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$9 Million Raised By Landlord To Relieve Tenants Impacted By Covid Hardship

Children change what they aspire to become every year or two, sometimes even more frequently. It’s very rare that you hear about someone who remains steadfast in their childhood dream and accomplishes it.

For Marjy Stagmeier who had been the Monopoly star of her 6th grade class in Atlanta, Georgia, whilst she was 11 years old, this is exactly what transpired.

Marjy was so inspired by the monopoly accomplishments that she decided straight away that she intended to be a property owner when she got older, what a generous landlord she has become.

She started to invest in old inexpensive apartment complexes after graduating from Georgia State University. She soon discovered that many of her tenant households were single-parent low earners in need of community resources such as projects after school as well as play areas.

Marjy founded her own 501(c)(3) charity, Star-C, to offer free on-site support to families residing in modest rental apartments in reaction to the need for public services, and Star-C has now become a Lifesaver for households.

She told GNN, “Many children who came via the Star-C after-school program are now physicians, plumbers, and schoolteachers, making decent salaries that lifted them out of hardship.” “We were able to move close to 100 households from rental to owning a home, and we held rents minimal so that families could save funds.”

A chance encounters with Bill and Melinda Gates in 2017—along with Mathew Desmond, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Evicted—opened her eyes: albeit with her rents beneath the market, some of her renters struggled to pay rent, therefore she started to create an unofficial resource network for families seeking subsidized housing.

A large number of Marjy’s tenants became jobless and some needed to handle several children who were unexpectedly at home throughout the day when COVID-19 hit in March 2020, exacerbating the need.

As such, in April, Star-C initiated a 50,000 dollars Gofundme account for displacement relief, but the responses surprised Marjy, with roughly 50 thousand dollars generated.

The local municipality of Cobb County learned about the Star-C Eviction Fundraising Campaign and immediately voted to contribute $1.5 million of the federal stimulus money, putting the cherry on top. Other cities, such as Fulton County, followed suit, and Star-C has already gained more than $9 million through governments and charities, allowing it to assist over 3,000 families to escape eviction.

Chief Magistrate Brendan Murphy Marjy of Cobb County assists Marjy and Star-C by offering rental assistance and courtroom cooperation in conjunction withChief Magistrate Cassandra Kirk of Fulton County.

Via their hotline, Marjy’s team has met with thousands of Atlanta households and has collaborated with over almost 350 landlords covering 65 thousand rental apartments.

“The eviction relief fund partners with landlords that give low-income families affordable rents,” Marjy explains. “Our landlords are aware of their most vulnerable tenants and work with them on their applications.”

Janice Abrams sobs as she learns she will need financial assistance.

Not only for tenants but even for struggling landlords, the Star-C initiative has become a game-changer.

“We have a lot of tenants and landlords who are just thankful. Thank you notes, and phone calls from families who have now found jobs and are able to pay their rent are common for our Star-C staff.”

Further good news came in the form of the federal relief plan for 2021, which included an additional $4.1 million to help them give greater assistance.

“It is a win-win situation for all, including the homeowner, infant, landlord, and local school, if renters and their kids are secure in their neighborhood.”

You can support Marjy’s nonprofit by contributing here or volunteering on their website.

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Missing Pregnant Cat Found at Ottawa Airport After 11 Days

Jess

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A pregnant cat named Athena was found at the Ottawa International Airport, almost two weeks after she disappeared in the parking area. She had traveled from Winnipeg to Ottawa. The team from Furry Tales Cat Rescue discovered her around midnight on a Tuesday, and thankfully, she’s in good shape.

Volunteer Marta Burczycka from Furry Tales Cat Rescue expressed immense joy and gratitude for Athena’s safe return, highlighting her strong maternal instincts to protect her unborn kittens. The rescue operation caught attention after a helpful tip from Blake Fawcett, an employee working near the airport, who notified the rescue team.

Athena was initially sent to Ottawa on March 21 to get better veterinary care and a safe place to have her kittens. Unfortunately, she escaped when her carrier opened accidentally. For 11 days, volunteers and the rescue team worked tirelessly, setting traps and distributing flyers across the airport to find her before she gave birth.

The community effort was huge, with many airport employees and volunteers spreading the word and looking out for Athena. Janice Richard, one of the trappers, mentioned how they found Athena hungry but still pregnant, emphasizing the collective relief and happiness at her safe recovery.

The rescue story ended happily with Athena being taken care of and preparing to have her kittens in a safe and loving environment, thanks to the persistent efforts of the rescue team and the community’s support.

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America’s Youngest Teacher Started Her Career at 16

Kelly Taylor

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Shania Muhammad became a teacher at just 16 years old, after graduating from college at 15. She grew up in a home where learning was very important. She told “Good Morning America” about how her older brothers and sisters were big influences on her. They did well in school, which inspired her to do the same.

In seventh grade, her father noticed her advanced skills and started preparing her for college entrance exams. This led to her enrolling in college early and feeling like a superhero because she was so young. By 15, she was already finished with college and soon got a job offer to teach.

Muhammad waited until she was 16, so she could drive herself to work, and then started teaching 8-year-old students. These students see her as an adult and respect her, she says. In her classroom, she loves to keep the kids active with group work, presentations, and debates, creating a dynamic and engaging environment.

She encourages open communication in her class, telling her students they can talk about anything with her. Muhammad believes it’s important to have more confidence in success than in failure.

