It's Easy to Be Good

It is SO important for people to be good to others and help spread the good in the world. Day to day, we are exposed to endless negativity and evil, and I think that if you are able to complete just one small act of kindness a day you have the ability to change the world. Being good doesn't mean that you have to be the nicest, most kind and giving person in the world, but to me it means taking time in your life to think of someone else before yourself and act on it. To do something good doesn't have to mean doing some grand gesture or even taking part in an organized charity event. To contribute to the good in the world all it takes is something as small as picking up a piece of trash or holding a door open for someone. If you can do anything to brighten someone's day it could mean the world to them. Below is a list a few small things that you can do to help spread the good in the world, but these are only a few of the millions and billions of options because when it comes to being good the options are ENDLESS! 

1. Call someone you care about

Whether you've haven't talked them in three years or three hours, everyone loves getting a phone call from someone they love. It's always nice to know that somebody cares about you and is thinking of you. So whether it's a new friend, an old friend or a family member, all it takes is picking up the phone to make someone's day

2. Walk your dog for charity

So, your New Year’s resolution to walk every day is still holding strong (good job!), but you are also looking for a way to give back. When you download the Walk for a Dog mobile app you can track your mileage and choose your favorite animal charity. Donated funds are then divvied up according to how many walkers selected each charity.

3. Make a double batch of your favorite meal or baked good to give away

Everybody loves getting food. Even if you just give an extra snack to a friend at lunch you are helping are making an effort to share the good in the world! There are also plenty of options for food donations to local organizations that would help and be more than willing to accept food donations.

4. Offer to help with someone’s chores or errands

Chores and errands are never fun to do, so offer to help someone out with theirs to make it not only easier for them, but twice the fun.

5. Clean up after litterbugs

Trash belongs in trash cans. It's as simple as that, and you can help make this happen. Whenever you see trash sitting on the ground or left on an abandoned cafeteria table don't just ignore it. Take the time to keep our earth clean and through away the trash that is left by other.

6. Donate your old phones to help victims of domestic violence

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence accepts donations of phones and other electronic devices to help with their mission of supporting survivors. Donated materials are collected by Cellular Recycler and a portion of the funds from selling the refurbished electronics goes to NCADV. This deed also helps keep old phones out of landfills.

7. Donate blood

Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person - the gift of life. A decision to donate your blood can save a life, or even several if your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.

8. Donate used clothes and toys

Donating items that you have and no longer need is always a great idea. This not only gives to the community and those in need, but it helps you declutter your house. It's also super easy to do! All you have to do is bring bags of the items to one of the drop off spots, whether it a bin in a supermarket parking lot or a Goodwill store.

9. Volunteer at a local organization

No matter where you live there are always plenty of opportunities to help a local organization out. The best part is that there really is a volunteer job for everyone. If you love animals, then help out at the local animal shelter and if you love helping senior citizens, then sign up for the local senior center. There are so many options for places to help, and all of them would be grateful to have one more person who is willing to put in time to better the lives of others.

Deed of the Day!

A homeless women was recently refused a cup of water at McDonalds and a complete stranger took it upon himself to come to her aid. After a night out, Jonathon Pengelly stopped in a McDonald's in Cardiff, Wales, and witnessed a homeless woman ask for a cup of hot water. When the woman was declined the drink, Jonathon decided to step in and help.

 

Following this event, Jonathon posted a description of his act of kindness on Facebook. This post, which has been shared thousands of times reads as follows:

 

"Well, my night took an unexpected turn! So I finished my night out, ended up in the dreaded McDonald's queue. I couldn't help but notice the lady in front me, all she asked for was a cup of hot water.

 

The member of staff told her no. I don't know what was going through their mind but a lady, clearly homeless was asking for a basic human right; and for a multi billion pound company, for them to say no is disgusting!

 

My heart was shattered! So I spoke to her and told her to order what she wanted, expecting her to order everything. I was so shocked. She asked for a single cheese burger and that was it. We bought as much as we could carry so I knew she wasn't going to be hungry.

