Communities have been showing up in extraordinary ways to care for one another this holiday week. Let's celebrate it!!
Secret Santa Gives $1 Million to Local Residents: A mystery donor in Idaho has been playing Secret Santa, giving away $1 million to families in crisis. Gifts include a 2025 Honda minivan to a family with conjoined twins, $5,000 to a new mom who lost her house, and thousands more to families dealing with house fires, paralysis, and other emergencies.
The Kitchen Helping Trans New Yorkers: Black Trans Liberation Kitchen, founded by activist Qween Jean, hosted its fifth annual 'Transmas' dinner at Judson Memorial Church in New York. They transformed the space with tables for communal meals, stations for food handouts, performances by trans artists, and an altar honoring trans community members who have passed.
Atlanta Restaurant Throws Christmas Giveaway: Crystal Drakes, co-owner of Crescent City Kitchen in Atlanta, "adopted" 100 families during the government shutdown when SNAP benefits went unfunded, providing food, cleaning supplies, and household necessities. This Christmas, she surprised those same families with toys, bikes, electronics, and free meals at her Santa's Workshop event. Drakes says she understands the stress of not knowing how to provide for your family, stating "I'm gonna make sure that I can touch a life every single chance that I get."
Thousands Set New Record Under 10-Foot Mistletoe in DC: 1,435 couples in D.C gathered beneath a massive 10-foot bundle of mistletoe suspended 30 feet in the air to set a new Guinness World Record for holiday kisses, tripling the previous record of 480 couples set in St. Louis in 2019. The mistletoe display was funded through the Streets for People art grant and will remain on display through January, with plans to continue the tradition next year.
Stunning Crocheted Christmas Tree in India: The Crochet Collective created a Christmas tree made entirely of 800+ hand-crocheted squares, displayed at the Museum of Goa as a sustainable alternative to plastic holiday décor. What started as a dream during a Zoom meeting became a months-long labor of love, with women gathering weekly to share tea, music, and stories while crafting.
Facility Generates Pure Water and Hydrogen Fuel from Seawater: A new desalination plant in Rizhao, China, is producing fresh water at a fraction of ot the cost of other facilities while generating green hydrogen fuel. For every 800 metric tons of seawater processed, the system delivers nearly 119,000 gallons of pure water, enough hydrogen to power 50 city buses, and mineral-rich brine for chemical production.
Toronto Hospital Helps Patients with Rent: Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine in Toronto has launched Ontario's first hospital-based homelessness and eviction prevention program. The hospital is using $1 million in donations to pay off patients' rent arrears or cover first and last month's rent so they can access housing. One patient, who spent four years cycling between the emergency department and homelessness, was finally able to sign a lease and focus on healing.
Nairobi Becomes First County to Formalize Menstrual Leave: Nairobi has become the first county in Kenya to officially formalize menstrual leave for workers, recognizing that people who menstruate deserve workplace policies that honor their bodies. This policy sets a precedent for other regions and countries to follow in creating more inclusive work environments.
A new world is created when we come together in community, care for our neighbors, and create new ways to thrive together. Whether we're crocheting squares into Christmas trees or hosting holiday giveaways, this is how we drive real change.
How will you shift this week?
