The Goodnewspaper The 2024 Helpers Edition

One of the foundational elements of Good Good Good and The Goodnewspaper is a quote by Fred Rogers (or Mister Rogers, as he’s known by his neighborhood). You’ve no doubt heard it before: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Good Good Good is here to make finding “the Helpers” easier — and ultimately — to inspire our readers to become Helpers themselves. To do that, every year we dedicate an entire edition of The Goodnewspaper to the people we consider to be the Helpers of the Year. Inside this paper, you’ll find Helpers who made a difference for the environment and LGBTQ+ rights —…

WE HAVE GOOD NEWS It started with 14 handmade scarves, tagged with notes that read “I am not lost! If you’re stuck out in the cold, take this gift to keep warm.” They were first placed around the necks of famous statues in Ottawa, and now, they’re part of a growing movement: Scarf-bombing. The Ottawa collection was the first to go viral, but the phenomenon has spread across Canada and to states in the U.S. like Maryland, Virginia, Iowa, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and New York. Knitters and crocheters do their secret agent work by tying handmade scarves to fences, benches, railings, or any other public fixture where people facing homelessness may find them. Some also affix store-bought gloves, beanies, socks, or other gear to the scarves, providing even more essentials to…

Jon Bon Jovi might be known for his hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer” or “It’s My Life,” but for one woman in Tennessee, he will forever be remembered as the man who saved her life. In September, the rock legend was seen on surveillance camera footage helping to persuade a woman to come off the ledge of the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in Nashville. In the video, which was shared by the Nashville Metro Police Department, Bon Jovi is seen walking across the bridge with a camera crew, when he suddenly noticed the woman holding onto the ledge, facing the river. CNN reported that Bon Jovi was filming a music video on the public bridge when the incident occurred. Accompanied by another person from his crew, the star spoke with…

After spending his Cub Scout days growing cat grass and basil, Te’Lario Watkins II discovered a love of tending to mushrooms and began selling his harvest to local restaurants in Ohio. But even as a teen entrepreneur, he had a bigger vision in mind. To help other young people grow healthy food, Watkins started The Garden Club Project at age 12, which helps other teens grow their own community and school gardens. Now 16, his vision remains the same: “To create a space where young people could learn about sustainable farming, nutrition, and the importance of giving back to their communities,” per his organization’s website. Over the past four years, the project has gained traction, volunteers, supporters, and media attention, and now, Watkins has a whole acre of land at…

GOOD Learn more about homelessness and the lived experience of those impacted by it. A great place to start is by reading “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” by Matthew Desmond. BETTER Donate your dollars to national organizations working to end homelessness, such as the National Alliance to End Homelessness (endhomelessness.org) or Back on My Feet (backonmyfeet.org). WHAT'S THIS? THIS IS THE GOOD BAR. We believe in celebrating good and then joining in to make a difference. The Good Bar is full of advice from the Good Good Good community on how to take action. Start small and work your way up. BEST Make and distribute care packages that are actually helpful for unhoused members of your community. You can visit ggg.news/articles/homeless-care-package for more tips.…

Ethan Sacks is a prolific comic book writer, best known for his work in the Marvel universe (“Old Man Hawkeye”) and galaxies far, far away (“Star Wars: Bounty Hunters”). But he attributes his greatest inspiration to his daughter, Naomi. In 2019, Naomi was hospitalized for depression and suicidal ideation. As he and his wife waited for visiting hours at a children’s psychiatric hospital, he began scribbling down an idea in his notebook. “I wanted to come up with a story that would inspire Naomi to want to live,” Sacks told People Magazine. So, he penned the idea that would become a four-part graphic novel: “A girl who doesn’t know if she wants to live, is the only one who can save all life on Earth.” The series — “A Haunted…