Tech For Troops

In Richmond, Virginia, a non-profit organization is providing valuable training along with refurbished computers to veterans in need. Read the full story from WRIC here or watch it below. You can find out more about Techs for Troops at their website.

Making People Smile

Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal made the news this week when he got caught on camera showing incredible generosity to a complete stranger. Watch the full story from TNT below.

Unfortunate Wheel

A college student made the news today for all the wrong reasons, but thankfully, he was a great sport who was able to laugh at his own mistake. Watch the full story from Yahoo Entertainment here or from Fox News. 

Unlikely Love

Stories from CBS journalist Steve Hartman are always amazing, and this 2016 piece about an unlikely intergenerational friendship is one of his favorites. Watch the story below and be sure to watch last year's update from Hartman's "On The Road" series here.

Shoe Auction

NBA star Stephen Curry is having a special set of custom shoes made just to raise money for the families of the spa shooting victims in Atlanta. Read the full story from The Undefeated here or read more details from sports website Yardbarker.

Grandparent Love

In the last several weeks, grandparents all over the country have been reunited with their grandchildren after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Watch one emotional reunion from YouTube channel NowThis Kids or see more reunions from The Good Stuff on CNN here.

Together Forever

Three siblings in New Hampshire were adopted by their forever family last week after being in foster care for four years. Watch the story from WMUR in Manchester, New Hampshire, below or read it here.

From Lil with Love

This week non-profit organizations all over the country have been handing out Easter baskets to children, but one new non-profit was founded by a 5-year-old girl in Maine and her family. Read the full story from News Center Maine in Portland here or watch it below. You can find out more about From Lil with Love on their Facebook page here.

Grandma Layton

A Kansas City man recently shared the beautiful story of his unlikely friendship with an unlikely Kansas artist and activist. Read the full story from the Lawrence Journal-World here, and check out more of the unique artwork of Elizabeth Layton at her website.

Bear Family Adventure

Another bear went viral this week, and this time it was a mother bear trying to successfully get her babies across a busy road in Connecticut. Watch the entertaining four minute video below or read more about it from the Associated Press here.

Redemption Song

An incredibly talented British family has been linked to a rise in the popularity of classical music in the UK during the last couple of years. Watch their amazing arrangement of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" below and definitely watch some of the Kanneh-Mason family's backstory in a piece from CBS Good Morning here.

Golfer Gives Back

A young golfer on the PGA tour used his popularity on social media and professional connections to help raise $2.1 million for a drug to save his infant cousin's life in his home country of Chile. Read the full story and watch an interview with Joaquin Niemann from CNN's Living Golf show here.

Substitute Assistance

Earlier this month, a young man in Los Angeles took action when he saw one of his former teachers in need. Read the full story from CNN here and watch the video below from CBS Los Angeles.

Ever Given Free

After almost a full week of blocking the Suez Canal, today a cargo ship called the Ever Given was successfully unstuck. Read the full story from The New York Times here and watch the video below.

Sleeping In Peace

A non-profit organization with chapters all over the world makes beds for children who wouldn't have one otherwise. Watch the recent news story below from WKBT in Wisconsin about the Sleep in Heavenly Peace La Crosse chapter, but also read the amazing story about how they got started from the Twin Falls, Idaho, newspaper here.

The Cutest Thief

A stray dog in North Carolina went viral this week after stealing a stuffed animal from a Dollar General store multiple times. Read the full adorable story from People here or from CNN here.

Hot Tub

A couple recently vacationing in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, had an uninvited guest come up to their deck and enjoy a dip in their hot tub. Watch the story from WKRN in Nashville below, and click here to watch the full video on Instagram.

Meant To Be

This 2019 story from WCVB-TV in Boston is proof that your dream can be dropped into your lap when you least expect it.

Solidarity

Hundreds of people in New York City gathered in Union Square for the Black and Asian Solidarity 5K over the weekend. Watch the news story from Spectrum News in New York here or scroll through an article from Vogue along with lots of beautiful images here.

Ambassador Of Appreciation

A man in Brooklyn, New York, has generously given away over 10,000 loaves of banana bread to front-line workers during the pandemic. Read the full story from CBSN New York here or watch it below.

Answered Prayer

During the NCAA Tournament over the weekend, one of the biggest upsets was predicted and prayed for by Loyola Chicago's biggest fan, Sister Jean. Read the full story from The Guardian here, and watch Sister Jean's adorable pre-tourney predicitions on ESPN below.

