@GOODGOODGOODCO
CELEBRATE GOOD NEWS. BECOME GOOD NEWS.
ISSUE 06
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!
3
WHO MAKES THE GOODNEWSPAPER? Editor-in-Chief Branden Harvey - @brandenharvey
Cheers to Too Much Good News
Managing Editor & Writer Kailey Thompson - @kaileythompson Art Director Carra Sykes - @carrasykes @laurenmarek
Community & Communications Lead Megan Burns — @meganburnsyou
I've been thinking a lot about why good news so-often goes unreported in the world. Of course, when we started work-
But because news is supposed to be "new," this might not be interesting enough to share via traditional news outlets.
Creative Strategist Sammi Harvey - @sammiharveyco
ing on the idea for the Goodnewspaper at the end of 2016,
Now that the Goodnewspaper is more than a year and
we understood that one of the primary reasons we feel like
a half old, we’re beginning to wrestle with this ourselves.
Centerfold Poster Featured Artist
there’s so much bad news in the world is simply that our
It probably won’t surprise you to hear the teen birth rate
Joanna Dee - @joannadee
brains have an internal negativity bias. We remember bad
continued to fall in 2018 (and it’s projected to do the same
news more easily than good news. And because of that, me-
in 2019). But should we share again? Should we just have
dia outlets often just focus on the more-memorable stories
each issue of the Goodnewspaper be an update on how
— even if they make us sad and cynical.
the good news from previous issues has continued to
But over the last few months of working on this par-
get better?
ticular issue of the Goodnewspaper, I think I came
That's not the plan. All this to say: This issue is filled
to understand another reason good news too often
with new kinds of stories, a few old kinds of stories, as well
goes underreported.
as plenty of action steps on how we can all become a part
It's because good news is constantly happening. There's
of those stories to make sure that they're still good news
so much good news out there that it actually doesn't qual-
next year. Ultimately I can't imagine a better problem to
ify as "new" enough for it to be news.
have than the Goodnewspaper team having a conversation
Here's an example: In Issue 02 of the Goodnewspaper
over whether we can fit in a story we've already reported
(which is still available at shop.goodgoodgood.co) we
on that's continued to get better alongside a story of some-
celebrated that the teen birth rate has dropped to a record
thing new and good that's happening in the world. Here’s
low in the United States as of 2017, plummeting a full 9
to another year of having too much good news.
percent from 2016. And that the teen birth rate has been falling for a long time in the U.S. — a whopping 67 percent
-BRANDEN HARVEY
since 1991.
@BRANDENHARVEY
Comic Artists Victor Huckabee - @popesaintvictor Hector Janse van Rensburg - @swatercolour Podcast Producer Chad Michael Snavely - @chadmichaelsnavely •••••••••••••••••
KEEP UP WITH US! Keep up with more good news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @goodgoodgoodco
Learn more about the Goodnewspaper and Good Good Good at goodgoodgood.co
Shop apparel, accessories, good news, and more at shop.goodgoodgood.co
We want to hear from you. Send your feedback and questions to hello@goodgoodgood.co
Subscribe to our podcast, Sounds Good with Branden Harvey, at soundsgoodpodcast.com
Easily update your subscription and mailing address at goodnewspaper.org/update
For details on advertising partnerships, email our team at ads@goodgoodgood.co
W E H AV E G O O D N E W S
4
Good News From the 2018 U.S. Midterm Elections Even when politics feel divisive and frustrating, progress is a reason to celebrate. In the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, voter turnout was at an all-time high. Compare
This High School Volleyball Team Donated New Equipment to Their Rival Team Who Lost Everything In the California Fires
114 million ballots cast in the most recent election to 83 million in 2014. Those elected are among the most diverse groups of legislature the United States has ever had,
The Camp Fire in California destroyed the
moving the country closer to an elector-
town of Paradise in less than a day. Un-
ate that represents the demographics of
fortunately, members of the Paradise Ad-
its people.
