Tag: #somegoodnews

Episode 147: Kindness Is Bags Without Barriers—Providing essential supplies so all individuals can be successful.

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Justin Osei-Dwumoh joins Anitha to talk about his amazing initiative called Bags Without Barriers.

When Justin realized that not everyone has access to essential school supplies—items that are not only necessary to succeed in school, but also can affect one’s self worth, he decided to help.

Partnering with organizations such as Herschel Supply Co., Justin fills backpacks with paper, pencils, markers, and more. Then, he hands them out in areas where the need is great.

In addition to helping students, Bags Without Barriers also supports underserved new moms by providing them with diaper bags filled with vital supplies to help them and their children.

The perfect episode to showcase the meaning of compassion, important all year round, but especially meaningful at this time of the year.

To find out more about Bags Without Barriers and the wonderful work they are doing, check out their website:

Bags Without Barriers

As a thank you to Justin for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Save Our Scruff. A dog rescue that grew organically from a community wanting to give their time and efforts to advocate for dogs in many different spaces. To learn more about Save Our Scruff, check out their website:

Save Our Scruff

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 146: Kindness Is Creating Frankie’s World–Advocating for one of society’s most misrepresented beings, rats.

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Mariah Madigan, the founder of Frankie’s World joins Anitha to talk about her journey to creating a sanctuary for rats.

Mariah first fell in love with rats when an adorable rat named Frankie came into her life. Frankie was such a great companion for Mariah and when Frankie passed, Mariah decided to create a sanctuary to honour her soulmate.

Mariah realizes that most folks have negative preconceptions about rats but she also knows that once folks meet a rat their opinions quickly change. Folks realize how smart and clean and affectionate rats truly are. Sadly, rats have been treated very badly in society. From being subjected to cruel experiments and medical testing, to being depicted as dirty and basically maligned. But once you actually learn the truth about rats, you realize they are clean, smart, very affectionate and make great companions.

This is such heartwarming episode to get us into the holiday spirit of love and compassion for all beings.

To find out more about Mariah and the incredible sanctuary she has created, check out these sites:

Frankie’s World Website

Frankie’s World on Instagram

As a thank you to Mariah for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Frankie’s World.

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 145:Kindness Is Teachers for Future Turtle Island—Educating on colonialism, equality, climate crisis & more.

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Kim Benson wears many hats—teacher, human rights advocates, animal activist, climate activist and all-around kind human. She joins Anitha to talk about Teachers for Future Turtle Island, a group working to dismantle systems of colonialism, capitalism, patriarchy and white supremacy. Kim talks about how these systems have caused and continue to cause ecological collapse, war, genocide & the suffering of all beings, human and non-human alike. Kim believes it is important to teach children about these issues in an age-appropriate manner.

Kim also shares the meaning behind the name of the group. Turtle Island is the Indigenous name for the continent of North America. This name represents the Indigenous community’s deep connection to the land and appreciation for nature. Something we can all learn from.

To find out more about Teachers For Future Turtle Island, check out their Instagram account:

Teachers For Future Turtle Island on IG

As a thank you to Kim for sharing his story, Anitha donated to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). As the largest animal liberation organization in the world, PETA focuses their efforts on helping animals who suffer in laboratories, the food industry, the clothing trade and the entertainment business. To learn more about PETA, check out their website:

PETA

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 144: Kindness Is Racing To Zero—Helping sports organizations tackle climate change.

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Oliver Scholfield, an Olympic Athlete, joins Anitha to talk about creating a business that combinec his love of sport with his passion for the environment. Racing To Zero is dedicated to addressing the negative impact the sporting world has on the climate AND coming up with solutions to reduce this impact.

Oliver shares some of the simple solutions sporting organizations can implement to minimize their harm on the environment. An episode that makes you believe positive change is possible.

