Dayton's Legs--LDS.org

I first heard about this story a few years ago. Each time I re-watch the video, I am touched by this sweet story of how one 13-year-old boy helped another young man, who has cerebral palsy, participate in a triathlon. I'm inspired by the way that Spencer Zimmerman showed Christ-like love by helping his friend. You can watch a video about it here or read an article about it here.

"Here’s the Awesome Story You Haven’t Heard About That HS Quarterback Who Lost the Football After Time Expired"--The Blaze

I just read this story that one of my friend's shared. Wow!

You can read it here.

"Rick Reilly: Chy Johnson and her boys"--ESPN

I heard this story yesterday when it was shared in one of the talks at church. (To learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visit Mormon.org.) I was really impressed and touched by this story. It is such a sweet story about Carson Jones, who is the starting quarterback for the Queen Creek High School football team, who decided to watch out for one of his classmates, Chy Johnson, who has a genetic birth defect and was often bullied. Carson invited Chy to eat lunch with him and his friends. All of the football players watch out for Chy between and during classes. I am really impressed by Carson and his teammates who are amazing friends to Chy. I'm grateful for the example of all of Chy's boys who watch out for her. You can read the complete story here. 

Thank you to Daniel who shared this story in his talk in church yesterday.

Miriam's Kitchen: "Committed to Ending Chronic Homelessness in D.C."

Miriam's Kitchen is located in Washington, D.C. It is an organization that helps people who are homeless. 

Their website explains: "Miriam’s Kitchen is committed to ending chronic homelessness in DC by creating meaningful connections with chronically homeless individuals, placing them in permanent supportive housing, and ensuring they have the necessary support to remain in housing. We advocate for permanent supportive housing as a long-term solution, while meeting short-term needs by providing healthy meals and high-quality social services to more than 3,500 chronically homeless individuals each year."

They offer many services to help people who are homeless, including providing healthy meals and clean clothing, helping them find housing, and providing "Art Therapy ... creative writing workshops, yoga sessions, mental health support groups and resume assistance." Miriam's Kitchen also advocates for issues related to ending homelessness. Miriam's Kitchen is run largely by volunteers and mostly on private donations from individuals, fundraising, corporations, etc. (You can see more details about their funding here.) 

I think that Miriam's Kitchen is an excellent example of what can be done by a relatively small group of people working together to make a difference in their community. You can learn more about what they do by visiting their website here. 

"College Student's App Helps Save His Mother's Life"--Runner's World

This is neat story about a college student who made an app using some medical research his grandfather gathered. The app has recordings of heart sounds, and it helped to identify something irregular about his mother's heart beat. She ended up making an appointment with her doctor and finding out that there really was something wrong with her heart. You can read the complete story here.

"Saved by CPR, he’s now certified in it – and encourages others to learn, too"--American Heart Association

I recently read about a boy whose life was saved when someone performed CPR after he was struck by lightning. He survived and recently became CPR certified so that he can be prepared to help others. You can read more about his experience here.

Performing CPR Can Save Lives

In the last week, I've read two stories about how someone was able to resuscitate a baby by doing CPR after they stopped breathing. Both of the stories are amazing! Both of the babies survived. There is one story from Texas and one from Florida. Reading these articles makes me want to re-certify in CPR.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is such a sweet story about a couple that has been married for more than 77 years! You can read more about their story here.

Thanks to my friend, Will, for sharing this story with me!

"Cross Country Skier Breaks Ski, Still Finishes The Race After An Opposing Coach Runs Onto The Course To Help Him"--Business Insider

This story really touched me when I first saw it. I have thought about it a number of times over the past few days. This story was covered by a number of different news stations, so you may have already seen it. If you haven't though, I highly recommend reading about it on The Washington Post website here and the Business Insider website here. It is about Anton Gafarov, a Russian cross country skier, whose ski broke when he fell during his event in the Olympics this week. Gafarov's determination to finish and what happens next really touched me.

Surfers Healing

This is such a great story about a man who is using his talents to bless the lives of others and help them be happier. Israel Paskowitz, who was a professional surfer, started an organization called Surfers Healing. Surfers Healing provides kids with autism an opportunity to surf with a professional surfer. You can watch a video of him telling about his experience and of him surfing with some of the kids here. The video of him surfing with the kids is really neat!