ventist Academy volleyball team lost their
A record number of women now serve
uniforms in the flames. But when they
in Congress — women now make up about
arrived to a semifinal match, they were
a quarter of its voting membership. Ilhan
greeted with new equipment purchased
Omar is the first Muslim Congresswom-
opponents. Members of the Forest Lake
This Company Wants to Help Girls In Developing Countries Manage Menstruation and Stay In School — All Through A Pair of Panties
Christian High School volleyball team,
More than 8 million girls in Sub-Saha-
cess to feminine hygiene products. Instead,
ley is the first black woman to represent
the school where the tournament was
ran Africa miss one week of school every
they use mud, rags, or leaves to stop bleed-
her state in Congress. And Debra Haaland
hosted, arranged for entrance fees for the
month to manage their menstrual cycle.
ing — causing discomfort and even infec-
and Sharice Davids are the first Native
game to be used toward donations for the
Sadly, many girls drop out altogether once
tion. Khana aims to design a period-proof
Congresswomen elected to Congress. We
fire victims.
they start their period. The people behind
panty to help these girls stay in school. For
know when women, people of color, and
When the Paradise team arrived in No-
the company Khana want to change that.
every pair you buy, a period-proof pair is
any other underrepresented groups of peo-
vember last year, they discovered new
The company's co-founder, Shayna Fowl-
given to a girl in need. And get this — Kha-
ple win, we all win.
uniforms, knee pads, socks, and a room
er, moved to East Africa as a young adult
na manufactures 100 percent of the peri-
full of goods for their families. Amazing-
and met a 16-year-old girl, Esther, whose
od-proof panties in Uganda, creating jobs
WHAT'S THIS? THIS IS THE GOOD BAR.
ly, the Forest Lake students raised more
inability to manage menstruation kept her
in the communities where the product will
than $16,000 for the Paradise community.
from an education. It was Esther’s story
be used.
And at the end of the game, the fire victims
that moved Shayna to found Khana and
The group launched their Kickstarter in
were served dinner and the Paradise coach
launch a buy one-get one period-proof
October 2018 and met their $75,000 goal
was presented with $300 gift cards for
panty initiative.
in November. Production of the panties
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.
through coordination on the part of their
each player and their family.
Many women in Uganda don’t have ac-
an to wear a hijab and the first woman of color to represent her state. Ayanna Press-
started in November.
HOW TO EMPOWER WOMEN DURING THEIR PERIODS GO OD
BET TER
BEST
Help normalize menstruation by talking about periods more. And when you hear others normalizing period talk, take the opportunity to affirm and support them to help make periods less taboo.
Menstrual supplies aren't cheap, but for anyone with a period, they're, of course, an absolute necessity. Donate to Bloody Good Period or PERIOD.org to help provide these products to those who can't afford them.
Donate to girls' education organizations (such as Days for Girls, She's the First, and Femme International) that help support girls around the world who may otherwise skip school when they're on their period.
W E H AV E G O O D N E W S
5
A Global AIDS Relief Initiative Was Reauthorized and Extended Through 2023 The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS end of last year. The initiative, which began in 2003 under President George W. Bush, has taken on the effort of eradicating HIV/AIDS worldwide. When the program began in 2003, only 50,000 people in
A Whale Species Population In Alaska Has Grown by Nearly 15 Times Since the '70s
In November, the U.S. Congress passed
From 2013 to 2016, baby mortality rates
Since 1978, Craig George has counted
a bill to reauthorize the program and its
have dropped in the U.K. Perinatal deaths
bowhead whales for an eight-week stretch
mandates through 2023, and the bill went
(stillborns and neonatal deaths combined)
each year from mid-April to June. During
into effect when President Donald Trump
have dropped from 6.04 to 5.64 per 1,000,
that period, whales migrate past Point
signed it into law in December 2018. The
representing about 300 fewer baby deaths
Barrow, the northernmost point of all U.S.
reauthorization extends the program in
altogether. There were 200 fewer still-
territories and where George stations
its current state, with one only major ad-
births, and 100 fewer neonatal deaths (de-
himself with the group he works with, the
dition being the expansion of funding
fined as a baby that dies within four weeks
North Slope Borough. Since George and
through PEPFAR to faith-based organ-
of birth). The stillbirth rate for twins has
his colleagues started counting the whales
izations. Support for the program has
almost halved since 2014, and neonatal
more than 30 years ago, he estimates there
been wide-reaching and bipartisan — an
deaths among twins has reduced by almost
are now up to 15,000 whales, compared to
example of politicians meeting across
a third in the same period.
