The Good News Collective is a handful of short, positive news blurbs designed to remind us that there is still a lot of good going on out there in the world amidst the COVID pandemic.
Shyness Turns to Success
When he was 10-years old, Benjamin Gioux wrote a poem called "I am old, I am new". At that time, it had been two years since the diagnosis that put him on the autism spectrum. Through his poem, Benjamin shared his feelings and experiences by putting pen to paper, but he asked to stay home from school the day he was scheduled to read it out loud in class. But Benjamin's father was so moved by the poem he began to share it, and Benjamin, who is now 14, was excited to learn his poem is being turned into a children's book. "I'm really excited. I'm mostly excited to see if it gets into my school library," Benjamin said.
A Precious Item Comes Home
A tornado that tore through Chattanooga, Tennessee on Easter Sunday destroyed homes and the contents inside, but for one family the return of a precious item has meant the world to them. Larry Lockmiller served in the Army National Guard for almost 30 years and his wife sewed a quilt consisting of patches to represent places he had traveled in the military, along with pictures and a poem he wrote while deployed. Since his passing, the quilt became even more special. When the tornado hit, the dresser the quilt was stored in went missing. A local reporter, hearing their story, remembered a photo he had taken and word was sent out along with that photo to keep an eye open. The quilt was found. When it was returned to Beulah Lockmiller she was very emotional and most grateful.
Support from The Boss
The rock-bottom price of oil may have contributed to the layoffs of more than 200 employees with the Carnduff-based Fast Trucking Service, but President Dennis Day wanted to find another way to help his staff amidst the harsh downturn in the oil industry. So, Day, after speaking with his family and managers of the business, called the local Co-op and asked for an astounding $50,000 in grocery gift cards, distributing them to each affected employee in the amount of $250 each. But Day was able to get more value out of the cards, telling Pipeline News, “I’m a business guy, so I phoned the co-op and said if I buy $50,000 worth of gift cards, what kind of deal are you going to give me? And they said, ‘We’ll give you a five per cent discount.’ So I said ‘Don’t give me the five per cent discount, add it on to each employee’s card. So they got $260.”
The Most Successful Walk of All Time
Captain Tom Moore, a World War II veteran living in the UK-based village of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, has undoubtedly carried out the most successful walk in the history of humankind. The 99-year old Tom set out to raise £1,000 for healthcare workers by walking 100 lengths of his garden before he reaches his 100th birthday on April 30th. When word got out about Moore’s intentions, the initiative quickly went viral, and to date, Tom’s simple walks around his home garden have raised a jaw-dropping £27 million ($33.7 million)—and counting—for NHS Charities Together through his Just Giving crowdfunding page. After making international headlines, Tom’s campaign quickly turned into the single-largest individual fundraiser in the history of the United Kingdom. Moore’s newfound fame has resulted in thousands of social media followers, and more than 866,000 people have signed a petition calling for Captain Tom to be knighted. As a form of thanks, a team of aircraft restorers are reportedly planning a fly-by of a Spitfire to mark the veteran’s 100th birthday.
A Bump Up for Endangered Species
The Honolulu Zoo announced the birth of two ring-tailed lemurs in April. The twin lemurs are part of a conservation program and are the offspring of a 5-year old female and 4-year old male who have been at the zoo since 2018. Lemurs are one of the world's most endangered mammals so these additions to the lemur population at the zoo were celebrated. Lemurs are widely recognized for their black and white tails banded tails. They are typically found in Madagascar.
Love Has No Time for Pandemic
A couple in Arkansas had been fostering a little boy for more than a year and were excited to learn they could adopt him the middle of April. However, COVID-19 seemed to disrupt those plans since all court hearings had been cancelled. However, when an on-line adoption hearing was suggested, all parties agreed. The family was all smiles when the judge formally granted the adoption during a video chat and 2-year old Jaden now has his forever family.
Trading Drinks for Jokes
A 6-year old boy in Saanich, BC had hopes of opening up a lemonade stand but when those plans had to be changed, he decided to set up a drive-by joke stand instead. Sensing people needed to laugh, he has been offering free jokes from a children's humor book his mother bought for him a few months ago.
Mail Calls Never Looked So Good
A mail carrier in Sunderland, England realized he was likely the only person many on his route were seeing since being in lockdown. He decided to dress up to deliver the mail, hoping it would be a bright spot in some people's days. His costumes have included an aviator, gladiator, nursery rhyme characters, and cheerleader. The mail carrier has taken part in charity costume events for years and says he has a closetful to choose from.