Get Shift Done

A non-profit initiative that was created in North Texas at the start of the pandemic has now filled almost a million volunteer shifts for organizations fighting hunger all over the country. Read more about this creative collaboration between foundations, hunger relief organizations, and entrepreneurs here in the news release from Get Shift Done, and watch the video below to hear more about how the process works.

Friendship

This recent story from Global News is and incredible testament to the power of friendship. When you have ten minutes, watch the story below or read more about it from CBS News here.

Snow Dog

The honorary mayor of Georgetown, Colorado, didn't mind the recent blizzard in their area at all. Check out his romp in the snow from earlier this week below, or his official website here. There's also a super entertaining article about a political scandal from last year that you can check out from The Denver Post here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mayor Parker The Snow Dog (@officialsnowdog)

Inspirational Runner

The world lost an inspirational athlete this week--the father who pushed his son's wheelchair in over 1,000 races. Watch the clip about Dick Hoyt from an old episode of Real Sports on HBO below, or read more about him and his legacy in today's story from WABC-TV in New York here.

Special Concert

People getting their COVID-19 vaccinations in Berkshire, Massachusetts, over the weekend were treated to a very special concert by the world's most famous cello player. Watch the video below and read the full story from CBS News here, or read more from The Berkshire Eagle.

Air Quality Report

One bit of good news from the pandemic and its various lockdowns: a reduction in pollution from 84% of the countries in the world in 2020. Watch the news story from WJZ 13 in Baltimore below or check out the press release from air quality experts IQAir here.

Promising Treatment

Last week the journal Nature reported some good news about specific antibody treatments for COVID-19. Read all of the details from the clinical trials in the full story here.

Paws and Boots

A former police officer in Vermont started a non-profit to train service dogs for veterans and first responders in need of assistance. Watch the video from the The News Project below and read the recent story from WCAX in Vermont here. You can also find more information about the terrific work they do on the Vermont Paws and Boots website.

Part of the Solution

Volunteers all over the country are making it possible for hospitals and health departments to run large-scale vaccination clinics with incredible efficiency. Watch the Associated Press story below about one such endeavor in Seattle or read more from their NBC station KING 5 here.

Failed Landing

For a lighthearted moment this Friday, check out an albatross in New Zealand who didn't quite land the way he intended to.

William's Windmill

Way back in 2002, a 14-year-old boy in the African Republic of Malawi used recycled materials and the diagrams from a book to build a windmill that powered his family's home and more. Watch him retell the story below, or read more about his accomplishments from Liftbump here.

New Eagle Scouts

Last month, almost 1,000 young woman from all over the country achieved the rank of Eagle Scout for the first time in history. Read the full story of these women who broke the gender barrier in an article from CNN here. 

Kitchen Window Art

An artist in Long Beach, California, began a quarantine project at the start of the pandemic that has continued to bless her neighbors for almost an entire year. Check out her beautiful and encouraging Kitchen Window Art project by visiting her Instagram gallery here, or follow her #KitchenWindowArt hashtag.

Full Vaccination

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came out with new guidelines regarding how fully vaccinated people can safely interact with others. Read their full recommendations here or watch the director of the CDC on CBSN below.

Lifeline Pilots

Earlier this week, a non-profit out of Peoria, Illinois, celebrated 40 years of flying people who need medical treatment around the country for free. Read or watch the full story from WEEK-TV here, or find out more about Lifeline Pilots from their video below.

Pizza Family

A family-owned pizzeria in New Jersey was featured on Today  this week for generously donating over 4,000 meals during the course of the pandemic. Read more here or watch the full story below.

Turning the Tables

The comedy web series Turning the Tables is a show of super funny sketches where Broadway stars audition for the roles that made them famous. Watch their latest sketch with one of the award-winning stars of Hamilton below. You can check out more of their comedy on their YouTube page here.

The Dodo

The Dodo media brand has been around since 2014, and their animal rescue videos are always incredibly heartwarming and powerful. Watch the heroic rescue in Kazakhstan from three years ago below, and definitely check out The Dodo's YouTube channel or their website for more amazing stories and footage.

Vaccine Benefits

An unexpected benefit of the COVID-19 vaccine for some people who have been battling the illness for many months has been an improvement or elimination of their lingering symptoms entirely. Read the encouraging news for these "long-haulers" here or watch the full story from WPXI in Pittsburgh.

STAT Madness

There's a different kind of March Madness tournament that's already underway this month, but it involves the year's best innovations in biomedicine instead of basketball teams. Read about a cancer gene discovery that's in the tournament from an article by Newswise news service here, or check out all of the amazing innovations in the whole bracket on the STAT Madness website.

