In a world filled with strife and conflict, it’s important to remember that there are good things to look for in day-to-day life. Locally, nationally or internationally, big or small, there’s always something to celebrate.
Downtown South Bend, also known as DTSB, creates programs and events for locals, including concerts, community outreach and charities. During 2025, 30 restaurants participated in DTSB’s restaurant weeks, both in the winter and summer. Restaurant week is an opportunity to provide custom menus to show off their unique flavors and taste profile, and even provide a discount. While this is a great chance to check out a restaurant you’ve never been to or try food you’ve been dying to check out, restaurant week is also about donating a portion of their proceeds to charity. By the end of 2025, DTSB was able to write a check of over $40,000 dollars to Beacon’s Children Hospital. This is considered the largest amount ever donated.
Outside of the Michiana area, there’s even more news to celebrate. In the midst of terror and strife sweeping the nation, there are still communities banding together to protect their neighbors. In Portland, Oregon, Heretic Coffee has turned a hateful comment into charity.
“If ICE shows up at our door, our baristas know how to properly refuse both entry and service. If they flash a warrant, we know exactly what to look for on that piece of paper. If they circle our parking lot waiting for customers to leave, we have an exit strategy that we don’t talk about publicly,” their Jan. 12 Instagram post read. Amidst the positive response by the community, there were still hateful comments
“It will be great when you get arrested for harboring hope they tape your perp walk,” is what one commenter wrote, which immediately inspired the coffee shop to create ‘Harbouring Hope’ stickers. The stickers’ profits are promised to go 100% into feeding their immigrant neighbors.
Across the pond, efforts to protect wildlife have improved the lives of the rare forty-spotted pardalote. This Australian bird was listed as endangered in Tasmania’s Threatened Species Protection Act of 1995. These birds have many different threats, but one Australia has been able to combat is the screwworm fly, a pest whose maggots burrow into chicks of the forty-spotted pardalote. Scientists from the Australian National University’s Difficult Bird Research Group have created special cages to dispense sterilized chicken feathers that were sprayed with a pesticide. The forty-spotted pardalotes began using the feathers for nesting, and the previous rare survival of the chicks skyrocketed to a 98% survival rate.
Charity, coffee shops and chicks prove that not only is there still good in the world, but they show that good things don’t just fall into our laps. We have to put forth an effort to create it ourselves. Even if the sun isn’t out, we can still shine a light in our communities.
