People Doing Good

Stories of people making a difference in the world

A group of six teenagers smile and take a selfie together inside a restaurant as they hold up small balls of dough.

This restaurant prides itself on exclusively hiring teenagers. When their boss fell ill, those same teens stepped in to save the business

Carol Trainor was the bedrock of Wisconsin’s local restaurant Urban Olive & Vine. When she was hospitalized, her employees came together to help save her business.

Two activists – one dressed in a polar bear costume – are shown holding up protest signs

Local climate activism really does work, new report finds

Efforts to pass laws and advance clean energy projects can significantly reduce emissions, and at a low cost.

A blue tile sign with white letters reading "Los Angeles Public Library"

This librarian brings books, resources to homeless people on Skid Row. Now she's gaining national recognition

Amanda Mellor has been named a Mover & Shaker by the Library Journal for her efforts to support people experiencing homelessness.

A Black male teacher high-fives a white female student

Black teachers play a vital role as mentors for high school seniors, new study finds

In Pennsylvania, nearly 15% of students are Black, but less than 4% of teachers are.

A photo collage of a man carrying a ghost trap, a wooden structure in the middle of a garden, the black stony coral, a forest full of trees, and two men standing at the top of a scaffolding while holding a hammer

Good News This Week: August 2, 2025 - Gardens, Wolves, & Corals

Your weekly roundup of the best good news worth celebrating...

A thumbnail image of MrBeast drinking a glass of dirty water, next to him drinking from a bottle of clean water

MrBeast, Mark Rober launch $40 million #TeamWater fundraiser: 'The biggest water campaign to ever exist in history'

MrBeast and Mark Rober have once again joined forces with other creators to make a major difference.

A tiny black and brown puppy sits in a glass bowl on top of a scale, with a vet's blue latex glove under his chin

Animal shelter saves tiny 4-week-old puppy with 'world's smallest x-ray'

Turns out the pup was suffering from “extreme constipation.”

A man reaches down to pick up an abandoned crab cage out of the water

Nonprofit hosts 'ghost trap' rodeo: A fishing tournament for cleaning abandoned fishing gear out of the water

The tournament, hosted by Ocean Aid 360, has been running ghost trap rodeos since 2018. To date, their events have pulled up over 60,000 pounds of marine trash.

A person holds up a pack of gum in front of their face so it's covering their eyes, but revealing a smiling mouth. The gum is wrapped in orange packaging with blue text that reads "hero gum."

20,000 Americans need a stem cell transplant every year. A stick of 'hero gum' can help find their match

People living with leukemia, lymphoma, or other blood cancers, can now find their stem cell or bone marrow transplant match with a wad of chewed-up gum. Yes, really.

A yellow 'Police Line Do Not Cross' tape plastered on a fence

Study finds most violent crime rates have fallen back to pre-pandemic levels

The number of homicides across the United States declined by 16% in 2024, continuing a recent downward trajectory, according to the latest crime trends report from the Council on Criminal Justice.

On the left, a stock image of a small wood turtle. On the right, a pile of assorted LEGO bricks.

Three-footed turtle given 'new wheels' after museum staff gifts him a handmade LEGO harness

A tenacious turtle named Root earned a cushy spot at a museum in Nova Scotia. Then his “coworkers” stepped in to improve his quality of life.

A screenshot of a Youtube video featuring Mark Rober and MrBest, both wearing gray shirts that read #TeamWater

YouTubers MrBeast, Mark Rober's new #TeamWater philanthropy project aims to raise $40M to provide clean water to millions

The YouTuber-philanthropist has joined forces with other content creators on the heels of his successful #TeamTrees and #TeamSeas fundraisers.