EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, educates people like no other establishment.  They teach formerly incarcerated people the skills necessary to run a fine dining restaurant and their philosophy of second chances has led to an incredible recidivism rate of less than 1% for the graduates of the program. Founded in 2007 with the belief that every human being, regardless of their past, has a right to a fair and equal future. Students are not only equipped with basic culinary skills but are also assisted with finding employment and have the opportunity to utilize free housing, legal services, basic medical care, clothing, job coaching, literacy programs, and more.

Today, between their prison program and restaurant and institute at Shaker Square, EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute graduates nearly 100 students a year.  

If you'd like to learn more about EDWINS, check out their website - edwinsrestaurant.org and if you enjoy this episode, please consider giving Helpful Humans a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you prefer to listen to your audio. 

What would you do if you were told you had 6 months to live?

That is such a heavy question with so many possible answers, but for chef Ryan Hidinger,  one of those answers was to bring his dream restaurant to life.  And, in that process, something larger, grander, and more nourishing then he had ever imagined was born– a way to give back to the community in times of crisis.  

When electrician John Kinney answered a repair call at the home of 73-year-old Gloria Scott's, his heart immediately sank. The house was in an overwhelming state of disrepair, and John feared for her wellbeing. Unwilling to let Gloria continue to live in such an unsafe environment, Kinney recruited help from his community to do a few charity repairs on her home. As the good news spread of John’s kind deed, the group received unimaginable support proving one act of kindness can have repercussions that extend far and wide. 

Follow these links to learn more about Gloria's Gladiators, Kinney Electric, or Atlantic Power Cleaning.

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Music for Helpful Humans is provided by the amazing K. Michelle Dubois. 

Know a Helpful Human that might deserve the spotlight? Click the message button on the home page and let us know... we'd love to hear from you!

Follow us on Facebook and if you enjoy this episode, please give us a rating and review on your favorite podcast provider.  We're a relatively new show, and your reviews will help us get the word out.  Thanks very much!

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Are you up to date with Helpful Humans episodes and looking for a new show? Check out our sister podcast, RoShamBo. RoShamBo tells stories from the world's most unique competitions and the amazing competitors that make them happen. With stories that celebrate both the quirky and the crazy, including The World Sign Spinning Championship, Kinetic Sculpture Racing, and the search for The World's Ugliest Dog, RoShamBo is lighthearted, really fun, and always interesting!

Would you trust a stranger to pick out your clothes? What if you weren't allowed to see anything until the order arrived? Brad and Bryan Manning, owners of charity-focused Two Blind Brothers clothing, have asked their customers to do exactly that with the "Shop Blind Challenge." The clothing company invites customers to order a mystery box of clothing, sight unseen - which is how the brothers themselves have been shopping for much of their lives due to a degenerative eye disease that causes increasing blindness over time. Research to cure blindness is moving ahead at great speed, and, by donating 100% of their profits to the Foundation For Fighting Blindness, Bryan and Brad Manning are committed to helping fund that research. 

Head over to www.twoblindbrothers.com where you can learn more about the fight to cure blindness, shop, and find links to the brothers' other social media channels. 

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At the top of this episode, we heard from TikTok star Katelyn Wackerman. Learn more about Katelyn on Instagram (@katewack) and TikTok (@katelynwackerman) or check out her podcast, "Inspirations Beyond Disabilities" streaming on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon music.

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Music for Helpful Humans is provided by the amazing K. Michelle Dubois.

Know a Helpful Human that might deserve the spotlight? Click the message button on https://anchor.fm/helpfulhumans and let us know... we'd love to hear from you!

Follow us on Facebook and if you enjoy this episode, please give us a rating and review on your favorite podcast provider.  We would truly appreciate it.

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Are you up to date with Helpful Humans episodes and looking for a new show? Check out our sister podcast, RoShamBo. RoShamBo tells stories from the world's most unique competitions and the amazing competitors that make them happen. With stories that celebrate both the quirky and the crazy, including The World Sign Spinning Championship, Kinetic Sculpture Racing, and the search for The World's Ugliest Dog, RoShamBo is lighthearted, really fun, and always interesting! www.RoShamBoPodcast.com

Moving is stressful, right? With a hundred things going on at the time of a move, little things, like what to do with the leftover food in your pantry, often get missed. Enter Move For Hunger, and founder Adam Lowy. Adam literally grew up in the moving industry. His family has owned a moving company in New Jersey for nearly 100 years (dating back to Great Grandpa Lowy) and after years of seeing so much food wasted when people move, Adam decided to take action. Get involved and learn more at moveforhunger.org.

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Music for Helpful Humans is provided by the amazing K. Michelle Dubois.

Know a Helpful Human that might deserve the spotlight? Click the message button on https://anchor.fm/helpfulhumans and let us know... we'd love to hear from you!

Follow us on Facebook and if you enjoy this episode, please give us a rating and review on your favorite podcast provider.  We would truly appreciate it.

