Good News: Most Influential Adult at the High School? The Janitor…

1. We’re Starting to Think Homeless Men Are the Most Honest Anywhere

   Joel Hartman was digging through a dumpster, hoping to find someone’s leftover food. Instead, he found a French woman’s wallet. Not only did he not keep the contents, he searched four hotels in order to find the woman. This story has many happy endings, beginning with a generous four-diamond hotel that rewarded him in a big way for his good deed.

2. 500 Dogs Are Being Rescued and Flown to New Homes Today
   One day, 500 animals, 14 private planes, 120 rescue organizations, 100’s of volunteers, 30,000 air miles, 11 destinations — and many, many happy tails. Friday was a big day for Wings of Rescue, the non-profit that is making Christmas dreams come true for hundreds of dogs in high kill shelters around Southern California, bringing them to live in new fur-ever homes throughout Oregon, Washington, Montana and Idaho in its 3rd Annual Holiday Airlift.
3. WestJet Makes A Christmas Miracle to Surprise Travelers
   Thanks to a team of merry WestJet employees and the power of technology, a group of airline passengers was treated to a Christmas miracle that turned an airport into Santa’s workshop. With the help of 175 WestJet volunteers, three airports and Santa himself, they made a seeming miracle happen for more than 250 guests on two Calgary-bound flights. MUST SEE this! Amazing.
4. One Millionth Care Package by Operation Gratitude in Route to Soldier
   Volunteers at Operation Gratitude, the non-profit military and veteran support organization, assembled its milestone One Millionth Care Package to the cheers of thousands of supporters assembled for the celebration Sunday. To heighten the excitement, corporate sponsors donated huge prizes that will be part of the hand-packed delivery. The package, in route overseas, will bring to the lucky recipient the keys to a brand new Ford F-150 truck.
5. Woman Marks 30th B’day in 2 Countries – Buys Cake, Gifts for Africans
   Marina Andric of Frankfurt, Germany, was about to turn the big 3-0 when she read the Good News Network story about the 22 year old girl who did 22 acts of kindness on her birthday. When I read it I felt inspired to do something great for my birthday and after a few evenings of brainstorming I had an idea, she said. She threw a birthday party in Germany and Africa at the same time!
6. Most Influential Adult at Trinity High School? The Janitor.
   No adult employed at Trinity High School has had more influence over students or changed more young lives than Charles Clark, the Texas school’s custodian. Clark has mentored countless kids needing a father figure, even housing several of them over the years. In the beginning, he took the custodial position thinking he would keep it until he found something better, but 24 years later, he still hasn’t found it. Now Clark has bested more than 400 American teachers and administrators to win the LifeChanger of the Year Grand Prize.
7. UPDATE: Young Techie Succeeds in Teaching Homeless Man to Code

   In August, Patrick McConlogue, a New York entrepreneur, programmer and designer, gave the homeless guy an old laptop, three textbooks and an hour of his time each day for two months. The result was a life changing offer that is paying off.

8. Coffee Shop Holds Food Drive for Man Who Stole from Tip Jar
   A man, who can clearly be identified on surveillance video, was caught stealing from a tip jar in a Cleveland coffee shop. But instead of pressing charges, the Nervous Dog, is choosing to host a food drive for the obviously desperate customer.
9. 100% Chemical-Free Sprayer Kills Most Pathogens With Just Water The amazing Eco3Spray handheld sprayer from Franke turns ordinary tap water into ozone, enabling it to kill common nasties like E. coli, salmonella, staph aureus, and pneumonia without using any chemicals. The unit works by transforming water into ozone through a diamond electrolysis cell, technology that was selected from 300 entries as one of the Top Twenty Most Viable Water Technologies at the 2013 Global Water Summit.
10. ‘Tips for Jesus’ Spreads Joy With Massive Restaurant Tips
    An anonymous patron is leaving a trail of generous gratuities on bar and restaurant tabs across the country, signing each credit-card receipt with the same name as the Instagram account he uses to document his giveaways: @TipsForJesus. The tips total thousands of dollars for each server.

Video of the Week: Seal Cuddles With Woman on a Beach

A woman who was touring South Georgia Island was befriended by a seal. The seal affectionately slides up to her while she’s sitting on the beach, but still wants to get closer. (Watch this flirting!)