When the nonprofit Elizabeth Agnello worked for closed its doors, she knew she had to act fast. Dozens of children with serious or terminal illnesses were looking forward to a holiday party that now seemed unlikely to happen. Elizabeth not only orchestrated the spectacular party that the children deserved, but launched an organization of her own to fill a need in the community. Her mission was simple: create a place of belonging while spreading hope and happiness to children in need.

When Yasir Salem met Gwen Mann, he knew he had found his person. They cherished their lives together and loved going on adventures. Years later, Yasir tragically lost Gwen after a long battle with various cancer battles. Since then, he has spent his every waking moment becoming an advocate for change and honoring Gwen’s memory.

When Bella Schorr was born in June 2015, her family got some unfortunate news: Bella had spina bifida. This meant that as she grew older, her paralyzed legs would keep her from crawling, and eventually walking. Faced with some challenging times ahaed, that’s when some of Bella’s relatives stepped in with an amazing idea that changed her life and launched a movement: Bella’s Bumbas.

Earlier this summer, Jonny Altrogge conquered an incredible feat - he biked the entire 2,700 miles of the Great Divide trail which runs from Banff, Canada, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. While this accomplishment is incredible all on its own, Jonny’s motivation for it was to inspire young kids of color, and help them see that the outdoors is for everyone.

One summer day in 2018, Julie Schwietert Collazo listened to an interview on the radio that changed her life: She learned of a Guatemalan refugee who had been separated from her children at the US border. Without hesitation, she sprung into action and helped this mother reunite with her children in New York—an incredible act of kindness that would end up inspiring thousands of people to join her fight for justice. Since that day, Julie has helped dozens of immigrant families find safety, happiness, and hope. 

In August of 2017, 6-year-old Jenny Shaw diagnosed with cancer. Throughout her treatment journey, Jenny’s family was lucky enough to live close to the hospital, so they could be there all the time and make it feel like home for Jenny, which loved. However, Jenny noticed that a lot of other kids had few of these same comforts—or even visitors. So Jenny started a movement to bring joy to kids in the hospital and let them know they’re not alone.

International crochet sensation Jonah Larson started crocheting when he was just 5 years old - now, at 11, his beautiful designs and joyous spirit have gone viral and captured the hearts of people all over the world. In this episode you'll learn the origin story of Jonah’s talents, and hear about how he’s now using his gift to make a difference for others.

In 2014, Donnie Davis got a phone call about a local campground in southern New Jersey that was up for sale. A crazy idea popped into his head. It would require a lot of money and hard work, but it had the potential to help save the lives of his fellow military veterans. Donnie decided to take a leap of faith, and the result is more incredible than even he could have ever imagined.

As a social worker, Amy helped families of children battling life-threatening illnesses. To help kids express their hopes and fears, she often used dolls in play therapy. But as Amy worked with kids facing a wide variety of challenges, such as hair loss from chemotherapy to limb differences, she noticed that the children weren’t always able to see themselves reflected in the dolls that were available.

Seven years ago, Megs Yunn met an 11-year-old girl named Beverly who told her something heartbreaking: Beverly had never once celebrated her own birthday. Since that day, Megs has shown over 30,000 children in the Pittsburgh area that they are special, loved, and worthy of celebrating. Now her nonprofit, Beverly’s Birthdays, is helping kids look and feel their best with the help of a mobile fashion truck—and she’s nowhere near finished spreading birthday cheer.