets became the new host of the “Reading Rainbow” reboot. The once-acclaimed PBS show is now a venture by KidZuko, a children's YouTube channel run by Sony Pictures Television. New episodes have already been released, with…

In September, comedian Drew Lynch was in the middle of a stand-up routine in Spokane, Washington when an audience member suddenly collapsed from a heart attack. Within seconds, Lynch called for a medic from the stage, as a woman shouted that she was already dialing 911. Lynch said what happened next “was one of the most powerful examples of community and human connection I've ever seen.” Mr. Wende, the audience member who collapsed, went without a pulse for over five minutes. But the strangers around him didn't give up. “Without hesitation, people in the audience began taking turns performing CPR, clearing space for paramedics, and monitoring his vitals,” Lynch wrote on social media. The American Heart Association estimates that 436,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest each year. However, immediate CPR…

In mid-September — one month after rainbow-colored crosswalks were banned from and covered up on the streets of Orlando, Florida — local restaurateur Trina Gregory offered up 49 private parking spaces outside her eatery for artists to decorate. Each parking spot was dedicated to one of the 49 victims killed in the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016. Gregory was blown away by the response. In total, she received 1,000 applications for the event, which she called “Parking Space for Pride — A Rainbow Connection.” “Art has always been a form of resistance and healing,” Gregory told NBC News. “If they want to erase symbols of pride and acceptance, then we'll create even more of them. This isn't just about paint, it's about community, visibility, and love.” Gregory is not alone.…

In 2013, Boyan Slat — a Dutch inventor and entrepreneur — went viral with a TEDx Talk about his ideas to clean up ocean plastic pollution. So viral, in fact, that the then-18-year-old ended his pursuit of an aerospace engineering degree and founded The Ocean Cleanup with the goal of removing 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040. In 2025, Slat returned to the TED stage to share the progress of his work, promising The Ocean Cleanup would be able to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — a collection of ocean pollution about twice the size of Texas — in the next five years. How? A rapid scaling of its technology has led to a 1.5-mile-long cleanup barrier in the Pacific Ocean that can clean an area the…

As an actor, Mark Ruffalo has never shied away from using his platform to amplify causes closest to him, from social justice movements and reproductive rights to climate change. Even as he juggles an ever-evolving film and television career — most recently in “Poor Things,” “Mickey 17,” and HBO's “Task” — Ruffalo has always ensured that his activism is at the forefront of his work. This year, he attended “No Kings” protests in the face of authoritarian threats, campaigned for clean water rights in small towns across America, and continually called attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In September, Ruffalo joined Javier Bardem as an executive producer on the Jordanian Oscar entry, “All That's Left of You,” which follows a Palestinian teen as they are displaced in 1948. “‘All…

In March 2025, Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old legal green card holder from Palestine, was taken from his New York City apartment by a group of masked men who identified themselves as Homeland Security. He was detained for three months and threatened with deportation, and his pregnant wife gave birth without him there. His arrest was part of the Trump administration's crackdown on international student protesters, following Khalil's role as a mediator during campus protests in 2024. While detained, he was held in a single room with 70 other men, learning their stories and how many of them were taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at their scheduled immigration hearings. Though he has since been released, court proceedings to determine Khalil's future are still underway. And his activism has transformed into…

Dr. Nour and Dr. Nagham are sisters and physicians working on the ground in Gaza, where they founded Pal Humanity, an organization that provides urgent humaitarian aid. Together, they distribute diapers, menstrual and hygiene kits, baby formula, desalination stations, food, and educational resources. In addition to their work distributing essentials to people in need, the sisters and their team of doctors and nurses have also set up makeshift medical and dental schools to teach even more people how they can take care of their neighbros, too. With nearly all hospitals, universities, and formal education systems destroyed in the area, Pal Humanity is where future health care providers can be trained and provide their services. What started as a small effort between two sisters now nears a fundraising goal of $1…

On July 14, amidst Bastille Day celebrations, Gisèle Pelicot was awarded France's highest civilian honor when she was named a knight of the Legion of Honor. The occasion marked one year since Pelicot had been catapulted into the public eye after testifying in a landmark sexual assault case. The trial revealed a shocking truth: For over a decade, she had been drugged and raped by her husband and more than 50 other men. After the trial, the men were sentenced to a total of 428 years in prison. “I wanted all women victims of rape, not just when they have been drugged, rape exists at all levels, I want those women to say, ‘Madame Pelicot did it, we can do it too,” she told the court. “I say it is…