1,200 the first year the North Slope Bor-
(ART) — now the program supports up to 14 million people through the treatment.
the aisle to support a humanitarian effort that saves lives.
The MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Mortali-
ough started counting.
ty Surveillance Report — the fourth of its
Commercial whaling surged from the
kind — recommends renewed efforts to
years 1848 to 1915, and amazingly some
improve healthcare for mothers and ba-
of the whales alive today might have been
bies through public health initiatives that
alive during that time and dodged whal-
reduce the impact of known risk factors
ers — it’s possible the animal can live up to
for stillbirths and neonatal deaths, such as
200 years. Whalers wiped out about 1,000
smoking and obesity.
whales during that period, but the species
— LENA WAITHE
The Number of Babies In the U.K. Surviving Birth Has Dramatically Increased
Africa had access to antiretrovial therapy
THE ONLY WAY YOU REALLY SEE CHANGE IS BY HELPING CREATE IT.
Relief (PEPFAR) was reauthorized at the
seems to be recovering.
HOW TO HELP FIGHT HIV/AIDS AROUND THE WORLD GO OD
BET TER
BEST
Get tested and know your partner's status so the spread of HIV/AIDS stops at you. Find a testing site near you by texting your zip code to 566948. You can also buy a home testing kit at a pharmacy or online.
Your purchases have power. (RED) partners with brands you love to create products and experiences that fund the fight against AIDS. Visit red.org. You can make the world better through small changes in your purchases.
Reach out to your elected representatives to let them know you support government funding for HIV/AIDS relief through PEPFAR, the Global Fund, and other programs. Your voice genuinely matters in these decisions.
W E H AV E E V E N M O R E G O O D N E W S
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Director Guillermo Del Toro Took A Year Off to Do Good
For the First Time In 25 Years, New York City Went A Weekend Without a Single Shooting
After completing work on his film “The
This Teacher In India Started Bussing Students to School So They Don't Drop Out
Shape of Water,” Oscar-winning director
Students at Baarali Government Higher
Guillermo Del Toro stepped out of the pub-
Primary School in India started dropping
lic eye and took off the year 2018 to stand
out of school when parents began fearing
by his dying father’s side and give back to
for their children’s safety because they
aspiring filmmakers in Mexico, where Del
had to trek a mud path through the forest
Toro was born and grew up.
to get to school each day, almost four miles
“I have used the time immediate to the
Bill Gates Wants to Reinvent the Toilet
Oscars to activate two scholarships for
For the billions of people worldwide with-
that the school risked shutting down al-
young Mexican filmmakers and activat-
out access to safe sanitation, a new ap-
together. Rajaram, the science and math
From Friday, October 12 through Sunday,
ed an animation centre that will open
proach to the toilet could change lives. Bill
teacher at the school, decided to take mat-
October 14 last year, not a single shooting
next year and helped with the local cine-
and Melinda Gates launched the Reinvent
ters into his own hands and purchase a bus
was reported in New York City’s five bor-
matheque in my home town,” he told film
the Toilet Challenge to do just that. They
that he would use to drive the students to
oughs, according to police. This was the
magazine Empire. “I thought that the mo-
called on global innovators, development
and from school.
first time of such an occurrence in at least
mentum needed to be used in that way.”
banks, corporate partners, sanitation util-
Rajaram got a license to drive the bus
round-trip. So many students dropped out
25 years. In a city of at least 8.6 million
After a year off to spend time with his
ities, and governments to work togeth-
and even spends his own money on car in-
people, the achievement was extraordi-
family and support the community that
er to create a toilet that removes germs
surance and gas. Once he started offering
nary. The weekend came after a historical-
helped shape him, Del Toro will return back
from human waste, recovers resources
rides for the students, the school’s student
ly low number of shootings in September
to filmmaking when he directs, writes, and
(such as energy, clean water, and nutri-
population almost doubled.
and after eight consecutive quarters of de-
produces a stop-motion musical of “Pinoc-
ents), operates “off the grid,” operates at a
clining shootings.
chio,” set to release on Netflix.
low cost, and promotes sustainability and
NYPD’s chief of crime-control strate-
local economies.
