inspiring stories
- Pop CultureHilary Hanson
Animal Lovers Celebrate 'Clear The Shelters' With Pics Of Pets Finding New Homes
Saturday was a good day for shelter animals across the country.
- Pop CultureKerry Justich
Boy, 8, with brain tumor raised thousands of dollars for police. What they did to return the favor will make you smile.
Brecken Simmons, 8, gets a ride to school by officers after raising $3,494 for his local police department.
- LifestyleNina Golgowski
Grieving Orca Whale Releases Dead Calf After More Than Two Weeks
More than two weeks after the death of her baby, a grieving orca whale has
- WellnessRefinery29
How To Help Victims Of The California Wildfires
Thousands of people in California have been evacuated and face uncertainty as wildfires rage through the state. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, reports that over 620,000 acres of land have been scorched by fast-moving wildfires this calendar year as emergency crews work to contain and extinguish the blazes. As of this writing, CAL FIRE ’s fire map shows there are 15 active fires in California.
- Pop CultureKerry Justich
This 3-year-old boy with brittle bone disease can't stop smiling even after surgery
Byron Baxter may be only 3, but the boy has quite the A-list group of “cyber aunts and uncles” — including rapper Cardi B — after reaching viral fame on Instagram.
- Pop CulturePeople
Community Rallies Behind Minnesota Teen Opening Hot Dog Stand to Raise Money for School Clothes
Minneapolis Officials Help Teen Get Permits for Hot Dog Stand
- Pop CultureMashable
City rallies behind 13-year-old entrepreneur after a racist moron calls the cops
You'd think people would stop calling the cops on young black kids who aren't actually affecting their lives in the slightest, but here we are. At least this time the end of the story is a bit more heart-warming. Jaequan Faulkner, 13, set up a little food stand outside of his home in Minnesota to help raise money for school clothes, and some heartless (read: racist) person called the police on him because he didn't have a permit to run a business. Instead of shutting Faulkner down, the Minneapolis Police Department came out in support of him and teamed up with the local health department to get him the permit he needed to keep running, the Associate Press reported earlier in the week. SEE ALSO: 5 things white people can do before they call the cops on a black person The story gained steam throughout the week, garnering more national attention and becoming a popular Twitter moment Friday night. People who learned about the story sympathized with Faulkner and praised the police for encouraging his entrepreneurial spirit rather than stifling it. If you want responsibe adults and entrepreneurs, you have to enable them, not harass them. Hat tip to the @MinneapolisPD https://t.co/IbIfczwEsi — Carol Forden (@CarolForden) July 20, 2018 The local news station KARE 11 News reported on Faulkner's small business, calling it a hit. We first met Jaequan Faulkner and his summer hot dog stand in June. Someone complained to the city. Instead of shutting his stand down, the city of Minneapolis stepped up to help the 13-year-old get his permit. Next on @kare11. pic.twitter.com/WYKA8rqzEz — Heidi Wigdahl (@HeidiWigdahl) July 16, 2018 According to KARE 11 , Faulkner started his hot dog and snack stand in 2016 with the help of his uncle, and he returned this summer after taking a break last year. Shortly after getting up and running, a complaint was made to the Minneapolis Department of Health about his food stand, AP reported. Instead of attempting to shut Faulkner down, the city pitched in and took care of his $87 permit so he could keep selling his food and making money for school. Not only that, the health department contacted a local organization to give him some tips on keeping his business thriving and making sure everything is as clean as it can be. Staff from @MplsHealthDept, Minneapolis Promise Zone and @NEONBusiness helped bring Jaequan’s Old Fashioned Hot Dogs up to code and officially permitted by the City. pic.twitter.com/gyYWhsHXwB — City of Minneapolis (@CityMinneapolis) July 16, 2018 Stories about individuals calling the police on black people who aren't doing anything illegal at all or black kids who are just trying to make some money have been blowing up on the internet recently, with callers like Allison Ettel and Jennifer Schulte getting publicly roasted for their prejudiced behavior. Although we don't know for sure who called in the complaint on Faulkner, it's nice to see local authorities being reasonable and helpful rather than antagonistic. WATCH: A Nigerian rapper covered Childish Gambino's 'This Is America,' and it's as powerful as the original
- WellnessKorin Miller
This 17-year-old is riding his bike across the country to raise awareness of the disease that temporarily paralyzes him
His ailment sometimes causes debilitating episodes of muscle weakness and temporary paralysis.
