People Doing Good

Stories of people making a difference in the world

A saimaa seal pup sits in the snow

Every year, volunteers build artificial snow drifts for endangered seal pups. It's helping the population rebound

Due to these efforts, the Saimaa seal population has rebounded to about 400, compared to lows of 100 seals in the 1980s.
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A woman and a young boy color on a piece of paper with crayons

Child care workers form a network of resistance against ICE: 'Prepare for the worst and hope for the best'

“The immigration and the child care movements, they are one in the same now,” said Anali Alegria.
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Chef David Martin plates a dessert in a commercial kitchen

These chefs left prestigious culinary jobs to cook at nursing homes: 'We want to make this industry better'

David Martin and Harry Shen are breaking stereotypes by making gourmet meals for nursing home residents.
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A group of people gathers at an Ostbelgien Citizens Assembly meeting

To restore trust in government, this Belgian town opened a lottery that elects 30 random citizens to power. It's working.

Ostbelgien took a bet that a participatory democracy would improve its government. Six years later, that bet is paying off.
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A table is made up with food, plates, and flowers

9 gathering resources to help you thrive — not just survive — the holidays

Want to make the most out of your gatherings this season? These resources will make everything — from conversation to overthinking those conversations later — easier.
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An aerial view of a spread of Thanksgiving food, all in foil containers

For those hungry for the holidays, this influencer invents and donates 'Thanksgiving in a Box'

Rebecca Chobat has been finding ways to make low-cost meals fulfilling and delicious for years, through her TikTok account @dollartreedinners.
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A woman's hand reaches for an article of clothing off of a rack full of shirts on hangers

Survivors of sexual assault are often left with only a hospital gown. This community closet clothes them in dignity

“Even in your darkest, worst moments, there are people who are looking out for you,” one survivor said.
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The exterior of a Home Depot

Hundreds of anti-ICE protestors brought their Home Depot to a halt just by buying and returning 17-cent ice scrapers

Home Depots across California and North Carolina ground to a halt this weekend as hundreds of protestors participated in a symbolic protest
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A chef plates a gourmet meal

Private chef uses restaurant scraps to make hundreds of gourmet meals for food banks

Maddy Goldberg was inspired to volunteer her skills when she realized how much food was being wasted in the restaurant industry.
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Four people, including New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, hold up turkeys in New York

AOC donates 1,600 Thanksgiving turkeys to hungry families in the Bronx

The Congresswoman has hosted a Thanksgiving-themed food distribution for years now.
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A person holds a bowl of stew in a white ceramic bowl

'Souper Sunday:' This 6,000-person Facebook group gives away free, homemade soup to anyone in need

Chris Hyde of Olympia, Washington believes a bowl of soup “transcends the powers that work to divide us.”
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A vibrant community fridge full of lettuce, mangoes, and other produce is open in Harlem, New York

This vibrant community fridge gives free fruits and veggies to hundreds of New Yorkers every week

The 155th Street Fridge has been operating for six years now. One volunteer, Juanita, says: “We all family out here.”
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