5 Amazing Things That Happened In October

Tired of waking up to more bad news, fake news, and everything in between? We have just the thing to turn your day around. We know staying informed can be overwhelming, but never forget that there are still smart, compassionate, incredible people out there dedicating their lives to the pursuit of progress. Check out these inspiring and uplifting stories you might have missed last month.

1. Historic! Youth Voter Turnout Was the Highest for a Midterm in 25 Years

Youth voter turnout increased an extraordinary 47% from 2014 to 2018. And while the election was in November, it was youth-led initiatives in October and before that drove The Youth Wave to the polls. From groups like Black Lives Matter, United We Dream, and March For Our Lives to voter registration drives held in high schools and colleges, student-powered movements -- including 108,000 registrations among DoSomething members -- helped young people make history in the voting booth.

2. Tampa Bay Teen Hosted a Spook-tacular Fundraiser for Homelessness Prevention

Everyone celebrates Halloween differently. This year, 16-year-old Andrew Long made the most of his trick-or-treating time by focusing on the issues impacting the Tampa Bay community. Using his love for DIY projects, Andrew transformed his yard into a terrifying (and impactful!) haunted house and teamed up with the Homelessness Empowerment Program (HEP) to raise funds for homelessness prevention. Andrew has been a dedicated HEP volunteer for years, and hopes his haunted house event can help spread awareness for the program and its mission. With everything from fog machines to spooky zombie props, Andrew went above and beyond to create a fun, festive experience for a great cause.

3. Students Organized an Interfaith Memorial for Victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting

On Saturday, October 27, a mass shooting devastated the Pittsburgh community, when a white nationalist opened fire during a prayer service in a synagogue, leaving 11 dead and six injured. As the country mourned, young people people sprang into action, responding to tragedy with love and hope. Students from Taylor Allderdice High School organized an interfaith vigil, where thousands gathered to honor those who were lost. ”It’s right to be angry,” said one of the students. “But it’s also important to comfort one another.” These students -- and all of those who have come together in solidarity for the Tree of Life family -- remind us all how important it is to lift each other up in times of need. Read how you can Do Something in the wake of hate-filled violence.

4. The Red Sox Won the World Series -- and Hit Some Home Runs for Social Change

If you’re like me, you really only enjoy going to a baseball game for the mascots and the fried food. But this year, World Series players and fans made some huge strides for social change. After winning Game 2, Boston Red Sox star Mookie Betts celebrated by giving back to those in need, traveling around Boston providing warm meals for citizens experiencing homelessness. During Game 5 at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, the TransLatin@ Coalition unfurled a huge banner reading “Trans People Deserve to Live” in the stands. The demonstration occurred just days after it was announced that the White House plans to roll back protections for the transgender community by redefining gender. These small acts of kindness and strength make a powerful impression, especially in front of the millions of people who tune in to the World Series each year.

5. MTV Launched the Generation Change Award to Empower Young People

MTV announced this month that the first ever Generation Change Award will be presented at the 2018 European Music Awards in Bilbao, Spain on November 4. Five fearless young people from around the world were nominated for their groundbreaking work in tackling tough social issues through music or digital media. Generation Change is an audience-led and inspired program that seeks to elevate and empower young people to share their voices and be involved in their communities. Working on causes like child marriage, climate change, and LGBTQ+ rights, MTV hopes these inaugural nominees will encourage young people worldwide to be passionate making a change in our global community.

DoSomething.org is the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change. Our digital platform is activating 6 million young people (and counting!) to create offline impact in every US area code and in 131 countries.