Free Food Forest

Residents of an Atlanta neighborhood who don't have many grocery store options now have a fresh food source that is free. Read more about this park with a purpose from The Good Stuff  series here. 

Be The Bridge

A woman in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area was featured on her local television station earlier this month because of her dedication to racial reconciliation within her community. She started her own group of bridge builders through the national non-profit Be The Bridge and is also starting her own non-profit organization. Watch the full story from WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee below or read it here.

Compassionate Cut

A middle school principal in Indianapolis is being recognized all over the country for the haircut he gave one of his students. Watch the story from WKYC in Cleveland below and read the full story from the Indianapolis Star here.

Coming Back to America

Funny man Eddie Murphy recently shared stories of his life and career with Parade.com, in anticipation of the long-awaited sequel of the 1988 hit Coming to America, which comes out on Amazon Prime next month. Read the full interview here or read more about the upcoming movie from Variety  here.

DNA Discoveries

Steve Hartman's wonderful On The Road series on CBS is always uplifting, but this piece from early last year was deeply personal to him as well. When you have an extra eight minutes, watch the amazing story of how he found the relatives he never knew he had.

Park Prescriptions

Doctors in Canada are now able to officially prescribe their patients time spent in nature as treatment for illness and disease. Read the full article from the Toronto Star here, or watch a news story from Canada's Global News website here. You can also find out more about the PaRx program at their website. 

 

New World Growers

A man in Tampa, Florida used his COVID-19 stimulus money to start a compact garden to feed himself and others in his community. Read or listen to the full story on listener-supported community radio station WMNF in Tampa here.

Covid Cough

The amazing researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a computer algorithm that is incredibly accurate in detecting asymptomatic COVID-19 simply by analyzing a person's forced cough. Read more about this astounding achievement on the HealthLeaders website here or from MIT News.

The Doe Fund

A non-profit in New York City called The Doe Fund made the news this week because of a very special donation that came from the family of the late Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek. Watch the full story below from the CBS Weekend News below or read more about The Doe Fund and their mission on their website.

Shelter from the Storm

This week during the record low temperatures and widespread power outages in Texas, the incredible generosity of a furniture store owner in Houston has been featured on virtually every news network. Watch his interview on Good Morning America below or check out the full story from ABC13 in Houston here.

Festival of Funny

The BBC is hoping to bring a little joy back to the pandemic by starting a new comedy festival full of stand-up and other comedy shows. Read more about all the radio and TV specials in The Guardian or check out the Festival of Funny website here.

Adorable Blessing

Last January, this adorable little preschooler from St. Louis made all the national news networks for his precious pre-lunch prayer. Read more from CBS News here and watch his viral video below.

The 358th Try

The winner of Sunday's Daytona 500 beat the Vegas odds of 66-1 to take home his first Nascar win on his 358th try. Read more about his victory on the Nascar website here and definitely watch his post race reaction below from WCNC in Charlotte.

Yardi Gras

The people of New Orleans created a new tradition for Mardi Gras this year, celebrating with a pandemic safe parade of a different kind. Watch the story from CBS Good Morning below or read more from CBS here.

Exceptional Educator

Last week an amazing teacher in India won an award for being the world's most exceptional educator, and the title came with a million dollar prize. Watch his heartwarming reaction to the announcement below, but also click here to read the NPR story about the incredible lengths he has gone to in order to educate his students.

The Love Fridge

Last year a new organization popped up in Chicago that seeks to combat food waste while helping those who are experiencing food insecurity at the same time. Check out the story from FOX 32 in Chicago below or visit The Love Fridge website for more information.

Record Renewal

Earlier this week on NBC's Today, the hosts set a new Guinness World Record by officiating a wedding vow renewal ceremony for more than 50 couples. When you have 15 extra minutes, watch the celebration and hear some of their sweet love stories below.

Cat Lawyer

The funniest thing on the Internet this week was definitely the attorney in Texas who accidentally turned himself into a cat during a Zoom hearing. Watch the funny interview with the cat lawyer on NBC below or read the full story here.

Heart Attack

This video from the creative and inspiring folks at SoulPancake was from February eight years ago, but it's perfect for sharing around every Valentine's Day.

This Is Love

A farmer in the Flint Hills of Kansas set up a video camera near a Bald Eagle nest last year, and his videos of the eagle couple and the Great Horned Owls who took over the nest have been pretty incredible. Check out his most recent Valentine's Day themed video below or all of the eagle/owl videos (including the live cam) here.

Paul O'Sullivans

A group of men with the same name formed a band last year, and their story was recently featured in The Uplift series from CBS News. Read about their unique connection here or watch the piece below.

