@GOODGOODGOODCO
THE HELPERS EDITION
ISSUE 08
Welcome to the Goodnewspaper. You are now a part of a global community that celebrates the people, ideas, and movements that are changing the world for the better. It’s when times are hardest that it’s most important that we shine a light on good news. Not "feel-good" news. Hope — real hope — no matter how messy it may be. There’s a lot of good in the world that needs to be celebrated. And we need to be a part of it.
H E L LO H E L LO!
You'll Always Find the Helpers
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WHO MAKES THE GOODNEWSPAPER? Editor-in-Chief Branden Harvey - @brandenharvey Managing Editor & Writer Kailey Thompson - @kaileythompson Art Director Carra Sykes - @carrasykes Director of Community & Communication Megan Burns - @meganburnsyou Director of Partnerships Steve Wallace - @stevenbwallace Creative Strategist Sammi Harvey - @sammiharveyco
Since we first started the Goodnewspaper, the central
We’ve been covering good news for years — and Mister
quote that represented our mission came from our hero,
Rogers and his mother have always been right. We have
Mister Rogers. He said: "When I was a boy and I would
always found people who are helping.
see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me,
And so with this issue, we’re celebrating the helpers.
'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who
I’ll be the first to admit there are too many helpers to
are helping.’”
possibly include in this newspaper. (How amazing is
At Good Good Good, we never want to shy away from
that?) But we hope inside these pages you’ll find some
bad news in our pursuit of good news. The heartbreak,
helpers you’ve heard of and some helpers who will
pain, and injustice of the world are real. And we cannot
inspire you for the first time. I hope when you see helpers
create solutions to those problems if we don’t know that
online, you’ll tag @goodgoodgoodco and use the hashtag
they exist.
#LookForTheHelpers so we can celebrate them with you.
Mister Rogers’ mother didn’t say that we should turn
Cheers to the helpers. We’re grateful you’re celebrating
off the TV when we see scary things in the news. She told
them with us in this issue — and when you’re done, we
us to take an even closer look — to engage on a deeper lev-
hope you’ll put the Goodnewspaper down and go become
el with the heartbreak. Because we will always find hope
a helper yourself.
in the heartbreak, light in the darkness, and helpers in the bad news.
-BRANDEN HARVEY, @BRANDENHARVEY
Event Producer Michelle Ellamae - @ellamaeproductions Centerfold Poster Featured Artist Megan Burns - @meganburnsyou •••••••••••••••••
FOLLOW GOOD GOOD GOOD! Get more good news every day. Join 40,000+ do-gooders who already follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @goodgoodgoodco ••••••••••••••••• This issue of the Goodnewspaper was printed in December 2019.
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W E H AV E G O O D N E W S
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11-Year-Old Helps His Community Heal After a Mass Shooting An 11-year-old boy started a challenge to inspire his com-
A Comfort Dog Was Sworn In to Help Victims of Sexual Assault and Violence
YouTubers Set Out On A Mission to Plant 20 Million Trees
An attorney’s office in Chicago swore in an unexpected
When YouTuber MrBeast reached the 20 million sub-
new hire: a black lab named Hatty. Two-year-old Hatty
scriber milestone, his fans challenged him to plant 20
was sworn in to the state attorney’s office as the office’s
million trees. So he teamed up with fellow YouTuber Mark
first “facility comfort dog” to assist her human coworkers
Rober and their influencer friends to make a difference,
on 150–200 cases each year. Hatty was trained by inmates
launching TeamTrees in October 2019. Their goal? Plant
at a prison in southwestern Illinois.
20 million trees by 2020.
