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Tuesday, Sep 30 2025

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Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Positive DONUT. My goal by the end of this newsletter? To have you going from something like this:

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To something a little more like this šŸ˜Ž:

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Let me know which stories and sections are your favorites—I always love hearing from you!

Keep your head up, and have a fantastic rest of your week 🄰.

-Kailyn

Ready, Set, Go: Today's newsletter takes ~3.43 minutes to read (913 words).

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here for free.

✨Mantra of the Week✨

I am worthy of all the love, light, and abundance that life has to offer.

šŸ¤— The Sweet Spotlight

🐦 Rehabilitation all around

Images: Olivia Young

At first glance, a state prison isn’t where you’d expect to find orphaned squirrels or injured blue jays. But step into Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio, and you’ll see inmates bottle-feeding baby birds, tube-feeding opossums, and carefully tending to tiny rabbits in shoebox nests.

For more than two decades, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has partnered with the Ohio Wildlife Center to bring animal rehab programs inside prison walls.

  • Today, five facilities host wildlife nurseries where 60+ incarcerated men volunteer to care for creatures that might otherwise not survive.

The impact is measurable: Between January and August of this year, Marion’s program alone admitted 284 wild animals and successfully released 186 back into their natural habitats. That means ducklings returning to ponds, squirrels leaping into trees, and robins reclaiming the skies—all thanks to men who are otherwise confined by bars.

The aviary at Marion Correctional Institution.

The program isn’t just saving wildlife, it’s changing lives on the inside. Correctional staff say inmates gain patience, responsibility, and purpose by working with these animals. 

  • Some participants have become highly skilled in animal care; one longtime volunteer has spent nearly 20 years refining the delicate art of hand-feeding fragile baby rabbits. 
  • Others have collaborated with wildlife experts to solve real biological puzzles, like identifying a calcium deficiency that was causing opossum deaths.

The program creates a win-win scenario. The animals get a second chance at life, and inmates—many serving long sentences—get to experience the redemptive power of giving back.

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šŸ”„āœØ In partnership with Modern Adventure

Discover the dishes and rituals that define Thai food culture

Transform how you see, taste, and connect with Thailand through Modern Adventure. Explore Bangkok and Chiang Mai in a small-group journey that brings culture and cuisine to life. Your guides include Food & Wine Best New Chefs, James Beard Award winners and semifinalists, a Top Chef alum, and more.

  • Enjoy a private Michelin-starred welcome dinner
  • Taste sizzling street dishes that awaken your senses
  • Pluck and brew tea in the northern hills with local artisans
  • Explore hidden alleys and secret temples few travelers experience

See Modern Adventure’s upcoming Thailand tours here

šŸ“ø Pic of the Week

🧸 The ultimate stuffie sleepover

Image: Miami-Dade Public Library System

The Pinecrest Branch Library hosted a sleepover adventure for a group of beloved stuffed animals from kids around the Miami-Dade area. The plush crew spent the night reading stories, building puzzles, and playing dominoes before being tucked in tight. 

  • See all the adorable pics here.
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šŸ© DONUT Holes

šŸ”ļø Poland's Andrzej Bargiel became the first person to ski down Mount Everest without using an oxygen tank, in what his team said was a "groundbreaking milestone in the world of ski mountaineering." Talk about lungs of steel.

šŸŽØ Sherwin Williams has officially announced 2026’s Color of the Year. Hint: it’s everyone’s favorite neutral tone.

🐬 A team of animal rescuers recently saved 11 dolphins trapped in shallow waters off the coast of Cape Cod, giving them a second chance at life.

šŸ˜‡ Mindfulness Moments

In case you needed a reminder

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But Kailyn, how do I incorporate more gratitude into my days?