Amazing

One of the great commercials from last night's Super Bowl was this spot from Toyota about Jessica Long, a paralympian who was born in Sibera and adopted by an American family. Watch the emotional ad below and read more of Jessica's amazing story from NBC Sports here.

Big Game Collaboration

This Super Bowl Sunday, several non-profit organizations have come together to fight human-trafficking at the big game in Tampa Bay. An organization called It's a Penalty has teamed up with pro football players to create the informational campaign below, and volunteers from Rahab's Daughters, Convergence Resource Center, and The SOAP Project will all be working to identify and help victims of exploitation. You can also watch a recent story from WFTS Tampa Bay about how these organizations saved a young woman at last year's game here.

Tamales for Good

A generous restaurant owner in Chicago has found a creative way to help tamale vendors stay out of the cold while also helping those experiencing homelessness. Read the full story from the Chicago Tribune here.

No Way Norway

With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend, lots of the best commercials have already been released online. This General Motors ad for their latest electric vehicle is definitely smile worthy.

Pups of Jay

A New Orleans UPS driver named Jay began taking adorable pictures with the dogs along his delivery route several years ago, but just last year he went viral and reached over 100,000 followers on Instagram. Read the full story from Today here or check out Jay's Instagram page for hundreds of other adorable pictures.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jason Hardesty (@jhardesty)

COVID Milestone

This week a few countries in the world achieved a milestone in the fight against COVID-19. Read the full story from WebMD here or watch it from Bloomberg News below.

Punxsutawney Phil

This morning in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, there was a big Groundhog Day celebration, which was livestreamed on YouTube thanks to the pandemic. Although Phil predicting six more weeks of winter might not be good news to some, it was still an entertaining moment that will bring a smile to your face. The full event is an hour long, but you can watch Phil's brief appearance below.

High Five Friendship

Steve Hartman is well known for his beautiful On The Road series on CBS, and his latest heartwarming story about two friends with an unusual ritual is below. When you have more time, and especially if you have children, definitely also check out the new Kindness 101 series Steve started for kids during the pandemic.

Jesus House

The city of Odessa, Texas recently celebrated opening a beautiful new shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness. Watch the story below or read it from NewsWest 9 here. For more information about Jesus House and what they do, you can check out their website here.

More Than Coworkers

In this amazing story from ABC15 in Phoenix, two nurses who'd worked together for two years recently found out they were related. Watch the heartwarming story below or read it here.

Laughing for Good

An incredibly popular (and hilarious) TV reporter turned internet personality, who has a following of over a million people on Facebook, has used her platform to raise almost $160,000 for charity. Read more about her fundraising project on her Facebook page and be sure to watch the highlights of one of her product review videos below for a good laugh. 

Twelve-Year-Old Trumpeter

The incredible dedication of a 12-year-old boy in Georgia was recognized during the inauguration last week, but here's the story about this talented tween from the CBS Evening News that originally aired last year.

Hope for Paralysis

Researchers in Germany have found a way to repair damaged spinal nerves in mice, giving them the ability to walk again after being paralyzed. Read the full story from NBC News here.

Restaurant Rescue

A woman in Orlando was recognized as a hero earlier this month when she noticed a little boy in her restaurant needed help. Watch the full story from Today below or read more from People here.

Loyal Friend

Last week in Turkey, a very loyal dog made the news by waiting outside the hospital where his owner was being treated. Watch the story from NBC News below, which includes a very happy temporary reunion, or read more on the story from an Australian news website here.

Kits Cubed

An amazing teenager in California started his own nonprofit during the pandemic to share his love of science with other kids through hands-on experiment kits. Watch this great story from NBC4 in Washington, DC, or check out the Kits Cubed website here.

The Hill We Climb

Positively, the most positive person all over the Internet this week is poet Amanda Gorman, who wowed the world with her amazing poem at the inauguration on Wednesday. Watch her performance in its entirety from The Guardian below or see this amazing human in an interview on Today here.

Bernie Meme

This week Bernie Sanders has taken the Internet by storm with his inaguration day attire. Watch the news story below from WHAS11 in Louisville about the resulting meme in all of its forms. Other great lists of hilarious Bernie memes can be found at the Men's Health website and The Wrap.

Pep Talk

Today's throwback video is from November of 2019, and it's the most recent pep talk from the young man who used to be Kid President. He shot to YouTube fame back in 2012 with words of wisdom that were always full of joy and encouragement. Check out more of his old videos here.

Indoguration

On Sunday, the Delaware Humane Association hosted a virtual party with over 10,000 attendees to celebrate the first dog adopted from a shelter moving into the White House. Watch the story below from ABC7 in New York or read it here.

National Day of Service

All over the country yesterday, people were honoring of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by volunteering on the National Day of Service. At just one event in Flint, Michigan, volunteers from the United Way served families in need by braving the elements and distributing free food and other supplies.

MLK Celebrations

There are so many online celebrations of MLK to check out on YouTube today, but here's just one great musical number that's a combined performance from an MLK Ensemble and Mama Foundation. This was bonus footage from the New York State 2021 celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.



For more great performances, check out this playlist from the Cleveland Orchestra after they're posted later today.

Giving Kitchen

A non-profit organization in Georgia that provides crisis support for people working in the foodservice industry recently expanded their services to help people who are being treated for substance abuse. They are also preparing to extend their organization's reach to Tennessee in 2021. Read more about their new recovery assistance program from the Restaurant Hospitality website here, or check out the Giving Kitchen website to find out about their other programs. The interview with Nashville Restaurant Radio below highlights their origins and their upcoming growth in that area.

Medical Clowning

There's a facsinating new type of medical care that might sound like a joke, but a recent TED Talk posted online shares the basics of medical clowning and how it helps hospital patients and staff. Read more form the Ever Widening Circles website here or watch the TED Talk below.

Kitty City

In a brilliant pandemic collaboration between two non-profit organizations in Lawrence, Kansas, artists created a very entertaining exhibit out of adoptable kittens in one of the gallery spaces of the arts center. Their Kitty City will be available for viewing until the end of February, and you can even watch the kittens play live on their kitty cam below. Read more from the Lawrence Journal-World here, or find out more on the Lawrence Arts Center Kitty City page. They have some very entertaining videos on the Lawrence Humane Society Instagram page too! 

Peanut the Orangutan

This video from Discovery UK originally aired about three years ago, but it's such an adorable story it's worth sharing. When you have 8 minutes, meet the sweetest little orangutan named Peanut and the amazing people at Orangutan Appeal UK who are teaching him how to climb.

Drug Development

There was a very exciting development in the pharmaceutical world this week, as drug company Eli Lilly announced positive results in the phase 2 trial of a medication to fight Alzheimer's Disease. Denver's 9News put together a very informative story about the findings you can watch below or read here.

Parade Love

Over the weekend, an entire community came together to support a young boy who is battling cancer for the second time. Read the full story from KCRA News in Sacramento here.

Best of 2020

The uplifting Stitch series from Hearst Television published a 10 minute clip of their most heartwarming stories from 2020. Watch the video below or check out the Stitch website here.

Australian Recovery

The reporters at CTV News in Canada shared some good news out of Australia, where rescuers have been working to rehabilitate and reintroduce the wildlife who were decimated after the wildfires last year. Watch the story on CTV's website here.

Record Adoptions

More great news that came out of the otherwise terrible pandemic is the increased number of homeless animals being adopted from shelters around the country. Read the full story from the Washington Post here.

Pandemic Pets

One good thing that came out of the pandemic was the huge number of work from home on camera bloopers. This is a great compliation of news + pet mishaps from around the world in 2020. The video is actually over 20 minutes long, but even just a few of these moments should brighten your day.

Incredible Family

This video from the TV show Born Different is from a couple of years ago, but it's definitely worth a watch when you have a free 10 minutes. This amazing family is absolutely inspirational.

Neighborhood Hero

A Phoenix area woman saved the lives of her neighbors when she alerted them to a house fire early on New Year's Day. Their home was a total loss, but thankfully, their community has rallied to help them rebuild. Watch the video below or read the full story from 12 News in Phoenix here.

Positivity Pole

A basketball coach at the University of Kansas has been spreading motivation and inspiration throughout the pandemic with his weekly trips down to the "Positivity Pole" in his neighborhood. Check out all of his encouraging Monday videos here.

Moving Heros

A national moving company has started offering free moving services to victims of domestic violence during the pandemic. People in need can apply for the free services from franchises all over the country through their local domestic violence prevention organizations.

Animal Grandpa

In this sweet story from the Good News Network, a retired teacher in Turkey volunteers his time to care for homeless animals. Read all of the details here. 

Happiness in 2020

The folks at NBC's Today put together a great list of 9 good news stories from 2020, including this terrific socially distant dance-off. Check out the full list of stories here. 

More Vaccine Hope

This week a new coronavirus vaccine, which is inexpensive and doesn't need special cold storage, was approved for use in the United Kingdom. Read the full story from the Boston Herald here or from The New York Times here.