Formerly Homeless Man Raises $54k for Charity
Back in 2024, a formerly homeless English man named Rhys Wynne-Jones stepped inside a church after hours and played the piano. A video of this performance went viral, which led to Rhys getting some amazing opportunities, including performing with music celebrities.
Since then, Rhys has enjoyed a stable home life — and has dedicated the last year to paying it forward. While he still does not describe himself as a professional musician or celebrity, he uses his performances to raise money for causes linked to homelessness.
Since his big breakthrough, Rhys has raised more than $54,000 and he hopes his performances — and his amazing story — inspire others to help others who might be going through some tough times.
An Ultrarunner Made History and Made $1 Million for Make-a-Wish Foundation
On Sunday, ultrarunner Brady McDonald became the first person to run a 50K race in all 50 states over 50 consecutive days. And along the way, he raised over $1 million for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Brady crossed the finish line of his 50th and final 31-mile run in Hawaii — and officially hit his $1 million fundraising goal the very next day. All of Brady's running and fundraising means Make-A-Wish will be able to grant roughly 100 life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses across the country.
In an Instagram post, he thanked his family, crew, team, friends, and "every single person who ran with me, donated, shared, followed, or helped carry this mission forward." Brady also said he hoped to inspire others. "More than anything, I hope this journey showed someone what’s possible when you commit to something bigger than yourself. Whatever your gift is, you can use it to help others."
Three Bike Enthusiasts Raise Money for St. Jude's
Three friends in Omaha, Nebraska, are setting off on an epic 850-mile bicycle trip from Nebraska to Tennessee to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Andy Tweedy came up with the wild idea to cycle from Omaha to Memphis and recruited his buddies Clay Christian and Paul McCoy to join him. So now, the three friends will pedal through Iowa and Missouri, catch a ferry across the Mississippi River, and carry hand-written letters from local school kids directly to young patients in Memphis.
They've already raised $3000 for St. Jude and have a goal of raising $25,000 this year —with this ride generating the most buzz for attention and donations to the cause.
Weiner Dog Races Raise Funds for Animal Rescues
On Monday, dog owners gathered at Louisiana Downs (a horse racing track) for the annual Wiener Dog Charity Races, which raised money to help injured shelter animals across Northwest Louisiana.
The event featured dachshunds racing to the finish line in front of cheering crowds, who also offered up donations to local rescues. Organizers say the money will pay for vital medical care, including physical therapy and other treatments for rescued pets in need.
And along the way, families in the community enjoyed plenty of smiles, both in the stands and on the racetrack. One of the participants, Kyle Duke, who brought his dog, Bean, to the races, explained why the event is such a big hit. “It’s just the atmosphere," Kyle said. "All the people, all the little kids. They like to see the dogs run, everyone wants to pet them, and you have a good time."
Hero Landfill Workers Save a Cat Trapped in a Trash Pit
Neal Augenstein and his family recently had a scare when their family cat named Mike didn't come home for dinner. For two days, Neal searched the neighborhood, walking around with a bag of treats and calling Mike’s name. He even checked near the sewers, but there was no sign of him.
Then Neal remembered something that made his stomach sink. His family had recently gotten rid of three couches — and Neal had a sinking feeling that Mike was in one of the couches when it was taken away to the landfill.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened, which put everyone involved on high alert. Neal feared for the worst, imagining that Mike was somewhere inside a dangerous waste facility, surrounded by machinery and trash.
Luckily, heavy equipment operator Mauricio Martinez spotted Mike trapped on a 15-foot ledge inside a trash pit. Landfill workers positioned a loader bucket under the ledge to scoop him up. And after a brief escape into a storage room, animal control safely rescued Mike and brought him safely home to his family.
"There were so many hands that touched Mike," said Neal. "And there were so many places where things could have gone very badly, but things turned out perfectly, and I'm delighted to have him home. Just an amazingly happy ending, and I'm so thankful to everyone who played a part in it,” he said.
Siblings Launch an App to Feed Families In Need
South Florida teenagers Aashrita Kaza and her brother, Anish, designed a charity app called "Pizza for a Purpose" to help local pizzerias, businesses, and individual donors deliver fresh meals directly to neighborhood nonprofit groups.