 

I couldn't just leave this lady go, she was so warming and so lovely. So I sat with her, on the cold hard floor, in the middle of winter and you know what I did? I cried my eyes out.

 

You know if people of Cardiff walked passed them and didn't do anything because, financially, they weren't in the position, I would understand. But people walked passed and laughed at them. I don't care who you are, If this was you; and you're reading this I hate you!

 

When I got to speak to them I was genuinely shocked at their story and how educated they were! So full of life and enthusiasm and they literally have nothing!

 

I invited Polly and her mate back to my house and we all cooked enough food to feed them and their friends for the next few nights. We boxed them up and packed them in their bags.

Polly and her mate have had showers, brushed their teeth and they both said they have never felt so appreciated in their life.

 

I'm no saint, but this small act of kindness cost me about £20. I know 90% of people reading this will earn about 10 times that a day.

 

It costs nothing to be kind, and I genuinely hope people share this to raise awareness of homelessness throughout the UK!

 

Me and Polly have chatted on the phone and I've promised her that she will never go hungry or cold again! I've given her blankets, pillows and a back pack full of food.

If you see someone on the streets, don't look down on them like they're nothing. You don't know what they've been though! spare a little thought!

 

I don't care if I look like s**t cause I'm crying!

 

Polly, you've changed me!"

“The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.”

 

― Napoléon Bonaparte 

Good Deeds Day

On April 7,2017 will mark the 11 year that good deeds day will be expanding there circles of good. This is when thousands of people all ages come and volunteer to help people in need, and do good deeds throughout the country.  Good Deeds Day was initiated in 2007 by businesswoman and philanthropist, Shari Arison, and launched and organized by Ruach Tova (NGO), a part of The Ted Arison Family Foundation. They only started with 7,000 volunteers and only 1 country and in 2016 they expanded to 1,500,000 volunteers and 75 country's. that's amazing.

Good deeds day impacts so many many people, a lot of them being high school students. Many schools around the world have already made such an impact. Over 60 high school students participated in a huge dance marathon in Toronto, Canada to raise money for "SickKids Hospital" they where even honored to have a patient form the hospital participate and share her story. 100 students at the International School Villa Amalienhof participated in various activities on Good Deeds Day for their community. Each class got to organize there own good deed to do, recycling things and or planting flowers. At George  mason university 150 volunteers organized Good Deeds Day events and projects for 1,000 participants and 25 for a Doing Good Fair that empowered student organizations, university departments, community organizations, and individuals to share their causes of choice with a wider audience. These are only a few good deeds performed there are thousands of more.

So this year please participate in good deeds day along with many others in the world. You can do it alone or in a group. Just work to make our world a better place.

Read more at http://www.good-deeds-day.org/

Xoxo~ Tanty girl and Alicia

Deed of the Day!

A couple years ago, Mineral Wells Elementary student Chase Anderson "was bored, and started writing a story, and all of a sudden, there was an elephant.” That elephant’s name was Stomper, and the story Chase wrote was printed as a book, and illustrated by Edison Middle School student Selena Martin. Anderson had set a goal of raising $12,000 for three different charities.

Now 10 years old and in fifth grade,  Anderson has earned $12,633 in proceeds for his books. “It feels really good that I’ve accomplished a really high goal,” he said. Anderson has raised more than his goal of $12,000 from sales of his book, and plans to divide the proceeds among the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Cancer Society and the Salvation Army.

He recently presented a check for $5,633 to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Mid-Ohio Valley chapter in Parkersburg in honor of his grandfather who suffered from the disease. Next week, he plans to present $4,000 to the American Cancer Society, which he selected after his neighbor died of cancer. This past fall, he gave $3,000 to the Salvation Army of Parkersburg because “they help the people who don’t have homes.” And people can still contribute to the cause as Anderson still has 80 books left to sell. Information about buying a copy can be found at the Stomper the Elephant Facebook page. 

Deed of the Day!

In the past, the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico has gotten "a bad rap." So in an effort to change the world's view on their city, the Youth Advisory Council of Albuquerque has created an app to prove that Albuquerque is full of good people.