I’m glad you asked. Check out the list below with some easy ways to feel just a little more grateful for your day-to-day and put some into practice this week. It will help you feel all-around better in no time!😌

  1. Start a gratitude journal. Whether at the start or end of each day, take a few moments to write down 3-5 things that you are grateful for.
  2. Compose a gratitude letter. Sit down and write a letter to someone you are grateful for but may not have expressed it lately. Tell them how important they are to you and how they’ve changed your life for the better. Send or text them the letter and tell them to pass it on.
  3. Get outside and stay present. Go on a nature walk and let yourself feel grateful for all of the simple things nature provides for us. Really see the leaves on the trees, the sun peaking through the clouds, and hear the birds singing.
  4. Chat with friends and family about what you're grateful for. Ask your people what was the best part of their day. Share what you have been feeling especially grateful for lately. And celebrate your friends and family’s wins!

šŸ”„šŸŒž In partnership with Dunhill Travel Deals

Travel deals for your winter getaway

🌓 7-night Hawaiian seascapes cruise (save up to $250)… Hike the Hualālai Volcano, snorkel among manta rays and sea turtles in the coral gardens. Book here by 10/6.

šŸØ 25% off 3+ Night stay at luxury Utah resort… Discover the outdoors with world-class hiking, golfing, and climbing. Book here by 10/31.

šŸ° Up to 25% off on family villas near Orlando Disney parks… Spacious 1-2 bedroom condos. $50 resort dining voucher, free shuttles included. Book here by 10/31.

šŸ†What’s Your Win?

🄁Can I get a drumroll please?

Welcome to What’s Your Win, the section of the newsletter where we celebrate all of the good news happening right here in our Positive DONUT community.

We received so many responses this week, we can’t fit them all in (okayyyy, winners!) So if you don’t see your submission here, don’t worry—it’ll be featured in a future edition.

Check out the wins this week!

🄳 One anonymous subscriber from Nevada is celebrating a healthcare win…

  • ā€œI have been trying to cancel my Medicare Part B for 18 months - since before it was shoved onto me automatically. I won't even tell you what it has been like… However, with some former documents and a carefully worded business style letter stating my reasons for not wanting Medicare Part B sent to the three different addresses I had been given at different times, monthly for three months - I was finally allowed to cancel my Medicare Part B. WIN!ā€

🄰 Lys RT from Monterey, CA, is feeling proud of her hubby…

  • ā€œI’m really proud of my husband Kevin for setting boundaries at work. He is consistently asked to head the most intense, deadline heavy projects under short notice. In the past, this has meant his mental and physical health have really suffered. This time when he got told he’d be once again solely responsible for a massive project due on a tight deadline, he set boundaries and asked for support from his boss. His boss not only agreed with all of the things he’d asked for, but said he was proud of Kevin as well - and that he had already planned to coach Kevin on asking for this kind of support if Kevin hadn’t already asked for them. I’m actually looking forward to the next few months as we get to see what setting healthy boundaries at work looks like.ā€

šŸ“šBren L. from Moore, OK, is a super reader…

  • ā€œFor the last several years I have done the Goodreads yearly reading challenge. This year, with a very busy schedule, I decided to set my goal lower than normal. Well, it is mid-September and I hit my goal already! It may seem small, but being able to read 90 books in a little under 9 months while working full time and having a child under 3 is a bit of a miracle. So thankful for time to read which is one of my favorite things to do.ā€

Note: Some responses may have been slightly edited for length and clarity

🤪 Just for Fun

Take your best shot at these visual rebus puzzles.

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2. 

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šŸ™ Submit a Win

Me, reading all your win submissions each week

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Share your own wins... If you take a moment to slow down and recognize the good things in your life, you'll notice there really is always something to be thankful for🄰.

And if you feel compelled to share, let us know what you're feeling especially grateful for or proud of right here. Nothing is too small or insignificant to celebrate, and we promise to be your biggest hype-peoplešŸ˜Ž.

Submit your or a loved one's wins here for a chance to be featured in next week's newsletter.

šŸ¤” Answers

  1. ā€œPace back and forthā€
  2. ā€œBut on second thoughtā€

(S/o to Scholastic for the puzzles!)

Advertise with us: Want to reach other optimistic and engaged readers like you? Become a DONUT partner here.

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