Episode 108: Kindness Is Staying With Good Will Good Karma

Anitha chats with 15-year-old Will Finch. Will and his sister Jada appeared on the podcast back in 2021 to talk about their incredible efforts to help stray dogs and cats find forever loving homes. The siblings created an organization called GOOD WILL GOOD KARMA. Will returns to talk about all that been happening with their non-profit animal rescue—including birthday fundraisers, starting a clothing line to raise money for animal rescue, heartwarming stories of dogs and cats they’ve helped, AND, that to date, GOOD WILL GOOD KARMA has raised a whopping $1 million for animals in need!

An episode full of heart and inspiration of what it means to create GOOD WILL and GOOD KARMA for all beings.

To learn more about Will and all he is doing to help animals, check out these links:

Instagram:  GoodWillGoodKarma

Facebook: GoodWillGoodKarma

As a thank you to Will for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Autism Dog Services. This charity, provides service dogs for individuals over three years of age who have autism and related disorders in most parts of Southwestern Ontario.

To learn more about ADS, check out their website: autism dog services

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 106 Kindness Is Recovering Stuffies For Kids

For much of January 2025, the world watched as portions of Los Angeles were devastated by wildfires. People and animals lost their lives, homes were destroyed, and there was so much suffering. Anitha chats with Ashley Reckdenwald, the founder of Working Mom Notes. Initially created to help working moms find resources and a community, Ashley started an initiative within this social media account to help children who lost their beloved stuffed animals in the wildfires.

Ashley and Anitha talk about the importance of stuffed animals to children and adults, the incredible response to this initiative and the positive impact it has had on children and their families who have lost so much in the wildfires.

An episode full of all the good “feels” many of us need right now.

To learn more about Working Mom Notes and the LA Wildfire Stuffed Animal Recovery project, check out these links.

Instagram working mom notes

Facebook: working mom notes

TikTok: @ashleyreckdenwald

LinkedIn: Ashley Reckdenwald

As a thank you to Ashley for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Back To Play. This non-profit provides children who are in crisis backpacks containing kid-related items. To learn more about this organization, click here:

Website Back To Play

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 105: Kindness Is Animal Justice

Anitha is joined by Rhea Badhwar, a law student at Lincoln Alexander School of Law. Rhea talks about navigating her love of animals and the world of law.  

Rhea is the President of LASL Animal Justice club. Animal Justice, which was founded in 2008, legally fights for animal protection laws in Canada. They offer a student program which gives students such as Rhea opportunities to get active in helping animals while still in law school.

Members of LASL and Osgoode Hall’s Animal Justice Club visiting the cows at Farmhouse Garden Animal Home

This episode provides hope that compassionate students like Rhea are  dedicated to protecting animals now and in the future.

To learn more about Animal Justice and the Lincoln Alexander School of Law’s Animal Justice club, check out these links:

Instagram LASL Animal Justice Club

Website Animal Justice

As a thank you to Rhea for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Farmhouse Garden Animal Home. This animal sanctuary was originally the site of a cattle ranch, owned by farmer Mike Lanigan. In 2016, after spending time with a calf, Mike decided to stop raising animals for slaughter and converted his property into an organic vegetable farm and animal sanctuary.

To learn more about Farmhouse Garden Animal Home, click this link:

Website Farmhouse Garden Animal Home

To hear the full episode click here:

Episode 103: Kindness Is Jamie’s Corner

Animal activist, YouTuber and podcast host, Jamie Logan joins Anitha, as we continue to celebrate Veganuary—the month of January where folks from all over the world explore veganism and plant-based diets.

A vegan since 2018, Jamie shares how she found a way to help and raise awareness for animals— from her yoga practice to her creative animal rights campaigns.

Jamie also talks about the anger she feels at companies who make billions of dollars from the suffering of billions of animals, and how she takes this anger and uses it to fuel her actions of kindness and empathy.

An in-depth conversation with an incredible activist.

To learn more about Jamie and all the work she is doing to help animals, check out these links:

Instagram itsjamielogan

Instagram itsjamiescorner

Website

As a thank you to Jamie for being a guest on the podcast, Anitha donated to Compassion Kind. This charity is dedicated to ending the suffering of all beings through compassion.

To learn more about Compassion Kind, check out their website:

Compassion Kind

Episode 93: Kindness Is Sir Darius

The incredible Sir Darius Brown joins Anitha to talk about his initiative— combining his love of sewing and his love of animals to help shelter animals find loving, forever homes.

Sir Darius has made thousands of bow ties for shelter animals, taken their photo, and shared these photos on social media. These adorable bow ties have helped save many, many dogs.

An inspiring episode of love and kindness making a huge impact.

Letter from President Obama

To learn more about Sir Darius check out the following links:

Sir Darius Website

Sir Darius Instagram

As a thank you to Darius for sharing his story, Anitha donated to Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in New Jersey. This shelter cares for homeless animals and works to find them permanent, loving homes. They also partner with shelters around the country to save at risk animals from being euthanized. Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter never euthanizes any animal for time or space reasons. Adoptable animals reside at the shelter until they find their forever home.