In her conversation with “Good Morning America,” Muhammad shared her view on facing the unknown with courage rather than fear. She encourages people to not hesitate and to create opportunities for themselves if they don’t already exist.

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Millions Tune In To See Conservation Group Save Seals

Kelly Taylor

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Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN) is a group with a big heart and an important mission. Based in Namibia, a country with long, beautiful coastlines, OCN is dedicated to saving seals, especially the cute baby ones, from dangerous plastic and fishing lines.

Imagine you’re at the beach, and you see a group of seals playing and lounging around. Suddenly, you notice something’s wrong. One of the seals is stuck, tangled up in a mess of plastic or fishing line. It’s struggling and can’t get free. That’s where OCN comes in.

The team at OCN, led by Katja and Naude Dreyer, a married couple passionate about the ocean and its creatures, runs across the beach, right into the groups of seals. They’re on a mission to find any seal that’s trapped in harmful debris. Once they spot a tangled seal, they quickly and carefully cut off the entangling mess and set the seal free.

Since 2020, OCN has rescued about 3,000 seals! That’s a lot of happy, healthy seals swimming back in the ocean because of their efforts. Their rescue missions became super popular online during the pandemic. People all over the world watched their videos, feeling a bit better seeing the seals being saved during tough times.

OCN’s work is unique and impactful. Jeff Harris, a research ecologist, mentioned that the number of seals OCN saves is much higher than in other parts of the world. While he managed to free 100 sea lions in his best year, OCN often saves that many seals in just a month!

The Dreyers started OCN about twelve years ago. Initially, Naude would try to free the seals using a paddle or by grabbing them, but it was tough. Things got better when they received a special seal rescue net, making their missions easier and safer.

During the pandemic, when their kayaking business paused, they focused even more on rescuing seals. They also shared their work online, touching people’s hearts worldwide. Their video titled “Baby seal thanks his rescuers” got over a million views!

OCN not only raises awareness about the seals but also shows us the bigger problem – our oceans are filled with trash. They’ve shown that every little bit helps and that we can all do something to protect our marine life.

With donations from kind-hearted people, OCN has grown, now having a team of seven dedicated members. They’re doing more than just rescuing seals; they’re inspiring others to care about our oceans and the creatures that call them home. The Dreyers themselves have even changed their lifestyle, choosing not to eat fish and other animal products, to live in a way that respects the animals they work so hard to save.

So, Ocean Conservation Namibia is not just about saving seals; it’s about changing the way we see and treat our oceans, one rescue at a time.

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Hero Bus Driver Saves Students from Fiery Danger in New Orleans

Kevin Wells

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In a heart-stopping incident in New Orleans, a school bus driver named Kia Rousseve became a local hero when she saved nine students from a burning bus. Her quick actions turned a potentially tragic situation into a story of courage and quick thinking.

It was a regular Wednesday morning, and Rousseve was on her usual route, about to make her fifth stop, when she noticed something alarming: smoke was coming from the bus. Without a moment’s hesitation, she knew she had to act fast. “As soon as I seen the bus smoking, my instinct was get them off of the bus,” Rousseve recounted.

A little girl on the bus ran up to her and confirmed her fears, saying the bus was on fire underneath. Rousseve didn’t waste a second. She stopped the bus and made sure all the students got off safely. “I turned the bus off and got off. When I got off, the bus blew up,” she said, describing the terrifying sounds of the explosions.

Rousseve’s primary thought during the ordeal was her child, which fueled her determination to ensure the safety of all the students on board. Her employer, Community Academies of New Orleans, praised her actions as “Courage on wheels.” Having driven school buses for three years, Rousseve demonstrated experience and bravery that day.

Feeling grateful and proud, Rousseve believes a faulty alternator was the cause of the fire. She’s relieved and happy that she could save the lives of the children, as well as her own. “I feel great about saving other kids’ lives and saving my life,” she expressed, adding that she felt divine protection was at play during the emergency.

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Mackenzie Scott’s Big Give: $640 Million to Nonprofits

Shannon Jackson

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Mackenzie Scott has made headlines again with her generous donations to nonprofit organizations. Initially, Scott promised to give $1 million each to 250 nonprofits, but she surprised everyone by more than doubling her donation! Now, she’s giving a whopping $640 million to 361 organizations.

So, who is Mackenzie Scott? She’s a billionaire philanthropist who likes to help out by giving her money to groups that do good things for communities. This time, her organization, Yield Giving, decided to help even more than planned because of the great work these nonprofits are doing.

Scott worked with an organization called Lever for Change to find these nonprofits. They had a big, open call where nonprofits could apply for the money, and the response was amazing. Lever for Change said they were so impressed by the work these groups are doing that they wanted to give money to more of them.

Here’s how it broke down: 279 top-rated nonprofits got $2 million each, while another 82 organizations received $1 million each. These groups do all sorts of important work, like helping people get back on their feet after being in jail, or creating theater programs with young people in Los Angeles.

What’s really cool is how they decided who got the money. It wasn’t just a few people making all the decisions. Instead, the nonprofits got to score each other, and then a panel of experts made the final picks. This way, lots of different voices helped choose the winners.

Scott and her team believe it’s important to shine a light on these organizations that are making big changes but might not always get noticed. They want to make sure these groups have what they need to keep doing their great work.

Mackenzie Scott said sharing information about these donations is important because it helps others see the good that comes from giving. She hopes that by talking about it, more people will be inspired to help out in their own ways.

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