Aashrita and Anish started the project in 2024 after they spent some time volunteering at food banks and noticed young children showing up for food. The siblings wanted to give a boost to the kids by making it easier for people in the community to make donations.
So they developed an app that streamlines the donation process, allowing anyone to send fresh pizzas from nearby restaurants to charities like The Pantry of Broward. The platform has already resulted in the delivery of over 25,000 pizza slices to families and seniors across Broward County, turning everyday takeout orders into hot, weekly meals for neighbors in need.
“The reaction really warms our hearts," said Aashrita. "Their faces just light up the second they get the pizza. It’s very rewarding because it makes everything we do worth it.”
Father-Son Duo Slashes Car Repair Costs for Local Families
An Arizona father and son work side-by-side in their garage, fixing cars at deeply discounted prices to make sure no one gets left stranded by outrageous repair bills.
Nearly 11 years ago, when Michael Kuba faced a $4000 estimate to fix the broken air conditioner in his family's van, he bought some tools, turned to YouTube tutorials, and learned to fix it himself.
That repair job inspired Michael to keep learning — and to offer his services to those who otherwise couldn't afford it. These days, he and his 16-year-old son, Matthew, operate The Junkie Garage, a nonprofit organization where Kuba fix cars for whatever customers can afford to donate — no income checks or paperwork required.
Working mostly on essential maintenance like brakes, alternators, and A/C systems, Kuba and Matthew slash typical repair costs from thousands down to an average of under $300, keeping families safe on the road — and giving the two men plenty of quality father-son time.
A Slice of Kindness
A pizzeria owner in New York City is making sure no one in his neighborhood has to go hungry.
Daniel Romano, owner of D’Romano’s Pizza in the Bronx, started offering free slices after he saw a woman searching through the restaurant’s trash for food. Romano brought her inside, gave her a fresh slice, and told her she never needed to be embarrassed to ask for help.
The experience inspired him to put a handwritten sign on the window inviting anyone who’s hungry to come in for a free slice of pizza and water. The message has resonated far beyond the Bronx, with people from across the country calling to donate and help cover the cost of meals for those in need.
Romano says his late mother used to always tell him, "A desperate person will always make a better decision on a full stomach than on an empty one."
What began with one act of compassion has grown into a community effort, with Romano hoping to remind people that everyone deserves not only a hot meal, but also dignity and kindness.
TikTok Adoption Goes Viral
A heartwarming adoption story is getting attention online. A TikTok creator named Rachel, who calls herself an "animal influencer," visited a shelter and asked to meet its "least wanted dog," which turned out to be a pit bull named Nancy who has received no adoption applications.
Nancy arrived at the shelter after her owner died and was very depressed.
Rachel decided she was going to visit Nancy and take her on weekly outings. She shared videos that showed a playful, affectionate dog who loved toys, kisses, and time at the park. She also helped work on Nancy's training to boost her chances of finding a home.
The videos gave viewers a completely different picture of the shelter dog's personality, and after weeks of attention and care, Nancy was finally adopted. The story is also sparking conversations about pit bulls, which are disproportionately represented in U.S. animal shelters.
@rachelishaa Watching her story twice, commenting, and sharing will get her seen. Please share before her timestamp. Betty ACCT-A-225469 located at ACCTPHILLY.ORG in Philadelphia, PA go in person $10.00 adoption fee until 7/19! * * * #fypage #viral #fyp #animalsoftiktok #animallover #animalshelter #adoptdontshop #dogoftheday #rescuedog #underdog #dogrescue #savealife ♬ original sound - welcome
Attorney Donates 1,300 Backpacks to Kids In Need
Marc Brown, an attorney in Columbia, South Carolina, just donated 1,300 backpacks filled with school supplies to students in Hampton County, enough to provide a bookbag for every public school student from Pre-K through sixth grade in the district.
Brown says supporting students is especially important because his mother was a life-long teacher. "My mom was a public school teacher in South Carolina for over 30 years, so I make it a goal to support students however I can," he said. "By showing out appreciation to the families across Hampton County, we are empowering our community."
The giveaway ensures hundreds of families can start the school year with one less expense to worry about.