To learn more about Oliver and Racing To Zero, check out these links:

Racing To Zero Website

Racing To Zero Instagram

Oliver’s Instagram

Email – info@racingtozero.ca

As a thank you to Oliver for sharing his story, Anitha donated to High Impact Athletes. This organization connects athletes to the most impactful causes in the world. They focus on three areas, Global Health and Poverty, Animal Welfare and Climate Change. At Oliver’s request, Anitha donated to the Environmental Portfolio.

To learn more about High Impact Athletes and the causes they support, check out their website:

High Impact Athletes

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 143: Kindness Is Being Anonymous for the Voiceless—Speaking out against history’s largest and longest-standing injustice.

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Oliver Loos joins Anitha to talk about his journey into animal activism, veganism and being a part of a group called Anonymous for the Voiceless. This not-for-profit animal rights organization does all they can to make our world a kinder place for all beings. They specialize in using conversation and standard practice footage of animals in captive situations to enlighten and educate the public about animal exploitation.

For Oliver, it’s very simple, if you were the one suffering, wouldn’t you want someone speaking out for you? Wouldn’t you want the suffering to stop right now?

That’s the goal—to end the pain and torture of innocent beings.

To learn more about Oliver and Anonymous for the Voiceless, check out the following links:

Oliver’s Linktree

Anonymous for the Voiceless Website

Cube Of Truth

As a thank you to Oliver for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Anonymous for the Voiceless.

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 142:Kindness Is Continuing To Fight For Rainbow Spaces—Protecting LGBTQ+ youth 

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**This episode does mention suicide and may trigger or be challenging for some listeners. Please be kind to yourself.**

Nadia Kean-Ayub returns to talk to Anitha about her organization called Rainbow Spaces and the current environment in the United States towards folks in the LGBTQ+ community.

It has been just over a year since Nadia was originally on the show and sadly, a lot of communities in the United States feel unsafe, including LGBTQ+. Fortunately, there are people like Nadia who continue to support and advocate for communities who have been marginalized and in some cases fear for their safety.

Nadia created Rainbow Spaces, a place where youth can gather and be who they are, without fear of discrimination.

To learn more about Rainbow Spaces, check out these links:

Website Rainbow Spaces

Instagram-Rainbow Spaces

As a thank you to Nadia for coming back as a guest to update listeners on the well-being of folks in the LGBTQ+ community under the current US administration’s policies, Anitha donated to Rainbow Spaces.

If you or anyone you know is in crisis, help is available. Please reach out to someone.

In Canada and the US: Suicide Crisis Hotline- text or call 9-8-8 

International: www.crisistextline.org/

You can hear the full episode here:

Episode 141: Kindness Is Being We Animals—Advocating For Animals Through Photojournalism.

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Anitha talks with Jo-Anne McArthur, the founder of We Animals. Jo-Anne and the team of photographers at We Animals bravely go into places where animals and the cruelty these sentient beings are forced to endure, is often hidden from the public.

Through their photos, the folks at We Animals show us the suffering but also the “humanity” of the animals we eat and wear, the animals who are used in entertainment or research.

An incredible episode of compassion and discovering the importance of ‘seeing’ versus ‘looking’ at another being.

To learn more about We Animals and the incredible work they do, check out these links.

Website We Animals

Instagram We Animals

Facebook We Animals

As a thank you to Jo-Anne, for sharing her story, Anitha donated to We Animals.–

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 140: Kindness Is Elevating Access—Ensuring folks have access to life-saving healthcare, even if it comes at self-risk.

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Kindness Is Elevating Access—Ensuring folks have access to life-saving healthcare, even if it comes at self-risk.

Launched in 2022, Elevated Access is a non-profit that provides pilots and planes at no cost to those seeking access to life-saving healthcare.

Kira from Elevated Access joins Anitha to talk about the devastating healthcare bans in many States throughout the USA which affects those seeking gender affirming and abortion care. Elevated Access was created with the sole purpose of helping folks receive the healthcare they need.

Elevate Access saves lives! But providing this service comes at a risk for those who want to help, yet folks like Kira do it anyway.

