Despite all the bad that has happened in 2017, Barack Obama is going into the New Year with a positive attitude, and he wants everyone else to do the same.
On Friday morning in an attempt to restore America's faith in humanity, the former President of the United States shared an inspiring and much-needed mini-thread of good news stories on Twitter.
SEE ALSO: Barack Obama teams up with Chance the Rapper and Steph Curry for uplifting new ad"As we count down to the new year, we get to reflect and prepare for what’s ahead," Obama wrote, reminding everyone that despite the overwhelming amount of bad news this year America did have a lot to be proud of.
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The former POTUS went on to share three key stories from 2017 that stood out to him.
The first story Obama highlighted was about Kat Creech, a Houston wedding planner who "turned a postponed wedding into a volunteer opportunity for Hurricane Harvey victims."
Through Creech's efforts she and other volunteers founded Recovery Houston — a non-profit organization that works to bring together volunteers and those in need of home repair following the natural disaster.
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Obama then shared the philanthropic efforts of Philadelphia Eagles player Chris Long, who donated the entirety of his salary this season to charity.
"As you may already know, I have committed my first 6 game checks to fund scholarships in my hometown of Charlottesville, VA. Now, I'm pledging my last 10 game checks to organizations supporting educational equity and opportunity in St. Louis, Boston and Philadelphia - the three cities that I've called home throughout my NFL career," Long wrote in a statement.
"I'm playing the entire 2017 NFL season without collecting income because I believe that education is the best gateway to a better tomorrow for EVERYONE in America."
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Finally, Obama highlighted the work of Jahkil Jackson, a ten-year-old who's dedicating his childhood to helping homeless people in Chicago by handing out "blessing bags," according to The Chicago Tribune.
The bags are reportedly filled with helpful items like socks, toiletries, and even food items that homeless people could benefit from. Having engaged in charitable since as young as five-years-old, Jackson also received a 2017 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.
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In his fifth and final tweet Obama reiterated that no matter how dark things may seem, there is aways light in the world as a result of driven, empathetic, and brave people like Creech, Long, and Jackson.
2017 may have been rough, but in 2018 Obama's encouraging all Americans to dare to change the world by "getting involved, getting engaged and standing up."
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Thanks, Obama. We needed this.