The idea for the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation was first sparked during the 1990s in the San Francisco Bay area. According to the foundation’s website, in response to the trend of dishearteningly negative news coverage during a “summer of violence,” a reporter proposed “practicing random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” instead. […]
When Laura Talmus’ 15-year-old daughter Lili unexpectedly passed away in 2009 due to medical complications of Apert syndrome, she channeled her grief into action. What began as a middle school assembly, inspired by Lili’s experiences as a student who often spent lunch alone, turned into the nonprofit Beyond Differences, which currently works with 9,000 schools
Each morning at a small charter school in Gainesville, Florida, students in kindergarten through fifth grade participate in affirmations, asserting that they’re one day going to “change the world.” They’ve been given the space to cultivate that confidence through the actions of a caring couple who devoted their professional lives to teaching. In 1998, after
Inspired by an article profiling a young girl in the foster care system who burst into tears upon receiving her first birthday cake, Cake4Kids founder Libby Gruender recognized that such a simple gesture could have a profound impact on the lives of underprivileged children. IIn 2010, Cake4Kids launched as a grassroots effort in Sunnyvale, California,
Editorial update (May 8, 2023): A previous version of this story referenced SELF’s thank you card program. Due to an overwhelming response in requests for materials, we have removed links to that particular initiative at this time. The Santoro Education Lifeskills Foundation (SELF), a Florida nonprofit, is helping children and teenagers develop the skills they
This Nonprofit Teaches Life Skills to Teens Through Free Online Curriculum Continue Reading »
High schoolers in Tennessee have made headlines for an innovative act of kindness: creating a robotic hand for their classmate. When Sergio Peralta, 15, started the year as a new student at Hendersonville High School, he tried to conceal that he was born with a right hand that didn’t fully form. “In the first days
Of the roughly 23,000 children who age out of the foster care system each year, around 20% become instantly homeless at age 18. A nonprofit in Oklahoma is working to help them and other unhoused young adults find shelter by offering tiny homes at a low rate. The organization, aptly named Pivot, aims to be
Oklahoma Nonprofit Offers Tiny Homes to Unhoused Young Adults Continue Reading »
Are humans inherently good or inherently selfish? Philosophers stretching back to the times of Socrates and Plato have debated human nature and its complexities. But only in recent decades have scientists and researchers started to pull back the layers on this complicated question. According to Scientific American, a set of studies conducted in 2012 by
At 78 years old, J.R. Harris may not fit the stereotypical image of an active wilderness explorer. But the Louisiana-born adventurer has been devoted to the pursuit since he set off on his first excursion in 1966, and he has no plans of stopping anytime soon. In addition to hiking mountains, river rafting, and traveling
In the United States, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday that takes place annually on the third Monday in January. It celebrates the January 15 birthday — and more broadly, the life and achievements — of the civil rights leader. For those who aren’t fully familiar with the importance and necessity of
