Good Living Guide

Positive News Stories

Kroger Hires Homeless Woman Who Slept In Their Parking Lot For A Year

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Lashenda Williams was sleeping in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store in Nashville. One day, she took a step that changed her life.

Kroger Hires Homeless Woman

Larry McCormack | The Tennesseean

A DIFFICULT LIFE

Williams had a tough life. She grew up in foster care. She had cerebral palsy, a severe learning disability and a history of addiction. She was working occasional cleaning jobs, but her history and health problems made it hard for her to find steady work. Unable to afford housing, she began sleeping in her car in the Kroger parking lot. The store was open 24 hours, and she got to know the employees there.

“I felt blessed on the days when I could walk into that store and get something to eat and drink and hear a kind ‘hello’,” she said. “I’ve always felt safe there.”

THE DAY EVERYTHING CHANGED

One day, she saw a flyer announcing a job fair. Williams asked if there might be a job for her at the store. Jackie Vandal, the assistant store manager, helped Williams fill out an application and hired her on the spot.

She started as a part-time cashier. A month later, she became a full-time associate.

HER FIRST HOME

After a few months, Williams had saved enough money for a deposit on a one-bedroom apartment. Although she was thrilled, she didn’t have any furnishings for it.

Verlenteez Williams, a regular customer at the store, told her he could give her some items he didn’t need. He also posted a message on Facebook asking for donations.

Enough donations poured in to completely furnish the apartment.

LEARNING WHAT LOVE IS

Williams’ story was featured on local news and Good Morning America.

Williams said she still can’t believe she gets to drive home now instead of sleeping in her car. She said, “I have never known love like the love I got from Kroger. I never knew what love was before now.”

Kroger Hires Homeless Woman

Struggling 89-Year-Old Pizza Delivery Driver Receives A $12,000 Tip

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A pizza delivery driver in Utah got the tip of his life after his regular customers did something wonderful for him.

Struggling 89-Year-Old Pizza Delivery Driver Receives A $12,000 Tip

KSL News

HE’S A HARDWORKING MAN

Derlin Newey is 89 years old. He works evenings delivering pizzas for the Papa John’s pizza chain.

Derlin became very popular with his customers for his cheerful, friendly personality. His signature greeting was to shout, “Hello, are you looking for some pizza?”

HE BECAME A TIKTOK CELEBRITY

One of his best customers was Carlos Valdez. The couple has a TikTok account with over 50,000 followers.

They were so charmed by Newey’s friendliness that they began featuring him on their TikTok videos. Viewers began asking to see more of Derlin and his funny greetings.

TikTok is a video-sharing social media site where users can post 30-second videos.

INSPIRED TO HELP

Some of their viewers began wondering why Derlin was still working at his age. Inspired to do something, Carlos asked his account followers to chip into a fund for the older man.

The donations came pouring in. By the time the donation period ended, the TikTok account had raised more than $12,000.

HE BURST INTO TEARS

Carlos and his wife went to Derlin’s home with the check signed, “From your TikTok family.” The older man burst into tears when he saw how much the check was.

They also gave him a shirt that says, “Are you looking for some pizza?”

The event was filmed for the TikTok account and by local news station KSL.

CARING COMMUNITY

Derlin lives alone. He said he works about 30 hours a week as a delivery driver because he can’t pay his bills on Social Security. The Valdez family said they are still getting donations for him.

Derlin didn’t even know what TikTok was, but he certainly knows what generosity is, thanks to a caring community.

Struggling 89-Year-Old Pizza Delivery Driver Receives A $12,000 Tip

Woman Obsessed with the 1950s Transforms Her Home Into A Mid-Century Mecca

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Stepping into Emma Edwards’ house is like stepping into a 1950s television show where glamorous people hosted cocktail parties and dined in avocado-colored kitchens. Edwards made over every inch of her Manchester, UK, home to look like a 1950s American home.

Woman Obsessed with the 1950s Transforms Her Home Into A Mid-Century Mecca

The House Is Like a 1950s Movie Set

The house is a perfect recreation of the “tiki” style that was popular in the 1950s.

“The kitchen is based on a Youngstown American 1950s kitchen, but the units are all modern made to look retro,” she told the Manchester Evening News in 2016.

A Lifelong Passion for Another Era

It’s safe to say that Edwards is obsessed with the 1950s. She’s the owner of Miss Bamboo, a business that sells reproduction 1950s clothing and accessories.

