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It was a few months before her bat mitzvah when Lindsay Sobel became aware of the struggles of homeless people. She was specifically shocked at the fact that those living on the streets of Los Angeles lacked proper footwear. For her Tikkun Olam- an “act of repairing the world” which is integral part of the bat mitzvah ceremony- Sobel started Shoes for Soles. The central mission of her charity was to collect and distribute shoes to Southern Californians in need. She went above and beyond in order to give back. Lindsay urged her teammates, friends and neighbors to donate and organized various school shoe drives. During the pandemic, Sobel is using the Internet to encourage donations via the Next Door app. To date, Shoes for Soles has re-distributed 30,000 pairs of gently worn shoes. She personally makes sure the shoes are in proper working condition because, as she states, “A fresh, new pair of shoes can really brighten someone’s day, brighten their attitude, and their outlook on life.” Homeless people deserve the same respect as those more financially fortunate. Shoes help people put their best foot forward. Providing someone with shoes improves their health, ability to find a job, and so much more. Lindsay continues to help more people in need and continue her charitable efforts. She is receiving awards and recognition for her recent work but sees the need for more work to be done. Something that started as a small project has blossomed into a huge initiative. The heart and sole she is giving to this charitable effort illustrates the ability to give back, something that we all have within us.

Imagine finding out as an adult that your best friend is your biological sibling. That is exactly what happened to Cassandra Madison, 32, and Julia Tinetti, 31, who met in 2013 while working at a restaurant in New Haven, CT. The pair instantly became close friends after discovering that they both had tattoos of the Dominican flag, and it turns out that was not all they had in common. Both women were born in the Dominican Republic and were adopted as babies. When they met working at the restaurant it was clear that they had a lot in common, from their personalities to their uncanny resemblance to each other. Customers and co-workers would often confuse the two, and they joked that they were sisters, dressing alike and wearing tops that read ‘big sister’ and ‘little sister’. The odds that two people would end up working at the same place thirty years after they were adopted are slim, but the similarities between the women were undeniable. CNN reported that at one point, Tinetti and Madison did look into the possibility of having the same biological mother, but their adoption papers said otherwise, and they moved on. In 2018, Madison’s adoptive mother gave her a DNA test for Christmas. After getting the results, she was able to connect with her biological father and it was revealed that there was actually a chance that she and Tinetti were biologically related. Madison, who had moved to Virginia in 2015, made the drive to Connecticut with a DNA test for Tinetti. Tinetti agreed to take the test, and in January, they received the results. "I was like, 'This is it,' and I waited for probably like 10 minutes before I even opened it, because I was trying to prepare myself for what was going to be there," Tinetti told CNN. The DNA test results confirmed what Tinetti and Madison had suspected for so long -- they were, in fact, biological sisters. The discovery not only strengthened the existing friendship but has also allowed them to reconnect with their biological family in the Dominican Republic. Tinetti joked as she told the Washington Post, “I will forever be her annoying little sister.”

Triumph is a five-year-old male koala born without a foot. Veterinarian nurse Marley Christian rescued the joey koala in New South Wales in 2017. She had found him laying next to his dying mother with only three feet and an exposed bone in place of the fourth. Marley Christian still is Triumph’s primary care giver at the Friends of the Koala Centre in Lismore. After many failed attempts at finding a proper prosthetic for Triumph, a dentist came to the rescue. Dental prosthetist Jon Doulman learned about Triumph and jumped to action. When ABC asked him what sparked his desire to get involved, he stated,​ "I take impressions of mouths, and all dentures are different, and it just dawned on me that I should have a go and see if I can manufacture something for him," Doulman told ABC. He created a pink prosthetic, with a velcro strap to help keep it on Triumph’s leg. There is a tread on the bottom to help the koala grip while walking and climbing. As soon as Marley put the boot on him, Triumph did a jump and immediately started running and climbing. Triumph became a whole new koala in front of Marley’s tear filled eyes. Dr. Doulman is working on improving his prototype but right now, it seems to be working exceptionally well for Triumph. A US based 3D printing company is also working on creating a new prosthetic for Triumph, but the pandemic has halted their plans. It may no longer be needed considering how well Triumph is doing at the moment. Dr. Doulman is not expecting to continue this type of work in the future, he just saw a need and thought he could help out. Regardless, one thing is for certain: this is a Triumph for Triumph and koalas born without limbs everywhere.

