While we’re all so happy to hear of Amanda Berry (along with Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight) enjoying her new freedom, her grandfather is happy to hand over a set of keys.

Just a matter of days before she was kidnapped, Amanda’s grandfather had promised a 1986 Monte Carlo to her. One of the first things she’s done since being free is to call him and ask if it’s still available.

These girls will hopefully be taken care of financially after telling their stories. Movie deals, book deals, interviews…they should all be well-paying “gigs.” Of course, this car, as simple and old and used as it is, is all she wants for now.  Should Chevy give her one of their newer models or something equivalent? Maybe!  But for now, this girl enjoys the simplicity of what is hers. Maybe we should all learn a lesson of humility and gratitude from Amanda.

See the full story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323212/Amanda-Berry-Hi-grandpa-Mandy–car.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

Naturally, the Boston Bombing was heartbreaking. Only sadness has come from the stories, pictures and videos we’ve seen.

What we haven’t seen too much of, however, are the heroes in this disaster. One good thing that sometimes appears in an emergency, is the amazing and giving human spirit.

In the Boston Bombing, several people went above and beyond. Take a moment to get to know the stories of the retired NFL player, the cowboy hat wearing peace activist, the editor of the New York Times and more.

Check out their short stories here, and be sure to do some searching of your own, as well. There are many stories emerging that will restore your faith in Humanity. Story: http://news.yahoo.com/6-heroes-emerged-boston-marathon-tragedy-114000243.html

The Cervantes family, in North Carolina, thinks that every child deserves a happy birthday. Since so many kids do not get one, they took it upon themselves to give it to them.

At this point, since 2005, they’ve now given birthday parties to thousands of homeless children. What started in shelters is now done in other places, such as school.

Check out this family and their story, to see how something as simple as a football and a cake has changed the lives of  so many children. Full (heartwarming) story: http://www.today.com/news/family-throws-birthday-parties-thousands-homeless-kids-1C9217773?franchiseSlug=todaynewsmain

Pedro Quezada has won $338 million in Powerball. He will be paying his rent, of course, but also all of his neighbors’ rent.

For the next one or two months, every neighbor on Pedro’s block will live rent free. Surely, this includes people he knows and does not know… so, essentially, the neighborhood just won the lotto.

See his interview here, along with the full story: http://www.nj.com/passaic-county/index.ssf/2013/04/nj_powerrball_winner_will_pay_his_neighbors_for_at_least_a_month_friend_says.html

Lori and Francis Pyle and their three children just welcomed three new family members into their home. From Africa to Kentucky; four years, several trips, thousands of miles and countless tears later, three orphans from Sierra Leone are now part of the Pyle family in Kentucky.

During a trip to Sierra Leone in 2009, Lori Pyle met the orphans, who begged her to adopt them, siting abuse as their desperate plea.

What happened next that delayed this family becoming one for four years? You’ve got to see this story. Read the story and see the video here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2299512/Kentucky-family-adopts-3-siblings-Sierra-Leone-years-eldest-boy-escaped-orphanage-told-abused.html

Today, March 21, 2013, is World Down Syndrome Day. Take a little time today to educate yourself, friends and family about a disorder that affects millions of families around the world.

Unhyphenated America is about coming together, stopping separation and seeing how we are all people, all in this together. That does not just apply to race. It applies to anything and everything that causes our oblivious judgement about other people. Of course we focus on Americans being unhyphenated, but we also focus on Americans coming together in all ways.

Take a moment to check out the “stories” section of the WDSD page ( http://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/your-stories ) or just browse the site itself ( http://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/ )

See, people, this is how it’s done. This new “mom” has taken in a litter of puppies. She is not a puppy, however, she is a Capybara. According to the article, a Capybara is like a really big Guinea Pig. She now has a new family, made of puppies that someone abandoned.

So, the moral of the story is, this animal took on raising children that look nothing like her. They don’t live the same kind of life, come from the same culture or even shop at the same mall. Ok, animals don’t shop at malls…but you see where we’re going here.

Bottom line…this family is unhyphenated. She didn’t care that the babies looked different. She didn’t see breed…or color. How about we take a cue from the animals?

Check the story and slide show here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/15/giant-rodent-puppies_n_2885881.html#slide=more286643

Thirteen year old Noah Brocklebank had scheduled his own suicide. After placing her son in a hospital for care, she then took his story public, in hopes that someone could possibly offer support.

What happened next is outstanding. Strangers, more than two thousand of them, have now come to his aid.

Please take a moment to read the full story. The outreach of strangers, to another stranger, is the kind of mentality we hope for more of.

Full story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2291367/Suicidal-boy-Noah-Brocklebank-13-saved-letters-strangers-world.html

So, have you ever celebrated St. Baldricks Day? So far this year, there’s over $13,000,000.00 raised for childhood cancer research. St. Baldricks is an organization that gathers money in exchange for shaving heads. The way it’s described on their website is: “Shavees” sign up on the website, collect money from friends and family much like a walk-a-thon, and show up at a volunteer-organized event in their community to take their turn in the barber’s chair. It’s fun, it’s emotional, and it’s for a crucially important cause.

While there are pledges all over, right now there is one group in the lead. Hundreds of men, women and children in Missouri earned almost $500,000.00 just a few days ago. As an added bonus, any of the shavings long enough also went to Locks of Love.

How great is that?!

Read their story here: http://fox2now.com/2013/03/09/hundreds-go-bald-to-help-end-childhood-cancer/

Learn more about St. Baldricks Day here: http://www.stbaldricks.org/

We love this. Taking a bad thing and turning it into good always wins!

18-year-old Samantha Manns has taken “pay it forward” to a new level. When her grandmother died in February at the age of 89, she turned her heartbreak into love for others. Samantha is now performing 89 random acts of kindness for others, and documenting it online. This way, instead of keeping it to herself, she is inspiring others to do the same!

Luckily, we’ve caught this story early on, so that we can watch and share her progress. Click here for her Facebook campaign, and be inspired! https://www.facebook.com/89Acts?ref=stream

You’ve got to see the whole story unfold. Click here to read the full article. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2290004/Samantha-Manns-Ohio-teen-does-89-random-acts-kindness-memory-great-grandmothers-89-years.html