It all started a few months ago with a text message to Mayor Richard Berry and a goal to document acts of kindness. The mayor received a challenge from Anaheim’s mayor all the way in California, saying “we want to challenge the kids in Albuquerque to a million acts of kindness.” Jordan Padilla of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council said, “We agreed that this was a great idea because all of us want to see more kindness in our communities.”

Last October, the city launched the ABQ Kindness App. Another member of Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, Joaquin Romero, says “I believe that Albuquerque is a kind place. I mean, we hear a lot about the violence and the bad statistics about Albuquerque, but I believe that there’s a lot of good here.”

Since the app has been launched, the good deeds such as “Miss Lisa made green chili stew for the school staff,” “I donated blood today,” “a nice lady paid for my drink at Starbucks, I was happily surprised and plan to do the same for someone else,” and a “neighbor took our garbage cans in from the street for us this week,” have been flooding in. The app has received about 20,000 acts of kindness, so far. The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, say they want to achieve the one million acts of kindness goal in 2017. “Performing acts of kindness brings out a sense of selflessness that a lot of people don’t realize that they have inside of them,” Padilla said.

You can check out the app and download it straight to your phone from the App Store.  

Deed of the Day!

With the Tantasqua Sock Drive in full swing, I thought it would be fitting to post an uplifting story on a senior who has knitted 10,000 socks for the homeless using a super machine. Bob Rutherford, an 88-year-old man, has used a super-powered knitting machine to weave over 10,000 pairs of wool socks for homeless shelters across Canada. Rutherford had created the knitting machines about ten years ago on a dare from his friend, but had only started using them to created socks after his wife died seven years ago. He told CBC News that, “When my wife passed away in 2010, I felt the loss that everybody feels and had nothing to do. [My son] said to me, ‘If you want to help yourself, help somebody else.’” Rutherford then began his project, which he calls Socks by Bob. His son, Scott helps raise money for the wool along with Custom Woolen Mills who have donated hundreds of pounds of wool for the socks. Rutherford's mission to create socks for the homeless has expanded to include a few friends to help him along. In 2016 alone, the group knitted 2,000 new socks for people living in poverty. He says the socks have given him purpose. "I think everybody has to have this. I think people have to reach out and touch other people. And I can do this by touching the socks," Rutherford told CBC News.

 

 

Wool socks made by Bob Rutherford

Bob's custom made sock-knitting machine

 
 
 

 

Read about more good deeds at http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org

Deed of the Day!

Ed Moseley, an 86 year old resident of Dogwood Forest Assisted Living in Acworth, Georgia, taught himself to knit so he could make warm hats to donate to premature  babies this holiday season. More than 300 babies in the NICU at Northside Hospital in Atlanta have received a hat from Moseley to keep them warm and cozy through the holidays.  

This all began with a community wide challenge at the Dogwood Forest Assisted Living. “Our corporate office gave us a challenge to see how many knit baby camps each community could make,” JoAn Hobbs, the facility’s executive director, explained. “The goal was 200 caps for the entire eight communities, but it seems that Dogwood Forest was the only one to really participate.”

 

Moseley himself had personally knitted 55 colorful baby hats in response to this challenge.

“I prevailed on my daughter to get a kit, and it comes with the right size loom and the right tools to help you knit one,” Moseley told ABC News. “I just followed the instructions. It was easy. Somehow I had never knitted, and I always associated knitting with a bunch of needles but this looked pretty doable for me. I went through two or three before I came out with a good finished product.”

 

As a recently retired engineer, he excitedly took on the challenge and even held classes for his fellow residents to get them inspired, as well. “I must be a lousy instructor because I didn’t get many takers,” he laughed during his interview with ABC. With the help of one of his caretakers, other staff, friends and family, Moseley managed to inspire the making of more than 300 hand-knitted caps to present to the NICU. The parents of the premature babies couldn’t have been more appreciative toward Moseley and his donation.  Doug Bunt, new father to a son named Mathew said, “It means a lot to us because this is our second stint in the NICU. We have a 5-year-old who spent 54 days up there. To know there are other people who are thinking about the well-being of these babies, our babies, it’s really nice to know. The fact this man is taking time out of his day to help the kids really means a lot to us.”

