In a search for good news, the American actor and filmmaker John Krasinski, also known for his role as Jim Halpert from The Office, started his own YouTube channel called Some Good News, abbreviated to SGN. On the channel, Krasinski has been uploading weekly videos from the comfort of his home office as he shares the good news that’s been happening around the world and does something to better someone’s day. In the episodes that have been released so far, Krasinski has done a zoom interview with Steve Carrell, surprised a girl with Mary Poppins and a personal performance from the cast of Hamilton, and threw a live virtual prom for the class of 2020 with performances from the Jonas Brothers and Billie Eilish. Not only is Krasinski sharing good news, but he’s also making good things happen. Every episode has left me with tears of joy in a time of uncertainty and isolation. Inspired by Some Good News, here’s some more good news that’s been happening:
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There has been a rise in people fostering and adopting pets from shelters, according to The New York Times. Making the decision to foster or adopt right now may be beneficial to potential pet owners because most of us have more time at home now and can train and bond with the pet. The pet can also provide comfort and companionship for the person taking in the pet. An example of this is YouTuber David Dobrik and his roommate Natalie Mariduena fostering a puppy from the Labelle Foundation. Dobrik has named the puppy Iron Man and she is also known as Tony Bark.
Local businesses, such as D’Amore’s Pizza in Thousand Oaks, have been finding ways to give back to the community at this time and help those in need. Some of the things that D’Amore’s Pizza in Thousand Oaks have done so far include feeding essential workers such as the staff of Los Robles Hospital and the staff at Royale Retirement and Assisted Living Facility and creating take-home pizza kits for a fun and tasty activity for members of the community. If you want to partner with D’Amore’s Pizza and help them to continue giving back in this time, you can support their small business by contributing ideas for ways they can continue giving back on Instagram, buying a gift card from them, or donating to their Venmo.  Â
Members of the community have been doing car parades to lift each other’s spirits and celebrate birthdays while remaining at a safe social distance. The VC Star reported that staff members from various school districts in Ventura County have been participating in car parades to lift their students’ spirits and check in on them. The community has also been doing car parades to celebrate birthdays during this time. Even outside of social distancing, having a car parade for your birthday sounds pretty sweet.
People have been making homemade masks for themselves, people that are immunocompromised, and for essential workers in need of masks due to the limited supply of N95 masks. The Acorn reported on a family from Agoura Hills that’s been making masks with fun fabric designs and handing them out as they see fit. The CDC has also released a guide for how you can make your own homemade face masks.
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Despite being in a pandemic, there are still good things happening and good news to be reported. You can follow the #SomeGoodNews hashtag on social media and subscribe to Some Good News on YouTube for new videos from John Krasinski that will be sure to make you laugh, smile, and find hope in these trying times.