She usually wears vintage 50s clothing with hair and makeup to match.

Edwards fell in love with the time period when she was in college. She found like-minded groups of students who were equally obsessed with the 50s and 60s, and the idea for her business took root.

Emma Edward aka Miss Bamboo

Living In the Past

Since then, she has continued living and breathing her chosen style. As she explained in an article for the Manchester Evening News, she began by decorating a camper van. She and her partner then took up the challenge of transforming their 1930s house.

No Detail Overlooked

There are five tiki-themed cocktail bars in the house. The living room has purple shag carpeting with a zebra-patterned area rug on top.

Tiki-Themed Cocktail Bar

The style even extends to the garden, which has has 1950-style outdoor furniture.

The attention to every detail makes the overall impression glamorous rather than tacky.

She Was “Gutted” to Sell It

Edwards sold the home in 2017. She told the UK Mirror she was “gutted” to leave behind some upgrades like the $100-a-roll wallpaper she bought from a specialty US retailer. The furniture, accessories and knick-knacks, she said, were all moving to the new home.

Woman Obsessed with the 1950s Transforms Her Home Into A Mid-Century Mecca

Refusing To Dump Milk, Pennsylvania Dairy Farmer Decides to Bottle Their Own. Sells Out in Hours.

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The economic effects of the coronavirus have been especially harsh on family farms, but one small farm found a unique way to stay in business.

Refusing To Dump Milk, Pennsylvania Dairy Farmer Decides to Bottle Their Own. Sells Out in Hours.

Facebook | Whoa Nellie Dairy

A Longtime Family Business

Ben and Mary Beth Brown own the Whoa Nellie Dairy Farm in Acme, Pennsylvania. The Johnsons sell milk, cream, cheese and other products at their dairy store. They sell the rest to Schneider’s of Pittsburgh, a large dairy distributor.

The farm has been in the Brown family since the 1700s.

Refusing To Dump Milk, Pennsylvania Dairy Farmer Decides to Bottle Their Own. Sells Out in Hours.

Facebook | Whoa Nellie Dairy

The Distributor Told Them to Dump the Milk

Recently, Schneider’s informed the Browns that it wouldn’t be picking up the milk and they should just dump it.

“I hate the idea of wasting food or milk when people are struggling,” Mary Beth told CNN in an interview. “We decided instead to pasteurize, bottle and sell the milk ourselves.”

Working Around the Clock

In a Facebook announcement, Ben told local residents, “We can only pasteurize and bottle 30 gallons at a time, but we are going to work around the clock to try to bottle as much as we can. We are really going to try to not waste a drop.”

Over the next few days, Ben worked 24-hour shifts to get it done.

Refusing To Dump Milk, Pennsylvania Dairy Farmer Decides to Bottle Their Own. Sells Out in Hours.

Facebook | Whoa Nellie Dairy

Tremendous Community Support

The response was overwhelming.

One Facebook post showed the cars and trucks that lined the road as people waited for hours to buy milk. The entire community turned out to support the Browns.

Refusing To Dump Milk, Pennsylvania Dairy Farmer Decides to Bottle Their Own. Sells Out in Hours.

Facebook | Photo credit: michaelmphotos.com

Still Standing

In another Facebook post, Ben wrote, “Over the last couple of years, hundreds of farmers have gone under, yet we remain. I want to thank all of you who have stood in line for our milk. It is you who are keeping us going and keeping this family farm alive. Thank you!”

The Browns are still selling milk and other dairy products. They have also donated extra milk to area food banks. They purchased a larger pasteurizer, and Ben no longer has to work 24-hour shifts to get the milk bottled.

Refusing To Dump Milk, Pennsylvania Dairy Farmer Decides to Bottle Their Own. Sells Out in Hours.

Neighbors Are Throwing A Social Distance Dance Party Every Morning

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If social distancing is making you feel stir-crazy, take a tip from a group of neighbors in Frodsham, a village in the UK. Every morning, neighbors fire up the music and start dancing.

Social Distance Dance Party

A Daily Dose of Fun

Every day, they enjoy a safe, socially distant dance party. The whole neighborhood looks forward to this daily dose of fun.

They Call It Distance Dancing

Local fitness instructor Janet Woodcock came up with the idea to help older people feel less isolated. She now leads the combination dance party and workout each morning. Elsa Williams, a neighbor who posted a video of the party on her Twitter account, said it’s become a popular event.