Thank you to my friend, Jenny, for sharing this story with me!

"For Olympian Kate Hansen, luge is more than just an athletic endeavor; it's a Mormon missionary opportunity"--Deseret News

Such a neat story about Kate Hansen, who will compete in the Olympics in Sochi. She is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in this article she talks about some of her experiences with being able to be an example to those around her. You can read more about her experiences here.

"Man steps up, pays off students’ negative lunch account balances"--Fox 8 News & "'Lunch angel' pays kids' overdue accounts at elementary school"--Today.com

This is such a nice story about a man who noticed at the school he tutors at that some of the children would not eat lunch because their parents weren't able to pay the balance on their lunch accounts. He decided to pay off their lunch balances, so they wouldn't need to worry about it. You can read more about it on Fox 8 News and on Today.com.

Thanks to my friend, Jenny, and my cousin, Erin, for sharing this story with me!

Everyday Heroes

Tonight I was reading through a blog post by a member of the Provo School Board. I am impressed by how seriously she is taking her responsibilities and by how she wants to include as many community members as possible in the decision-making process. You can read more about what she is doing here. I'm grateful for all of the people who volunteer their time in a variety of ways to help improve our communities!

Chick-Fil-A Gives Out Free Food During Huge Storm--Universal Free Press

Apparently there are a lot of stories out there about the kind things that people did to help each other during the big storms in the South last week. Here is another one about how Chick-Fil-A gave out free food to people that were stuck in the snow storms, let people who were stranded sleep inside their restaurant, and made more free food for them the next morning. I love how many stories there are about people helping each other in so many different ways during that storm. Read more about what Chick-Fil-A did here.

Thanks to my friend, Will, for sharing this story with me!

"Surgeon walked 6 miles in Ala. storm to OR"--USA TODAY

After posting the story about the people who helped each other during the huge storms in the South last week, I came across this article about a surgeon who walked six miles in the storm to perform a life-saving surgery. I think that is amazing! Read more about this man and his experience here.

"Helicopters search for stranded Southern drivers"--Washington Post

Earlier this week, I was reading in The Washington Post about the huge snow storm in Georgia and Alabama. As I read through the article, I came across this: 

"If there was a bright spot in the epic gridlock, it was the Southern-style graciousness. Strangers opened up their homes and volunteers served coffee and snacks to the traffic-bound.

"Debbie Hartwig, a waitress at an Atlanta-area Waffle House, said she managed to keep her cool thanks in part to the kindness of strangers after 10 hours on the road.

"'I’m calm,' she said. 'That’s all you can be. People are helping each other out, people are moving cars that have spun out or had become disabled. It’s been really nice. I even saw people passing out hot coffee and granola bars.'

"Stephanie Reynolds, a second-grade teacher, spent the night with about 10 students and two dozen co-workers at Meadow View Elementary School in Alabaster, Ala. Many of the children’s parents were stuck in cars in roadways and unable to pick up their kids, she said.

"Reynolds comforted crying children, played games and did lesson plans for two weeks. A dance party helped fill up a few minutes, and the children ate pizza for dinner and biscuits and gravy for breakfast.

"'The students have been here so long: all day yesterday, overnight and now,' Reynolds said. 'I’m going on no sleep right now. I didn’t even try. I figured since I was here I might as well be productive.'

"Heroes also had their day. Police in suburban Atlanta say one of their own helped assist the safe delivery of a baby girl on a gridlocked interstate Tuesday afternoon after snow and ice brought traffic to a crawl."

It made me happy that people had reached out to help each other when they were in such challenging circumstances. It also made me happy that this was included in the news article about the storm. 

You can read the complete article here. 

Kindness Goes A Long Ways

"I saw a Hispanic family buying milk and cereal with nothing but handfuls of pennies. I asked them if I could do them a favor. They awkwardly said yes, not sure what to expect. I payed for their milk and cereal. And I told them that a long time ago, my mother and brother and I were in the same situation. They thanked me and said they just wanted some cereal for their kid, and how they had scrounged up everything thy had to come and buy it. I'm really glad I helped them out. As they used the rest of their pennies to buy another couple of needed items. Service. No one has to ask or be in a special situation for you to offer a helping hand. — feeling grateful."