 

The staff at Northside Hospital, who care for about 2,000 premature infants each year, have also expressed their gratitude for Mosley's gift to the babies. “It’s great to receive these wonderful gifts,” Linda Kelly, clinical manager of the special care nursery, said.

“To have a gift left at the bedside, or a nurse put the hat on the little baby’s head, makes it all seem less like a hospital. It’s important for families to see their baby as a baby and not as a patient. This will help to get the families to that spot.”

 

Moseley says he was glad to have found a new hobby to keep him busy while watching TV and will continue his new found talent of knitting.

“When someone appreciates something you do, that makes you feel good, naturally,” he said. “I got a lot of enjoyment doing this and now I’ve graduated to large caps. I’m doing caps for all my grandkids.”

J.K. Rowling Off Billionaire List Due to Charity Donations

In 2004, bestselling author J.K. Rowling became the first author to make the Forbes billionaires list, thanks to the film and marketing empire based on her seven-book Harry Potter series. She remained on the list for seven years. In 2012, Forbes announced that Rowling had dropped off its billionaires list, citing two reasons: the estimated $160 million (16% of her fortune) she had given to charity, and the high tax rates in Britain. Rowling was not the first billionaire to be added to the Forbes ‘Billionaire Drop-offs’ list due to her charitable generosity. In regards to her commitment to charity, J.K. Rowling told the Telegraph that, “I think you have a moral responsibility, when you’ve been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently."

 

In addition to these generous donations, Rowling has also founded Lumos; a charity driven to help children in Eastern Europe who are disadvantaged and/or institutionalized.

This charity is where  Rowling's $160 million have been donated and put towards good causes that she holds in high esteem. J.K Rowling’s main beneficiaries of this charity are aimed towards organizations that helps single parent families in an attempt to "give them more opportunities to find employment, enter into education, and provide child care facilities so single mothers and fathers feel more empowered and in control of their lives." J.K Rowling can be seen as an inspiration to others who top the rich list year after year, and her story will hopefully encourage them to use their riches to help those in need.

Make 2017 a GOOD Year!

Happy New Year!! Everyone makes New Year's resolutions to help improve themselves and their lives, so this year why not make a resolution to help others. One of my resolutions this year was to try to do at least one good deed a day. A good deed doesn't have to be something extraordinary or life-changing, just something that is done for someone else. Whether it's one good deed a day or one good deed a month, I think that it's so important for everyone to be good and take a small part in making a positive impact on our world. So for anyone who would like to join me in making a resolution for the year 2017 to spread the good, here is a list of fifty-two good deeds to last you all year.

 

 

A Good Deed a Week:

1. Donate to charity.

2. Help a friend in need.

3. Volunteer for an hour at a local organization.

4. Save electricity by unplugging your devices when not in use.

5. Buy a gift for a family member - just because.

6. Allow a driver to merge into your lane.

7. Write a thank-you note to someone who won’t expect it.

8. Find an unneeded item in your house and donate it to a charity.

9. Plant a plant.

10. Tell a funny joke just to make someone laugh.

11. Teach an elderly person to use a computer to surf the Internet or write e-mails.

12. Organize a family meal and appreciate being together.

13. Collect stuffed animals and donate them to an organization that helps children.

14. Go outside, take a deep breath and take the time to appreciate nature.

15. Find a piece of winter clothing that you haven’t worn all season, and donate it to a charity.

16. Donate an old cell phone.

17. Be  more conscious of the environment.

18. Offer to cook or clean for someone who won't expect it.

19. Think of at least three things you should be thankful for in your life.

20. Sign up for a CPR course.

21. Pick up a few extra cans at the grocery and donate them to a food pantry.

22. Collect duffle bags, overnight bags, and suitcases you don't use and donate them to organizations that send them to children in foster care.