gies, Lori Pollock, said to CNN in October
Since the initiative’s inception in 2011,
2018 the city was trending toward another
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has
“record-setting” year of fewer than 97,000
invested at least $200 million to drive re-
crimes and attributed the decline in shoot-
search, development, and production of
ings in part to cooperation with federal au-
the “next generation toilet.” Gates said at
thorities in prosecuting domestic violence
an expo his foundation hosted that a new
offenders for weapons possession. The ef-
approach to waste could save at least half a
forts have worked — in 1990 the city expe-
million lives plus $233 billion annually in
rienced a jaw-dropping 2,245 homicides,
costs linked to diseases caused by unsafe
compared to 287 in 2018.
water, sanitation, and hygiene.
HOW TO DO GOOD WITH TOILETS GO OD
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Tune into some toilet talk! Talking about pooping is weird, but there's so much value in understanding the problem a lack of toilets causes. Search for "Bill Gates toilets" on YouTube and enjoy some humorous education.
The need for access to clean water goes hand in hand with the need for access to safe sanitation. Support the work of both by donating to impactful organizations like Blood:Water.
Want to invest in the future? Join Gates in throwing your money into toilets. It's a great investment because you're putting money toward new tech that will save lives and help lift communities from poverty.
W E H AV E E V E N M O R E G O O D N E W S
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CAN WE OVERCOME APATHY? YES, BUT ONLY IF WE HAVE HOPE. —JANE GOODALL
Mobile Phones Are Helping Farmers Grow Bigger Harvests
Teen Drinking Has Dropped Significantly Across Europe
More than 200 million farmers don’t have banks. With no
According to the World Health Organization, teenage
bank, there’s no place to safely store savings since storing
drinking has declined across Europe, most significantly
money at home is risky. The popular solution? Don’t save at
in Britain. In 2002, half of teenage boys in England drank
all, and spend as you earn. But farmers make most of their
weekly, but now that figure is down to one in 10, according
money during harvest and spend the most money during
to a report from the organization. Europe has the highest
planting time. Without saving money from harvest season,
level of alcohol consumption in the world — and it’s
they can’t afford the highest quality seeds and fertilizers
costing. More than 10 percent of all deaths in 2016 in the
This App Helped Teens With Concussions Heal
region were attributed to alcohol consumption.
After Jane McGonigal suffered a concussion, she worked
With no savings, farmers are unable to scale their busi-
“More should be done to ensure that adolescents are
with researchers to create a mobile health app called
nesses. While many rural farmers don’t have banks, more
effectively protected from the harms caused by alcohol,"
SuperBetter to help ease concussion symptoms. Gener-
than half of unbanked farmers do have mobile phones. A
WHO report leader Jo Inchley said to CNN.
ally, concussion patients are discouraged from reading,
company based in the West African country of Mali want-
There’s been a shift, but drinking among young people
watching TV, or using mobile devices to help their brains
ed to take advantage of that fact to help farmers. They cre-
is still a problem. Across Europe, 28 percent of 15-year-
heal. But a study revealed that teenagers who used the
ated MyAgro, a layaway system that worked with 45,000
olds said they started drinking at age 13 or younger, but it’s
app in conjunction with medical care improved concus-
farmers in Mali and Sengal in 2018 alone.
certainly an improvement from 46 percent in 2002.
sion symptoms and optimism more than with standard
Karen Tyrell, executive director of external affairs at the
treatment alone.
when it’s time to purchase.
App users set a specific goal, adding money little by little throughout the year. Once they’ve saved enough, they
U.K.-based charity Addaction, said the decline in teenage
The app works as a gamified symptoms journal. The
can use their savings to order seeds and fertilizers they
drinking hasn’t been a result of policy or marketing
app rewrites frustrating symptoms into a heroic narrative.
wouldn’t normally be able to access. The thing that makes
changes in the alcohol industry, but instead from the
For example, symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, or
MyAgro different than a traditional bank is it automatical-
increasing prevalence of social media.
feelings of confusion are presented as “bad guys,” while
ly triggers a delivery of seeds and fertilizers that are most
"In the age of Instagram the idea of losing control is
medical recommendations such as sleep, sunglasses, or
likely to thrive in the farmer’s ecosystem. The company
often not an appealing one to a group of kids whose every
a concussion management plan are presented as “power
also trains farmers how to microdose, a way of using fewer
success and misstep can be shared in seconds,” Tyrell
ups.” The app also has a social aspect, where patients’ allies
seeds and fertilizer, and reports that users see harvests up
told CNN.
can join their network and can exchange resilience points,
to 50 percent larger. And larger harvests could mean the
achievements, comments, and personalized emails in re-
difference between being able to afford to send children to
sponse to activity.
school or having enough food to feed a family.
