People Doing Good

Stories of people making a difference in the world

On an orange scribble background are handwritten words reading "you matter"

The secret to confronting political division and anxiety? Feeling like we actually matter, Jennifer Wallace says

Jennifer Breheny Wallace is the expert on mattering, something she calls “a deep human need” to “feel valued by the people around us and to know that we have value to give back.”

6th grader Julian stands behind a metal cart with an Oregon license plate spelling his name

Meal time was extra challenging for this disabled first grader, so a lunch lady made him a custom 'cafeteria cart'

First grader Julian has a form of dwarfism, and his cart helps him navigate the cafeteria and get his lunch with ease.

From crying clubs to cuddle therapy, here's how people are combatting loneliness across the US

According to a recent survey from the American Psychological Association, over half of Americans feel isolated.

A boy stands in front of a man wearing a Santa Claus costume

For these diverse professional Santas, spreading kindness is a calling

Researchers surveyed 849 professional Santas who live across the U.S.

A bus driver, Tina Hutcherson, holds a bundle of knitted beanies in her arms while standing and smiling in front of a school bus

School bus driver knits hats for every student on her route: 'I hope they know somebody loves them'

Tina Hutcherson is fighting clothing insecurity with one skein of yarn at a time.

Giving Tuesday: What It Is and How To Celebrate

Giving Tuesday takes place on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. We’ve compiled a guide on celebrating this annual tradition of giving back.

Two photos side by side. On the left is a six-legged spider robot atop dry soil. On the right is a pair of 19-year-old students, a boy and a girl, standing among green trees

After wildfires destroyed their local forests, these students invented a tree-planting 'spider robot' to save them

The robot, called Trovador, is a six-legged, autonomous robot that plants trees in hard-to-reach areas.

Drag Queen Pattie Gonia in a park ranger outfit next to a screenshot of Pattie Gonia backpacking in the outdoors

Drag queen Pattie Gonia is hiking 100 miles in full drag to raise $1M for charity

The environmentalist and LGBTQ+ rights champion is supporting eight nonprofits focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the outdoors.

A photo collage of two kids in front of a vending machine, the checkout counters at Home Depot, a bag with the label 'Turkey Dinner In A Bag', an animal seen in frame with shipping containers behind it, and a man wearing a face mask organizing produce at a grocery store

Good News This Week: November 29, 2025 - Groceries, Gardeners, & Food Banks

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

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.

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.

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.