People Doing Good

Stories of people making a difference in the world

A woman in a blue safety vest stands next to a large trash receptacle and holds a trash pick-up stick

Portland pays homeless residents to clean up trash: 'This gives people purpose'

Currently or formerly homeless workers get paid $20-29 an hour and have access to an array of benefits.

Five women stand next to each other while wearing Sheltersuits, wearable sleeping bags.

Fashion designer's 'Sheltersuit' invention combines a snowsuit and sleeping bag to help keep homeless folks warm

Each design is made with upcycled materials that would otherwise go to waste.

A photo collage of a corner of an empty kitchen, recycled rolls of toilet paper made from disposable diapers, a close-up shot of Marcus Freeman smiling, a man sits next to a coffee cup recycling machine, and a power plant factory seen from a distance

Good News This Week: January 25, 2025 - Diapers, Coffee Cups, & Houses

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

A collage of celebrities and YouTubers including Jean Smart, Ke Huy Quan, Josh Brolin, Ben Schwarts, Jason Segel, Rhett and Link, The Try Guys, and more.

Try Guys, Jason Segel, Josh Gad, others raise over $1 million for LA wildfire relief in YouTube stream-a-thon

Here’s where you can stream and catch the highlights.

A chocolate lab lays atop a bed covered in rose petals and candles

At animal shelters in these cities, you can have a 'Valentine's sleepover' with an adoptable dog or cat — and even take them home with you

Best Friends Animal Society shelters in select cities will coordinate snuggly slumber parties for potential foster parents and adopters.

Two side-by-side images. On the left, a woman in her 30's holds a toddler, smiling. On the right, someone holds a phone, which displays the Endo45 app on the screen.

Enduring years of endometriosis pain, this engineer developed an app to help others like her

The Endo45 app aims to help women reduce pain, improve mood, navigate treatment, and more.

A person in a red hoodie wears a large hunter green backpack

Man invents 'backpack beds,' aims to give one to every person sleeping on the street in his city

The six-pound sleeping bag backpack is lightweight and weather-resistant.

A screenshot of a selfie-style video of Tony Hawk

Tony Hawk raises thousands for LA wildfire victims by offering Cameos 'in any language'

The skateboard legend will share all of his earnings with World Central Kitchen.

A photo collage of Avery Colvert, a pile of clothes, the US Supreme Court building, a war-torn area in Gaza, and a Thai woman sitting among plastic waste

Good News This Week: January 18, 2025 - Clothes, Homes, & Ceasefires

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

Governor Tim Walz hugs his daughter, Hope at the Democratic National Convention.

Tim Walz's daughter, Hope Walz: On getting through Inauguration Day, building community & going outside

Hope Walz gives an exclusive interview, sharing advice for staying optimistic, clues into her future, and heartfelt stories about her dad.

Four American seventh graders sit at a table, a blue suitcase open before them.

US middle schoolers build 'solar suitcases,' powering 40 refugee schools in Uganda

The students are part of We Share Solar’s education initiative, proving that their learning can power real change.

The city of Hollywood hills burning with towering plumes of orange smoke.

Los Angeles teen creates website for wildfire victims seeking food, shelter, supplies

Ruben Varghese, a 16-year-old Angeleno, launched save-la.org with the hopes of giving victims an easier way to find everything from food to free housing.