13 Good News Stories: WWII Hero’s Funeral; Kids Are Unsung Heroes

ACROSS AMERICA — Tehmina Naheed saw the vaccine hesitancy among some of the others who attend the same mosque in Vernon, Connecticut. She decided to conquer their fears.

“Many people were scared,” Naheed told Patch’s Chris Dehnel as she offered translation services to the folks filing through the Al-Noor Islamic Center for their vaccinations. “But we helped them understand that it is good for everyone. Our goal was to get them here and get them vaccinated.”

Naheed, a 26-year-old medical school graduate who plans to apply for residency programs in the fall, knows the background of the vaccine, and also speaks two South Asian languages, Urdu and Punjabi.

She was an enormous help to the vaccination effort, Vernon Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said, telling Patch “she is certainly helping to break down barriers.” By Chris Dehnel for Vernon, Connecticut, Patch

“Wrong For Him To Die Alone”

World War II veteran Gardner Leo Signor, who died Sunday at the age of 101, was part of a generation who fought tyranny and fascism overseas and was able to live to tell about it. In fact, Signor outlived all of his immediate family. So much so that when he died, there was no one left to honor him in New Hampshire. The Concord Police Department made sure the state’s native son got the funeral he deserved. "It seemed wrong for him to die alone," Concord Police Deputy Chief John Thomas told Patch. By Tony Schinella for Concord, New Hampshire, Patch

Don’t Say “No” To These Friends

Lisa Stockman-Mauriello’s friends took matters into their own hands after the Summit, New Jersey, mom was diagnosed with a rapidly progressing case of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Her best chance for living with the disease rests with getting into a trial for Tofersen, a late-stage medication developed by pharmaceutical company Biogen. Her physician recommended she be accepted, but the company denied the requests “for reasons that have not been explained.” Stockman-Mauriello’s friends organized a rally to push Biogen to reverse the decision, and also posted an online petition seeking the same. “The drug may give me more time,” she told Patch. “And that is all I am asking for: time.” By Caren Lissner for Summit, New Jersey, Patch

Pandemic’s Unsung Heroes Are Kids

A big parade is planned next month to honor Keri Stromski, a beloved Aquebogue, New York, kindergarten teacher battling breast cancer. It’s no surprise to those who know the teacher that she shifted the focus to spotlight the kids. Front-line workers of all stripes have been recognized for their sacrifices during the pandemic, but Stromski told Patch “the unsung heroes have been the children.” By Lisa Finn for Riverhead, New York, Patch

This Is Just The Bee’s Knees

JK Community Farm, a 150-acre nonprofit farm in western Loudoun County, Virginia, has opened a “bee hotel,” providing a special nesting site to draw more species of bees to help with pollination. Honey bees are facing a condition called colony collapse disorder, which is killing off large numbers of them. Many pollinator populations of bees are in decline, in large part due to the loss in feeding and nesting habitats. By Mark Hand for Leesburg, Virginia, Patch

Wedding Dresses Feed The Hungry

What’s that? Mountainside, New Jersey, resident Paula Cerdas became acutely aware of how the pandemic worsened the hunger issue in her community. “So many people lost their jobs and couldn’t put food on the table,” she told Patch. “I began to deliver groceries to families but wondered, ‘How can I do more?’ ” The answer was Lace for Love, a volunteer-run organization that will become New Jersey’s first nonprofit bridal shop. All proceeds go to Table to Table, a community-based food rescue program that collects perishable and prepared food. By Alexis Tarrazi for Scotch Plains-Fanwood, New Jersey, Patch

Sweet Show Of Support

When Jeannie Kim had to close Nothing Bundt Cakes for six weeks last spring during coronavirus lockdowns, she started giving cakes she had already baked to front-line medical workers. A year later, the Warrington, Pennsylvania, baker has given away 1,660 bundt cakes — including one for every Doylestown Hospital associate who asked for one. By Peter Blanchard for Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Patch

Girl, 8, Finds Her Purpose

Harper Schlagheck recognizes that she has it better than some other kids her age. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, 8-year-old was so inspired by a vision board project on ways to help her community that she helped her parents prepare 50 meals for foster children in the metro Detroit area. “Harper goes out of her way to be a people person,” her father told Patch. “She always has a huge heart and has been very inclusive.” By Tim Moran for Bloomfield-Bloomfield HIlls, Michigan, Patch

Chef Drives 6 Hours For Last Meal

It all started when Brandon Jones wanted to treat his mother-in-law dying from lung cancer to one last dish of her favorite meal. She had grown to love the tempura broccoli at Ekiben, an Asian fusion restaurant in Baltimore, whenever she visited Jones and his wife, her daughter, Rina Jones. But after being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and opting not to undergo treatment, she decided to spend her final days at her home in Vermont. By Andy Nguyen for Baltimore Patch

Café Breaks The Sound Barrier

For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, a population Sandra Rivers says is “way too often overlooked and misunderstood,” ordering a meal can be a challenge. So she went about changing that, opening Deaf's Delight Café in Newark, New Jersey. It’s the first such business in the Tri-State area and has a simple mission: Create a friendly environment where people who are deaf or hard of hearing can gather, socialize and enjoy a tasty snack in a place that feels like home. By Eric Kiefer for Newark, New Jersey, Patch

Drink Wine And Live Rent-Free

This is a good gig if you can get it. A Sonoma County, California, winery has a job that pays 10 grand a month and comes with a place to live free of rent. Whoever gets the job could become a winemaker, or help with harvesting and other tasks, according to a video promoting the job. By Tim Moran for Healdsburg, California, Patch

Nose Knows Scout’s Work

The Chicago Police Department’s public transportation unit goes through a lot of luggage training police dogs to detect bombs. Evergreen Park, Illinois, Boy Scout Michael Klier sniffed out a way to help. For his Eagle Scout project, he handed off hundreds of suitcases, duffels and wheeled luggage to help in the effort. By Lorraine Swanson for Evergreen Park, Illinois, Patch

This Dog Is Getting New Wheels

Tobi, a 5-year-old miniature Australian shepherd, has a good life — even though he was born without front legs, is missing two ribs, and has compressed organs and a degenerative disc disease that comes from walking on his back legs. He gets around on a wheeled cart, but it isn’t customized to fit his body, and he needs a wheelchair to be truly mobile and take the stress off his body. That will happen, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign. By Emily Leayman for Greater Alexandria, Virginia, Patch

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