Recently, the world has often seemed like a dark and scary place. COVID-19 still remains a threat, mass shootings strike fear in the soul of America and economic uncertainty burdens too many people.

In the midst of all these grim developments, it can be easy to forget that goodness still exists. It can be easy to forget that there are still people throughout the world, throughout the country and throughout Iowa who are doing their best to make things a little bit better and brighter.

We don’t have to look far to find a couple of examples.

The first example can be found at Iowa Central Community College, where students training to become emergency medical technicians and paramedics are using a medical response bag donated by the family of the late Steve Hall, a Fort Dodge man who was a paramedic for UnityPoint Health – Trinity Regional Medical Center and an adjunct instructor for the college’s emergency medical services program. The family believed that donating the bag and much of its contents was the right way to honor Hall’s memory.

Also in Fort Dodge, Dave and Danielle Pearson, along with their three children, are offering free outdoor cleanup work to senior citizens and the disabled. Dave Pearson told The Messenger that he and his wife were looking for opportunities to show their children how they can impact the world and help others. They came up with the idea of offering some spring cleanup services as a way to do that and spend some quality time together as a family. The Pearson family has done a couple of yard projects and hopes to see this effort expand.

The Hall and Pearson families are far from the only ones reaching out a helping hand.

People should take comfort from their actions and follow their example to make the world a better place.