To learn more about this shelter, check out their website: Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 90: Kindness Is Sammie’s Buddy Benches

Fifteen-year-old Sammie Vance joins Anitha to talk about an initiative she started when she was eight years old, called Sammie’s Buddy Bench Project.

These benches not only help kids make friends, but they also help the environment since they are made from recycled plastic caps!

In the past seven years, Sammie has helped create over 500 buddy benches for schools all over the world.

Sammie is also the author of Inspire the World: A Kid’s Journey to Making a difference

And she shares her writing journey with Anitha.

An uplifting conversation with an incredible young person.

You can learn more about Sammie and all the wonderful things she’s doing here:

Website www.sammiesbuddybenchproject.com

IG: @sammiesbuddybenchproject

As a thank you to Sammie for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Project3R, a non-profit organization founded by sixteen-year-old Ryan Hickman. Project3R is dedicated to recycling and raising environmental awareness and education around the world. To learn more about this organization, click here: Project3R

To hear the full episode click here:

Episode 86: Kindness Is Clarissa Clover

Clarissa Dery, a certified canine nutritionist joins Anitha to talk about what motivated her to create healthy supplements for dogs.

Clarissa not only creates products to help dogs, but after volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation centre in South Africa, she decided to donate the profits from Clarissa Clover to help wild animals in South Africa.

Clarissa talks about her time in South Africa, the animals she worked with, such as hippos and pangolins, and how this experience affected her.

To learn more about Clarissa and the products she makes, check out these links:

clarissa’s website

Clarissa’s instagram

As a thank you to Clarissa for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Umoya Khulula Wildlife Rehab Centre. This non-profit rehabilitation facility in Limpopo, South Africa is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of local wildlife that have been orphaned, injured, displaced or confiscated from the illegal trade.

To learn about this wildlife rehab centre, please check out their website:

umoya khulula wildlife

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 78: Kindness Is Making The Inside Scouts!

Mitali Banerjee Ruths joins Anitha to talk about her journey from Medical Doctor . . . to author . . . to creating books about diverse characters, and how kindness intersects all these aspects of her life.

A very fun and engaging conversation.

To learn more about Mitali and the books she writes, click on the following links:

https://www.mitaliruths.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mitaliruths/

As a thank you to Mitali for coming on to the show, Anitha donated to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres. This international humanitarian organization was founded by doctors and journalists in 1971. They travel all over the world, where people’s needs are greatest to provide neutral, impartial, and independent emergency healthcare to those affected by disaster, disease, conflict and exclusion. 

You can learn more about MSF here: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/

To hear the full episode, click here:

Episode 76: Kindness Is Creating Rainbow Spaces

In 2021 Nadia Kean-Ayub created Rainbow Spaces. She joins Anitha to talk about what motivated her to start this organization, how this group helps youth in the LGBTQ+ community, and how much they have grown in just three years.

Nadia also shares her favourite ways to support folks in the queer community by being an A+ Ally

  1. Affirm who they are
  2. Accept that their path is their own
  3. Acknowledge
  4. Don’t offer Advice on who they should share their queerness with
  5. Adapt by letting the youth guide you

An emotional and honest discussion of the best and most difficult aspects of creating a safe and inclusive space for all youth.

To learn more about the amazing events Rainbow Spaces creates, check out their Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/rainbowspacessb/

As a thank you to Nadia for sharing her story, Anitha offered to donate to Lamba Rising Soccer, a non-profit organization located in San Diego that provides inclusive soccer programs for youth and adults. To learn more about this organization, check out their website: https://www.lambdarisingsoccer.com/

To hear the full episode click here:

Episode 73: Kindness Is Being A Koala Crusader

Nine-year old Malani Harris loves everything about Koala’s, including their scat!

Malani does A LOT to help koala’s such as planting trees, donating birthday money, creating an Instagram account dedicated to koalas, and much more!

She and her family travel around Australia looking for koalas, always maintaining a respectable distance.

Such a fun episode about a young girl and her love for Koalas!

To learn more about Malani and her crusade to help Koalas, check out these links:

Koala Family Adventures:

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/koala_family_adventures?igsh=MmNsMDFocGJ2Njc3&utm_source=qr

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/share/XeyHVmbYx35Lm6rh/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Queensland Koala Crusaders: Newsletters with Malani‘s Koala adventures-

Sept 2023  https://www.koalacrusaders.org.au/koala_family_adventures1

March 2024 https://www.koalacrusaders.org.au/koala_family_adventures2

April 2024 https://www.koalacrusaders.org.au/koala_family_adventures3

May 2024 https://www.koalacrusaders.org.au/koala_family_adventures4

As a thank you to Malani for sharing her story, Anitha donated to Dutch Thunder Wildlife Shelter, a licensed wildlife shelter providing 24 hour emergency wildlife rescue.

Malani and her family spent time at the shelter helping out. It’s always nice supporting an organization personally known to the guest.

To learn more about Dutch Thunder Wildlife Shelter, check out their social media pages:

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/DutchThunderWildlifeShelter?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dutch_thunder_wildlife_shelter/

To listen to the full episode click here: