"One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone." -Shannon L Adler
Hello everyone! When facing challenges, if we sense that we have someone in our corner, it can actually transform the way we feel about our struggles or difficulties. That support can make all the difference! In this week’s stories we learn about people being there for others; strangers, that are stranded, come together for a road trip, an owner of a pizza place gives away free pizza and old pay phones donated are made available, to anyone, for free calls.
May we always remember that (we belong or 'are not alone' or maybe, we are part of whole community) . Wishing you a well-supported week ahead!
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Dave Sicilia | Unsplash
The Vancouver Island Toyota 4x4 & Island Health Staff Transportation Facebook group founded in 2019 connects volunteer drivers with health care workers who need a ride to work, especially during stormy winter weather. The drivers have to be experienced driving in winter conditions; many of them are former Search and Rescue members, RCMP officers, or former members of the BC Ambulance Service. The drivers are not the only volunteers. Group administrators also volunteer their time, managing driver orientations, ride verification (to ensure that those requesting rides actually work in healthcare), and showing new members and drivers how to book rides. Volunteers want to give back to the community, and help essential workers travel safely to work.
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LaSu1923 | Pixabay
For the past nine years, George Dowling has dreaded December – once his favorite month. Since losing his wife in 2013, Christmas is a trying time. His late wife, Lucille, lived for the holiday season. She died on December 1, 2013, after battling Alzheimer's. That year, Dowling and his daughter, Suzan Brito, took down the tree and canceled Christmas. The following year, as December approached, Brito brainstormed ways to cheer up her father, whose grief was all-consuming. "Dad loves getting mail. I thought, maybe some Christmas cards would make him happy," said Brito. She called out to friends and family on Facebook, asking people to send her father a Christmas card. To her delight, they did. "That first year, he got about 30. It carried him through the whole month of December," Brito recounted. She decided to do it annually; every year, in late November, she posts a request on Facebook and includes their home address. Family, friends – as well as some strangers – send him heartfelt holiday wishes. In 2018, he received 102 letters. After a year where they only received 14 cards, Brito made an all-out effort on social media. This year, they received 10,000 cards in eight days and are averaging 2,000 per day. Reading the cards helps Dowling "keep his mind busy" and reminds him that "people are good."
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Markus Spiske | Unsplash
3M announced that it would stop using and manufacturing PFAS by the end of 2025. PFAS have been found everywhere from rainwater to umbilical cord blood. They have been linked to cancer, immune suppression and reproductive and developmental problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Scientists and civil society groups are raising the alarm about the chemicals' effects on the human body and persistence in the environment. Toxic-Free Future executive director Laurie Valeriano said, "3M's announcement is good news, but we call on the company to be transparent and only make the safest products based on green chemistry."
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Black Mermaid Foundation
On the dive boats, no one else looked like Zandile Ndhlovu, South Africa's first black female free-diving instructor. Now the 34-year-old -- called the black mermaid long before Disney cast black actor Halle Bailey in its remake of the Little Mermaid -- has taken on the role of bringing more children into the water. Ndhlovu has her own documentary out on WaterBear, a free streaming platform, and her foundation, the Black Mermaid, focuses on bringing about change. "I see the parents in shock, they say, 'Never in my life did I think to see my kids under the ocean.' It's a generational thing but it gives them pride and equal status because being in the ocean has been a very exclusive thing, even for people who live close by." A former industrial relations expert, Ndhlovu is now a full-time instructor and runs the foundation mainly out of her own pocket. But she hopes the idea of black African children reclaiming the sea will take hold in her country and beyond.
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Hanns Adrian Böhme | Unsplash
Whenever Liam Wildish spots a road sign in terrible condition, he pulls up and cleans the sign as a way to give back to the community in his spare time. The 25-year-old from Nottinghamshire who had just started a window cleaning business from scratch in Maidstone, England, does this to thank people who helped him promote his business through word-of-mouth and positive feedback. "I like to think it makes a difference to the appearance of the area and hopefully improves road safety during these long winter nights." Wildish has become a notable local figure, dressed in a red cap and his bright blue company jacket, as many people passing by wave at him, beep their horns, or comment on his videos and Facebook posts saying they saw him. "It's very rewarding," he concluded.
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