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upworthy

Sam Dylan Finch

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The Rockefeller Foundation

Bob Branham was at his office on a Friday morning when he got an exciting call from a farmer offering him 40,000 pounds of green beans.

“[He] said, ‘I have a field of green beans that have to be picked right now. I have a choice. I can pick them and ship them all to you, free of charge, or I can just leave them in the field,’” Branham remembers.

Leaving them in the field would be great for his soil, the farmer explained, but he’d prefer that the produce goes to better use: feeding hungry families.

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If you met Rachel Crandall-Crocker today, it would be hard to believe there was a time when this outspoken transgender activist was afraid to raise her voice.

But in 1966, eight-year-old Rachel was terrified to speak her truth. That’s because, even at a young age, Rachel understood that coming out as transgender could be dangerous.

Back then, society was even more hostile towards trans people, and there were very few (if any) resources for the transgender community — especially in Michigan, where Rachel grew up.

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The Rockefeller Foundation

It takes guts to chase your dreams. But for Shaunelle Chester, it can take a whole lot more than that to reach them.

Her dreams took her from her home in London all the way to Newark, New Jersey, when she was just 19 years old to pursue a career in marketing. That leap of faith was only the beginning, though — to succeed, it would take hard work. To adapt to a different country and its educational system, Chester had to start at square one.

She had to enroll in a community college to prepare for the SATs, an American college admissions exam that was new to her because in the United Kingdom, the university application process is based on different exams. While she studied, she also had to work full-time to support herself and build up her resume.

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When Grace Kim was suicidal, she was faced with a choice: She could end her life, or she could give herself one more chance to truly live.

It was by no means an easy decision to make. Grace had struggled with her sexual identity since the age of 4, and after years of being told that being gay was a sin, it began to take its toll — even leading her to abuse substances just to cope.

At the end of her rope, Grace tried to think of something to hold onto. Trying to recall the best day of her life, she realized she didn't have one. That's when she had a simple but profound idea — that day could be today.

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