23. Take part in a bone marrow drive.

24. Pick up trash from the sidewalk.

25. Offer to read to or play games with someone living in a nursing or retirement home.

26. Donate blood.

27. Conserve energy. Turn off the lights if you’re the last person to leave a room.

28. Look for articles about people performing acts of kindness as a source of inspiration and motivation for you and your family.

29. Decide to make one change in yourself that will make you a better person.

30. Apologize for something you’ve done.

31. Take food to a new neighbor.

32. Take part in a literacy program, to help children or adults learn to read.

33. Donate school supplies to children from underprivileged homes.

34. Collect small soaps, shampoos, deodorants, and other small toiletries, and donate them to battered women’s shelters, rehab centers for teens, or other places that would benefit from them.

35. Donate your old eyeglasses to an organization that will reuse them.

36. Treat a friend to lunch.

37. Return a phone call you have been putting off.

38. Leave a heads up penny on the ground for someone to find.

39. Volunteer at a soup kitchen.

40. Always answer the phone in a cheerful voice.

41. Recycle as many paper, bottles and plastic items possible.

42. Encourage your friends and family to bring in nonperishable items to be donated to a worthy cause.

43. Save water. Turn the tap off when you're brushing your teeth or scrubbing the dishes.

44. Take public transport instead of driving.

45. Adopt a shelter animal.

46. Make a double-batch of something freezable and give it to an older neighbor who doesn't cook for themselves as much anymore.

47. Switch your light bulbs to the energy-efficient variety.

48. Ask someone how their day is going.

49. Hold the door open for a stranger.

50. Praise someone's good work.

51. Teach one of you talents to a friend.

52. When you’re out buying food, purchase an extra item to donate to a homeless person.

Good News Stories You Might Have Missed in the Madness of 2016

2016 has been a crazy year for everyone, and sometimes it's hard to find the light and good in all the madness. So this year, Newsweek has dug out eight bits of good news that you might have missed "amid the turmoil."

Medicine: An End to Animal Testing?

2016 has brought the animal testing paradox , which is scientists' attempt to give humans better lives without making animals’ existences shorter and more painful. The first-ever fully 3D-printed “heart-on-a-chip” was developed by Harvard researchers this year, offering a synthetic alternative for the living tissue that is currently used in animal testing. Beyond saving animal lives, organ-on-a-chip devices can be efficiently produced and researchers claim they are more accurate at mimicking human pathophysiology. 

Economics: Generation K Will Save Us All

In February economist Noreena Hertz revealed the results of her research about the group she calls “Generation K” after their affinity with Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of the Hunger Games series of novels. She conducted focus groups and interviews with 16-to-18-year-olds in the U.K. and surveyed nearly 2,000 people aged between 14 and 21 in the U.K. and U.S. “They’re actually a very surprisingly financially cautious generation,” she said. Hertz also found that they’re more likely to save as a precaution than the next couple of generations up, and 72 percent of generation K said they were worried about debt. In our politics as well as our pockets, we’re still feeling the impact of the great recession and its economic anxieties. But it seems one long-term outcome could be a generation more careful and less inclined to crash the system than their parents.

Conflict: The Toy Smuggler

Some people risk their lives to deliver aid to Syria; one man does it to deliver toys. Miral Khalagi, the “toy smuggler” profiled by NBC in September, has traveled to the war-torn nation more than two dozen times, slipping across borders with bags of toys for children hit by the conflict.
Originally from Aleppo, Khalagi grew up in Finland. “As a Syrian, I wanted of course to do my part in helping people,” he told NBC. He decided on toys rather than aid after his daughter Yasmeen, then 3 years old, brought him some of her dolls to take. There’s not much in Syria this year that could be classed as “good news," but Khalagi is just one of thousands of humanitarians, from large or small organizations, working to remind the civilians caught in our lifetime’s most devastating crossfire that the world remembers them.