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Are you up to date with Helpful Humans episodes and looking for a new show? Check out our sister podcast, RoShamBo. RoShamBo tells stories from the world's most unique competitions and the amazing competitors that make them happen. With stories that celebrate both the quirky and the crazy, including The World Sign Spinning Championship, Kinetic Sculpture Racing, and the search for The World's Ugliest Dog, RoShamBo is lighthearted, really fun, and always interesting! www.RoShamBoPodcast.com

On Thanksgiving weekend, eight-year-old Rose and her mom Sherri delivered meals to a homeless encampment in Atlanta, GA. While there, several people asked if they had blankets so Rose and Sherri gave away the two blankets that they kept in the car for family outings. Then with tears in her eyes, Rose asked her mom if they could go and find more blankets. Months later, Sherri and Rose are still out there trying to help meet the needs of their unhoused neighbors. They now call their effort Blessing Bags of Warmth for the Homeless, and to date, they have helped over 1,000 homeless individuals in the Atlanta area.

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Music for Helpful Humans is provided by the amazing K. Michelle Dubois.

Know a Helpful Human that might deserve the spotlight? Click the message button on https://anchor.fm/helpfulhumans and let us know... we'd love to hear from you!

Follow us on Facebook and if you enjoy this episode, please give us a rating and review on your favorite podcast provider.  We would truly appreciate it.

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Are you up to date with Helpful Humans episodes and looking for a new show? Check out our sister podcast, RoShamBo. RoShamBo tells stories from the world's most unique competitions and the amazing competitors that make them happen. With stories that celebrate both the quirky and the crazy, including The World Sign Spinning Championship, Kinetic Sculpture Racing, and the search for The World's Ugliest Dog, RoShamBo is lighthearted, really fun, and always interesting! www.RoShamBoPodcast.com

When New Jersey Master Plumber Andrew Mitchell realized the recent Texas winter storm had left so many people without water, he knew he had to find a way to help. Kisha Pinnock, Andrew's wife, remembers it well. “Sometimes people wonder when is it their moment...but Andrew, he just knew. He said, 'I have time, I have the credentials and the skills, this is for me. I need to go." One 24 hour car ride and a new nonprofit later, The Pinnock-Mitchell Texas Relief Foundation was born.

Visit https://mitchellsplumbingandheating.com/texas-relief-efforts to learn more.

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Music for Helpful Humans is provided by the amazing K. Michelle Dubois.

Know a Helpful Human that might deserve the spotlight? Click the message button on https://anchor.fm/helpfulhumans and let us know... we'd love to hear from you!

Follow us on Facebook and if you enjoy this episode, please give us a rating and review on your favorite podcast provider.  We would truly appreciate it.

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Are you up to date with Helpful Humans episodes and looking for a new show? Check out our sister podcast, RoShamBo. RoShamBo tells stories from the world's most unique competitions and the amazing competitors that make them happen. With stories that celebrate both the quirky and the crazy, including The World Sign Spinning Championship, Kinetic Sculpture Racing, and the search for The World's Ugliest Dog, RoShamBo is lighthearted, really fun, and always interesting! www.RoShamBoPodcast.com

As a native of Hawaii, Hokule'a Taniguchi wasn't quite ready for all that the Wisconsin winter had to offer...it was intense. Hokule'a, or Hoku for short, didn't own a car and she'd been biking to work in the snow...which was, by all accounts, a miserable experience. Hoku's new friend and co-worker, Haley Bridges, took note of Hoku's transportation situation and Haley would offer her rides whenever possible. But, of course, schedules don't always match up, so there were still many snowy bike rides in Hoku's life. At least that was true until December when a surprise Christmas raffle presented the opportunity for life-changing generosity. Today's quick hit of kindness is a sweet story of teenage besties and a great lesson on how true winners are made. 

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Music for Helpful Humans is provided by the amazing K. Michelle Dubois. 

Know a Helpful Human that might deserve the spotlight? Click the message button on the home page and let us know... we'd love to hear from you!

Follow us on Facebook and if you enjoy this episode, please give us a rating and review on your favorite podcast provider.  We would truly appreciate it.  

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Are you up to date with Helpful Humans episodes and looking for a new show? Check out our sister podcast, RoShamBo. RoShamBo tells stories from the world's most unique competitions and the amazing competitors that make them happen. With stories that celebrate both the quirky and the crazy, including The World Sign Spinning Championship, Kinetic Sculpture Racing, and the search for The World's Ugliest Dog, RoShamBo is lighthearted, really fun, and always interesting!

Staffed almost entirely by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Bitty and Beau's is changing the way some folks see and interact with people with IDD. Customers leave with not only a really good cup of coffee but an incredibly positive experience. 

Learn more: www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com

For a group of students at the University of Illinois, embracing the Christmas spirit through song has always been a way to both stave off the stresses of final exams and spread holiday cheer. At first, their approach might seem modern, but on this episode of Helpful Humans, we learn that the students of Snyder Hall’s DIAL-A-CAROL program are upholding a campus tradition that actually stretches all the way back to the 1960s.