Your 2025 pick-me-up is here! We've curated a list of stories that show humanity at its most heartwarming.
From the California wildfires and overseas wars to loads of layoffs and the loss of beloved icons, bad news seemed to crowd our feeds this past year. But we’re here to say that 2025 wasn’t a total loss. In fact, there were some bright spots in the headlines that you may have missed.
As December winds down, we’re spotlighting the stories that warmed our hearts and restored our faith in humanity. Want to end the year on a high note? Read on for a look at five uplifting news stories that prove 2025 wasn’t entirely doom and gloom.
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Hundreds of kids affected by the Los Angeles wildfires were given free tickets to their prom—by Steve Carell
You know the comedian Steve Carell from his many movie roles (Despicable Me, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Beautiful Boy) and his iconic character on The Office. But his turn as a philanthropist is less heralded. That changed in March of this year when Carell partnered with the Virginia-based charity Alice’s Kids to make prom dreams come true for hundreds of teenagers at six high schools in Pasadena and Altadena whose lives were devastated by the Los Angeles wildfires.
More than 800 students exploded with cheers, applause and even some tears of joy when they learned from a video of Carell that their prom tickets would be completely paid for. But that wasn’t all. As NBC News pointed out, anyone who’d already bought a ticket received a refund.
Proms can be expensive events, so the charity and Carell donated $175,000 to cover the cost. The gift came at the perfect time for these SoCal kids, as more than 16,200 structures were lost in the fires, including homes, churches and businesses.
A woman devoted to Kraft Mac & Cheese got the surprise of a lifetime at her wedding
Devin Cash endured 15 years of digestive pain—nausea, vomiting, bloating and acid reflux—until she was diagnosed with the chronic GI condition gastroparesis. Sadly, the illness was most acute during big events, when she couldn’t oversee the food prep, so she spent many nights at friends’ nuptials in tears, sick in the bathroom. At last, she landed on a solution: Kraft Mac & Cheese cups. As she told People, “It truly became my lifeline—and honestly, my plus-one—to so many of my friends’ weddings.”
As Cash’s own wedding day approached in October, she posted a TikTok asking Kraft to send “something orange” so she could honor the brand that gave her so much delicious relief. After a viral response of more than 250,000 views, the company agreed, commenting, “Tearing up in the nonperishable food aisle 😭 truly honored 🙏.”
Kraft’s gift was spot on: a 14-karat yellow gold necklace in the shape of a macaroni noodle, a neon sign that read “kraft-ing a life together” and plenty of mac and cheese cups for her reception, which her venue prepared and served in a lovely bowl. Chef’s kiss!
An 80-year-old grandmother completed the Ironman World Championship, making her the oldest woman ever to finish
Is 80 the new 60? Seems so. Just look at Natalie Grabow of Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. She’s turned the clock way back on her age by becoming the oldest female to finish the Ironman World Championship in October.
What’s even more astounding is that Grabow didn’t know how to swim until she was 59. Swimming is, of course, one of the three stages of an Ironman (ahem—Ironwoman), along with biking and running, so picking it up later in life and then racing in the water for 2.4 miles is an amazing feat. Or as the announcer said when she finished the race: “Absolutely incredible.”
And don’t forget the other Ironman metrics: The bike portion is 112 miles, and the road race is 26.2 miles (a full marathon!). To train for the competition, which took place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Grabow swam at her local YMCA, biked on an indoor cycle trainer and ran on a nearby high school’s track. As NPR notes, finishing was a sweet reward for Grabow, who said the “triathlon allows me to feel strong both mentally and physically, and it satisfies my competitive spirit.”
Next up for the octogenarian athlete? In 2026, she’ll compete in two half-Ironman events, which still measure an impressive 70 miles each.
Mackenzie Scott donated $700 million to more than a dozen historically Black colleges and universities
Giving away hundreds of millions of dollars to fund educational institutions is an extraordinary way to invest in our nation’s future. Mackenzie Scott, a billionaire and the ex-wife of tech titan Jeff Bezos, is doing just that with her massive net worth, and she’s pledged to continue making charitable donations with the majority of her money. In 2025, Scott donated $700 million to 15 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), many of which have had difficulties with finances and low enrollment.
Among Scott’s recipients are Prairie View A&M University in Texas, which received $63 million; Bowie State University in Maryland, which got $50 million; and Philander Smith University in Arkansas, where her $19 million investment became the largest financial gift in the school’s 147-year history. Hailed as a “sea change in American philanthropy” by Michael Lomax, president of the United Negro College Fund, Scott made nearly all her donations with no strings attached. In other words, the schools can spend the gifts as they see fit.
All in all, Scott donated $7.1 billion to nonprofits in 2025 alone.
Francis’s popemobile has been repurposed into a portable health clinic for the children of Gaza
It feels good to know that plastic bottles can live again as clothing and unsold muffins will feed the hungry. But learning that a vehicle was transformed from a mode of transport into a lifesaving device is satisfaction on a whole new level. This is exactly what happened with a popemobile.
The late Pope Francis knew about (and blessed) the idea of converting one of his popemobiles into a portable pediatric clinic for use in Gaza, Reuters reported. He’d ridden in the Mitsubishi pickup while on a visit to Bethlehem in 2014, standing on the rear platform as he toured. Now, that open end has been closed up and will serve as a treatment space for children.
According to the Catholic organization Caritas, which oversaw the vehicle’s remodeling, the mobile clinic can care for about 200 kids a day. With the remade popemobile ready to go, the next step is to move it into the war-torn region as soon as possible.
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