After the Brussels attack, many opened their homes to stuck travelers. She got in her car.

    
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Ann Glorieus was working from her home in Brussels when she heard that bombs had exploded at the city's airport and in the Maelbeek subway station.

Ann Glorieus. Photo by Monica Monte, used with permission.

Her thoughts immediately turned to the hundreds of travelers stranded by the attacks. With trains and flights on hold throughout the country, Glorieus decided to press her car into service.

"Nothing is so depressing as being stuck somewhere when all you want to do is be at home," Glorieus told Upworthy.

Glorieus was one of hundreds of Belgians who used the Twitter hashtag #IkWilHelpen ("I want to help") to offer support and services to those impacted by the bombings.

A note is left in Brussels' Place de la Bourse after the March 22 terror attacks. Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images.

Residents of Brussels and cities across the country offered rides to far-off cities, resting places, and lodging to those who were unable to get where they were going due to the shutdowns.

While many of the drivers who posted on the hashtag said they'd happily pick up passengers along their route, Glorieus went the extra mile.

A blocked highway at the Brussels airport. Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images.

According to Glorieus, she initially made two trips from her home in Brussels, driving three people to Aalst, about 30 km away. Then, she returned to the city, picked up four more people, and drove them to Antwerp, about 45 km away.

Later that evening, she made a third run, picking up four college students who were stranded in central Brussels and driving them to Antwerp, returning home close to 1 a.m.

Quinten de Raedt, one of the riders on Glorieus' second trip, told Upworthy via Twitter that none of the passengers in his group realized Glorieus was driving miles out of her way until it slipped into conversation in the car.

"She just thought she should do something for the people stuck in Brussels and decided she could play ... taxi."

Enormously grateful for the ride home, de Raedt called it an "act of pure generosity, kindness, and social responsibility."

Passengers in Glorieus' second car trip, including de Raedt (back center) and Glorieus (front right). Photo by Ann Glorieus, used with permission.

The rides, he said, along with the dozens of Belgians who were giving blood and offering refuge, were a small, unexpected source of comfort on a horrible day.

"We were all surprised at the amazing willingness of everybody to help," de Raedt said.

Glorieus said that while there was "no upside to this madness," it felt good to be able to do something.

Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images.

Even something as simple as giving a lift to a few people among the hundreds in need.

"Being able to offer help is actually a plaster for my own sadness," Glorieus said. "Today it made me happy that I could bring people back home when they thought they were going to be hours before arriving home. And maybe, maybe it helps to counter all the ill will in the world."

"Although I suspect it's only a tiny drop of water on a hot plate."

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Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly

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8 sustainable products that make great gifts

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Shopping sustainably is increasingly important given the severity of the climate crisis, but sometimes it's hard to know where to turn. Thankfully, Amazon is making it a little easier to browse thousands of products that have one or more of 19 sustainability certifications that help preserve the natural world.

The online retailer recently announced Climate Pledge Friendly, a program to make it easier for customers to discover and shop for more sustainable products. To determine the sustainability of a product, the program partnered with third-party certifications, including governmental agencies, nonprofits, and independent labs.

With a selection of items spanning grocery, household, fashion, beauty, and personal electronics, you'll be able to shop more sustainably not just for the holiday season, but throughout the year for your essentials, as well.

You can browse all of the Climate Pledge Friendly products here, labeled with an icon and which certification(s) they meet. To get you on your way to shopping more sustainably, we've rounded up eight of our favorite Climate Pledge Friendly-products that will make great gifts all year long.

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Jack Wolfskin Women's North York Coat

Give the gift of warmth and style with this coat, available in a variety of colors. Sustainability is built into all Jack Wolfskin products and each item comes with a code that lets you trace back to its origins and understand how it was made.

Bluesign: Bluesign products are responsibly manufactured by using safer chemicals and fewer resources, including less energy, in production.

Amazon

Amazon All-new Echo Dot (4th Gen)

For the tech-obsessed. This Alexa smart speaker, which comes in a sleek, compact design, lets you voice control your entertainment and your smart home as well as connect with others.

Reducing CO2: Products with this certification reduce their carbon footprint year after year. Certified by the Carbon Trust.