And where teenagers are drinking less, we hope to see decreases in drunken driving and alcohol-related disease.
HOW TO HELP COMBAT DRUNKEN DRIVING GO OD
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BEST
On weekends or holidays that tend to attract partying, share online the practicality of having a designated driver, using ridesharing, or abstaining from drinking. This will help normalize better choices.
Eliminate tipsy driving in your own life. Buy a $100 breathalyzer online and keep it in your car. Similarly, maintain a small monthly budget to pay for rides home for friends who aren't safe to drive.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is one of the most impactful organizations in the world of safe driving. You can learn more about how to join the important work they do (whether or not you're a mom) at madd.org.
W E H AV E G O O D N E W S , Y ’ A L L
2
A Syrian Refugee's Falafel Shop Is "The Nicest Place in America"
WHEN YOU BREAK BREAD, YOU BREAK HATE.
Yassin Terou fled his home country of war-stricken Syria
The business has also developed into a hub for chari-
seven years ago. He’s since opened a falafel shop in down-
table works. When fires ripped through the nearby town
town Knoxville, Tennessee, which was awarded Reader’s
of Gatlinburg, killing 14 and damaging or destroying up
Digest Nicest Place in America accolade last year.
to 2,500 homes and businesses, Terou woke up the next
It wasn’t easy for Terou to move to the U.S. — not everyone was welcoming because he was a refugee and
day and jumped into action, renting a moving van that employees, customers, and friends loaded with
didn’t speak English well. But he told
water, food, and other supplies to deliver
ABC News he learned to “handle hate
to victims.
with love.”
They’ve also held fundraisers for
A year ago at a Christmas gather-
community causes, such as Bridge
ing in downtown Knoxville a man
Refugee Services, by donating a
was yelling that immigrants were
percentage of every falafel sold.
preventing him from getting a job.
When he won an award for his
Terou introduced himself to the
charitable work, he donated the
man, offered to buy him dinner, and
$1,000 prize to Seeds of Abraham,
even offered him a job.
a local nonprofit that connects youth
“I always invite anyone who hates us to the store,” Terou told Reader’s Digest. “I want them to know us more. When you break bread, you break hate.”
from different faiths. Terou’s extraordinary kindness is changing Knoxville for the better. Knoxville mayor Madeline Rogero told ABC
In many places around the world, strangers aren’t wel-
News she believes Terou has "really torn down people's
come. But at Terou’s restaurant, all people are welcome.
perceptions" of refugees and Muslims in the "heart of Ap-
Many of the employees at the shop are also refugees,
palachia."
immigrants, or Muslims. He’s also hired ex-convicts,
Most recently, Terou offered free meals to anyone af-
people struggling with drug addiction, and women flee-
fected by the longest government shutdown in U.S. histo-
ing dangerous situations. At the front of his store, a sign
ry. He announced the news on the restaurant's Facebook
reads: “All sizes, all colors, all ages, all sexes, all cultures, all
page, ending with the hashtag #weallneedloveplusfalafel.
religions, all types, all beliefs, all people, safe here at Yassin’s Falafel House."
HOW TO SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES IN YOUR COMMUNITY GO OD
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Help fight the stigma associated with refugees. Refugees are people fleeing war and conflict in their home countries. By humanizing refugees, you have the power to spread empathy.
Help show your new neighbors that they're welcome. You can ask local refugee resettlement organizations or your local government if there are any welcome parties (maybe at the airport!) you can attend.
Volunteer with a local organization supporting refugees (find out where at therefugeecenter.org) to help people settle into their new cities. You can help them learn their bus routes, navigate job searches, and share a meal.
