first...

• ​Happy Matilda Day to everyone in Austin, Texas! We just want to know how we can turn your city’s newest holiday into a national one.
• More support for LA wildfire victims: Taylor Swift donated to 10 relief organizations, Dave Grohl and Jay Leno were spotted serving meals, the state is protecting people from price gouging, and Guitar Center launched an initiative to replace music gear lost to the fires.

L.A. Wildfires

A 14-year-old created a viral “Altadena Girls” recovery fund to help teen girls impacted by the Eaton fire

In response to the destruction caused by the Los Angeles fires, people have moved quickly and collectively to meet the immediate, essential needs of those impacted.

In an effort to help her classmates whose Altadena homes were destroyed by the Eaton fire, 14-year-old Avery Colvert started “Altadena Girls” to gather donations including beauty and hair products and new clothing.

Shared by high-profile brands, artists like Charlie XCX, and celebrities like Paris Hilton, the initiative went viral and grew to nearly 32,000 followers on social media over a few days — resulting in a packed-out distribution center for teen girls in Altadena to come “shop.”

Why is this good news? While meeting immediate safety needs like food, water, clothing, and shelter is essential in the midst of this disaster — mental health is important to care for, too.

As Colvert put it: “They’ve lost everything, and I want them to feel a sense of normalcy when nothing else in their life is normal.”

→ Read more​

Together with Purple Carrot

Our sponsors help keep the Goodnewsletter free — thank you for supporting them when you can!

Start your plant-based journey

Want good food? You're in the right place. Discover what Purple Carrot is all about: bringing the best in plant-based right to your door.

Purple Carrot is known for its plant-based meal kits and freshly prepared meals, but this month, they have also unveiled a new program: The Plant-Based Jumpstart, a 4-week program that helps you pivot to plants in a stress-free — and delicious — way.

Best of all? New Purple Carrot customers can take 50% off every order during the month of January using code TRYPLANTS.

→ Learn more​

More Good News

​British Sign Language added new vocabulary so the deaf community can discuss climate change. While terms such as greenhouse gases, carbon footprint, and sustainability have quickly slipped into everyday use in English, turning them into sign language is a more complicated process.

​“Sing Sing” is the first film to ever be released in movie theatres and prisons simultaneously. The film follows a group of men enrolled in a prison theater program and will screen inside correctional facilities in 46 states, making it available to nearly a million incarcerated people across the U.S.

​Sister Simona Brambilla just became the first woman to lead a major Vatican department. She was appointed by Pope Francis, who has named other women to high-ranking positions in an effort to give women greater leadership roles in the Roman Catholic Church.

​Thanks to polka-dotted windows, thousands of bird deaths were prevented on a Chicago high-rise building (paywall). Since the bird-safe film was applied last summer, bird collisions with the McCormick Place building are down 95% — and could provide a model for other buildings to follow suit.

U.S. Politics

The U.S. government is taking action to support public servants, outdoor recreation, immigrants, and more

With the inauguration of the next presidential administration coming up on Monday, the current administration has used its final days and weeks in office to protect more land, support retired public servants, commemorate important history, and more.

Whether via legislation or executive branch power, these points of progress in politics are important to celebrate:

• The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law, enhancing retirement benefits for firefighters, police officers, teachers, and more public servants.
• The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act was signed into law to improve outdoor recreation opportunities in national parks and forests.
• The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act was signed into law, authorizing the first and only monument dedicated to American women’s history to be built on the National Mall.
• The Department of Homeland Security extended Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Sudan, and Ukraine.
• ​Another 150,000 borrowers had their student loans forgiven, bringing the total number of people who have had their debt canceled under the Biden-Harris administration to over 5 million.
• Honoring tribal requests, President Biden signed a proclamation designating two new national monuments in California, which prevents drilling, mining, and other development.
• Notably, with that national monument designation, Biden will have protected about 674 million acres of federal land, more than any other president in history.

​
→ More good news in politics​

More Good bits

👰‍♀️ First, the essentials. Then, healing through joy.​

☀️ Middle schoolers are learning through creating real change.​

🥘 The chefs are ready for a ceasefire!​

🧠 Why people yearn for the “good old days:” Our memories are short and bad.​

🎨 Initially built to instill fear, Netherlands prisons are being reborn as stunning arts hubs.

What’s good?

This week’s most-clicked article (by far!) was the one about the Toronto man’s “tiny tiny” homes invention to help his unhoused neighbors.​

Which story (or stories!) did you find most encouraging this week?

Reply to this email and let me know!

— Megan