Posted by 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 »
Posted by 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 »
Posted by 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 »
Posted by 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 »
Posted by 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 »
Posted by 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 »
Posted by When he was in Vietnam, joy was something Scott Harrison wasn’t sure he’d ever experience again. To escape the nightmare around him, he repeatedly returned to an image of a carousel in the mountains. Thanks to Scott, today that carousel exists in Nederland, Colorado. This Story of Joy was twenty-six years in the making, and…Read more »
Posted by Super shelter dog to the rescue! Click the link below for a story about a shelter dog who recognized a stranger having a seizure even though she’d never been taught how to do it. Sienna has a gift to help others, and she was adopted by another family who will be a perfect match. Don’t…Read more »
Posted by Lots of kids go to camp during the summer, but few go to a camp as special as Camp Rock. Camp Rock is sponsored by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It’s designed for children with hand and arm differences, but it’s so much more than that. While rock climbing and doing crafts, the kids are…Read more »
Posted by In downtown Duluth, Nathan “Nate” Kesti spends his days walking up to 12 miles, not out of obligation, but out of care. As part of the Clean and Safe Team, he moves through the streets with a friendly wave, a kind word, and often a bottle of water for those who need it most. His…Read more »
Stories of Joy 