Helpful Humans

EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute in Cleveland, Ohio, educates people like no other establishment.  They teach formerly incarcerated people the skills necessary to run a fine dining restaurant and their philosophy of second chances has led to an incredible recidivism rate of less than 1% for the graduates of the program. Founded in 2007 with the belief that every human being, regardless...

What would you do if you were told you had 6 months to live? That is such a heavy question with so many possible answers, but for chef Ryan Hidinger,  one of those answers was to bring his dream restaurant to life.  And, in that process, something larger, grander, and more nourishing then he had ever imagined was born– a way to give back to the community in times of crisis.  

When electrician John Kinney answered a repair call at the home of 73-year-old Gloria Scott's, his heart immediately sank. The house was in an overwhelming state of disrepair, and John feared for her wellbeing. Unwilling to let Gloria continue to live in such an unsafe environment, Kinney recruited help from his community to do a few charity repairs on her home. As the good news spread of John’s k...

Would you trust a stranger to pick out your clothes? What if you weren't allowed to see anything until the order arrived? Brad and Bryan Manning, owners of charity-focused Two Blind Brothers clothing, have asked their customers to do exactly that with the "Shop Blind Challenge." The clothing company invites customers to order a mystery box of clothing, sight unseen - which is how the brothers them...

Moving is stressful, right? With a hundred things going on at the time of a move, little things, like what to do with the leftover food in your pantry, often get missed. Enter Move For Hunger , and founder Adam Lowy. Adam literally grew up in the moving industry. His family has owned a moving company in New Jersey for nearly 100 years (dating back to Great Grandpa Lowy) and after years of seeing s...

On Thanksgiving weekend, eight-year-old Rose and her mom Sherri delivered meals to a homeless encampment in Atlanta, GA. While there, several people asked if they had blankets so Rose and Sherri gave away the two blankets that they kept in the car for family outings. Then with tears in her eyes, Rose asked her mom if they could go and find more blankets. Months later, Sherri and Rose are still out...

When New Jersey Master Plumber Andrew Mitchell realized the recent Texas winter storm had left so many people without water, he knew he had to find a way to help. Kisha Pinnock, Andrew's wife, remembers it well. “Sometimes people wonder when is it their moment...but Andrew, he just knew. He said, 'I have time, I have the credentials and the skills, this is for me. I need to go." One 24 hour car ri...

As a native of Hawaii, Hokule'a Taniguchi wasn't quite ready for all that the Wisconsin winter had to offer...it was intense. Hokule'a, or Hoku for short, didn't own a car and she'd been biking to work in the snow...which was, by all accounts, a miserable experience. Hoku's new friend and co-worker, Haley Bridges, took note of Hoku's transportation situation and Haley would offer her rides wheneve...

Choose your sound.  That's the motto of Guitars Over Guns, a nonprofit that offers students from our most vulnerable communities a powerful combination of music education and mentorship with professional musicians to help them overcome hardship, find their voice, and reach their potential as tomorrow’s leaders. In this episode of Helpful Humans, we speak to Guitars over Guns students, mentors...

This is the story of the employees of Gravity Payments, and how their boss’s radical decision led to changed lives and reciprocated generosity.