W E H AV E G O O D N E W S , Y ’ A L L
3
Food and Farming Are Giving Young An ICU Nurse Drove People In Atlanta A Fresh Start at Life Through Wildfires to Save Lives Abiodun Henderson observed two needs in Atlanta: Farmers needed labor, and community members needed
money. And she knew she could meet two needs with just
After Allyn Pierce helped evacuate patients from the
one operation. In 2016 she won a $10,000 fellowship and
hospital where he works in Paradise, Calif., during the
designed a pilot program to teach previously incarcerat-
Camp Fire that leveled the town — the deadliest and most
ed young people farming and gardening skills and the ba-
destructive fire in California’s history — he got in his Toy-
sics of entrepreneurship. The pilot grew into what is now
ota Tundra with two colleagues to drive to safety. They
Gangstas to Growers.
were gridlocked, and cars around them started burning.
Henderson is a veteran restaurant employee who
He thought he might not make it out alive and even re-
waited tables at fine dining restaurants throughout the
corded a goodbye message for his family. Much of his
south. She understands the power of food in healing re-
truck burned.
lationships and communities and wondered how it could
A typical day in the program starts with yoga and ends
“I just kept thinking, ‘I’m going to die in melting plas-
play a part to release Atlanta’s most vulnerable from
with seminars from food industry experts, environmental
tic,’” Pierce told the New York Times. But instead of con-
generational poverty.
activists, nutritionists, or criminal justice advocates. Dur-
tinuing on to safety, his truck held up enough to turn back
Black people are fives times as likely than white people
ing the day, trainees learn from black growers who owned
around and return to danger in Paradise.
to be incarcerated before their 21st birthday, and a crim-
and operated their own gardens and farms located in
“We're terrible at burning to death, but we're amazing
inal record drastically reduces the likelihood of being of-
southwest Atlanta. They also participate in group therapy.
at taking care of people,” he said. Doctors, nurses, para-
fered a job. In a state where ex-convicts are more likely
“I was so used to seeing death that I didn’t know how
medics, and police officers started a triage center in the
than not to reoffend within three years, Henderson want-
it’d feel to see something grow,” said group member Der-
hospital parking lot and treated about two dozen people.
ed to provide opportunities for these young people looking
riontae Trent to Politico. “To see plants grow full of life,
Shortly later, the hospital caught fire, so they relocated to
for a fresh start.
from something I control, it’s probably the best feeling in
the hospital’s helipad about 200 meters away. Eventually
the world.”
authorities cleared a path, and everyone made it out safely.
By 2025 Henderson hopes to train 500 young formerly incarcerated Atlantans with the help of private funders
Participants earn $15 per hour for their work and can
When Toyota heard about Pierce's brave work, they
and the revenue generated from homemade hot sauce
earn extra money by helping Henderson cook, bottle, and
generously offered to replace his fire-scorched truck. Sad-
sales. She hopes to introduce similar programs in other
sell hot sauce. Participants of her pilot have continued to
ly, the Camp Fire took the lives on 44 people. But thanks
major American cities, introducing young black people to
make and sell the hot sauce, while others now work in oth-
to the brave work by Pierce and other heroes, many more
the possibilities that can come through food and farming.
er fields, such as construction.
lives were saved.
HOW TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO ARE INCARCERATED OR FORMERLY INCARCERATED GO OD
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Grow in your empathy for those who are incarcerated by listening to the podcast Ear Hustle. Ear Hustle shares the stories of life inside prison, directly from those who are living in it.
Donate to organizations doing important work in the worlds of criminal justice and prison reform, such as Innocence Project, Equal Justice Initiative, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and Books to Prisoners.
Support legislation centered around criminal justice reform. The United States has a lot of room for growth in how it treats those entering the criminal justice system. Call your representative to tell them this matters to you.
6
APPS THAT DO GOOD
A P P S T H AT D O G O O D
Doing good is quite literally at our fingertips. Here at Good Good Good, we know that sometimes the littlest efforts add up to effect big change. These apps offer simple, quick, and convenient ways to take action in your everyday life — to make goodness a little more accessible for you, for others, and for the planet.
Be My Eyes Be My Eyes is a free app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers and company representatives for visual assistance through a live video call. Sighted volunteers lend their eyes to solve tasks big and small — such as checking expiry dates, distinguishing colors, reading instructions or even navigating new surroundings — to help blind and low-vision people lead more independent lives. The app is available in more than 150 countries and more than 180 languages.