Thank you to my friend, Will, for sharing this story that one of his friends, Flor, shared with him. I'm grateful for this reminder that there are always people around us that we can help in such simple but meaningful ways.

"Remembering a man who said ‘Nice game’ and meant it"--Buffalo News

What a neat story about a man who recognized others when they did something well, regardless of who they were! I especially love the last part. Read about it here.

Thank you to my dad for sharing this story with me and for his amazing example to me! Like the woman who wrote this story, I am grateful for my dad who has taught me by his words and by his example.

Former Marine Volunteers His Time

This story is about a former Marine who volunteered his time to stand outside of a local elementary school after the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. How nice that he wanted to help others feel safe and comforted. Read more about him here.

Thank you to my friend, Jenny, for sharing this story with me. 

"10-year-old South Carolina girl pulls grandfather from pond after stroke, drives him 3 miles"--Fox 13 News

This is an amazing story about a 10-year-old girl who helped save her grandpa's life after he had a stroke. Read about it here.

Thank you to my friend, Jenny, who shared this story with me!

CharityMiles.org

I just heard about this organization called Charity Miles. There is a short video on their website that you can watch that explains what they do, but basically they have sponsors that will pay a certain amount for every mile you bike, walk, or run. It sounds like an awesome way to be physically active and help others at the same time.

Making a Difference One Pledge at a Time

I first heard about this organization, called R-word, a few years ago. They are doing great things to make a difference. You can learn more on their website.

Thank you to my friend, Amy, who shared this link with me!

Cat summons help after owner suffers stroke--News-Leader.com

This story is a little unique in that the hero of the story is a cat. I thought it was sweet though, and I wanted to share it. The cat's name is Trigger. When her owner, Erna Pratt, had a stroke and was unable to call loudly enough for help, Trigger went and woke up Ms. Pratt's daughter, Mary. Ms. Pratt was rushed to the hospital and given the medical treatment she needed. You can read the complete story here.

Mrs. Sanchez

I read this story about a dear woman named Mrs. Sanchez. She works incredibly hard in order to support herself and take care of her husband who is ill. I am touched by her willingness to work so hard to take care of her husband. I am also touched by the compassion shown to her by Tracy Salazar and all of the others who are trying to help her. You can read about her story here and Tracy Salazar has even set up a website where you can donate to help her.

Thank you to my friend, Natasha, for sharing this story with me!

Strengthened in the Lord--LDS.org

I admire these youth who live in New York City and desire to stand up for what they believe. I am grateful for their examples and for their willingness to share what they believe. I know that Jesus Christ is the source of true hope and peace.

You can watch this video and others at: https://www.lds.org/youth/video/strengthened-in-the-lord?cid=HPWE012214377&im=true&lang=eng.

Boy From Iconic Wartime Photo Pays it Forward at Christmas--NBC News

This story was published by NBC News on December 20, 2013. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/20/21986494-boy-from-iconic-wartime-photo-pays-it-forward-at-christmas?lite

I am impressed by Christian’s desire to give gifts at Christmas time to help other children whose parents are in the military. I am also impressed by the work A Soldier’s Child Foundation does. What a great example this is of how someone recognized a need and reached out with love and compassion to help.

Thank you to my dad for sharing this story with me.

Introduction

The past few weeks, I have been reading the newspaper almost daily as part of an assignment for my political science class. I am learning so much, and I’ve enjoyed becoming more informed about what is happening in the world around me. However, I have also found myself becoming discouraged by how many problems there are in the world and how corrupt many things have become. This morning as I was thinking about this, I felt impressed that I wish there was a place where stories could be gathered about positive things that are happening in the world, not as a replacement for the news, because that is important and needed, but as a way to provide a more complete picture by balancing the negative things that are going on in the world with the many good people who are doing great things in the world. As I thought about this, I decided that perhaps I could start a blog for just this purpose.

I plan to share stories that I have found from other sources that I find inspiring. I also hope to post about a few people and organizations that are doing great things that I have come across on my own. If you have a story you want to share, please let me know.

“A Beacon of Hope” seemed like a fitting title because it captures the fact that there are great people in the world and there are great things happening. There is great reason to be happy and hopeful. I do not want to minimize the struggles that so many people face. But I hope that the stories shared on this blog will brighten your day and encourage you to do something to brighten someone else’s day.