Feel Good Friday - Assistance Dogs International

We’re coming to the end of International Assistance Dog Week, which honors the dogs, trainers and puppy raisers who make daily independence possible for people with disabilities. What a perfect day to highlight an organization that’s worked in this space for 40 years, Assistance Dogs International.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Maumee, Ohio, Assistance Dogs International (ADI) started as a coalition of just seven small programs working toward a vision of “creating a world without barriers through exceptional human-dog partnerships and a supporting global network.”

ADI doesn't train or place dogs itself. Instead, it accredits more than 160 member organizations across five continents, all training guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs for people with a wide range of disabilities.

Members must be reassessed every five years to prove their training, breeding and placement practices stay ethical and consistent from start to finish. That rigor is what lets an ADI-accredited dog fly internationally with the right documentation, or lets a U.S. veteran's assistance dog qualify for VA benefits. ADI also publishes the Paws for Access report, which surveyed more than 1,200 handlers across 24 countries and documented ongoing access discrimination in transit, restaurants and medical settings. This year's #BetterTogether campaign has already secured commitments from major travel brands, including Qantas, easyJet and Eurostar, to welcome ADI-accredited teams on board free of charge.

ADI has had a big impact worldwide. In 2024 alone, its accredited programs placed 4,498 new assistance dogs and now support more than 28,000 active assistance dog teams, backed by over 54,000 volunteers! Demand still outpaces supply, though, with nearly 11,000 puppies and dogs currently in training and a waitlist of almost 9,000 people hoping to be matched with one.

Backing ADI's global network is easy, even if you don't have room in your home for a dog in training. You can make a donation, search for an accredited program near you if puppy raising or volunteering interests you, and amplify their message on social media. Follow ADI on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share the stories of the assistance dog teams changing lives every day.

Happy International Assistance Dog Week!

Feel Good Friday - Game Rangers International

Today is World Ranger Day, a global tribute to the men and women who risk their lives every day protecting wildlife and wild places, which makes this the perfect moment to spotlight Game Rangers International.

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Lusaka, Zambia, the mission of Game Rangers International (GRI) is "empowering Rangers and local communities to conserve nature." What began as a small effort to support rangers in Kafue National Park has grown into a holistic conservation model spanning three landscapes across the country.

Zambia's wildlife faces relentless pressure from poaching and human-wildlife conflict, and rangers stand on the front line to protect it, despite being chronically underfunded and under-resourced. Rangers are often asked to work long, dangerous hours with limited pay, equipment, and support, which are exactly the conditions World Ranger Day was created to spotlight. GRI starts by providing rangers with welfare, training, and operational support so that they are empowered to safeguard our natural heritage.

GRI's Elephant Orphanage Project rescues calves orphaned by poaching and conflict, then guides them through a rehabilitation journey that can take more than a decade before they're ready to rejoin a wild herd. Other programs include the Zambia Primate Project, rescuing and releasing monkeys and baboons victimized by the illegal wildlife trade, a Resource Protection Programme that trains and equips anti-poaching rangers with rapid response capabilities, and a Community Outreach Programme that has engaged more than 25,000 children in conservation education.

Since they began, GRI has helped apprehend more than 1,850 poachers and traffickers, released 19 orphaned elephants back into the wild, and released over 800 rescued primates with an exceptional 85 to 100 percent survival rate! Their goal is to empower 500 Rangers by 2030 and safeguard 5 million hectares of wild space.

GRI is also taking part in this year's Wildlife Ranger Challenge, an annual event uniting ranger teams across Africa to raise funds and recognition for their work, with donations matched dollar for dollar.

If you’re inspired to support GRI, you have many options. Adopt an orphaned elephant or primate, volunteer with their conservation programs, shop for merch, make a donation, or amplify their message on social media. Follow GRI on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube.

Happy World Ranger Day! 

Feel Good Friday - The Ninety-Nines

Today is Amelia Earhart Day, honoring the pioneering aviator born on this day in 1897. That makes it a great day to talk about an organization that carries her legacy forward, The Ninety-Nines.

Founded in 1929 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, the mission of The Ninety-Nines is "to promote the advancement of aviation through education, scholarships and mutual support while honoring our unique history and sharing our passion for flight." Earhart herself helped bring the group together, meeting with 25 other licensed women pilots at Curtiss Field on Long Island in 1929. The organization took its quirky name from the number of charter members who ultimately signed on and she went on to serve as its first president. Nearly a century later, the group has grown into a worldwide network of chapters spanning the U.S., Canada, and beyond.

The Ninety-Nines still centers mentorship and access today. Their Professional Pilot Leadership Initiative pairs women pursuing aviation careers with experienced mentors, helping them build the skills and confidence needed to succeed in a field where they remain a small minority. For people who've never set foot in a cockpit, the Let's Fly Now! First Flight Program offers an introduction to flying, often the spark that turns curiosity into a career. 

The organization also awards Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships and Section and Chapter Scholarships to help cover the steep cost of flight training, while its long-running Airmarking program paints identifying markers on rooftops and water towers to help pilots navigate. The Ninety-Nines’ Museum of Women Pilots preserves the stories of the women who paved the way. This month, the group is mourning longtime member Wally Funk, one of the celebrated Mercury 13 women and later a Blue Origin astronaut, a reminder of just how far its members have flown.

If you’re feeling inspired, there are several ways you can support The Ninety-Nines and the future of women in aviation. Make a donation or become a Friend of the 99s if you're not a pilot yourself but want to back their mission. You can also amplify their message on social media by following The Ninety-Nines on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, and help keep Earhart's legacy airborne.

Happy Amelia Earhart Day!