Big Hearts Make Big Change

Every day, the headlines remind us why our hearts stay tight in our chests. Plenty is happening in our country that is cruel, unfair, and downright frightening, and we can’t turn away from those truths. But even in a year like this one, something else has been happening alongside the chaos.

Across the country, neighbors have been stepping in for one another, choosing generosity over bitterness and community over division. And if we look closely, we’ll see that 2025 has been filled with everyday people doing real, hopeful work that deserves just as much space as the darkness.

Take Tampa, where Paint Your Heart Out transformed an ordinary spring weekend into something unforgettable. Volunteers showed up by the dozens to repaint more than seventy homes belonging to seniors, disabled residents, and veterans—people who had spent years doing their best to keep up. One 91-year-old man stood on his porch watching strangers brighten the home he raised his children in. When he said, “I never expected anything like this,” not a single volunteer walked away untouched. 

In Tacoma, the long-running Paint Tacoma Beautiful project marked its fortieth year restoring dignity with paint brushes and buckets of fresh paint. Homes that had weathered too many seasons suddenly looked cared for again. Homeowners talked about relief, and volunteers talked about how good it felt to help someone stay in the place they love.

Colorado’s Paint-A-Thon saw more than two thousand volunteers fan out across neighborhoods to paint over a hundred homes for older adults and people with disabilities. The work was physically hard, but the emotional payoff was worth it. One volunteer said, “You forget how powerful it is to show up for someone who can’t ask.” 

And in Texas, volunteers brought fresh color and comfort to the Open Door Women & Children’s Crisis Center, while longtime groups like Christmas in Action continued repairing homes for residents who had nowhere else to turn. This is the kind of generosity this year has given us.

These actions taking place across our county should teach us that big hearts can make big change. Rising above the chaos and rhetoric, some people are choosing to care for the underserved and invisible. And that deeply human caring is the kind of accomplishment that will hold our communities and country together during these challenging times. 

Youtropolis partners with Happy Harvesters in Southern California, a volunteer group of neighborhood backyard tree gleaners. Food Finders then distributes all harvested fruit to local food banks. If you’d like to start your own group, volunteer, or have a fruit tree you’d like us to glean, just send us a private message.