Before the pandemic began, five sisters from New Jersey saw each other regularly. Over the last year, the siblings, who are now in their 80s and 90s, have had to put their weekly gatherings on hold. But in March four of the sisters celebrated seeing each other in person again as they reunited at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill to get their COVID-19 vaccines together. Edith Camp (96), Bernice Cecil (92), Nora McDonald (86), Rose Ramsey (84) arrived for their appointment, each wearing buttons with pictures of their two other sisters - Pauline Taylor, who wasn’t able to join them, and Doris Papiano, who passed away in 2011. It was a heartwarming moment for the tight knit siblings, known as the Langly sisters growing up, as they were all there in spirit for the big moment. Bernice Cecil had the idea that she and her sisters go together to get their shots. While it took some work, Rose Ramsey’s daughter, Lori Goldsmid, was able to make arrangements for her mother and three aunts to get their vaccines together, reuniting them for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. It "was my aunt Bernice's idea to have them together, you know, for a little bit of support for each other because it's scary," Goldsmid said to CNN. Goldsmid told CNN that between them, her mother and aunts have more than 100 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. "I think the hardest part for some of them was not seeing their grandchildren at the same time as not being able to see their sisters," she said. "I think it's heartbreaking at that age not to be able to see any of your family. While the journey was tough, the sisters stuck together, and are now one step closer to seeing each other and their families again.

Brian Myers, a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, adopted his furry best friend a few months ago. Sadie, a six year old German Shepherd, was placed in the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge after her family moved to a new property that did not allow dogs. She and Myers became best friends from the start. From the start, they have slept together every night and Sadie follows Myers everywhere. Their bond only grew stronger after Myers caught COVID. As a gentle giant, Sadie was there to keep him company and give him plenty of snuggles. More recently, at the end of January, Myers suffered a stroke. After he collapsed on the floor, Sadie jumped to action. She licked his face incessantly until Meyer’s woke up. According to Meyers, he grabbed her collar in an attempt to use her as a counterweight and stand back up. When Sadie saw that Meyers was unable to rise to his feet, she then dragged him towards his cell phone, so he could call for help. Thanks to Sadie, he was able to call an ambulance. Meyers was taken to a local hospital and later recovered at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Meyers said to NBC New York, “I don’t know how she knew to do it, but that she was able to pull me the way she did, I was so grateful to her. I live alone, so if she hadn’t come and did what she did, I may as well have been worse off than I am right now.” NBC captured the reunion between Sadie and Myers after he was released from the hospital. Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge reposted the reunion video and is now raising money to pay for Sadie’s food and vet appointments, as Meyers has to leave his job while he recovers. Sadie looks eager and excited while Myers is tearful and very grateful. When asked about adoption, Meyers stated, “There are many other dogs there waiting to be somebody’s hero.” 

Hayley Arceneaux has always hoped to visit all seven continents before she turned 30. The 29-year-old has had to push back this goal though, as she will be visiting space instead prior to entering her third decade. “I did ask, ‘Am I going to get a passport stamp for going to space?’” Arceneaux said in a statement to the New York Times. “But I don’t think I’m going to. So I’m just going to draw a star and the moon in one of my passports.” A physician assistant at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Arceneaux is set to be one of four people on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which is due to lift off from Florida at the end of this year. This will be the first crewed space mission to circle Earth where no one on board is a professional astronaut. This groundbreaking adventure has been organized by Jared Isaacman, a 38-year-old billionaire who acquired launch from SpaceX. Isaacman wanted this to be a mission that included more than just the super wealthy, giving 2 of the 4 available seats to St. Jude. One of them will go to a random sweepstakes winner, where the funds will be used to support the hospital. The other: a healthcare worker who symbolizes hope (aka Hayley Arceneaux). When Hayley was 10, she was a patient at St. Jude. Diagnosed with bone cancer, she spent time at St. Jude receiving treatment and getting to know the incredible staff. After this experience, she made it a goal to work at St. Jude’s later in life. She wanted to be a mentor to patients, acting as a shoulder to lean on throughout their shared experience of childhood cancer. And she did just that. Arceneaux was hired last year by St. Jude to work with children with leukemia and lymphoma. Each day, she helps to give hope to young patients going through something she knows too well. Not only will Arceneaux be the youngest person to go to space, but she will also be the first person to have prosthetic body parts to enter orbit. Her resilience and incredible mission of empathy can be a message to all of us in remembering that the sky is never the limit – you can do anything you set your mind to.

NBA legend and hall-of-famer Michael Jordan has teamed up with Novant Health to donate $10 million to open two new medical clinics in his hometown in North Carolina, which is one of the largest donations by the NBA start ever. The clinics are set to open in early 2022 in New Hanover County, near Jordan’s hometown. This is not the first time Jordan has stepped up to help his community. He previously gave $7 million to open Michael Jordan Family Clinics in 2019 and 2020, which have already seen more than 4,500 patients and administered over 1,000 COVID-19 vaccines. The clinics created with this new donation will serve uninsured or underinsured residents of New Hanover County, according to a news release from Novant Health. “I am very proud to once again partner with Novant Health to expand the Family Clinic model to bring better access to critical medical services in my hometown” Jordan said in a statement. “Everyone should have access to quality health care, no matter where they live, or whether or not they have been insured.” Jordan grew up in Wilmington and went on to play basketball at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, before winning six championships in his 15 years in the NBA. “Wilmington holds a special place in my heart, and it is truly gratifying to be able to give back to the community that supported me throughout my life” Jordan adds. Novant health has now received $17 million from Jordan to build new health care clinics.

