At a Philadelphia Phillies game, 9-year-old Jameson caught a foul ball he was thrilled to keep—until he overheard that Donna, a lifelong Phillies fan, was celebrating her 80th birthday and had hoped for just such a souvenir. Without hesitation, he walked over and handed her the ball, saying she deserved it more. Donna was deeply…Read more »
Author: storiesofjoy
Running to Heal
The Eaton Fire exploded in January. All these months later, folks are still healing. Some are finding healing through running. The Pasadena Run Club is helping them. When Carl Walton joined the group two years ago, he was looking for fellow runners, but he found so much more than that. Click the link below to…Read more »
Science Fiction?
It sounds like science fiction. A self-disinfecting door handle? Impossible! With cold and flu season right around the corner, it sounds like a miracle invention. It’s true! Rayvon Stewart was a student at Jamaica’s University of Technology when he came up with the idea and the plans for his vision. His idea could be a…Read more »
For Carol & Chad
Carol and Chad Trainer had a dream of owing a restaurant. That dream came true. Urban Olive and Vine is in Hudson, Wisconsin, and the locals love it. Unfortunately, that dream took a dark turn when Carol was suddenly hospitalized. With Chad by her side at the hospital every day for months, who would run…Read more »
A Good Word or Two
In Sycamore, Illinois, nine-year-old Ethan Wargo turned an ordinary summer afternoon into something extraordinary when he set up a “compliment stand” outside his house. Inspired by a storybook character who ran an insult stand, Ethan decided to flip the idea and hand out kindness for free, because, as he says, happiness shouldn’t cost anything. At first, only…Read more »
A Special Mission
12-year-old Yuvi Agarwal of Houston, Texas is a young man with a special mission. He and his mother began the nonprofit “Wild Tunes” in order to comfort stressed out animals in shelters. Yuvi first noticed that reading to animals calmed them down, so he decided to put his musical talents to work to make an even…Read more »
A Bride’s Joy
They showed up . . . and they brought her father to the wedding. Kristin Marino got married to Noah in New York City recently. The city is significant for Kristin and her family because her father, Kenneth, died there on 9/11. When his fellow firefighters heard about the wedding, they showed up to honor…Read more »
Good Food & Good Stories
Coming together over food is not uncommon, but what if more than just food was shared? What if strangers shared stories over food? After sharing that food and those stories, what if those strangers became friends? A group in Maine wants to start a “Potluck Movement” that does just that! A time for people to connect…Read more »
Finding his Voice
Viraj Dhanda is headed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT knows a gifted student when they see it, but it hasn’t always been that way for Viraj. He was mistakenly diagnosed as intellectually disabled at the age of two. In fact, Viraj is a non-speaking person with autism. Once he had the right tools,…Read more »
Inspired to Help
In the last few weeks and in the coming weeks, students across the country will gather on college campuses to begin their studies. Two special students met . . . again. Ellie Koerner and Dawson Nailor recently met at medical school, but their paths crossed years ago. Their experiences as children had an impact on…Read more »