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Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, frontline workers have been risking their lives every day to keep vital services going for those who need it. Many of them need support themselves but don’t have the time or energy to seek it out. In response, a group of mental health professionals created a solution that allows frontline workers to easily access therapy—free of charge.

Mark Lytal isn’t one to take a hot shower for granted. He never forgot his 20 years in the US Air Force, when deployment would often mean long stretches of time without running water and nothing but baby wipes to keep himself clean. His experience eventually motivated him to create a volunteer-led organization that provides hot showers and hygiene products to folks experiencing homelessness. To date, he’s helped thousands of people stay safe, clean, and hopeful. 

When 8-year-old Madi Wilson noticed that there weren’t any crayons at school that matched her skin color, she told her mom she felt sad. Motivated to help all kids feel seen and represented, she launched a project to help deliver multicultural books & art supplies to classrooms in her school—and it grew bigger than she ever imagined.

Shawn Dromgoole's family has lived in the same Nashville neighborhood for over 50 years, and he has lived there for his entire life. After hearing about the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Shawn became fearful of walking alone in his own neighborhood and shared his frustrations online. What happened next was a show of support that Shawn never expected, and it has grown into an entire movement across the country.

Josh Santiago knew he wanted to be a barber from a young age. What he couldn’t have imagined is that he’d end up taking his skills to the streets and offering haircuts to those most in need—completely free of charge. In the last five years, Josh has used his talents as a barber to brighten thousands of people’s lives in his Philadelphia community and beyond, and he has no plans of stopping anytime soon.  

Shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, 15-year-old Hita Gupta received a disappointing phone call. The local nursing home where she regularly volunteered was letting her know that she wouldn’t be able to visit again anytime soon due to the high risk for their residents. Hita was worried that the seniors would be lonely with no visitors, and she wanted to make sure that they felt loved and taken care of. What started out as a simple act of kindness turned into something much bigger than Hita ever dreamed.

When 7-year-old Cavanaugh Bell was bullied, he said he felt a darkness inside him. He didn’t want other kids to feel the same way, so he asked his mom if she could help him spread some positivity in the world. Now, they have started their own nonprofit organization that advocates for bullying prevention, and they have pivoted their efforts to serve communities in need during the COVID-19 crisis.

In the aftermath of 9/11, David Sylvester, like so many other Americans, was feeling immense pain and anguish. He really wanted to do something to help, but didn’t know where to start. Then, he discovered one very simple but powerful thing that did help on a profound level—a hug. And that simple concept has turned into a 19-year-long mission to repair the fabric of humanity, one hug at a time.

Iyabo Boyd is the founder of Brown Girls Doc Mafia, an initiative advocating for over 4,000 women and non-binary people of color working in the documentary film industry from around the world. COVID-19 has impacted the filmmaking community hard, and also disproportionately affects people of color. To support their community in a time of great need, Iyabo and a team of volunteers launched a fundraiser—and the response was bigger than they ever expected.

Common Roots Farm in Santa Cruz, California is a very special place. Not only do they produce delicious fruits and vegetables, they are also a non-profit, volunteer-based farm whose mission is rooted in creating a space that fosters full inclusion of people of all abilities, to farm together in partnership. 

When Khloe Thompson was 9 years old, she started asking her mother questions about people experiencing homelessness. After learning more, she knew she wanted to help. What started out as a simple idea to give someone a care bag with necessities has turned into an entire movement. And 4 years later, Khloe is more inspired than ever to keep making big things happen.

When Brad Kaimack received a tax refund that he wasn’t expecting, he knew he wanted to use it to do something kind for someone else. After hearing a story about the CEO of Chobani Yogurt paying off lunch debt for an entire school district, Brad decided to ask around in his local community to see if any schools nearby had the same problem. With the help of his partner Alx Utterman, this simple idea turned into something incredible that helped more families than they ever imagined.

Brianna Meeks has an offbeat but clear-headed dream to win back something that’s incredibly meaningful to her family. And after thirteen long years of wishing, she finally has the chance to make it come true. This is a story about family and history, of sorrow and hope, and above all... resilience and reclamation.

Brittany’s Baskets of Hope is a nonprofit organization that makes and delivers baskets to celebrate the arrival of babies with Down syndrome. Since delivering their first basket in October 2016, they have now sent over hundreds of baskets to families in all 50 states.

Today we’re catching up with two wonderful returning guests, Mike and Jenny Shaw of Team Jenny Bean. Jenny Shaw was only 6 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Despite going through such a scary experience at such a young age, she kept her spirits up the whole time, and helped her family do the same. Fast forward to today, Jenny is cancer free, and has turned her experience into a way to help other kids going through the same thing.

Brooke and Breanna Bennett always wanted to make a positive impact in their community, but weren’t exactly sure where to start. When they heard about young students in their mother’s class at school who couldn’t afford menstrual hygiene products, they came up with an idea for how to help—and it turned into something that grew bigger than they ever imagined.

Katie Ishizuka and Ramón Stephens are the powerful duo behind “The Conscious Kid”, an education, research, and policy organization dedicated to equity and promoting healthy racial identity development in children. In addition to their incredible advocacy work and their amazingly popular Instagram account, they have recently harnessed their community to help provide rent relief for families struggling during the COVID-19 crisis.

Christopher Vane has always had a deep connection with animals. In 2017, he moved to Southwest Florida to be closer to his parents, and at the same time left his career in real estate because he no longer had passion for the work. He was thinking about what to do next, when a new dream came to him, suddenly clear: Chris wanted to open an animal sanctuary to give a safe and happy home to animals living in less than ideal conditions. With conviction and a clear vision, Christopher got to work, and a few years later, the Little Bear Sanctuary was born.

To her local community, Marcella Thompson is a living angel. Marcella saw that many local families were struggling to make ends meet and felt compelled to help. And so, for the past 4 years she has been helping to feed and clothe the children in her neighborhood. The impact she has had in these kids’ and families lives is profound, and has grown to encompass so much more than providing meals.

Minneapolis-area parents Ron and Shani Johnson have always taught their two young daughters to love other people and to give back. After the death of George Floyd, Ron was feeling lost. Following in her parent’s footsteps, Kamryn, Ron & Shani's oldest daughter, came up with an idea for how to help their community when it needed it most — and the results surprised everyone.