Environment: A Sea Springs Back to Life

The Aral Sea, which lies between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, was once the planet’s fourth largest freshwater lake. But in the decades since the 1960s it became dry. Nikita Khrushchev began a project that saw its two main tributaries, the Syr Darya and Amu Darya, diverted during the 1960s. While nearby arable land expanded, the sea shrank. The local fishing industry almost vanished.
But now, there are signs that the Aral is returning. An Al Jazeera reporter at the old port of  Aralsk, near the northern part of the sea, found this July that fish production at the port has grown from 600 tonnes in 1996 to 7,200 tonnes. The nearby village of Tastubek, over 49 miles away from the sealine in 2010, is now only 12 miles from the water. It’s all thanks to the World Bank-funded Kok-Aral Dam, completed in August 2005, that is finally starting to show progress. The dam separated the northern and southern parts of the sea, in order to divert water back into the desolate north. A second phase of the project is planned, which should bring the water right back up to Aralsk.

Religion: A Broad Church

In a year when Islam has been targeted throughout the West and faith-based sectarian conflicts have re-opened in the Middle East, “religious unity” isn’t a phrase that immediately springs to mind when you think about 2016. But a meeting between two branches of the Christian church did go against the grain. Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, and Patriarch Kirill, leader of Russian Orthodox Christianity, met in Cuba in February. It was the first time in nearly 1,000 years that the most senior figures in the Russian and Roman Churches had met; the two branches split in the “great schism” of 1054. The two Churches did not agree to any formal advance in relations. But the meeting sent a message to Christians: ending human suffering—such as that faced by Christians in war-torn parts of the Middle East—should be more important than theological differences. “God makes no distinctions between those who suffer,” the Pope said at the time. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis embrace in Havana, February 12. The meeting was a historic moment for the Christian denominations.

Women in Politics: Japan Breaks a Glass Ceiling

Japanese politics is still heavily male-dominated — The World Economic Forum ranks the country 101st out of 145 in terms of gender equality. But this year Japanese people smashed a glass ceiling when Tokyo, the capital, elected its first female governor in a landslide victory. Sixty-four-year-old Yuriko Koike is a former defense minister, an Arabic speaker and an environmentalist. In her campaign she referenced female historical icons, including Joan of Arc, and pledged to tackle childcare shortages “so that both women and men can shine in Tokyo.” Koike is no progressive—she’s a right-wing nationalist who is hawkish on foreign policy—but her presence at the top of politics and willingness to explicitly tackle equality issues is a step toward opening up the top of Japanese politics to women.

Energy: The Sun Shines on Chernobyl

The Chernobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine has stood silent since 1986, when the nearby nuclear reactor exploded. It stands as a reminder of the perils of the nuclear age. But now, as Anthony reported back in November, two Chinese companies this year agreed a plan to regenerate the land surrounding the reactor by constructing a giant solar power plant. The solar farm will be capable of producing 1 gigawatt of energy and construction is expected to begin next year. “There will be remarkable social benefits and economic ones as we try to renovate the once damaged area with green and renewable energy,” said Shu Hua, chairman of Chinese energy firm Golden Concord, the company planning to revive the exclusion zone. If all goes to plan, Chernobyl will be reborn as an icon of the era of renewable energy.

Violence Against Women: Somalia Takes New Steps on FGM

According to UNICEF, about 98 percent of Somali girls and women aged between 15 and 49 undergo some form of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the removal of external female genitalia. The Somali constitution forbids the practice, but the country’s parliament, which was only established in 2012, has not passed a law on it. But back in March, as my colleague Conor reported, Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke added his name to a petition that calls on the Somali government to adopt a full FGM ban. Ifrah Ahmed, a Somali anti-FGM campaigner, told the BBC his backing would provide a “huge boost” to the campaign. Somalia’s government is presently in limbo as a general election scheduled for next autumn has suffered repeated delays. But campaigners hope the commitment will stick, and turn into a step forward for the country’s women.

Read more at Newsweek

"Don't try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough."

                                                                           -Arthur Freed

Deed of the Day!

The five goats, two alpacas, two rabbits, potbellied pig, cat, guinea pig, dog and five horses at veteran Tice Ridley’s ranch play critical roles in helping veterans, along with first responders and their families, heal from the wounds of war.      

