As hospitals and healthcare workers face a shortage of protective gear in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, an army of independent craftspeople have stepped up. Around the United States, they are sewing protective masks by hand, and they are making an impact. For people who are stuck at home or out of work, this is a way they can contribute, and many hospitals have begun relying on these DIY masks that are already saving lives.

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, some distilleries across the United States have switched their focus from the production of alcohol to the production of hand sanitizer. This new model meets the outsized demand for sanitizing supplies and helps to keep these businesses afloat.

Some of the governments that have had the most success in getting a handle on the spread of the coronavirus have used individual location data to conduct contact tracing and track the spread of the virus. However, some in Europe and the United States worry these tools violate privacy rights, even in the midst of a public health crisis.

We Love Reading, an organization backed by UNICEF and USAID, works with all of Jordan's Syrian refugee camps and one of Ethiopia's South Sudanese camps to use storytelling as a tool for psychological healing. It started in 2006 out of Amman, Jordan, and has since gained respect with children specialists and international aid organizations. We Love Reading works on the premise that story time boosts healthy development by giving children the courage and language to speak about what they are going through.

People exiting incarceration often struggle to land jobs. But a growing number of organizations are promoting entrepreneurship as an alternative path to economic stability for former inmates and it's not a big stretch considering that many of these folks know how to hustle, think creatively and are resilient. Last year the U.S. Small Business Administration launched a pilot program with several funders to foster business ownership among former inmates but some programs have been around for years and have impressive track records.