He hopes to plant one trillion trees to offset climate change

When Germany's Felix Finkbeiner was nine years old, his class assignment was a report on climate change. His research for the report uncovered the Nobel-prize winning work of Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman who had spearheaded programs to plant 30 million trees in Africa. Felix was inspired by her work and decided to plant a few trees himself. One million trees, to be exact.

He started talking about it, and with help started an organization called Plant the Planet. In its first year, children planted 100,000 trees in Germany. Word spread, and Felix's dream reached the United Nations. At the ripe old age of 14, he spoke to the UN's General Assembly, saying in part, “We children know adults know the challenges and they know the solutions. We don’t know why there is so little action.” 

Now 20, Felix continues to work with Plant the Planet, and in cooperation with the UN's Billion Tree Campaign, has helped plant 15 billion trees in 130 countries. The groups' efforts are on track to plant one trillion trees, or 150 trees for every person on earth. 

 A fascinating aspect of the Plant the Planet campaign is the 55,000 'climate-change ambassadors' they have trained for activism in their home communities. Their average age is nine to twelve years old. 

Wangari Maathai didn't live to see the seed she planted had taken root in Felix's heart. Now that seed has spread to another generation. Our world is more beautiful and sustainable because of their work.  

Eighth grader hosts free day at laundromat during her spring break

Fourteen-year-old Jayera Griffin is an honor student at her Riverdale, Illinois school. Some of the students she tutors wear clothes that are dirty, and Jayera noticed their embarrassment. When Jayera asked her mom and dad about it, they told her that not everyone is blessed with washers and dryers at home. At $4.50 for smaller loads and $8 for the bigger machines, laundromats get expensive fast. Jayera had an idea.

For the last few months, she's been saving her own allowance. She also gathered donations from the boards of School District 148 and Thornton Township. During her spring break last week, Jayera used the almost $1000 she raised to host a community Free Wash day at Mama’s Coin Laundry in Riverdale. To say locals were appreciative is an understatement.

Jayera hopes to raise enough money to run a similar day in August before school starts and each year again during her spring break. Another great teen who lets her heart guide her actions. 

She invited 60 strangers to a Christmas meal

First, an apology to my subscribers. Between the holiday chaos and a stomach bug, I've been off my Tuesday/Friday blogging schedule for a bit. Now I'm back on track. Fingers crossed I stay that way.

This story comes to us from Scotland. Back in November, Taylor Barnes overheard a woman say she dreaded the holiday season. She would be alone, and the media build-up of togetherness and family around Christmas did nothing but increase her sense of loneliness. Barnes was haunted by the truth behind the woman's words and wanted to do something. The idea of a community Christmas meal popped into her head, and she decided to make that happen. But as a nursing student and the single mother of a one-year-old, she was short on both time and money. 

She posted her idea on Facebook, and was amazed to see the response. Owners of a local steak house offered to cook and serve a luncheon right at their restaurant. Local businesses donated food and a hair salon offered services. Many businesses and individuals donated money to help make the Christmas meal a reality.

Barnes ran with it. She arranged transportation for her 60 guests, many of them disabled and/or lacking transportation, all of them strangers to Barnes. She used the remaining funds to buy gifts for everyone, including a toy or two for each child in attendance. According to the guests, the meal was delicious and the singer was quite entertaining, but having companionship on Christmas was best of all. 

Barnes was delighted with the outcome of her idea, but shrugged off any accolades. "It was a community effort," she said. "There's a lot of really good people out there."