The NewsWorthy – Special Edition: Ending 2025 with Good News
Host: Erica Mandy
Guest: Brandon Harvey (Founder & CEO, Good Good Good)
Date: December 27, 2025
Episode Overview
In this uplifting year-end special, Erica Mandy sits down with Brandon Harvey, the founder and CEO of Good Good Good, a media company dedicated to positive news. The duo reflects on a divisive, challenging 2025 by showcasing the year’s 10 most popular good news stories. From creative housing solutions to powerful small acts of kindness, the episode is designed to spark hope, highlight solution-oriented thinking, and inspire listeners to “be the good news.”
Main Themes
- The persistence of good, solution-driven stories amid overwhelming headlines
- Overcoming negativity bias in the news
- Individual and community-driven action as powerful vehicles for change
- The ripple effect of local kindness and innovation
Key Discussion Points and Insights
The Need for Good News
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People are increasingly seeking out good news for inspiration and a reminder that positive change is possible.
"People are seeking it out and they're craving it. But more than that, it feels like a lot of the energy around it is that people are seeing needs in their community. They want to make a difference. They want to be the good news." – Brandon Harvey [01:30]
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Negativity bias in our brains means bad news “sticks like Velcro,” making positive stories harder to internalize without intentionality.
"Good news just isn't as sticky. It slides right off our brains unless we're very intentional..." – Brandon Harvey [02:20]
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Focusing on solutions, not just problems, offers hope and highlights agency:
"We're not powerless over the bad news. There are people working to create solutions." – Brandon Harvey [02:45]
The Top 10 Good News Stories of 2025
#10: Custom Cafeteria Cart for a Disabled First Grader
- A school lunch lady in Oregon designed a personalized cart for Julian, a first grader with dwarfism, enabling accessible mealtimes and greater independence.
"They even put on a little license plate... allows him to have an accessible lunchroom experience just like all of the other kids." – Brandon Harvey [04:16]
#9: All-Women Tiny Home Neighborhood Sets a Blueprint
- An affordable, unique tiny home community tailored for women, launched with rents starting at $450. Residents are hoping the model will be replicated nationwide.
"You get to see this community of women coming together to form, like, an entirely new concept for a neighborhood." – Brandon Harvey [05:02]
#8: NYC’s Free Food Vending Machine
- The first free vending machine dispenses eggs, meat, and produce to those in need, reducing stigma and logistical barriers, thanks to a partnership with Change Food for Good.
"You don't need volunteers manning it the whole time in order to make sure that people have food when they need it." – Erica Mandy [06:30]
#7: Trauma-Informed Tiny Homes for Homeless Seniors
- IKEA donated thoughtfully designed tiny homes to a San Antonio, TX community focused on homeless seniors, utilizing research-backed trauma-sensitive design.
"The design focuses on creating a warm and open space... with safety in mind." – Brandon Harvey [07:21]
#6: Tech Millionaire Builds Tiny House Village in Canada
- Ninety-nine tiny houses were constructed for homeless neighbors, showing the effectiveness of innovative housing versus traditional shelters.
"All of these are different communities and they all have a little bit of different designs, different approaches specific to their communities. But it just took one person or one group saying, let's do something about this." – Brandon Harvey [09:01]
#5: Pope Francis’s Legacy Gift to Prisoners
- In a powerful final act, Pope Francis donated his entire personal bank account to support a pasta factory inside a youth prison, fostering rehabilitation and job skills for inmates.
"It specifically goes to fund a pasta factory that operates in the prison... helps prevent recidivism." – Brandon Harvey [11:04]
#4: School District’s Tiny Homes for Teachers and Young Adults
- Colorado Springs schools used surplus land to build affordable tiny home villages for educators and for young adults transitioning from poverty.
"It ensures that teachers can afford to live there and serve that community." – Brandon Harvey [12:16]
"It gives them also opportunities for educational programming, job opportunities, and ultimately just helps keep young adults out of poverty." – Brandon Harvey [12:22]
#3: LA Converts Jail Site into Shipping Container Housing
- A lot formerly slated for a new jail is now a bright, vibrant shipping container complex offering dignified housing for the unhoused.
"Instead of a new jail, LA built a shipping container housing complex for homeless residents." – Brandon Harvey [13:25]
#2: Backpack Beds for Homeless in Chicago
- A Chicago man invented a portable "backpack bed" that combines storage, warmth, and shelter, aiming to provide one to every unhoused person in the city.
"It rolls out into a shelter that has a built in mattress... helps you survive freezing cold temperatures." – Brandon Harvey [15:16]
"It creates a lot of freedom for people and... keeps people safe at night." [16:15]
#1: Portland Coffee Shop’s Free SNAP Breakfasts
- At the height of the government shutdown, a coffee shop pledged free breakfasts for all SNAP recipients, stating they’d help "until everyone's benefits are reinstated or we go broke doing it."
"This coffee shop, I think, really inspired a lot of people because of how generous it is. Like that quote is wild... we're going to do this until everyone's benefits are reinstated or we go broke." – Brandon Harvey [16:45]
"They raised over $350,000 from the community." – Brandon Harvey [17:24]
"It was quite a sight to behold to see a line out the door for people going to overpay for a free breakfast so that extra money would go towards somebody else." – Brandon Harvey [19:02]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On being inspired to take action:
"Be the good news. Not just read about it." – Erica Mandy [01:58]
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On local ripple effects:
"It's one thing to, you know, try to make a difference online, but it's another thing to say I care about my community and I'm going to find my own unique way of doing something about it." – Brandon Harvey [19:22]
"Even if it's part of a national news story or not, where you can really have the biggest impact is just right there in your own neighborhood, your own community." – Erica Mandy [20:03] -
Brandon’s personal connection:
"When I looked up the [coffee shop’s] address, it’s walking distance from my house... It made me really, really proud of this community." – Brandon Harvey [18:55]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [01:07] Guest introduction & why good news matters
- [02:20] The brain’s negativity bias and overcoming it
- [04:16] Countdown begins: Story #10
- [05:02]-[09:16] Stories #9–#6 (inclusive housing, vending machines, trauma-informed design)
- [10:30] Story #5: Pope Francis’s legacy
- [12:13] Story #4: Schools tackling housing for teachers and youth
- [13:25] Story #3: Jail site conversion in LA
- [15:05] Story #2: Backpack beds
- [16:29] Story #1: Portland coffee shop’s SNAP initiative
- [18:36] Personal favorites and hopes for 2026
- [19:22] Final reflections: Local action and hope for the future
Key Takeaways
- Solution-oriented, local action can inspire broader change.
- Recurring themes: creative housing, inclusive community support, and collective generosity.
- Individuals — from lunch ladies to small business owners to everyday community members — can start ripples that grow beyond their locale.
Episode Tone & Style
Warm, sincere, and hopeful. Erica’s conversational approach paired with Brandon’s genuine enthusiasm makes the episode feel inviting and inspiring, emphasizing not just the power of good news, but the potential for every listener to be part of it.