+
upworthy

Cities

All images provided by Bombas

We can all be part of the giving movement

True

We all know that small acts of kindness can turn into something big, but does that apply to something as small as a pair of socks?

Yes, it turns out. More than you might think.

A fresh pair of socks is a simple comfort easily taken for granted for most, but for individuals experiencing homelessness—they are a rare commodity. Currently, more than 500,000 people in the U.S. are experiencing homelessness on any given night. Being unstably housed—whether that’s couch surfing, living on the streets, or somewhere in between—often means rarely taking your shoes off, walking for most if not all of the day, and having little access to laundry facilities. And since shelters are not able to provide pre-worn socks due to hygienic reasons, that very basic need is still not met, even if some help is provided. That’s why socks are the #1 most requested clothing item in shelters.

homelessness, bombasSocks are a simple comfort not everyone has access to

When the founders of Bombas, Dave Heath and Randy Goldberg, discovered this problem, they decided to be part of the solution. Using a One Purchased = One Donated business model, Bombas helps provide not only durable, high-quality socks, but also t-shirts and underwear (the top three most requested clothing items in shelters) to those in need nationwide. These meticulously designed donation products include added features intended to offer comfort, quality, and dignity to those experiencing homelessness.

Over the years, Bombas' mission has grown into an enormous movement, with more than 75 million items donated to date and a focus on providing support and visibility to the organizations and people that empower these donations. These are the incredible individuals who are doing the hard work to support those experiencing —or at risk of—homelessness in their communities every day.

Folks like Shirley Raines, creator of Beauty 2 The Streetz. Every Saturday, Raines and her team help those experiencing homelessness on Skid Row in Los Angeles “feel human” with free makeovers, haircuts, food, gift bags and (thanks to Bombas) fresh socks. 500 pairs, every week.

beauty 2 the streetz, skid row laRaines is out there helping people feel their beautiful best

Or Director of Step Forward David Pinson in Cincinnati, Ohio, who offers Bombas donations to those trying to recover from addiction. Launched in 2009, the Step Forward program encourages participation in community walking/running events in order to build confidence and discipline—two major keys to successful rehabilitation. For each marathon, runners are outfitted with special shirts, shoes—and yes, socks—to help make their goals more achievable.

step forward, helping homelessness, homeless non profitsRunning helps instill a sense of confidence and discipline—two key components of successful recovery

Help even reaches the Front Street Clinic of Juneau, Alaska, where Casey Ploof, APRN, and David Norris, RN give out free healthcare to those experiencing homelessness. Because it rains nearly 200 days a year there, it can be very common for people to get trench foot—a very serious condition that, when left untreated, can require amputation. Casey and Dave can help treat trench foot, but without fresh, clean socks, the condition returns. Luckily, their supply is abundant thanks to Bombas. As Casey shared, “people will walk across town and then walk from the valley just to come here to get more socks.”

step forward clinic, step forward alaska, homelessness alaskaWelcome to wild, beautiful and wet Alaska!

The Bombas Impact Report provides details on Bombas’s mission and is full of similar inspiring stories that show how the biggest acts of kindness can come from even the smallest packages. Since its inception in 2013, the company has built a network of over 3,500 Giving Partners in all 50 states, including shelters, nonprofits and community organizations dedicated to supporting our neighbors who are experiencing- or at risk- of homelessness.

Their success has proven that, yes, a simple pair of socks can be a helping hand, an important conversation starter and a link to humanity.

You can also be a part of the solution. Learn more and find the complete Bombas Impact Report by clicking here.

Bassist Charles Berthoud will blow your mind.

Get ready to feast your ears on the baddest version of a bubble gum pop classic.

It’s always fun to hear gifted musicians completely reimagine familiar tunes, and bassist Charles Berthoud is no exception to that.

Berthoud delivers his masterful videos to more than 900,000 subscribers every week, with not only flawless precision, but wit and charm to boot. From playing the Seinfeld theme to turning Beethoven metal, seemingly no request is beyond his skill level.

Take a listen to his cover of “Barbie Girl,” by Aqua. With nine, count 'em, different variations—9.5 if you watch all the way through—and each one more intricate and complicated than the last.


I’ve listened to this four times now, and I can confirm that it’s physically impossible to not bounce your head to the beat.

He even channels Bach for the seventh variation. Holy cow. Kids these days might not resonate with classical music as it was originally written, but therein lies the beauty of contemporary covers. When performed by remarkable artists like Berthoud, we can find new ways to appreciate the old.

If your jaw is on the floor after watching, you’re not alone. People were amazed, to say the least. As indicated by the influx of positive comments:

“Can't wait to have this song stuck in my head all day, seriously impressive work!”

“Who knew Barbie Girl is one of the greatest music masterpieces ever created.”