“Distance dancing only lasts 10 minutes a day so causes minimal disturbance,” she tweeted. “Mostly our road is kids and elderly residents who are self-isolating, so they look forward to it.”

It’s a Sensation

The dance was supposed to be a one-time thing, but it became too popular. The daily dance has attracted the attention of CNN, the BBC and other news outlets looking for some good news to share during the worldwide lockdown.

Williams said the dancing has lifted everyone’s spirits and made the community closer than it was before.

Bringing People Together In a Safe Way

“It was only meant to be a one time thing, but it lifted people round here up a bit and they wanted more,” she wrote. “It’s also worth noting that our road hardly spoke to each other before all this!”

What is your community doing to bring everyone together safely?

Neighbors Are Throwing A Social Distance Dance Party Every Morning

Grandpa Has The Sweetest Dance-Off With Granddaughter From Across The Street

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He’s 81 years old. His name is “Papa.” Or at least that is what his darling six-year-old granddaughter Kira likes to call him. And for the sake of love, he is busting out the dance moves to make Kira smile.

Grandpa Has The Sweetest Dance-Off With Granddaughter From Across The Street

Kira and Papa’s Story

When Kira was just a baby, her grandparents moved into the house right across the street. Kira and her mom, Sherrie, feel grateful to have her parents so close.

But right now it isn’t safe to let Kira run across the street several times each day to go play with her elderly Papa and Grandmama.

And so….Kira and Papa started holding daily dance parties.

Staying Close While Staying Safe

Kira chooses the playlist songs. She shows up for the daily dance-offs decked out in her best finery.

Papa (real name Marvin Neely) wears denim and a windbreaker jacket. Kira throws down the initial challenge and then waits eagerly to see what her grandfather will do next.

As Marvin’s daughter, Sherrie, puts it, he “has some special moves.” She also says she has never seen him dance before – until now.

Grandpa Has The Sweetest Dance-Off With Granddaughter From Across The Street

The Best Kind of Virus to Catch

What is so neat about this video is – dare we say it – how it, too, has gone viral. But now we are not running for masks, gloves and toilet paper.

Instead, we are running to hit the “share” button so we can pass the laughter, joy, hope and love along.

Kira and Papa Are on the Today Show!

Within days of when Sherrie posted the friendly little home video clip on her personal Facebook page, the Today Show picked it up.

Now it, too, has made its way around the world from America to Canada, India, Europe and beyond.

This Man Shares His Bed With 9 Senior Rescue Dogs

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To more than one million Instagram fans, the name Steve Greig is synonymous with hope, smiles and love. Who is Steve Greig, you might be wondering?

 

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It All Started With Wolfgang the Pup

Steve Greig is an accountant. When Steve’s rescue pup, Wolfgang, was hit by a car and killed in 2013, he couldn’t get over his grief. The only thing that helped was when he rescued Eeyore, a senior chihuahua with four bad knees and a heart problem.

 

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Wolfgang’s Legacy Turned Into a New Family for Steve Greig

Eeyore led to Englebert, Edna, Enoch, Loretta, Phyllis, Josh, Melvin and Madeline – all senior rescue dogs many would consider “un-adoptable.” But Steve doesn’t see it that way. He is happy to get up before 5am each morning to give his ever-expanding family of senior pups medicine, serve their breakfast, make potty runs and – most importantly – lavish them with love.

 

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Dogs, Pigs, Turkeys, Chickens – Everyone Is Welcome

Dogs aren’t the only beloved rescues in Steve’s unique family, however. A not-so-miniature potbellied pig named Bikini sleeps in a pink princess bed near the dog door (which doubles as a pig door). A chicken named Betty hangs out with the dogs all day. And a turkey named Tofu is the official household greeter.

 

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Steve’s Instagram Is a Hub for Rescue Moms and Dads Everywhere

As Steve’s rescued family has grown over the years, he has used his super-popular Instagram, Wolfgang 2242, as a platform to encourage others to adopt senior dogs.

 

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“The One and Only Wolfgang” Is Now a Book!

Most recently, Steve has released a children’s book called “The One and Only Wolfgang.” The book also supports Steve’s message that adopting senior pets can be a wonderful, loving, life-saving choice.


