Hello and welcome to another edition of weekly uplifting stories!
There are times when life seems unfair. There are a lot of things that don’t just don’t seem to make sense. But one thing is for certain; you’re not alone in feeling like this.
We are all trying our best to navigate life amidst the confusion. Our shared experiences can drive us to help each other and find hope in the midst of darkness.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
This week we bring you four stories that restore our faith in humanity.
- A community instilling a sense of hope in individuals experiencing housing insecurity
- A woman inspires people to take care of their mental health
- A pizzeria paved the way for a life-saving connection between two men
- A man’s Christmas light display is spreading joy
Positively Uplifting Stories | November 25 2024
Gardening is helping homeless youth develop valuable life skills.
A gardening project in Adelaide is improving the well-being of young people at risk of homelessness.
This affordable living program provides support and accommodation to those who have spent time in state care. Many of them haven’t had the opportunity to learn essential life skills.
A community garden is a new addition to the apartment complex. The young residents are encouraged to grow vegetables, herbs, and native foods.
The support workers on site equip them with the skills they need to develop into productive citizens.
“You see a lot of people that have come from the worst of the worst situations you couldn’t imagine yourself in. To see them in situations where they’re providing for themselves, paying their rent, living comfortably, not falling to addiction or any hardship or anything like that that tends to plague these people, it really is inspirational”- Xander Parker, resident.
A running influencer is helping others drive out darkness, one step at a time.
An Jung-eun took up running ten years ago to improve her mental well-being after experiencing the symptoms of depression.
An Jung-eun found that running really worked miracles on her mental and emotional health.
Running gave her the courage to face her depression, and she used her pain as fuel on her healing journey. An Jung-eun hopes to help others who are going through tough times since many South Koreans don’t speak up due to the stigma associated with mental health.
“After I started running, I started looking at things positively and trying to challenge myself more, sharing that energy with many people and jogging together,” said An Jung-eun.
A good Samaritan steps in to save a man’s life by donating his kidney.
This is the story of how Lucali, a popular Brooklyn pizzeria, helped Theo Alano find a life-saving kidney transplant.
Theo Alano was in dire need of a new kidney, but there was a 10-year waiting list for one. Theo’s plea for help on Instagram was noticed by the owner of Lucali, Mark Lacono, who shared Theo’s post to his own Instagram page.
The post caught the attention of Rusty Rastello, a longtime Lucali patron. And that’s when he made the incredibly selfless decision of donating his kidney to Theo.
The kidney transplant surgery was a success and now both men share a lifetime bond.
“I really wanted to do it for everyone around me who put all this effort to try to save my life,” said Theo.
Man creates Christmas light display to make memories with his wife who has Alzheimer’s.
John Reichert has put in months of hard work to bring holiday cheer to his wife and the rest of his neighborhood.
His wife loves Christmas – so, he turned his street into a winter wonderland to make lasting memories with her.
This is his way of expressing his love to his wife, who is living with Alzheimer’s.
The beautiful display of twinkling lights, Christmas characters, and spiraling trees are bringing a lot of joy to the entire neighborhood.
“She’ll remember this and she wanted Christmas, so I give her Christmas. If one person drives by and feels happiness in their heart you know, then I’ve done my job,” said John.
What’s Your Uplifting Story?
And that wraps it up for this week!
Do you have any Uplifting Stories of your own? You can contact us in the comments below, or reach out on our Instagram page. We might just share your story in a future article.
Thanks everyone for reading, and have an uplifting week ahead. Take care and see you next week!