Ash Perez is a writer, director, and author who got their start in the early days of BuzzFeed. While sharing their gender transition in the public eye, Perez has remained an open book, using his platform to highlight the importance of trans visibility while continually debunking myths and misconceptions surrounding his community. “The thing that sucks about what's happening to trans people right now is that trans people are just people, like everyone else is, and they're just trying to be happy and just trying to have fun,” Perez told podcaster Tori Dunlap. Most recently, Perez created “New Guy Tries,” a spin-off of the popular “Try Guys” YouTube series. Perez said the show is all about revisiting the things he “missed out on as a boy,” and trying them for…

This year, Violet Affleck, daughter of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, gave a speech before the United Nations advocating for filtered indoor air and masking to help prevent children from getting Long COVID. The CDC defines Long COVID as chronic conditions that persist or develop after a COVID-19 infection. “We are told by leaders across the board that we are the future,” she said. “But when it comes to the ongoing pandemic, our present is being stolen right in front of our eyes. We can recognize filtered air as a human right, as intuitively as we do filtered water. We can create clean air infrastructure that is so ubiquitous and so obviously necessary, tomorrow's children don't even know why we need it.” As someone who has Long COVID herself, Affleck…

Charitie Ropati is an Indigenous activist and graduate of Columbia University, where she studied civil engineering. But before the Ivy Leagues, the Native Yup'ik and Sāmoan saw how few opportunities there were for girls and young women to excel in STEM fields in Anchorage, Alaska. When she was still a student in Anchorage, Ropati was instrumental in the passage of a policy that allowed Alaskan students to wear cultural regalia during graduation ceremonies. Ropati has also worked to provide inclusive and comprehensive history curriculum to Native communities. Her greatest achievement, however, is the founding of Lil Native Girl In STEM, a nonprofit that confronts systemic barriers to entry for Indigenous women and girls in STEM. Now a water engineer serving rural Native communities, her work paves the way for all…

Rob Scheer was 12 years old when a case worker told him to pack everything he owned into a trash bag to escape an abusive household. As he moved from foster home to foster home, the trash bag routine continued, until he turned 18. When he was old enough to adopt his own children with his husband Reece, Scheer was shocked when they arrived on his doorstep with trash bags in tow. “When my children arrived and each one of them had a trash bag, I knew we as a society failed,” Scheer told CBS News. That's when Scheer started Comfort Cases. Since 2013, the Scheer family has helped distribute more than 250,000 backpacks and duffel bags to children in foster care across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the…

Within the gray walls and barbed wire surrounding Richland Correctional Institution in Mansfield, Ohio, there's a room roped off for all but a small group of incarcerated men, who tend to the orphaned opossums and injured squirrels inside. The Richland Correctional Institution is one of five across the state that have been participating in the wildlife rehabilitation program since 2019. Every year, hundreds of animals pass from the Ohio Wildlife Center's hospital to more than 60 incarcerated volunteers. Brittany Jordan, the center's wildlife rehabilitation operational director, said that prison facilities are uniquely positioned to house orphaned and injured animals as they recover from abandonment, car accidents, and window strikes. Free from domesticated animals and young children, the ducklings, songbirds, rabbits, and more have the safety of recovering in a quiet…

Bill McKibben is one of the world's foremost leaders on climate. His 1989 book “The End of Nature” is hailed as the first book about climate change for a general audience. He co-founded 350.org, a global grassroots climate campaign that has led protests on every single continent (yes, even Antarctica) and operates in 188 countries. He played a leading role in launching the opposition campaign to the Keystone XL Pipeline, as well as fossil fuel divestment. But his latest chapter has been reviving Sun Day, a global celebration of solar energy that fell off in the 1980s — until this year, when McKibben relaunched it, inspiring 450 events across the globe. Sun Day aims to mobilize people and governments toward a clean energy future. McKibben hopes to recapture the spirit…

