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☕️ Yesterday, we told you about a coffee shop in Portland that was offering free “Snap Breakfast” to anyone in need, “until everyone’s benefits are reinstated, or we go broke doing it.” People responded by raising $75,000 in two days to support the effort.

🥪 Meanwhile, 26 U.S. states are suing the Trump administration over its refusal to fund food stamps amid the government shutdown, describing the cuts as unnecessary and illegal.

Conservation

A conservation group is saving sea turtles off the coast of Nigeria, and rewarding fishermen who help them

The Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative in Lagos, Nigeria has saved and returned dozens of sea turtles back into the ocean in recent years, while educating the public about the importance of protecting them.

To fishermen in the area, “they are just food,” Greenfingers’ founder said, and there is a general lack of awareness about wildlife in the country, which is home to 23 critically endangered species.

Part of their success in saving turtles has come from working directly with fishermen, rewarding them with fishing gear if they alert conservationists to sea turtles caught in their nets, or if they come across a nest on shore.

Why is this good news? Sea turtles play a critical role in the marine ecosystem, and they are endangered around Lagos. While there are no official population figures, conservationists have reported an alarming decline in the number of sea turtle nests. Rescue and education efforts like these help protect those who do exist and help boost population growth.

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You may also like: Florida’s leatherback sea turtles rebound to record high, following devastating hurricane season

More Good News

The state of Minnesota announced it was giving $4 million in emergency funding to food banks across the state. More than 440,000 Minnesotans rely on SNAP, 38% are children, and 18% are seniors, so food shelves in the state are bracing for increased need — though the state’s governor said the funding is only “a bridge” to what’s really needed.

Pending good news: Colorado is hoping to do the same.

DoorDash announced it would deliver 1 million free meals through food banks and waive fees for thousands of grocery orders. The company is also donating food and essentials from its DashMart stores to local food banks in communities most impacted by the funding freeze, saying, “We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isn’t an option.”

Private donors gave more than $125 million to keep foreign aid programs running after the Trump administration’s cuts. Project Resource Optimization identified 80 foreign aid projects to solicit help from private donors, and all of them are now funded, with more than $110 million mobilized in charitable grants and $15 million in other emergency funds.

Early voting turnout for New York City’s mayoral election is already five times higher than the 2021 general election. Data showed 164,190 voters cast ballots on the first weekend of early voting, more than doubling the first two days of early voting in June’s primary election, when 66,631 voters cast ballots.

Scientists developed a new RNA tool that will help improve cancer and infectious disease research and treatment. Their findings could help everything from accelerating disease research and enabling more precise diagnostics to guiding the development of more effective medical treatments for diseases such as cancer and antibiotic-resistant infections.

Businesses doing good

Phoenix dumpling shop offers free SNAP lunches: ‘As a small business, this will hurt us, but we have to step up’

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People doing good

Amid ICE raids, Chicago cyclists buy out tamale carts and distribute food to people in need: ‘Go home and be safe’

As Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues its targeted crackdown in Chicago, at least three street vendors have been detained by agents, in addition to thousands of others with no proof of criminal history.

So, for the past month, cyclists with Cycling x Solidarity have been doing their part to support migrant workers who own and operate food stalls in the city.

This past weekend alone, more than 30 cyclists bought out six vendors on Saturday and three on Sunday. Their purchases resulted in a total of 250 burritos, gift bags, and drinks being distributed to others in need throughout the city.

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More Good bits

🐻 If you’re carving pumpkins this week ... reminder these are available.

🎃 Also: Make sure you have some non-food treats available, too.

⚽️ Coach Jackie loves women’s sports and women’s sports love Coach Jackie! (TikTok)

🧺 A former police officer is spending his retirement serving others. (TikTok)

🩺 A family lightened the medical school debt load for 180 students.

What’s good?

We’ve shared a few of these ‘Helper’ stories of people making sure their neighbors have food, and I know there are soooo many more out there.

Is a local business near you doing this?

Reply and tell me about them!

— Megan