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6 ways Bea Arthur made the world a better place to live, even after her death.

In her life, Bea Arthur was an amazingly generous actress, activist, and human being — and she's not done giving yet.

After her death in 2009, the Ali Forney Center in New York City received a gift of $300,000 from Arthur's estate to help homeless LGBTQ youths.

Arthur in 1975. Photo by AP.


The Ali Forney Center and the Cooper Square Committee then received a $3.3 million grant from the New York City Council and the borough president to renovate a building at 222 East 13th Street to provide housing and assistance to homeless LGBTQ youths.

Named in her honor, the Bea Arthur Residence building is scheduled to be completed in February 2017.

Here are six other accomplishments from Bea Arthur's life, legacy, and career that you may not have known about:

1. One of Arthur's last public performances was a one-woman show to raise money for homeless LGBTQ youths.

As a longtime advocate for the LGBTQ community, Arthur in 2005 put on a performance of her one-woman show to raise money for the Ali Forney Center. That night, she helped raise $40,000 and gave the center some serious help at a tough time during the recession.

"These kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay or transgender — this organization really is saving lives,"Arthur told Next Magazine at the time of the benefit show.

Arthur at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 2008 Hall of Fame ceremony. Photo by Matt Sayles/AP.

"I honestly don’t know how we would have made it through the recession without that extraordinary gift. Bea Arthur truly meant it when she said she would do anything to help our kids," Carl Siciliano, the executive director of the Ali Forney Center, wrote in a Huffington Post piece.

2. Arthur once testified in the California Senate against the sale and production of foie gras.

Arthur was an activist for PETA, working with the organization on many campaigns and narrating videos for them. But in 2004, she was moved so much by an issue that she appeared in the California Senate alongside Sen. John Burton in support of a bill to ban the production and sale of foie gras in the state.

Arthur turns to leave after testifying before a Senate committee in April 2004. Photo by Rich Pedroncelli/AP.

Foie gras is made from the livers of force-fed geese and ducks. Its production usually involves tubes being put down the birds’ throats and having food pumped into their stomachs several times a day to fatten up their livers.

"There is no room in our wonderful state for such a nightmarish industry," she told the Senate panel. The committee approved the bill in a 4-to-1 decision.

3. Arthur was known for picking up and rescuing stray animals — including a German shepherd she found on the highway on her way to a set.

Besides fighting for animal rights through legislation and activism, Arthur strove every day to help animals in need, sometimes at her own peril. Television writer Charlie Hauck told Playbill about an instance when Arthur showed up on set with a German shepherd that had been found running along a highway.

Arthur with her dog, Julie, at her home in Los Angeles in 1978. Photo by Wally Fong/AP.

"I picture in my mind," Hauck described, "this actress, upon whom the jobs of 200 people depended, who had two children, stopping her car in traffic and running around trying to catch a dog."

The dog turned out to be owned by Barbra Streisand. Because of course it did.

4. She was a champion for feminism and helped bring important issues to light in her show "Maude," which addressed topics like abortion and women's rights.

Throughout her acting career, Arthur was also able to bring women's issues to the forefront of the cultural conversation. After appearing on "All in the Family" as the outspoken Maude Findlay, the character was spun off for the show "Maude," which ran for six years.

In November 1972, "Maude" aired a groundbreaking two-part episode about abortion, just months before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on abortion in the Roe v. Wade decision.

Arthur in 1988. Photo by AP.

5. She was in the "Star Wars Holiday Special" — where she sang along to the infamous cantina song.

She was asked to be in the show by producers Ken and Mitzie Welch and agreed to it although she had no idea what it was about.

"I was asked to be in it by the composer of that song I sang — 'Goodnight, But Not Goodbye.' It was a wonderful time, but I had no idea it was even a part of the whole 'Star Wars' thing," Arthur told the Portland Mercury. "I just remember singing to bunch of people with funny heads."

