Nice Stuff #12

Sharing some good things, while I can ...

Sandy Allen
January 14, 2026

Welcome to What’s Helping Today, a newsletter about the everyday work of staying alive on earth — written by author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen.

Hey everybody,

First of all, thanks to all those who were kind after what I cryptically shared the other day. My situation remains super bad but within that context, the last few days have brought relative good news and calm.

What’s Helping Today … Immensely grateful for said relative good news and calm. Also helping today: Baking some sourdough for a neighbor who’s recovering from surgery …

I thought I’d take the opportunity to share another round of Nice Stuff with you all …

Nice Stuff

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: The kids are all right …

Bedford teen stacking awards with automatic medication dispenser for dementia patients

Grade 12 student developed the idea after caring for family member with dementia

www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/halifax/bedford-teen-stacking-awards-with-automatic-medication-dispenser-for-dementia-patients

Amazing news …

More people are surviving cancer than ever before, according to new report

More people are surviving cancer than ever before, as the 5-year survival rate across cancer reached 70%, according to the American Cancer Society’s new report.

www.statnews.com/2026/01/13/why-more-people-survive-cancer-new-report

File under holy fucking shit, medicine …

A nurse’s donated uterus helps a family’s dream come true | Penn Medicine

A Lancaster General Health nurse’s selfless uterus donation transformed a woman’s dream of motherhood. Meet Sara, Emma, and baby Olivia in a story of science and generosity.

www.pennmedicine.org/news/a-nurse-who-donated-her-uterus-helps-another-family-dream-come-true

This is pretty phenomenal …

The Trevor Project receives $45M from MacKenzie Scott after difficult years and federal funding cuts

The nonprofit Trevor Project received a $45 million gift from billionaire MacKenzie Scott at the end of 2025.

apnews.com/article/trevor-project-mackenzie-scott-fcb6187f61943fd63ad559b5e2a23a57?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=69651c5d4ba26e000157b1b2&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

This is a great idea … (one worth copying perhaps?):

Everything is terrible. Here's something today that brought me joy in my community: I discovered that my local library has a seed library. You can use them to start your own garden, and they encourage you to let some of your plants go to seed and bring seeds back. I did that this morning!
— Jessica Huseman (@jessicahuseman.bsky.social)2026-01-12T18:33:50.522Z

A cause to consider supporting …

Black Zine Fair Returns in 2026 — Help Us Bring It to Life

The Black Zine Fair was founded by Mariame Kaba and Neta Bomani in 2023 to address a clear gap: Black publishers and artists have long shaped independent publishing, yet we were still underrepresented at major fairs. What started as a response has grown into an annual gathering—and a model for

gogetfunding.com/black-zine-fair-returns-in-2026-help-us-bring-it-to-life

And hey, it’s grim but I’ll take it!

Good News: You Probably Don’t Have a Spoon’s Worth of Plastic in Your Brain After All

You don’t have to throw away that plastic spatula either.

slate.com/technology/2026/01/microplastics-brain-research-not-bad.html

Overall I admit this newsletter’s stagnated the last few months, for reasons I can only guess at … Every time I log into beehiiv I’m greeted with this judgmental graph (LOL):

Annnnyway … If you are a fan of this newsletter and feel like helping me out, I’d appreciate you sharing it wherever you share things, or forwarding it to anyone you know who may enjoy my work. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Sending gratitude,
Sandy

p.s. ICYMI, a must-read analysis of the Renee Good tragedy, by Katelyn Burns:

Renee Nicole Good’s queerness isn’t an aside—it’s a key part of her story | Xtra Magazine

We can’t ignore the misogyny and homophobia baked into Good’s killing—and erasing her wife does just that

xtramagazine.com/power/activism/renee-nicole-goods-queerness-isnt-an-aside-its-a-key-part-of-her-story-279427

p.p.s. I said what I said …

p.p.p.s. My public playlist for the month: “between no things.”

p.p.p.p.s. My dear friend Chris Duffy has just published his first book, which I encourage folks to check out.

Thanks for reading What’s Helping Today, a newsletter by me — author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen. If you were forwarded this message, WHT is free; you can subscribe here. If you like my work: Please consider supporting me via my Buy Me a Coffee. Thanks so much!!!