“Well it’s going to be hard living with a melted face but I gotta admit that was pretty sick.”

I think one person summed up everyone’s reaction with this:

“Dude... How? How does a person get this good at anything? Incredible. It's like seeing something supernatural.”

If you’re curious to hear even more of Berthoud’s bass-tastic tunes, you can check out his YouTube channel here.

And for fun, you can remind yourself of what the original Barbie Girl sounded like below. Yeah, it’s quite different.

Is it manly enough to cradle a puppy?

Okay, we’ve come a long way in terms of rethinking gender norms.

Fashion is less rigidly conforming (you’ve seen the man who rocks pencil skirts and stilettos, right?). More men are flourishing in jobs traditionally performed by women. And perhaps most importantly, there is a growing number of male support groups that encourage heartfelt communication and emotional well-being.

But suffice it to say, there still remain quite a few incredibly outdated belief systems when it comes to how we define masculinity.

Case in point, a recent Reddit thread sparked by the question:

“Men of Reddit, what was the most ridiculous reason why someone questioned your masculinity?”

Some of these answers are indeed head scratchers. Others are flat-out offensive.

Here are 10 of the most egregious accounts:


1. Reading

men who readPhoto by Dollar Gill on Unsplash

I was reading a book on my lunch break while I was working construction, and got a bunch of sh*t about reading being for women.” – Middle-Eye2129

Went from women not being allowed to read to reading being only for women... what a world.” – Comprehensive-Ad4566

2. Practicing the most basic of safety measures

men of redditGiphy

One person wrote that their masculinity was questioned for “wearing gloves while welding.”

Because having all fingers intact makes you less of a man? Um … what?

Wear your gloves and fasten your safety belts, gentlemen. It’s okay. I'm pretty sure The Rock does.

3. Not eating the right foods

gender fluidGiphy

Had a friend give another friend shit because he wanted to eat a corn dog. He said grown ass men don’t eat corn dogs. Any man should understand.” – mondayortampa

It’s not just because of the distinct shape of certain foods garnering the “unmanly” label, either. See below:

My dad got sh*t from a guy he was working with because he was eating a plain bagel with butter on it and drinking chocolate milk because the guy said it’s childish. Dad never cared and just laughed at the guy for being an idiot. Who wouldn’t like that combo? It’s a great thing to eat!” – WhatsUpFishes

“My husband bought some of our homegrown raspberries into work to share and a guy he works with said they were ‘girl food.’ It must be so exhausting to have to gender your food.” – Pepperfig_clover

4. Or drinking the right drinks

gender normsPhoto by Atikh Bana on Unsplash

Went to a Mexican restaurant and we waited at the bar before we could get a table. This place has awesome strawberry blended margaritas so I got one. Apparently lime = straight, strawberry = gay.” – Thirty_Helens_Agree

5. Appreciating cleanliness

men doing female choresGiphy

“I've had both women I just started dating, and male acquaintances who have thought my clean apartment was an indication I was gay.” – NorCalDustin

6. Using pink … anything

men wearing pinkwww.publicdomainpictures.net

At work I gave a guy a report and it had a pink paperclip on it.

He asked me why I gave him a pink paperclip. I told him I just grabbed one. He then asked why I had a pink paperclip - I told him I had a rainbow pack.

Then he wanted to know why, when I saw it was pink, I didn't throw it away. He told me I shouldn't use pink paperclips [because] ‘people might have questions.’” – Everyday_Im_Stedelen

About 30 years ago, they came out with neon string lines. As I work construction, I am constantly using string to ensure things are straight. By far, the brightest of the strings was a pink one.

So, I was constantly chided by the crew for having a pink string. This only happened until it started getting closer to dusk, at which point they all wanted to borrow my string.” – Dioscouri

7. Not applying deodorant in a ‘manly way’

patriarchyGiphy

Somebody once told me I wasn't applying deodorant manly enough.” – PearSB

How do you apply deodorant in a manly manner?” – The_One_True_Disease

You set fire to the can and let it explode behind you as you look epically to the camera.” – Astrophobia42

8. Being kind

rethinking masculinitycommons.wikimedia.org

Got accused of being gay for being nice to people in the dive bar I go to... I guess it's not masculine to be nice to people.” – pgh613

9. Having daughters

dads and daughtersPhoto by Bermix Studio on Unsplash

When I was pregnant, with a girl, someone said to me, in front of my husband, ‘a real man would’ve given you a boy.’” – badmamathree

Someone should have said that to Henry VIII.” – BaldingMonk

Why do you think there was a protestant movement?” – ArthurBonesly

10. Allowing a woman to do manly things

toxic masculinityGiphy

I was taking a break from driving a forklift and a woman asked if she could drive it (she was qualified to drive it so this wasn't just a random question from a random person.) I agreed and this one guy got so offended that I let a woman take over driving the forklift from me. This was back when ‘mancard’ was a thing so he of course said I needed to turn in my mancard for that.