Kira and Anitha then pivot their conversation to the many cats and dogs in Kira’s life. It should come as no surprise that someone as kind as Kira, extends this kindness to all beings. She has fostered over 130 cats and dogs, and currently has many fur-babies of her own.

An episode overflowing with kindness and compassion for others.

To learn more about Elevated Access, check out the following links:

Website- Elevated Access

Instagram – Elevated Access

As a thank you to Kira for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Elevated Access.

You can hear the full episode here:

Episode 139: Kindness Is Fulfilling Edgar’s Mission—How a photo shoot with a pig grew into a sanctuary for farm animals.

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Pam Ahern, the founder of Edgar’s Mission, a farm sanctuary in Australia, joins Anitha to talk about her journey to help animals.

Pam talks about meeting Edgar for the first time and how a one-time photo shoot to raise awareness about the plight of farmed animals, turned into a lifelong adventure to rescue pigs, chickens, cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, alpacas, turkeys and others who were once part of the meat and dairy industry.

Pam & Edgar

Pam shares stories of some of the individuals she has had the privilege of knowing. From Edgar, who inspired Pam to start the sanctuary to a cow named Clarabelle who was pregnant when she came to Edgar’s Mission. Clarabelle, like all dairy cows, was impregnated over and over to produce milk for human consumption. And her babies? They were always ripped away from her soon after birth. But safe in sanctuary, Clarabelle finally had a baby she could keep forever. Pam shares more heartwarming stories of other residents, too!

Clarabelle & baby Valentine
Clarabelle & Valentine
Pam & Miss Clementine
Pam & Crocodile Rock & Rocket Man
Pam & Red Baron
Pam & Ruby

Despite knowing all she knows and seeing all she has, Pam believes there is kindness in the world. Her voice is full of hope when she talks about the sanctuary and all the humans who have helped it become what it is today—a safe and loving home for rescued farmed animals.

An episode full of resilience and hope and love.

To learn more about the kind folks at Edgar’s Mission and the wonderful beings they care for, check out these links:


Edgar’s Mission Facebook
Edgar’s Mission Instagram
Edgar’s Mission TikTok

As a thank you to Pam for sharing her story, Anitha donated to The Open Sanctuary Project. This organization provides free and accessible digital resources for anyone wanting to responsibly create or manage an animal sanctuary and/or provide the best possible care for animals so they can live long and healthy lives. To learn more about this organization, check out their website:

Website – Open Sanctuary

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 138: Kindness Is Being Like Josh—How fostering one dog with special needs turned into an entire foundation helping dogs with disabilities.

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Kimberly Elliott, the founder of the Be Like Josh Foundation, joins Anitha to talk about how falling in love with Josh, a 10-month-old Golden Doodle with a brainstem disorder, inspired her to create a foundation that now helps so many dogs with disabilities live their best lives.

The Be Like Josh Foundation is a non-profit organization, dedicated to the care and advocacy of dogs with neurological disabilities. Josh, who is now nine-years old, has a brainstem disorder which Kimberly describes as a ‘disconnect between the way his brain talks to his body.’ She says his movements are similar to a person with Cerebral Palsy.

In addition to talking about how Josh came into her life and transformed it for the better, Kimberly also talks about the misconception folks have about dogs with disabilities. She says dogs with disabilities aren’t sad. If the dog looks happy, they are happy. Disabled bodies can experience joy.

For this reason, it’s really important to Kimberly that potential adopters of a special needs dog see themselves as a “Service Human” to that dog, similar to a Service Dog who helps a human with a disability. Kimberly wants these dogs to live with people who will of course, love them but also enhance their lives.

An episode full of all the feels and one that is sure to make you want to hug a dog.

To learn more about the Be Like Josh Foundation and the incredible work they do, check out the following links:

Be Like Josh- Website

Be Like Josh -Instagram

Josh The Doodle – Instagram

As a thank you to Kimberly and Josh for sharing their story, Anitha donated to the Be Like Josh Foundation.

To hear the full episode, click here: