Eight-year-old Wyatt Gillette became an honorary marine on July 30. The boy received the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, which are symbols to represent when one officially becomes a marine. Gillette, who has spent most of his young life suffering with Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome Type 1, fulfilled his wish at Camp Pendleton before passing away the next day. [1]
Kevin Upshur of Philadelphia inherited his mother’s neighborhood bar after she passed away. But instead of keeping it as a local watering hole, Upshur decided to transform it into a Strawberry Mansion Learning Center in order to give back to his beloved community.
Upshur’s bar is just a few blocks away from Strawberry Mansion High School, which has a 41% graduation rate (half of the national average). Having graduated from the school himself, Upshur wanted to provide resources to help students finish school. [1]
The UN says that babies who are not breastfed within the first 23 hours of being born are at a 40% increased risk of premature death – within their first 28 days. Children whose first breast feed is over 24 hours after their birth may increase their mortality risk in their first month by up to 80%.
Chicago-based Uber driver Jose Figueroa could have considered it his lucky day when his passenger left a wallet filled with $3,000 cash in his car during an Uber trip. But Figueroa, knowing how much the man needed it, instead decided to return it to its rightful owner.
Something called the Little Free Pantry allows anyone to leave food or other supplies for people in need. Those in need can come by and pick up any item they wish. Anyone can donate and anyone can take an item, creating a giving community and helping bring neighbors together. It hopes to address food insecurities and food deserts that many people in the towns face.
Police Officer Patrick Ray of the Rowlett Texas Police Department was invited to a special tea party where he was the guest of honor. This party honoring Ray’s service was hosted by 2-year-old Bexley Norvell, the toddler whose life Ray saved last year. A photographer captured the magical moment for Bexley’s family and Ray to cherish for years to come. [1]
Doctors may one day be able to test people for Alzheimer’s disease by testing their ability to identify familiar scents, like smoke, coffee, and raspberry.
In 2 studies released at an international Alzheimer’s meeting July 26, people who were in their 60s and older took a standard odor test. In both cases, individuals who did poorly on the tests were more likely to already have or go on to develop memory and thinking problems.
Some 30% of perfectly good apples never get sold because they are ugly. Ridiculous, isn’t it? Walmart recognizes the ridiculousness of this, and announced that it would start selling weather-damaged apples at a discount. The big-box chain will sell the apples in 2- to 5-pound bags at 300 Florida stores under the brand name “I’m Perfect,” with more locations possible later.
The nearest Starbucks to me is nearly an hour away – which is strange, I know. The only time I darken the door of one is when I have to talk business, or I’m meeting a friend. I might purchase a cup of coffee from Starbucks 3 times a year.
My 3 cups don’t even represent a fraction of the 4 billion disposable cups that Starbucks goes through in a year. Yup, that’s right – 4 billion. Some 2.5 billion of those cups hold coffees sold in the UK. The cups are made of paper, but they’re rarely recycled or composted because they’re lined with plastic.
Construction worker Jason Haney is a foreman at a construction site just across from Memorial Children’s Hospital in South Bend, Indiana where he is working on an expansion. Knowing the children were in need of entertainment and something to look forward to, he created an 8-foot tall Waldo to hide on the construction site somewhere new each day. The children were challenged to a life-sized game of Where’s Waldo every morning.
