Classmates show support

Michael Orlando Clark is five years old and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was recently adopted by his "forever family" and he invited his entire kindergarten class to witness the official ceremony at the courthouse.

As his classmates waved heart-shaped wands, each one was give a chance to tell the judge how much they loved Michael. Michael's teacher joined in to say, "We began the school year as a family, and family doesn't have to be DNA because family is support and love."

"You want a coat with that taco?"

Emilia Flores owns The Taco Shop in Dallas, Texas. Out front, she's set up a free coat, hat and scarf exchange. The sign says, "Are you cold? Take one. Do you want to help? Leave one." During one recent year, the entire rack was stolen four times, but Flores keeps replacing it.

Freezing temperatures in Texas inspired this good samaritan to offer winter clothing free to those who need it. The rack is easy to spot, and its message is clear. Even if someone isn't homeless, Flores wants them to be prepared for a cold winter. She says "This is a way of people not being embarrassed about asking. They just come and pick what they want and leave."

Running fast for citizenship

When he was 14, Kone Yossodjo lost his father, and his mom said she could not take care of him. He made his way from Ivory Coast to Morocco, and then to Spain, where, at 19, he has become one of the nation's fastest runners.

Last season, Kone won five of 11 races and became Andalusia's 5,000-meter champion. But he runs for more than fame or glory. At a time of anti-immigrant sentiment, he says, "I want to show the people of Spain that migrants can add to society." He hopes to represent Spain in the 2024 Olympics, and it just might happen. According to his coach, if Kone can trim 30 seconds from his four-minute mark in the 1,500 meter run, Spain will grant him citizenship.

Want to be one of Santa's elves?

About this time each year, the US Postal Service prepares to start mailing letters to the North Pole. Now they have launched an online service that allows users to "adopt" children's letters to Santa, in order to help deliver gifts to low-income families.

The USPS Operation Santa website has been publishing photos of Christmas wishes from children in 15 US cities where parents may not be able to afford many gifts. Users can volunteer to anonymously fulfill the Christmas wish on behalf of Santa. To help Santa in this way, create an account on the Operation Santa website; select a letter that touches your heart; fulfill the Christmas wish as desired, and ship it from a participating post office before Dec. 21. Children in cities listed on the website who want to send a letter to Santa can address it to Santa Claus, 123 Elf Road, North Pole 88888.

Waitress can't believe her tip

Adrianna Edwards works at a Denny's restaurant in Galveston, Texas. Each day, she walks over four hours to and from work -- seven miles each way. Why? "I have bills to pay. You've got to do what you've got to do." But last month a couple she served at the restaurant learned how far she walks to work. A few hours after eating, the returned to the restaurant and gave her a tip, a 2011 Nissan Sentra.

Now her commute only takes 30 minutes, and she can begin college sooner than expected. "I still feel like I'm dreaming" she said. "Every two hours I come to look out the window and see if the car is still there."

Remember to be grateful for color

Jonathan Jones, 12,  is a seventh-grader at Lakeview High School in Cottonwood, Minnesota. He's color-blind, and in science class, the periodic chart looked like rows of indistinct squares, until his school Principal, Scott Hanson, loaned him glasses that enabled him to see color for the first time. As his parents watched, Jonathan suddenly saw colors he never knew were there. After taking the glasses off, he put his hands over his face, overcome with emotion. He later told him mom why. "The colors just attacked me, mom," he said.

Jonathan's parents, Carole and Don Jones, knew they had to buy him a pair of those glasses, which cost between $269 and $429. They also wanted one of Jonathan's friends in class, who is also color-blind, to have a pair. So they started a GoFundMe page with a goal of $350 to buy a pair for Jonathan's classmate. The fundraiser has raised more than $28,000, and Jones says the money will go toward buying glasses for other color-blind kids who can't afford them. The company who makes the glasses, EnChroma, says it will work with the Jones family and donate a free pair of glasses for each paid purchased with money from the fundraiser.

What happened to baby found in dumpster?

Freddie Figgers was born 30 years ago in Quincy, Florida. Right after he came into this world, he was abandoned by his mother in a dumpster. Two days later, he was adopted by Nathan and Betty Figgers. Since he was abandoned in a dumpster, he might not amount to much, right? Wrong.

When he was nine years old, he got his first computer. It was broken, but he fixed it. At 12, he was already working as a computer technician. At 15, he started a cloud computing company. When his Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimers, Freddie built a shoe for him with a GPS tracker and two-way communication. The program he made for his Dad was very successful, and a company reached out to Freddie and bought his program for $2.2 million. Apparently, being born without a silver spoon need not darken anyone's future.