 
Ridley, at the age of 44 is a retired Army war veteran and major who served for 18 years. He calls his farm the Circle of Veterans and Families, and its mission is “to keep soldiers alive and families together.”            
  

In 2015, after taking medical retirement from the Army, he co-founded the nonprofit organization with his wife, Samantha Ridley, in Florida. Located on his 10-acre Circle V Ranch, the organization gives him "purpose while providing hope." Ridley told TODAY that an inspirational to this project is that they are aware that “not all wounds are visible."      
 
The ranch welcomed its first veteran guests on November 2 in a joint effort with Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida, to provide services to veterans. The use of alternative therapies differentiates the ranch from more traditional treatment facilities. At Circle V Ranch, participants can engage in meditation, yoga, hypnosis and smoking cessation. They can also participate in peer group support, equine-assisted psychotherapy and companion dog pairing canine therapy. For about a year, Ridley and his wife had been self-funding limited weekend visits on the ranch as a test run for the broader program that was recently opened.
 
Jay Hoffman, who served in the Navy from 1972 to 1975, visited the ranch on that first day. He’s rehabilitating from drug and alcohol addiction. “Tice has opened up a door for me,” Hoffman told TODAY. He said that addiction treatment at a for-profit facility usually means that when the treatment period ends, he’s sent “back to the streets, with no place to go. If you want to get drunk or high then, you can.” But being at the ranch is like “being in no man’s land, and that’s good,” he said. “We’re so far out here, away from the city. Friends and the animals are just so therapeutic.” Hoffman said he likes rubbing the ears of the rescue potbellied pig, Bacon, and feeding him. He also pets the resident kitty, Mittens, and waters the horses.      
 
Ridley, who has six medals for outstanding service, returned from Afghanistan in 2010; in 2013 he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. And he’s far from alone: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year.      
     
Ridley told TODAY that he found himself struggling to understand his condition and finding help so he could integrate better into society and try to live a normal life. Ridley had lived in Chicago, which has no military base, meaning a lack of treatment resources for veterans. Ridley knew that waiting to find mental health treatment could take a long, and he wanted to investigate lesser-known alternative therapies he'd heard about, some of which involved his passion for animals.    

He was then further motivated after a disappointing visit with a therapist in Chicago. That counselor advised Ridley's wife to "just leave” or divorce her husband when it appeared that Ridley’s current treatment wasn’t working. Ridley decided to try alternatives including hypnosis and rapid-resolution therapy. The treatments helped, and Ridley says he's a lot less jumpy now and less prone to outbursts or periods of extreme emotional upset.

Darlene Williams, a licensed clinical psychologist and certified hypnotherapist who sees veteran clients at the ranch says, "What's happening at Circle V is such important work for people who have experienced the tragedies of war. The problems can be very complex and for that we need to offer something more comprehensive.” She told TODAY that, “The research supports the benefits of these kinds of alternative therapies for military populations.”      
     
Some people may be intimidated by the horses’ size, Ridley admits, but clients don’t ride them. Instead, they do what's called "ground work,” and it’s therapeutic for veterans. "With ground work, they can't touch the horses or use a treat," he said. "They can put a halter on them and they can try to figure out what the horse wants in other intuitive ways.”      

Ridley's other furry creatures provide a warm, hands-on experience to calm sensitive nerves and allow the veterans to know the joy of safe, noncompetitive "aha! moments” when they interact with animals. “For a couple to open their home to other veterans just blows me away,” said a friend and veteran. “They are so gracious and kind.”      

As for Ridley, he’s proud of his fellow veterans. On November 18, he hosted a special Thanksgiving dinner for them and the ranch’s supporters. He's looking forward to many more, since he knows Veterans Day is but one day a year.

Deed of the Day!

Some people risk their lives to deliver aid to Syria; one man does it to deliver toys.