OLIO More than one-third of food is thrown away. And in developed countries, more than half of food waste occurs in the home. You have the power to change that. Olio is a free app that connects neighbors with each other and with local shops so surplus food and other items can be shared, not thrown away. To add a listing, simply snap
PHOTO BY CHARLES DELUVIO
a photo and upload a description and pickup details. Getting food through the app is free.
A P P S T H AT D O G O O D
GiveTide
7
ACLU Mobile Justice
Ground
The ACLU Mobile Justice app allows us-
Ground claims it’s the only news app you’ll
ers to record and report interactions with
ever need. The app integrates breaking
law enforcement and provides tips and
news from more than 30,000 sources,
guidelines for interacting with officers.
both mainstream and independent, all in
Footage and reports submitted through
Good On You
the app are automatically sent to the user’s
one place. Ground works differently because news stories are verified by users
GiveTide is a free mobile fundraising app
local ACLU affiliate, where it is reviewed.
Good On You is a free app providing trust-
who are closest to the action, so you get
for donors and nonprofits. Users can con-
Users also have the option to broadcast
ed ethical ratings on clothing brands so
the most up-to-date information. You can
nect their daily debit or credit card and
their location when they begin to record,
users can shop with a conscience. You can
get eyewitness updates and post your own
opt-in to round up their spare change and
alerting nearby app users that a police en-
find out how your favorite brands are rated
photo, video, or story of what’s happening
donate that money to any charity in the U.S.
counter is being recorded nearby. The app
on how they treat people, the planet, and
around you.
For example, if a movie costs you $11.89,
is currently available for 18 U.S. states.
animals. Then discover new ethical brands
the app would take the 11 cents to round it
that do better, and make a difference when
up to $12, and you give the 11 cents to char-
you shop — by reducing waste and pollu-
ity. You can team up with friends and fam-
Think Dirty
ily to multiply your donations and share
Ethical Barcode
tion, empowering garment workers, and protecting animals.
Ethical Barcode allows users to scan a
your fundraising goals through email, text,
Think Dirty is a product-comparison app
barcode at the grocery store and find out
and social media.
for personal care, skincare, and house-
information about who manufactured the
hold products. After a quick barcode scan
Aloe Bud
DEED
or search, the app shows you how the
product and what the company stands for. The app shows you brand ratings and cer-
products ranks on three potential health
DEED is an app that connects you with
tifications from more than 20 nonprofits
impacts: carcinogenicity, developmental
volunteer opportunities in your area on
so you can rest assured you are supporting
Aloe Bud is the all-in-one “self-care pock-
and reproductive toxicity, and allergenic-
a daily basis. Discover causes you're pas-
a company that shares your values.
et companion.” It gently brings awareness
ity and immunotoxicity. If a product is
sionate about and get involved with the tap
to self-care activities, using encouraging
“dirty,” the app recommends a similar, saf-
of a button. Users can use advanced search
push notifications, rather than guilt or
er “clean” product.
tools to find a volunteer opportunity at a
Libby
shame. The app provides daily check-ins
time and place that’s convenient. Nonprof-
and reflections — from staying hydrat-
its can post their volunteer opportunities,
Libby allows users to borrow ebooks and
conduct background checks, and search a
audiobooks from their local library for
database of their supporters through the
free. You can sign in using your library
ed to maintaining connections to re-
Charity Miles
flecting on interactions to taking screen breaks. The free app brings awareness
Charity Miles allows users to walk, run, or
app’s dashboard. At this time, the app only
card and download for offline reading (or
to physical, mental and emotional needs
bike for a cause. Users simply download
services New York City and Los Ange-
stream to save space). And if you prefer
throughout the day using unobtrusive
the free app, pick a charity, and get moving.
les, but there are plans to expand to other
reading on your Kindle, Libby can send
push notifications.
There are more than 40 charities available,
cities soon.
your library books there, too. Downloading
so you can pick one you feel most passion-
books through Libby allows you to learn on
ate about. For every mile you move, you
the go, reduce waste, support your local li-
help earn money for the charity from the
brary, and save your money.
app’s corporate sponsorship pool, or you could be sponsored by friends and family.
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