Unsurprisingly, it turns out this guy got offended at all kinds of things all the time though. If he thought someone wasn't doing something the "right" way, he would rant and whine about it.” – BrickFlock

Clearly, we still have some ways to go on this subject.

The Queen of Cleaning improves people's lives, one kitchen at a time.

Ever watched a cleaning TikTok? Man, are they satisfying. There’s nothing like seeing the grubby bathroom getting scrubbed and buffed into something spa worthy. It’s just so cathartic. Is there such a thing as visual ASMR?

Not to mention that having a clean home just feels so good. Having things tidy makes the daily stressors of life seem more manageable.

But for many of us, this basic comfort is an impossible luxury. Things pile on, both literally and metaphorically. Being a single parent, having depression and illness are among the many obstacles that can drain someone of their time and energy to really take on a thorough cleaning. And once things spiral out of control, it can be very hard to get back on track again.


Cleaning enthusiast Aurikatariina proudly describes herself as “The Queen of Cleaning” on TikTok and YouTube. Yes, the transformations are wild. Yes, she has some great tips and tips. But the truly remarkable thing is that this woman uses her passion to help others: by offering to clean their homes for free.

Her free home makeover videos not only feature the Queen of Cleaning doing what she does best, they also share the stories of those she’s helping. And watching them feels like a good soul cleansing.

@aurikatariina

This lovely was crying from happiness 🥺👵🏻🙏 I just LOVE to help people ❤️ ##elderly ##helping ##homecleaning ##takecare ##satisfya ##satisfyingvideo

♬ Home - Edith Whiskers

Like when she helped an 80-year-old couple who had no support to manage their home. So Aurikatariina got to work, and made the kitchen immaculate (in the video above).

Her caption reads “my heart melted when this lovely lady was crying from happiness.”

I mean, it’s one thing to get this much joy from cleaning your own home. But for a stranger? That’s next level. And it really goes to show that giving to others rewards everyone involved.

@aurikatariina

One of the saddest but the best cleaning ever 🥺👩‍👧‍👧❤️ ##cleaningtiktok ##cleaning ##makeover ##oddlysatisfying

♬ Survivor - 2WEI & Edda Hayes

In another video, Aurikatariina helps out a single mom. She explains that the father left her alone with two kids, and (understandably) the home had gotten in bad condition.

What seems like a million toys litter the floor. A Coke can in the medicine cabinet. An ironing board that’s become a table for junk. Yeah, it’s bad. But Aurikatariina cleans it all, staying kind and compassionate the whole way through.

Her video ends with “if there is a mother struggling I‘m here to tell you that you are not alone.”

One person commented “as a single mom of 4 thank you for helping her. These messes get outta hand so quickly when you’re the only one doing literally EVERYTHING.”

@aurikatariina

The reaction of the cat at the end 😭😻👏🏻 ##story ##storytime ##touching ##forfree ##happycat ##homecleaning ##homemakeover

♬ Home - Edith Whiskers

Aurikatariina cleaned the home of a cat owner, who was really sick. Both kitty and the young girl were swimming in mounds of food packaging and cat hair. But with Aurikatariina’s help, along with some generous donations of supplies from her followers, the home became spotless.

You’ll wanna stay for the end of this one if you want to see one happy cat lounging in a pristine bathroom sink, after being thoroughly confused to see his new home.

As many people noted in the comments, the cat was also clearly healthy and well loved. This woman was able to take care of her cat, just not herself.

@aurikatariina

Hope is the best medicine of all 🙏 ##forfree ##homecleaning ##satisfying ##hope ##cleaningtiktok ##deepcleaning ##kitchen ##kitchencleaning

♬ Summer - Instrumental - Devinney

Aurikatariina captions this one with “hope is the best medicine of all.”

As she declutters and scrubs, Aurikatariina explains that this homeowner suffers from anxiety, depression, a physically demanding job and financial problems. Yeah, that’s a lot.

“He didn’t have the strength to put effort into his home…so here I am,” she writes.

@aurikatariina

THE MOST AMAZING TRANSFORMATION EVER!! 😍😍 ##forfree ##cleaning ##clean ##beforeandafter ##motivation

♬ Cinematic Trailer - Saltonbria

This home was labeled “dirtiest house in Europe.” A cleaning job this massive would have cost about $15,000, Aurikatariina tells us. And she did it for free.

She even flew from Finland to Switzerland to do it. Cleaning brand Scrub Daddy paid for her plane ticket and hotel. But still, that kind of generosity is beyond inspiring.

Aurikatariina is offering people not only a freshly cleaned home, but a fresh start as well.

As the saying goes, “helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person.” And that matters.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go organize my closet.