Amazon

Burt's Bees Family Jammies Matching Holiday Organic Cotton Pajamas

Get into the holiday spirit with these fun matching PJs for the whole family. Perfect for pictures that even Fido can get in on.

Global Organic Textile Standard: This certifies each step of the organic textile supply chain against strict ecological and social standards. Each product with this certification contains 95%-100% organic content.

Amazon

Naturistick 5-Pack Lip Balm Gift Set

With 100% natural ingredients that are gentle on ultra-sensitive lips, this gift is a great gift for the whole family.

Compact by Design (Certified by Amazon): Products with this certification are packaged without excess air and water, which reduces the carbon footprint of shipping and packaging.

Amazon

Arus Women's GOTS Certified Organic Cotton Hooded Full Length Turkish Bathrobe

For those who love to lounge around, this full-length organic cotton bathrobe is the way to go. Available in five different colors, it has comfortable cuffed sleeves, a hood, pockets, and adjustable belt.

Amazon

L'Occitane Extra-Gentle Vegetable Based Soap

This luxe soap, made with moisturizing shea butter and scented with verbena, is perfect for the self-care obsessed.

Compact by Design (Certified by Amazon): Products with this certification are packaged without excess air and water, which reduces the carbon footprint of shipping and packaging.

Amazon

Goodthreads Men's Sweater-Knit Fleece Long-Sleeve Bomber

For the fashionable men in your life, this fashion-forward knit bomber is an excellent choice. The sweater material keeps it cozy and warm, while the bomber jacket-cut, zip front, and rib-trim neck make it look elevated.

Recycled Claim Standard 100: Products with this certification use materials made from at least 95% recycled content.

Amazon

All-new Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote

Make it even easier to access your favorite movies and shows this holiday season. The new Fire TV Stick lets you use your voice to search across apps. Plus it controls the power and volume on your TV, so you'll never need to leave the couch! Except for snacks.

Reducing CO2: Products with this certification reduce their carbon footprint year after year. Certified by the Carbon Trust.

From Your Site Articles

Jill Biden brought cookies to National Guard troops to thank them for keeping her family safe

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Even as millions of Americans celebrated the inauguration of President Joe Biden this week, the nation also mourned the fact that, for the first time in modern history, the United States did not have a peaceful transition of power.

With the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, when pro-Trump insurrectionists attempted to stop the constitutional process of counting electoral votes and where terrorists threatened to kill lawmakers and the vice president for not keeping Trump in power, our long and proud tradition was broken. And although presidential power was ultimately transferred without incident on January 20, the presence of 20,000 National Guard troops around the Capitol reminded us of the threat that still lingers.

First Lady Jill Biden showed up today with cookies in hand for a group of National Guard troops at the Capitol to thank them for keeping her family safe. The homemade chocolate chip cookies were a small token of appreciation, but one that came from the heart of a mother whose son had served as well.

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P&G Good Everyday

Let's Do More Together

Meet the people infusing their communities with love and support when it’s needed most

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If the past year has taught us nothing else, it's that sending love out into the world through selfless acts of kindness can have a positive ripple effect on people and communities. People all over the United States seemed to have gotten the message — 71% of those surveyed by the World Giving Index helped a stranger in need in 2020. A nonprofit survey found 90% helped others by running errands, calling, texting and sending care packages. Many people needed a boost last year in one way or another and obliging good neighbors heeded the call over and over again — and continue to make a positive impact through their actions in this new year.

Upworthy and P&G Good Everyday wanted to help keep kindness going strong, so they partnered up to create the Lead with Love Fund. The fund awards do-gooders in communities around the country with grants to help them continue on with their unique missions. Hundreds of nominations came pouring in and five winners were selected based on three criteria: the impact of action, uniqueness, and "Upworthy-ness" of their story.

Here's a look at the five winners:

Edith Ornelas, co-creator of Mariposas Collective in Memphis, Tenn.

Edith Ornelas has a deep-rooted connection to the asylum-seeking immigrant families she brings food and supplies to families in Memphis, Tenn. She was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States when she was 7 years old with her parents and sister. Edith grew up in Chicago, then moved to Memphis in 2016, where she quickly realized how few community programs existed for immigrants. Two years later, she helped create Mariposas Collective, which initially aimed to help families who had just been released from detention centers and were seeking asylum. The collective started out small but has since grown to approximately 400 volunteers.