- Pop CultureThe Telegraph
Woman survives seven days trapped after crashing car off California cliff by drinking radiator water
An Oregon woman who disappeared a week ago was rescued from the bottom of a California coastal cliff where she survived by drinking water from the radiator of her wrecked sports utility vehicle, authorities said on Saturday. Angela Hernandez, 23, of Portland was found by a pair of hikers on Friday evening after they saw her wrecked Jeep Patriot SUV partially submerged at the bottom of a 200-foot cliff in the Big Sur area, said Monterey County Sheriff's Office spokesman John Thornburg. Her disappearance captured widespread attention after she and her vehicle were last seen on a surveillance camera video at a Carmel gas station on July 6, about 50 miles north of the stretch of Highway 1 where she was found. The hikers discovered Hernandez conscious, breathing and with a shoulder injury, Thornburg said. Rescuers managed to get her up the cliff and to a helicopter which flew her to a nearby hospital. She was in fair and stable condition but appeared to have suffered a concussion during the collision, the California Highway Patrol said in a statement. Rescuers say the women is extremely lucky to have survived Credit: Reuters Hernandez told investigators she swerved to avoid hitting an animal on Highway 1 on July 6 and plunged over the cliff north of Nacimiento Fergusson Road. She stayed alive "by drinking water from the radiator of her vehicle," according to the Highway Patrol. "It's usually the fall that gets them, or the ocean that gets them, and she was lucky to survive both," said Thornburg. Hernandez was on a road trip from her home in Portland to visit her sister Isabel in Lancaster, Los Angeles County, when she crashed. "My sister survived 7 days alone 200ft down a cliff on HW1," her sister Isabel Hernandez said in a Facebook post on Saturday. "This is very traumatic and will be a slow recovery process."
- WellnessCindy Arboleda
Couple adopt 6 kids after struggling with infertility: 'Hope will never fail you'
The inspiring story of how a couple adopted six children, including four with special needs.
- Pop CultureTanya Edwards
Watch this 95-year-old Air Force veteran show a little boy how to be brave
WWII veteran Michael Biss, 95, stepped up and showed a little boy how to jump off a diving board — even though he walks with a cane.
- Pop CultureTanya Edwards
Chimp gets so excited when reunited with couple who raised him
Their bond is adorable.
- Pop CultureMeghan DeMaria
These Ohio twins saved a toddler from drowning — and they’re just 6 years old
The boys jumped into action when they saw the little girl's head go under the water.
- WellnessCindy Arboleda
Grieving man takes a framed picture of his late wife to the ocean every morning
A 72-year-old widower has taken his wife's portrait to the pier where they fell in love every morning since she died seven years ago.
- Pop CultureSabrina Rojas Weiss
A kindhearted couple invited strangers to get married in their home, after their outdoor wedding was ruined
This story may restore your faith in humanity and love.
- WellnessKerry Justich
A 4-year-old dog that survived 3 gunshots to the face finds a forever home: 'It seems like a perfect match'
Hope, a 4-year-old mixed-breed dog, survived three gunshots to the face before finding a new home.
- LifestyleBlair Raynor
Olympian Summer Sanders gets personal about melanoma and the importance of skin checks
Olympic gold medalist Summer Sanders tells skin cancer to “take a hike” several years after being diagnosed with melanoma.
Pop CultureMeghan DeMariaKindhearted man buys pizzas for 54 immigrants found in a truck
“They’re here for a better life, to work."
- BeautyCindy Arboleda
This singer-songwriter and amputee is displaying body pride online — and thousands are taking notice
Singer-songwriter with one leg is inspiring others to pursue their dreams.
- BeautyCindy Arboleda
'What's on your face?': Photo series proves albinism, vitiligo, and other skin conditions are 'beautiful'
People with various skin conditions answer uncomfortable questions — "What's on your face? Did it hurt? Are you a ghost?" — in a powerful photo series by New York City photographer Peter DeVito.
- BeautyCindy Arboleda
Single mom, 24, graduates from Harvard Law School: 'Let's keep beating all their odds'
The Harvard Law School graduate even completed a final exam while in labor.
- Pop CultureTanya Edwards
Mom claims Albertsons cashier shamed a woman on food stamps, and wouldn't let other shoppers help her
After one Oregon woman reportedly witnessed a cashier shaming a fellow shopper receiving WIC benefits at a local grocery store, her daughter put the cashier on blast in a Facebook post.
- LifestyleCindy Arboleda
Viral baby pic shows 7 firefighters who became dads within a year: 'Something is in the water'
The seven uniformed firemen pose with their babies that were born just a few months apart.
- StyleCindy Arboleda
After son dies in car crash, dad takes late son's girlfriend to the prom
Carter Brown, 19, died tragically weeks before the prom. His father made sure Carter's girlfriend had a memorable night.
- LifestyleCindy Arboleda
Daughter's proud Facebook post about immigrant college-grad dad goes viral: 'He's truly the American dream'
The inspiring story of how college 'saved' this dad.
