Teen invents rain and fireproof sleeping bag for homeless
A teenager called Emily Duffy came up with an idea for a rain and fireproof sleeping bag for the homeless after ‘living rough’ for a night to raise money for charity. The 15-year-old thought the old cloth bags were impractical for purpose and set about creating a heat reflective, fire retardant and waterproof version.
Velcro straps replace zips, allowing for easy access and storage. And after exhibiting her design at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in Dublin, the bags have gone into production. They are being fabricated at a homeless service centre in the Irish capital, creating more paid work for homeless people.
Now that’s a good deed.
Singing nurses help Millie
For any parent to hear their child has cancer must be unimaginable. That’s what happened when Lynsey McColl found out her three year old daughter Millie had been diagnosed. It’s been an incredibly tough time but Millie has had the best care possible at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.
A video of Millie singing the song ‘Let it Go’ from her favourite movie Frozen, has gone viral. And a JustGiving fundraiser has already helped raise the £12,000 towards specialist treatment in the US.
Coffee shop barista learns sign language to help deaf customer
A deaf Starbucks customer in Virginia, USA, was recently surprised when a barista handed her a note saying they had been learning sign language to make her experience in the store just like everyone else’s.
Deaf customers can often feel pushed away or isolated so this act of reaching out is a great act of kindness. Large corporations are obliged by law to maintain certain services, such as safety equipment like evac chairs, but they could always do more to help customers with disabilities feel more included. Perhaps sign language could come as part of the basic training?
Not all news is bad news as the three stories above prove. Check back with us next month when we bring you more of the internet’s most positive news stories.