GIF from "The Star Wars Holiday Special."

6. She never stopped being a trailblazer for women on TV — even as she got older.

In a time when the push on TV was for young talent, "The Golden Girls" strove to be something different and more meaningful. The show featured an all-female leading cast over the age of 40, which at the time was unheard of (and is rare still today).

"I think, in both of those shows, we really did change the perception of a woman’s role. I don’t think anybody thought that it was okay to be a feminist back when she was doing Maude," Rue McClanahan told Entertainment Weekly about working with Arthur.

"The Golden Girls" stars during a break in taping: (from left) Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Betty White. Photo by Nick Ut/AP.

Episode after episode of "The Golden Girls" tackled issues of sexuality, ageism, and feminism and used Arthur’s wit and sharp tongue to drive these issues forward.

"She really taught me and every other woman my age how to be a feminist at a time when that was a dirty word," Rosie O'Donnell told Playbill. "And without her, I think, there would not be as many funny women on television today."

Arthur was much more than everyone's favorite quick witted Golden Girl.

She was a champion for equal rights for women, the LGBTQ community, and animals. In 2017, her legacy will continue growing with the upcoming completion of the Bea Arthur Residence in NYC to house homeless LGBTQ youths and help them become independent.

Besides being an activist for animals and LGBTQ rights, she also focused on helping to raise money for HIV-AIDS research. She appeared in the 1992 Pacific Center HIV-AIDS Benefit along with her friend Angela Lansbury. She posthumously donated $25,000 to the AIDS Services Foundation Orange County. After hearing about the donation, ASF co-founder Ken Jillson said, "I can’t believe it. After all these years she’s still doing wonderful things for ASF."

Cheers to Bea Arthur and the legacy of hope and kindness that she left behind. We could all learn a little something from her.

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Meet the 11 outstanding nonprofits that took home this year’s Classy Awards

Each organization has gone above and beyond to make our world a better place.

All images provided by the Classy Awards, used with permission

Give these organizations all the awards

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Since 2009, the Classy Awards have celebrated nonprofits for their unique approaches to making our world a better place for everyone. Winners are given a platform to amplify their cause and showcase the positive impact of their programs.

This year, we are proud to announce that the Classy Awards have partnered with Upworthy, and we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on the 2023 winners.

From championing gender equality, to massively reducing food waste, to providing trade-based skills training to the neurodivergent community, each organization has made an incredible contribution to the betterment of our world.

Collectively through their efforts, nearly 1.5 million people and animals were served across 34 countries worldwide last year alone. That’s a win in itself.

Check out the 11 winners for 2023 below:


​412 Food Rescue

1/11

In an effort to address the growing concern of food waste, hunger, and environmental sustainability, 412 Food Rescue uses an innovative app to match volunteers, aka Food Heroes, with other organizations that might have a surplus of perfectly good but unsellable food that would otherwise be wasted and redirect it to people who need it.

Food Heroes has redirected 137 million pounds of edible food from landfills to the people who need it most.

Island School Class, circa 1970s.

Parents, do you think your child would be able to survive if they were transported back to the '70s or '80s? Could they live at a time before the digital revolution put a huge chunk of our lives online?

These days, everyone has a phone in their pocket, but before then, if you were in public and needed to call someone, you used a pay phone. Can you remember the last time you stuck 50 cents into one and grabbed the grubby handset?

According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, roughly 100,000 pay phones remain in the U.S., down from 2 million in 1999.

Do you think a 10-year-old kid would have any idea how to use a payphone in 2022? Would they be able to use a Thomas Guide map to find out how to get somewhere? If they stepped into a time warp and wound up in 1975, could they throw a Led Zeppelin album on the record player at a party?

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

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It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

via Pexels

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Joe Gorham, 54, of Brighton, England, told The Mirror that renting out the three parking spaces in front of his home was a low-key way to rake in some passive income with little effort.

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Can't really blame her.

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