The beloved Midtown Manhattan landmark has been a quintessential piece of New York City architecture and tourism since its completion in early 1930. Now, the building is becoming much more environmentally friendly. Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT), the company that owns this skyscraper and 13 other office buildings, signed a three-year deal with Green Mountain Energy to power its entire portfolio with renewable wind electricity. According to the EPA, this makes ESRT the country’s largest 100% user of green power. Green Mountain Energy first began supplying energy to the Empire State Building in 2011. The company was awarded the contract after an extensive bidding process and is expected to save ESRT more than $800,000 in electricity costs within the first year of the contract. “We have purchased renewable power from Green Mountain Energy for the Empire State Building, for a decade,” said Dana Robbins Schneider, director of energy at ESRT. “We now expand that to all properties in New York State with an additional direct energy contract for our Connecticut properties. Our tenants now work in carbon neutral offices.” ESRT controls over 10.1 million square feet of real estate, all of which will run on renewable energy for at least the next three years. According to a press release, this transition to wind power will result in a savings of 450 million pounds of carbon dioxide. This is roughly the equivalent to the savings if every New York State household turned off all of their lights for a month, or if all New York City taxis were off the street for a year. The Empire State Building has endured renovations over the last 10 years as part of the $550 million restoration program, reducing its carbon footprint by 40%. The building announced last year that everything from its elevators to its windows had been updated to align with their sustainability commitment.

After returning from her first day of kindergarten, Selah told her father that many of her classmates did not know their ABCs. Selah, a lover of books, was saddened that her classmates were unaware of the joys of reading. After doing some research, Selah’s parents learned that literacy is much more than just being able to read. Rather, it is a market of future success.  According to Literacy Inc, 85% of minors in the juvenile prison system are illiterate. Further, two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare. According to Selah’s father, Khalil Thompson, “some prisons forecast the number of prison cells they are going to build in the future based off of third grade reading test scores.” The Thompson family decided to take on systemic illiteracy and its negative impacts. In 2018, with her parent’s help, Selah launched her own nonprofit, the Empowered Readers Literacy Project. Its goals are to help families build strong reading rituals and spark an enthusiasm around books. Selah and her parent’s organization has seen immediate success. At their first official event, which took place in Atlanta on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January 2018, 2,400 kids and their parents participated in the march for literacy. In addition to activism, the Empowered Readers Literacy Project runs an adventure time readers club. They also have an initiative called the 500 books project, a book drive dedicated to providing children with books. Further, Selah and her family realized another possible barrier to learning to read. In addition to elevating reading frequency, exposure to characters that children identify with is also essential. Selah’s mother, Nicole Thomspon, stated, “Children are not excited about reading when they do not see themselves on the pages of the book.” There needs to be more diverse representation in children’s books. Accordingly, Selah and her younger sister Syrai published “Penelope the Pirate Princess'' in 2019. Penelope looks like Selah and shares a love for science and outer space. Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, Selah published the second book in the series this past December titled “Penelope the Pirate Princess: A Bad Case of Glitter Spot Dots.” When speaking about the book, Selah articulated, “Covid is like glitter, It spreads everywhere, and it doesn’t stop.” Just like glitter, this little girl’s intelligence and compassion sparkles. To date, Empowered Readers Literacy Project has donated 8,000 books, including the books authored by Selah and her sister. Selah is well on her way to achieving her goal of donating 2 million books. Along the way, she is doing much more than spreading a love of reading. She is inspiring us all, young and old, to see the importance of representation and diversity on children’s empowerment.  Further, she is showcasing that if an 8-year-old can commit to making positive change in this world, so can we. 

Following the attack on the Capitol, thousands of National Guard Troops found themselves stationed in Washington D.C. for the foreseeable future. With many stationed far from home, their families, and even their pets, these servicemen no doubt have been feeling slightly homesick. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Hamilton Hotel, where more than 250 Guardsmen have been staying while deployed, arranged for their guests to be surprised with a dozen therapy dogs. This was an amazing gesture of thanks on behalf of the hotel to a group of individuals who have shown incredible dedication through their round-the-clock service to our country. And, from the pictures, it seems that it was just what the Guardsmen needed in this time of uncertainty. Therapy dogs have been an important part of helping many get through this COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 saw record high adoptions, with many looking to get ‘therapy dogs’ of their own. And, for those who couldn’t adopt, utilizing others registered therapy dogs has been a great alternative. Even over zoom, therapy dogs have continued to put smiles on people’s faces. Some dogs have even started acting as virtual reading partners for young children. The 12 dogs who visited the Hamilton Hotel work with their owners through a non-profit called People Animals Love. For an hour, they stood at various spots around the hotel lobby, eagerly waiting to receive pets from the next Guardsman who knelt down next to them. The joy on Guardsmen’s faces from this spontaneous visit was clear, even behind their masks. “Seeing hardened military men and women, roll around on the ground with these amazing dogs, as if no one is watching, truly filled our souls with happiness and gratitude,” Hamilton Hotel director Joe Palminteri told GNN. “It was only an hour, but the smiles and warm embraces will last a lifetime.”