In season 48 of “Survivor,” Eva Erickson made television history as the first openly autistic contestant to make it all the way to the finale. In episode one, she confided in her castmate Joe Hunter, who looked out for her “as he would his own daughter.” Later, when a challenge rattled her, Hunter comforted Erickson despite being on separate teams. Overwhelmed by his support, she opened up to the rest of her fellow contestants. “Please let's take a step away from the game and understand that this is what I deal with, with my autism,” she said. “And everyone who has autism should not be ashamed to ask for help and ashamed to receive it.” Since the show has wrapped, Erickson has continued to use her platform to raise autism…

Jesús Morales — also known as Juixxe on TikTok — is something of a Santa Claus to the street vendors of Los Angeles. Morales has been supporting street vendors, day laborers, and housekeepers in his community — often immigrants — for the past three years. He often donates large sums of money or invites them to hang out for the day, where he shares their stories and hosts them at locations like theme parks or baseball games. Morales’ combined 9 million followers on Instagram and TikTok contribute to fundraisers for the individuals featured in his videos, but he also has a nonprofit, the Echándole Ganas Foundation Giving Circle, which provides financial support and resources for immigrant workers. To date, the giving circle has given away over $600,000. In addition to…

Millions across the world follow her: The young Palestinian journalist with dark curly hair and braces that haven't been taken off in two years. “It's Bisan from Gaza,” she says to the camera, “and I'm still alive.” Bisan Owda, a journalist, activist, and filmmaker, has been reporting live from Gaza long before a United Nations commission classified Israel's siege on Gaza as a genocide. Before, she shared everyday anecdotes from street vendors, students, and ordinary people. Now, she documents the realities of occupation: Living in a makeshift tent, sobbing and running as Israeli forces strike a nearby ambulance, documenting the harrowing lack of clean water and food, smiling and drinking tea during a temporary ceasefire. In 2023, she received a Peabody Award for her reporting. In 2024, an Emmy. “Only…

For Tom Sullivan, Colorado state senator, gun reform will always be a top priority. In 2012, his son Alex and 11 others were killed in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting. The shooter used a high-capacity magazine attached to an AR-15. According to the Violence Policy Center, there have been at least 108 mass shootings since 1980 where the shooter used large capacity ammunition magazines containing more than 10 rounds. In April, Colorado outlawed the manufacture, sale, and purchase of semiautomatic firearms that can accept detachable ammunition magazines. Sullivan was the law's lead legislative sponsor. “We can't afford not to do all we can to change the continuing impact of gun violence,” Sullivan said. “[It's] just the next step we have undertaken on that effort.” When the NRA challenged the…

It would be an understatement to say that Kameron and Khalen Saunders have been busy the last few years. As Khalen Saunders played defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL, his brother Kameron Saunders worked as a background dancer for Taylor Swift, spending 630-plus days on stage at the Eras Tour. And in June, Khalen and Kameron teamed up to create the first football camp geared towards LGBTQ+ youth. “I hope this camp can accomplish teaching the younger generation how to be accepting and loving and empathetic of others,” Khalen said on the Today Show. “Because at the end of the day, loving one another is the most important thing. I feel like my No. 1 rule that I've always went by is, treat others as you…

In June, 13-year-old Samuel Salamone posted his first Instagram video. “I'm picking up one piece of litter per follower,” Salamone said. “Today we're at zero followers. Let's do fifty anyway!” The next day, Salamone had 27 followers. By day three, he had 25,000. “As you can imagine, it would be impossible for me to pick up 25,000 pieces of litter a day,” Salamone said. So he pivoted to a new strategy: picking up 100 pieces of litter for 100 days straight. In three months, Salamone racked up over 868,000 followers as his good deeds continued to go viral. His friends and neighbors stepped in to help him with his mission, and in September, the Chilterns Lifestyle Centre joined Salamone for a community-wide “pick and step” cleanup. “I think it's worth…

Sam Balto — or as he's known to his students and followers, Coach Balto — got his start as a physical education teacher. Living in bike-loving Portland, Oregon, he wracked his brain trying to figure out how to engage his students following the COVID-19 pandemic. He decided to start a “Bike Bus.” Now, Balto leads a pack of hundreds of kids through the school's neighborhood on their morning commute at least once weekly. They all ride bikes as Balto plays tunes from his bluetooth speaker. It's so fun that it's inspired a global movement — and a nonprofit: Bike Bus World. By riding as a group, Balto — and any other Bike Bus group across the country — is able to lead kids in a safe and engaging way, while…