Miral Khalagi, the “toy smuggler” profiled by NBC in September, has traveled to the war-torn nation more than two dozen times, slipping across borders with bags of toys for children hit by the conflict.
Originally from Aleppo, Khalagi grew up in Finland. “As a Syrian, I wanted of course to do my part in helping people,” he told NBC. He decided on toys rather than aid after his daughter Yasmeen, then 3 years old, brought him some of her dolls to take.

There’s not much in Syria this year that could be classed as “good news," but Khalagi is just one of thousands of humanitarians, from large or small organizations, working to remind the civilians caught in our lifetime’s most devastating crossfire that the world remembers them.

Not Enough Good News

In 2007 a study was done to investigate the news put out by the media in America. When asked about which issues get too much attention in the news, 40% of the public said celebrity news. That is more than three times the number citing any other subject. At the time the study was conducted, about 12% of Americans said the media devoted too much attention to the Iraq war, while politics generally, the presidential campaign or crime and violence received 5% each.

 

People were then asked about which stories they thought got too little attention from the news media. The conclusion was that one in ten Americans say the media does not pay enough attention to good things that are happening in the country, including positive outcomes and good deeds done by average citizens. The study showed that people thought the media devotes too little attention to the good news about Iraq and that women are more likely than men to say good news is undercovered.

 

Deed of the Day!

The post-election tension following the 2016 Presidential Election left the emotions of Americans across the country scattered. In an attempt to heal this tension, Alejandro Andrade decided to spread the love to his classmates  at Virginia Commonwealth University. The 18-year-old psychology student stood on the campus in the cold Virginia weather holding a sign reading “In light of the hate and/or mistrust… FREE HUGS”. Andrade stood outside for a total of 8 hours offering hugs to anyone who walked by. When asked about his actions, other VCU students – Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian alike – were all grateful for the compassionate gesture.

 

 

Read about more good deeds at www.goodnewsnetwork.org



Helping the Homeless and Their Pets

In a recent collaboration with Allie O'Neil, we read an article about a woman who has dedicated her life to helping the homeless and their pets.

Karen Hamza became homeless after the house she was living in became infested with mold, and she was forced to move out. With her dog Tippy by her side, Hamza started living in her 1988 Acura. For Almost two years, Hamza and her dog stayed in her car, through the freezing winters and the boiling summers, she described the experience as "it is like being in an oven. In the winter, it's like being in a literal freezer.". The cold weather negatively impacted her health, and Hamza reached one her lowest points. Thankfully, she found a small apartment suitable for her and Tippy. Once she was back on her feet, Hamza began to focus on helping others get out of the situation she was in.

 

In 2009, Hamza’s organization, Angel Hanz For The Homeless Inc., became registered as a nonprofit organization. Hamza immediately put her plan into action. At around the same time she met a homeless couple, Peggie and Herbie, who were struggling to support themselves and their pet cat. Hamza reached out to them and Hamza bought them cat food, blankets and some clothing. She then went further to offer Peggy and Herbie work in her organization and provided them with a pay of $10 an hour and the products they needed. In a year's time the couple was on their feet and living in an apartment. "I assisted them back into the mainstream of living," she said. "It's what we do. It's not like a handout, it's a hand up."

 

This is only the first of many of the homeless Hamza will help. She continues to help the homeless and their animals; encouraging them to bring their animals to attend her monthly gatherings at a local park. The now vegan organization provides food, clothing, blankets and her resource guide to help the homeless get themselves and their pets back on their feet. The organization also works to assist the homeless with veterinarian services, and keep the animals out of the area's kill shelters. Angel Hanz For the Homeless provides barber services and a library. She continues to educate through speaking engagements at schools, on television and on radio shows.

Hamza says that her own homelessness "made me want to help people all the more because I was so desperate and alone that I knew what it was like for no one to be there. My heart literally ached because no one was there for me." Today, she cares for her two rescue dogs, Jimmie and Rex, and continues to offer hope and solutions to countless homeless people and their animals, and lives by her organization's mantra, "Homeless Not Hopeless."

 

Hamza holds her rescued dog Jimmie while receiving a hug

from one of the homeless men she helped.