‘Teddy Bear Hunts’ Offer Kids A Fun And Safe Distraction Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

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Communities across the country are hosting “teddy bear hunts” to help kids and their parents cope with being cooped up because of the coronavirus. The charming trend has also spread to neighborhoods in Brussels, London and Reykjavik.

On the Hunt for Huggable Bears

What’s a teddy bear hunt?

It means neighbors put stuffed teddy bears in their windows or on their porches. When parents and their children walk around the neighborhood, they count how many teddies they see. It’s a distracting, entertaining activity kids can do while they’re in social isolation.

Teddy Bear Hunts Get Everyone Involved

Shanna Bonner Groom, who got her Murfreesboro, Tennnessee, neighbors to stage a hunt, said half the homes in her 200-house neighborhood are now participating, even houses where no little kids live.

“We have some houses where probably every stuffed animal they own is stuffed into a window,” she told Time magazine.

They’re Creating Community

Some people have added a whole variety of wildlife to the mix. Children have spotted stuffed dogs, ducks, reindeers, possums and foxes while on the hunt.

The hunt also gives parents a chance to get out of the house. In an NBC News Report, people said the bear hunts show that people care about each other.

Getting Creative

Some people used the opportunity to show off their creativity.

In the UK, the owners of a home in Heaton Moor caught everyone’s attention for their bear displays. Every day, they pose two life-size bears doing activities like housework, gardening and laying concrete. The Moor Bears now have their own Instagram page.

 

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Is your community doing a teddy bear hunt?

Couple Recreates Iconic Woodstock Photo 50 Years Later

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It took 50 years for Jerry and Judy Griffin to find a photograph of their first meeting. That’s especially astonishing when you consider that they met during the 1969 Woodstock Festival, one of the most photographed events of the 1960s.

Couple Recreates Iconic Woodstock Photo 50 Years Later

Photo: Screenshot from American Experience | PBS, Footage Courtesy of Warner Brothers Entertainment

GOING TO THE FARM

On August 15, 1969, Judy was one on her way to the dairy farm where Woodstock was taking place. When her car broke down, she and her friends accepted a ride from a group of guys that included Jerry.

Both were 22 years old.

PEACE, LOVE AND ROMANCE

It was a festival of love, and they fell in love that day. Even more astonishing, they are still happily married today.

Couple Recreates Iconic Woodstock Photo 50 Years Later

Judy and Jerry Griffin now, at their home in Manhattan Beach | Ben Trivett

As Judy says, “By the time we got out of the car and set up camp, we were into each other, and we basically were together from that point on.”

Since then, friends and family members have asked to see photographs of the couple at Woodstock, but despite years of searching, they could never find any. One day, they attended a screening of the 2019 PBS documentary Woodstock and were astonished to finally see themselves in a brief film clip.

A LOVE THAT LASTED

You can see them in the first few minutes of the trailer for the PBS documentary. They’re the smiling young couple wrapped in a blanket together.

Jerry told a local news station that he yelled, “That’s us!” when he saw the clip. Now, they finally have a photograph showing the first moments of a lifelong love.

More Seniors are Downsizing into Tiny Homes at Retirement

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All over the country, seniors are declaring their independence by moving into tiny homes that give them personal and financial freedom.

In one hilarious promo, Uber and Johnsonville are celebrating this trend by highlighting the feisty “Sausage Nonnas,” three Italian grandmothers who cook, travel and socialize in their tiny homes.

Music and Meaning

Adele Smith is a retired music teacher who moved from a 1,300 square foot house in Tennessee to a farm in Oregon. Her sister owns the farm, and she invited Adele to build her dream tiny house on it. Doing so allows Adele to live comfortably on her retirement income.

Her tiny house is charming and cozy, but the best feature is its back deck with a large, comfortable hot tub.

“It feels like a little piece of heaven to me,” she says.

A Whole New Plan

Michelle Boyle married twice, divorced twice and then realized she had no house, no retirement income and no plan for the future. In a sharp-witted and inspiring interview, she talks about first building a tiny house to live in and later building additional tiny houses to rent out.

Her tiny house features a large, airy kitchen with genuine vintage appliances and lots of clothing storage.

“A lot of people sacrifice their kitchens and clothes in a tiny home,” she says, “but I wanted to show that you can go into a tiny home and still be stylish.”

Living Large In a Tiny Home

These ladies are living life to the fullest in their tiny homes. Have you ever thought about downsizing to a tiny house?