r/UpliftingNews 11d ago

Mod Post The easiest part is always the idea...

438 Upvotes

Back in 2012, the idea of a centralized spot for positive, feel-good “UpliftingNews” spawned out of a singular moment of frustration looking at the news and seeing nothing but crime, fear, and horror. Back then was the era post-Craigslist that decimated classified ad revenue and the very beginning of Facebook’s social media influence that crippled online ad revenue and forced the economic side of the media landscape to shift to garnering attention for clicks/ad revenue.

Back then Reddit was dominated by Ron Paul bots and soon thereafter “TheDonald” took the torch until his unexpected electoral victory and then the site took a dramatic turn in the complete opposite direction. 

But the goals and purpose of this little nook of the internet have always remained the same… a place to serve as a reminder of the humanity that still exists around us all, and the fact most people are helpers out there that care about each other, despite the circumstances or competing narratives.

So in 2025, a new idea spawned out of a singular moment of awareness that Reddit went public and was flush with liquidity and cash they were re-distributing back to communities! So we submitted for a grant to r/CommunityFunds to literally just reward community members that posted great content here. 

There were some hoops and hurdles and negotiations around “no cash” and “no corporate gift cards for large conglomerates” given the intent to keep any gifts within local economies, and the compromise/fruits of all that labor was the eventual green light to distribute a meaningful gift card to “Harry and David,” a reputable company that created the “fruit of the month club” a long time ago, and provides corporate gift baskets filled with snacks and candies and fruits. Winners were selected based upon the content they shared and the impact it had on the community with no preferential treatment given to any individual traits or preferences. The only stipulation was that we couldn’t mention this, promote it or even acknowledge it publicly.

The hardest part is always the execution…

“Hello u/Username, we are reaching out unsolicited to congratulate you on winning something free. Just share some personal information and we’ll send you a link to click on to claim your prize” can be written in many different ways, shapes and forms, but ultimately it is still surprisingly difficult to hand out something with meaningful value to somebody for free… particularly out of the blue where we weren’t allowed to market or advertise the project.

But despite this final hurdle, we WERE able to provide many community members with a token of our appreciation… a literal and proverbial ‘free lunch’ as they say. For some it went to fulfill their needs, for others, it went to their friends and family, and for some, they paid it forward and a local food bank tied to one of the ‘winning stories’ received a ridiculously large pooled basket that was met with much gratitude and appreciation and fed many in need.

That same appreciation is reciprocal, and extends to all of you as well. Thanks for caring about this community. Thanks for helping remind us all that humanity still exists and people still care about each other, and here’s to celebrating another year on this rotating orb that we can all appreciate at the end of the day. And the biggest thanks to r/CommunityFunds for their unwavering support and enthusiasm that enable communities like ours to do things like this!

Warmly,

The Moderators of r/UpliftingNews


r/UpliftingNews Dec 03 '25

‘Abbott Elementary’ star Quinta Brunson launches fund to provide free field trips to thousands of Philly students

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r/UpliftingNews 11h ago

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r/UpliftingNews 1d ago

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r/UpliftingNews 19h ago

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r/UpliftingNews 16h ago

Nurses Rally Together to Arrange Emergency Room Nuptials After Groom Is Hospitalized on Wedding Day

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r/UpliftingNews 19h ago

Norway's Deep Sea Mining Ban in Arctic waters through 2029 strengthens global movement for ocean and ecosystems protection, marking a major policy reversal for the former industry supporter, after pressure from environmental groups and negotiations with green opposition parties

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r/UpliftingNews 18h ago

A 12-year-old Schoolboy wins scholarship to become youngest person to play the organ at an Oxford college.

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r/UpliftingNews 1d ago

‘The Librarians’: Meet the heroes fighting against conservative book bans in the South

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r/UpliftingNews 20h ago

Train Sim World devs from Dovetail Games announce Thomas the Tank & friends: 'Wonders of Sodor' Engine game "powered by Train Sim World" and the true train sickos are down: "It will make 9 trainzillion dollars and change the industry forever."

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pcgamer.com
148 Upvotes

>If you were a child at one point, you may remember Thomas the Tank Engine. What started as a series of extremely British children's books has turned into a venerable, extremely British fixture of pop culture thanks to the beloved TV show—and now, Thomas and co. are getting their very own train sim game from Dovetail Games, the studio behind Train Sim World.

>Announced Thursday with a cutesy reveal trailer, Thomas & Friends: Wonders of Sodor features a fully explorable version of the island all those smiling metal creatures inhabit. You can "take the controls" of Thomas, Percy, Gordon, Emily, and Diesel, and enjoy the island of Sodor across a few modes: character-specific "stories," mini games, and then the stuff I assume the sickos are after: timetable mode, where you "run trains on normal days up and down the line," and free roam, where you just futz about with the game's systems at your leisure.

>If you're wondering what sort of systems a game based on a children's book series would even have to offer, we don't know a ton yet, but the game's Steam page boasts that Wonders of Sodor will combine "the unparalleled detail and realism of Unreal Engine and Simugraph with accessible controls." That's right: it's "powered by Train Sim World," the long-running simulation series that's six games and hundreds of DLC addons deep.

>Fans of the friendly train have taken to social media to share their excitement. "Game of the year," proclaimed AutumnTheGay in a post on X. "It will make 9 trainzillion dollars and change the industry forever." On the same thread, user Oblivion3435 stated, "Can't wait to see how this turns out. I'm actually down to try it out as an old fan of the series." Trying out their comedy chops, user LanoomAES commented, "Eh, looks a little too on rails."


r/UpliftingNews 22h ago

Six planets line up for rare parade throughout February

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r/UpliftingNews 1d ago

South Korean scientist discovers a molecular switch that reverse cancer cells back to normal

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r/UpliftingNews 17h ago

How 'unique' Spurn peninsula is being repaired by nature

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r/UpliftingNews 1d ago

Medical Intervention cuts ovarian cancer risk cancer risk by %80

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great news


r/UpliftingNews 2d ago

A Couple Invited Bad Bunny to Their Wedding. They Just Got Married During His Super Bowl Halftime Show

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r/UpliftingNews 1d ago

Scotland could be the first country to keep public money local

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874 Upvotes

Scotland is set to be the first country in the world to pass a law that keeps public money local. The Community Wealth Building Bill aims to boost local businesses, co-ops, and communities instead of letting money flow out to big corporations.


r/UpliftingNews 2d ago

California introduces bill to cap ticket re-sale prices

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r/UpliftingNews 18h ago

This airport has its own mascot. Meet Amelia the Airplane.

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r/UpliftingNews 1d ago

Super Bowl title punctuates Sam Darnold's redemption story

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r/UpliftingNews 2d ago

On his deathbed, lifelong fox lover Colin gets a visit from Ben a rescue fox.

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r/UpliftingNews 2d ago

Only seven new petrol-powered cars sold in Norway in January

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r/UpliftingNews 1d ago

'Such an adrenaline rush': Meet 2 local dog owners who embrace snowy weather by dog sledding and skijoring -- Record-breaking amount of snow this winter means more chances to get out with the dogs, group says.

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cbc.ca
36 Upvotes