Weekly Uplifting Stories - December 4, 2023

For every person spreading hate, there are many spreading positive messages.

For every internet troll, there are people going out of their way to help a stranger.

While some people fight over inconsequential matters, others help make the world a better place.

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” - Barack Obama

Whether it's due to our negativity bias or the overblown stories in the 24-hour news cycle, we tend to get swayed by negative emotions.

But it doesn't have to be that way!

In our weekly Uplifting Stories, we celebrate unsung heroes in this world, who make us believe in a better tomorrow. Every act, no matter how small, contributes to making the world a better place.

This week, we present you stories about:

• Man helps find forever homes for street dogs
• Couple helps kids cope after devastating wildfires
• Young women tap into the transformative power of sports
• This six-year-old girl personifies the Christmas spirit

This dog enthusiast has rescued 400 dogs - so far

Lulzim Prenku's love for dogs fuels his commitment to rescuing abandoned dogs.

Every time he found a stray dog on the street, he brought it home, gave it proper medical attention, and got it ready for adoption.

What started as a temporary shelter in his backyard, has turned into a full-time shelter, where 400 dogs receive unparalleled love and care.

Lulzim makes sure the dogs have a safe space to thrive.

“We take the dogs from the streets, those who need care to a veterinarian. In many cases, we take them to the shelter, vaccinate them, sterilize them and they are ready for adoption. The moment a dog comes to the shelter, he is open for adoption,” Lulzim Prenku.

So far about 150 pups have been adopted by their forever families.

Maui kids receive help to heal from the impact of wildfires

Recovery from the wildfires that ravaged Maui has been difficult for the entire community.

It is even harder for children, who may not yet have the emotional capability to fully process this traumatic event.

A couple, Lopaka and Katie Wilson stepped up to help children heal from the trauma. With the help of local surfer Zane Schweitzer and thousands of donations, they organize field trips to bring children back to the ocean.

"Their preschool burned down, their elementary school burned down, their best friend's house burned down, the restaurant they went to burned down, their movie theater burned down, so to have the kids just forget about it for a couple of hours is really cool," said Katie Wilson.

These trips include fishing and surf lessons, which allow the kids to connect and have fun together.

Wrestling school encourages girls to carve out independent identities

The Altius wrestling school in Haryana, India gives young women the opportunity to get into professional wrestling, a sport considered to be male-dominated in many parts of the country.

Usha Sharma, India’s first female wrestling coach and the co-founder of Altius School, aims to give the girls a safe space to hone their skills and build confidence.

Many of the girls come from regions where conservative attitudes restrict women’s opportunities, and women are either married off early or chained to traditional roles.

 “It feels nice to see that the same girls who used to graze cows and buffalo, about whom no one cared, there are now four, five people behind them; their uncles, grandfathers are asking about them. It was very satisfying to see that they could make decisions for themselves, can drive cars." Usha Sharma

Undergoing wrestling practice has given these girls the courage to dream big and make decisions for themselves.

Little girl saves a year’s worth of pocket money to buy Christmas presents for other children

6-year-old Lara-May from Barrow-in-Furness in the United Kingdom has been saving her money since last year to buy tons of Christmas presents. They're not for herself though. She has decided to donate the presents to children living in poverty.

"She has been saving since last year to do all she can to make Christmas memorable for more children and we are so proud of how caring and selfless she is." - Lara-May's mum, Shelley

When Lara-May picked out the presents at Morrisons supermarket in the United Kingdom, the staff was touched by the little girl's kindness and generosity. They even matched her donation of £300 (About $380).

All the gifts will be given out by Project John, a charity that offers housing and support to young people in Barrow-in-Furness.

"For a young child to spend her pocket money on Christmas toys - putting others' needs before her own - makes her an angel in my eyes." - Nicola Kell, from Project John

What's Your Uplifting Story?

Do you have an Uplifting Story you are burning to share?

• Did someone go out of their way to help someone else?
• Or did you observe someone performing an act of kindness you want to shout about?
• Is there an amazing person in your life who deserves a shout out? 

Let us know in the comments below, or on our Instagram page! We will share your story in a future article. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Photo by Berna Tosun