Hatty stood on her hind legs and placed her paw on a law book as an oath was administered to swear her in. State’s Attorney Kim Foxx even gave Hatty an official badge.
munity to help others so they can heal from a tragic mass
As a member of the Sexual Assault and Domestic Vio-
shooting that affected their city of El Paso, Texas in Au-
lence Unit, Hatty’s job will be to comfort child victims as
gust 2019. Ruben Martinez called upon each person in El
they navigate the criminal justice system, according to
Paso to do 22 good deeds — one for each victim shot and
CBS News.
killed when a white supremecist fired inside an El Paso-area Wal-Mart. He calls it the “El Paso Challenge.” After the shooting, he told his mother he didn't want to go shopping at stores anymore and asked if they could find a deThe team realized they would need to lean on profes-
livery service instead. "He was having some trouble dealing with what happened,"
sionals to plant that many trees in a sustainable and en-
Ruben’s mother, Rose Gandarilla, said to CNN. "I explained to
vironmentally friendly way, so they partnered with Arbor Day Foundation, one of the largest and longest-running
him that we could not live in fear and that people in our commu-
"A trauma-informed approach begins with understand-
nity are caring and loving. I told him to try and think of some-
ing the physical, social, and emotional impact of trauma on
thing he could do to make El Paso a little better."
the individual," the office tweeted in October 2019. "We are
Trees are one of many proven natural climate solutions.
After talking with his mother, Ruben went to his room
proud to have a resource like Hatty to provide a source of
According to the National Academy of Sciences, forest res-
and brainstormed ways the people of El Paso could help one
comfort for victims as they navigate this difficult process."
toration has the most global climate mitigation potential compared to all other natural climate solutions.
another: mow someone’s lawn, visit a nursing home, pay for someone’s meal, donate to families in need, or hold the door for someone. As for Ruben, his first good deed was to deliver dinner to first responders. "He seems to be doing better and says that hopefully, the world will be a better place with all these random acts of kindness,” Gandarilla said to CNN.
tree-planting NGOs. One dollar donated plants one tree.
WHAT'S THIS? THIS IS THE GOOD BAR. We believe in celebrating good and then joining in and making a difference ourselves. The Good Bar is full of recommendations from the Good Good Good community on how to take action in meaningful ways. Start small and work your way up.
At the time of printing, TeamTrees had raised enough funds to plant more than 16 million trees, thanks to the countless fans who donated through the TeamTrees website. Among donors are Elon Musk, who donated $1 million, Jack Dorsey, who donated $350,000, and Jeffree Star, who donated $50,000.
HOW TO FILL THE WORLD WITH MORE TREES GO OD
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Make a difference just by browsing the internet. Download the WeHero browser extension for Chrome or Firefox and help plant trees every time you open up a new tab. It's truly that easy.
Double your impact by donating to an organization like Eden Reforestation Projects, an organization reducing extreme poverty and restoring healthy forests by employing local villagers to plant millions of trees yearly.
It's so obvious that it almost sounds like a cliché, but simply planting trees in your community can make an world of a difference for generations to come. Visit arborday.org to learn how to plant and care for your tree.
W E H AV E G O O D N E W S
Celebrities Joined the Fight Against California Wildfires
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A North Dakota Brewery Puts Shelter Dogs On Its Cans
These Nurses In Florida Make Sleeping Bags For the Homeless
A brewery in North Dakota is bringing to-
Nurses at Tampa General Hospital have
gether dogs and beer for a good cause. Far-
found a unique way to put their stitching
go Brewing Company partnered with the
skills to good use: recycling sterile surgical
nonprofit 4 Luv of Dog to help shelter dogs
wrap to make sleeping bags for people ex-
find a forever home. The hope is that beer
periencing homelessness. The wraps are
drinkers will see a dog they like and come
intended to protect surgical instruments,
visit the shelter.
but they’re a great material for sleeping bags because they’re waterproof and con-
Celebrities are among the many helpers
serve heat.
who have offered aid as California fought
"I see all these sterile wrappers that we
devastating wildfires in fall 2019. Metal-
just throw away, so I thought, what a cool
lica donated $100,000 to relief efforts,
recycling initiative to help the homeless,"
Guy Fieri cooked meals for first respond-
nurse anesthetist Nicole Hubbard told FOX
This Shirt Allows Deaf People to “Feel” Music
ers, and John Cena pledged half a mil-
8 in Tampa.
An innovative wearable device will allow
lion dollars to the Los Angeles Fire De-
“Our wonder dogs are dogs that will live
Registered nurse Karly Wright sent out
deaf users to feel music on their skin. The
partment Foundation and the California
their best life in a home,” 4 Luv of Dog Vol-
an email to hospital staff to seek help for
device, called SoundShirt, comes from
Fire Foundation.
unteer Jerad Ryan told Fargo-based news
the project, and the response was over-
UK-based tech company CuteCircuit and
The largest fire of those in Southern
organization KVRR. “They can be a little
whelming. So far, the group has made 100
brings music to life through a series of
California in the fall was the Kincade Fire,
bit tougher to find homes for, foster homes,
sleeping bags.
haptic sensors built into the material.
which started late October and burned
that type of thing. So we are featuring those
"This has just been far beyond our
The shirt features 30 micro-actuators
more than 75,000 acres. The fires led
dogs on a can and bringing them here so the
wildest imagination," Wright said to
embedded into the fabric of the garment,
to many destroyed homes, widespread
public can meet them.”
FOX 8 Tampa.
which translate sound in real-time into a tactile language.
evacuation orders, power shut-offs, and
CuteCircuit describes that in an or-
school closures. "In times like this, when people are
chestra setting, “the violins can be felt on
giving their lives and working around the
the arms and the drums on the back cre-
clock, what they need from us is resourc-
ating a fully immersive feeling for a deaf
es,” Cena said in a video on Twitter. “This
audience member.”
is the right thing to do, and I'm doing my
Right now the shirt is only available as
part to help the cause. I wish everyone the
part of a package deal for orchestras and
best of luck. Please stay safe, and you are
museums, but a consumer version is avail-
our heroes.”
able for pre-order.
HOW TO SUPPORT ANIMAL SHELTERS AND PETS GO OD
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Donate to local shelters in your community. Rescuing and caring for animals costs money — and your financial support goes a long way toward changing the lives of pets.
Volunteer at your local shelter — helping wherever they need help. Whether you're available once a day or once a month, your time will make a huge impact on animals in your community.
Consider adopting your next pet from a shelter. You'll change an animal's whole world, make room in the shelter for more pets in need, save money, and ensure you're not supporting an unethical breeder or puppy mill.
EVEN MORE GOOD NEWS
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Gay, Homeless Valedictorian Created A Scholarship for LGBTQ Youth
Nearly 500 People In Prison On Nonviolent Drug Offenses Were Released In One Day
After finding out he is gay, Seth Owen’s family was un-
In early November 2019, the largest single-day commuta-
willing to accept his identity and enrolled him in con-
tion in U.S. history wiped out a collective 1,931 remaining
version therapy. He became depressed and suicidal, and
years in Oklahoma prisons, sending home 462 people. In
eventually the conflict with his family became so bad
2016, Oklahomans voted “yes” on a ballot initiative to re-
that his parents forced him out of his home. He started
classify simple drug possession as a misdemeanor rather
couchsurfing with his friends and eventually graduated
than a felony, which carries severe lifelong sentences. In
as valedictorian of his high school and was accepted to
May 2019, the state government took a surprising step to
Georgetown University.
make that change retroactive by allowing people behind
But he didn’t know how we would afford tuition and
bars to expunge felonies for possession and making them
other school-related costs. He was working three jobs but
eligible for sentence commutation and early release.
knew he still couldn’t make it come together.
The single-day release reduced the state’s prison popu-
Kind strangers stepped in. One of his high school teachers and leader of the school's gay-straight alliance, Jane
lation by 1.7 percent, enough to no longer make Oklahoma the most incarcerated state in the nation.
Martin, set up a GoFundMe for Owen, and donations
Recycling Already Wins Big at the 2020 Olympics
poured in. The fund made more than seven times the
There’s already a big winner at the 2020 Olympics: sus-
A person who is charged with simple possession, or who
$20,000 goal, coming in at a total of more than $140,000.
tainability. Tokyo, the host of the 2020 games, has an-
may battle addiction, they don’t need to go to prison,’”
Now he’s helping oth-
nounced their massive initiative to prioritize green and
Kris Steele said to Slate. Steele is the executive director
er LGBTQ teens pay for
clean methods as it sets up the infrastructure for the up-
of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, a nonprofit
school through a scholar-
coming global event. The motto of the Olympic Games is
that wrote the initiatives and gathered more than 200,000
ship he set up called Unbro-
to “be better together — for the planet and for the people.”
signatures to put them on the ballot. “They shouldn’t be
ken Horizons. In the end,
The Tokyo Olympic Games has a sustainability mission
viewed as a prisoner. It’s a health issue, we should treat
Georgetown offered Owen
consisting of three pillars: minimal environmental burden,
a full ride, so the entirety
urban environment harmonizing with nature, and a sus-
of the donations are going
tainable city through sport.
“In 2016, the people of our state said, ‘You know what?
them more as a patient.” For the hundreds of people incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses, this change will make an enormous impact
to the scholarship fund.
Among an impressive variety of sustainability initiatives
When Ellen Degeneres
at the games, there are a few to note. The torchbearers’
“I still had 3,000 days left,” Warren Rawls, who had been
heard about him, she had
uniforms are made of plastic bottles that Coca-Cola — an
incarcerated for a little more than one year, said to Slate.
Olympic partner — collected. Staff and volunteer uniforms
“So it was a big, big thing for me.”
Owen on her show and donated $25,000 to the fund. “I’m not the only kid going through these struggles and
will also be made of recycled and plant-based materials.
it’s my responsibility to stand up and fight for them as well,”
The podiums will be made of shampoo bottles recovered
Owen told 12 News in Phoenix, Arizona. “These situations
from the ocean or donated by the public, and the medals
are dark but we will overcome.”
are made of recycled electronics.
on their futures.
Rawls moved into a sober living facility and is eager to find a job and get his own place. “I need to get back to work, grow up, and start a new beginning for me,” Rawls said.
HOW TO SUPPORT LGBTQ YOUTH GO OD
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BEST
LGBTQ youth disproportionately experience homelessness, bullying, violence, and suicidal thoughts. Your empathy can lay the groundwork to make an impact. Learn from those in the LGBTQ community at hrc.org/blog.
Donate to organizations that support LGBTQ youth. A few organizations to get started include Covenant House, Happy Hippie Foundation, LOVELOUD Foundation, It Gets Better Project, and Encircle.
No matter where you live, you can volunteer with The Trevor Project. Volunteers are vital to Trevor’s work and are instrumental in providing a safe and secure connection for LGBTQ youth to reach out.
EVEN MORE GOOD NEWS
This Somali Refugee Is Now the Director of the Clinic She Visited As A Child In 1992, when Anisa Ibrahim was five
not come without obstacles. As a refugee
years old, she fled Somalia with her family
who wore hijab and did not see others who
and sought refuge in Kenya.
looked like her in her field, she was unsure
"There were so many people in small
she would even be accepted into medical
quarters, all of us were fleeing the down-
school. Since she was the first in her family
stream effects of violence and political
to go to school in the United States, it was
unrest," Ibrahim said to CNN. "Our family
difficult to navigate an education system
was luckier, but there was a lot of pover-
she was unfamiliar with. She felt socially
ty, malnutrition, and infectious diseases
isolated compared to the tight-knit Somali
and outbreaks."
community she was used to.
A year later, her family relocated to the
In 2016 Ibrahim graduated from the
U.S., and she and her sisters were treated
University of Washington’s medical school
at Harborview Medical Center's Pedi-
and joined Harborview as a general pedia-
atrics Clinic in Seattle, a clinic that pri-
trician. In September 2019, she became the
marily serves lower-income, immigrant,
center’s medical director.
refugee, and minority populations. Now,
Now Ibrahim cares for many patients
more than two decades later, she runs that
who are newly arrived or previously re-
same center.
settled refugees and immigrants. Along
Ibrahim always wanted to be a doctor,
with improving the health of children in
but her time as a patient in the clinic solid-
the same position she was in 26 years ago,
ified those dreams.
Ibrahim hopes to fight the negative rhetoric
"My pediatrician at Harborview was
surrounding refugees in America.
one of the first people who believed in me
"There's almost this dichotomy where
and that I could become a doctor," Ibrahim
there's the good and exceptional refugees
said. "For me, as a young refugee, saying,
and the rest aren't so good," Ibrahim said.
'This is my dream,' and having someone
"But the reality is if they're all given time
already doing it actually believing in you is
and space and opportunity and resources,
so meaningful."
everyone will contribute positively to plac-
Her journey to becoming a doctor did
es where they're resettled."
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