In Cateura, a Paraguay slum, impoverished children make beautiful music on instruments constructed almost entirely of materials reclaimed from the dump. These children are part of the Landfill Harmonic Orchestra, led by local musician Favio Chávez. Rodolfo Madero, executive producer of a documentary about the orchestra, says, "It's been an important change for the community to see these kids rising above the reality that they live in a landfill." Some parents were even inspired to quit using drugs after their children joined the orchestra. And money from the orchestra's concerts goes into a fund that gives small no-interest loans to families to repair their homes or build extra rooms. 

Mother Jones, 5/13/2013

This is a a touching account written by a mother, Sarah Smiley, whose husband is in the military. When her husband got deployed once again in Nov. 2011-- and would be away from his wife and 3 boys for 13 months-- Sarah  had a wonderful idea: Why not invite different people to dinner once a week? It wasn't that anyone could take her husband's place, but, as she wrote, "Instead of wishing away the days of Dustin's deployment, we were filling them with interesting people and role models." And what an unexpected array of people said yes to their invitation-- from a U.S. Senator and Congressman, to the police chief and school principal. Good for you to all the people who said "yes" to the Smileys' dinner invitations, and to Sarah and her boys for implementing such a thoughtful, inspiring idea. The dinners were valuable learning experiences for the family and their guests. 

PARADE Magazine, 5/11/2013

The generosity of strangers has helped raise the Corcoran family's spirits as they deal with Celeste and Sydney Corcoran's injuries from the Boston Marathon bombing. More than 10,000 people have donated nearly $700,000 to the Corcoran family online fundraiser.

The Huffington Post, 5/1/2013 

A young man, who was only making around $30,000 when he saved up enough money to pay off his mother's mortgage, explains, "When there is a goal you truly want to reach, all the other things in your life begin to work around it... [It's] just a matter of choices." With Good for You! Messages, you can express thanks and gratitude to your own mother for everything you've learned from her over the years.

The Huffington Post, 4/30/2013

It started with a simple idea at Northwestern University, and has caught on at several other college campuses: Create a Happiness Club as a student morale booster. These clubs provide the perfect antidote to academic stress. As Northwestern senior, Kyle Richardson put it, "It's important that people stop and realize that sometimes a smile is the most important thing." Harvard University's Happiness Project even gives students prizes for doing something good for their health during a 10-week challenge.

USA Today, 4/17/2013

Good for You! to self-made millionaire Harris Rosen, who's used the fortune he amassed in the hotel business to help young people in the crime-ridden Orlando, FL neighborhood of Tangelo Park. Rosen created a scholarship program to pay free tuition to Florida state colleges for any students in the neighborhood. In the two decades since starting the program, he has donated nearly $10 million. The high school graduation rate in Tangelo Park is now nearly 100 percent, whereas it used to be 25 percent, and some property values have quadrupled. The crime rate has been cut in half. Rosen says, “We've given these kids hope, and given the families hope. And hope is an amazing thing."

TODAY, 4/17/2013

As a result of the devastating tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012, Sandy Hook teacher Kaitlin Roig has created a new website called Classes 4 Classes. The website's goal is to teach every child to have a genuine interest in the well-being of others through a platform that actively engages them with social curriculum. Roig is hoping to create a “ripple effect of kindness” with Classes 4 Classes, allowing teachers to post messages about classrooms that are in need. Those classrooms that receive help then in turn offer their assistance to other classrooms.

ABC News, 4/2/2013

Children across the country have poor eyesight – but some don’t have proper vision care and never get the glasses they need. An organization called Vision to Learn is changing that, helping thousands of Los Angeles schoolchildren see clearly.

NBC Nightly News, 3/18/2013

Virtual photography through Google+ allows people who can't travel to experience places they have only dreamed about going. With Virtual Photo Walks, photographers capture and share ‘tours’ of popular locations all over the world, giving people a sense of connectedness that they ordinarily wouldn’t have. 

NBC Nightly News, 3/11/2013

The story of how letters from strangers lifted the spirits of a depressed, suicidal seventh-grader is a testament to how simple, caring words of encouragement and support can truly make a difference when someone is going through a challenging time. The young boy, Noah Brocklebank, had posted a warning on the Internet saying that he planned on committing suicide when he reached his 13th birthday. While Noah was in the hospital, his mother asked a few friends on Facebook if they could try and put some comforting words down in writing in a letter to him. To his mother's surprise, this resulted in Noah receiving thousands of letters from all over the world! The letters made a big difference, as Noah explains, "I was focused on the bad side of the people, like the bullies. Then I realized there are caring people out there that can be my friends." 

CBS Evening News, 3/8/2013

Virginia Booth, who died last month at age 89, inspired her great-granddaughter, Samantha Manns, to perform 89 acts of kindness in her memory. Manns fondly remembers her great-grandmother and the genuine kindness she displayed. She explains, “I want people to realize there’s still some good in the world — restore some faith in humanity."

Newark Advocate, 3/4/2013

When Art Bouvier, the proprietor of a Cajun restaurant in Indianapolis, was approached by 18-year-old Jhaqueil Reagan, who was looking for directions during his 10-mile trek through ice and snow for a minimum wage job interview, the restaurant owner saw an opportunity to make a positive difference in the boy's life. Bouvier told Reagan that even if he was offered the Dairy Queen job he was interviewing for, he would double his salary if he came to work for him at his restuarant instead.