University of Texas at Austin: Random Acts of Kindness Make a Bigger Splash Than Expected. “Even though they often enhance happiness, acts of kindness such as giving a friend a ride or bringing food for a sick family member can be somewhat rare because people underestimate how good these actions make recipients feel, according to new research from The University of Texas at Austin.”
Mashable: Creator of a years-old app called Wordle will donate proceeds from its newfound popularity. “Wordle is the daily, browser-only word game we can’t get enough of, so it’s not surprising that Wordle copycats have been sprouting up in the App Store. Those copycats aren’t the first to use that name, however. Developer Steven Cravotta actually used ‘wordle’ first — five years ago. Now, he’s using his app’s surprise popularity to help others.”
Shelton Herald: Shelton senior center director becomes COVID test ‘lifeline’. “Doreen Laucella remains a lifeline for those homebound senior citizens seeking a COVID-19 test…. for those unable to leave their home, Laucella wants them to know she is a resource in attempting to get test kits to those who may be experiencing symptoms or who could have been a close contact to someone who has tested positive.”
Cleveland: ‘Vaccine Queen’ who helped so many during coronavirus pandemic faces similar hurdle for treatment after testing positive. ” The frustration over the coronavirus that gripped Stacey Bene nearly two years ago returned Saturday. She and Marla Zwinggi became widely known as the ‘Vaccine Queens’ for their help in getting more than 2,300 Northeast Ohio residents access to vaccines at the most dangerous stages of the virus. Her push stemmed from her frustration in the online barriers that hindered many older residents’ attempts to become vaccinated. She felt a similar angst Saturday.”
Washington Post: A man strung Christmas lights from his home to his neighbor’s to support her. The whole community followed.. “Kim Morton was home watching a movie with her daughter when she received a text from her neighbor who lives directly across the road. He told her to peek outside. Matt Riggs had hung a string of white Christmas lights, stretching from his home to hers in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood, just north of the Baltimore city line. He also left a tin of homemade cookies on her doorstep. The lights, he told her, were meant to reinforce that they were always connected despite their pandemic isolation.”
Washington Post: By boat, by motorbike, by foot: The journey to vaccinate Colombia’s remotest communities. “Across the Andes, a region that has reported some of the world’s highest covid-19 death rates, teams are traversing deserts, mountains, rainforests and rivers to vaccinate isolated communities. Such teams are particularly active in Colombia, a country of more than 48 million people, where about 16 percent of the population lives in rural areas that were often neglected by the government during more than five decades of armed conflict.”
Mashable: In Nepal, a woman treks over mountains to bring vaccines to the most vulnerable. “With a cold box firmly strapped to her back, 32-year-old Birma Devi Kunwar routinely treks about 20 kilometers — through bridges, hills, and valleys — to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to a remote health center in Nepal’s far-west. She’s been treading the same path towards the cut-off village of Pipalchauri for four years. She first started carrying life-saving vaccines used in routine immunizations for kids, which she has continued to do throughout the pandemic, too.” Mostly a video, but it’s captioned.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The Diversity Story aims to ‘extend valuable cultural education to more people’. “Eleanor Park, 16, of McCandless launched The Diversity Story a year ago. People can apply to be staff writers, be interviewed to have an article written about them, or submit writing, artwork, photography and recipes. So far, the site has published more than 60 personal stories and interviews, as well as more than 20 snippets, or short reads, which usually discuss a current holiday or issue.”
WBRZ: Baton Rouge nurse recognized by Governor, Mayor for vaccination efforts. “Nurse Carla Brown was recognized Tuesday by Gov. John Bel Edwards and East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broom for her efforts in fighting COVID-19. After her husband passed away from COVID, Brown traveled door to door giving COVID vaccinations. Nurse Brown vaccinated more than 2,000 people. ”
WKRN: Tennessee Tech archivists reuniting tornado survivors with precious memories. “A group at Tennessee Tech University is connecting tornado survivors with personal belongings they lost in the devastation. The project started just days after an EF4 tornado touched down in Cookeville. Thousands of precious memories were lost, but Archivist Megan Atkinson is making sure they’re found.”
WRAL: 100-year-old woman describes surviving COVID-19. “On a muggy summer day, the back door creaked as Lena May Shaw gripped her walker. Nice and easy, she stepped toward the chair under the pecan tree to tell her story. Loud and clear, she began, saying, ‘Yes sir!’ She feels alright today.”
Washington Post: Meg’s choice: She could reopen her diner. But what about the hungry people she’s feeding?. “In the heart of this pandemic summer, some restaurants have yet to reopen, still struggling to find a workable way forward with diminished capacity or takeout only. Others tried to restart, only to shut down again as cases surged. And many more are gone forever — more than 20,000 restaurants have closed nationwide since the start of the pandemic, according to the National Restaurant Association, with tens of thousands more expected to close. In Lawrence’s downtown, nearly a third of the restaurants have either delayed reopening, reopened and then scuttled indoor dining — or closed all together. [Meg] Heriford faced an agonizing choice — should she try to reopen Ladybird Diner as it was, and if so, what about the people she’s feeding — the newly destitute families who come shyly, pushing their […]
BBC: Letter from Africa: How African generosity dried a crying teacher’s tears. “In our series of letters from African journalists, Kenyan Joseph Warungu looks at the acts of generosity helping ordinary people through desperately trying times.”
CNN: They have been married 46 years and just overcame Covid-19, cancer and chemo together. “A Texas couple is feeling extra blessed after beating the coronavirus, cancer and finishing chemo. Robert and Janice Beecham have been married for 46 years, and this year they are happy to be recovering after a spring full of turmoil.”
CNN: One of the original ‘Rosie the Riveters’ is now making masks to help defeat coronavirus. “Mae Krier, 94, worked in a Boeing factory during World War II, where she helped make warplanes. Now, she’s helping fight a different battle — coronavirus.”
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