Action tough-guy and world’s sweetest teddy bear, Danny Trejo, is ripping out hearts in a humbling act of generosity. Trejo showed up at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in Los Angeles carting hundreds of meals from his local food chain aptly named Trejo’s Tacos. Staff working on the front lines got to enjoy a bountiful feast of succulent chicken, perfectly-seasoned steak asada, and hot, juicy carnitas.

I’m sitting with the real angels of Los Angels right now. All the people that are really on the front lines […] We’re just here […] bringing some food, but really, they’re the ones saving lives.”

Trejo is known to bring death and destruction to all who cross his path in his nearly 401(!) acting credits. But when the cameras are off, Trejo is redefining what it means to be a real man by promoting acts of kindness in his local community. In a 10-minute video posted to Instagram, Trejo and his crew can be seen unboxing the delicious meals while praising each staff member of USC Verdugo Hills Hospital while posing for selfies with anyone who asks.

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This isn’t the first time Trejo has proved himself to be the universe’s greatest human. Back in August, he actually saved a boy who was trapped in a flipped car. Like, in real life. Like his life was leading up to that moment.

If you want to do your part, follow Trejo’s advice from his post and visit ordercolony.com. From here, you can donate to Help Feed the Front Line Fighting COVID-19 and World Central Kitchen, which “provide healthy and delicious meals to Frontline Healthcare Heroes while help keeping local Los Angeles restaurants open during this unprecedented crisis.”

Thanks, Trejo! You’re a model for us all.

It’s surprisingly easy to fall in love with a character in a film. Someone good and kind, without the flaws of humanity that have to exist in the real world. Though there’s a uniquely warm and fuzzy feeling we get from finding out the actor behind one of those roles also has kindness to spare. John Cena seems to regularly prove himself to be one of those people.

Cena is well known for his charitable work. He recently pledged to match every dollar donated to Fit Ops through November 11th, up to $1 million.

So overjoyed and thankful to all who’ve donated to @fit_ops helping our #veterans You have given over $500k so far and I will MATCH every dollar up to $1,000,000! Let’s make #VeteransDay even more impactful and all do our best to help our heroes! pic.twitter.com/mnFTxuBW7K

— John Cena (@JohnCena) November 1, 2019

Fit Ops is an organization helping veterans with training and job placement in the physical fitness industry, and can be donated to in the above link. He also holds the record for most wishes granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a foundation fulfilling the dreams of children with terminal illnesses, which can also be donated to above. Cena has granted the wishes of over 500 children.

Unfortunately, there’s always another pressing issue and those in need of assistance. Thankfully there are also so many willing to help. As the California wildfires continued to burn, firemen and first responders fought on as well. Risking their lives from the infernos that destroyed over an estimated 250,000 acres in the 2019 blazes. Though there is a current reprieve, it’s a desperate situation, and those that will continue to battle it at the next flare need all the help they can get. In the midst of this challenge, John Cena spoke out.

In Cena’s latest film, Playing with Fire, he plays a fireman struggling to control 3 rowdy kids he and his team have rescued. On October 28th, National First Responders Day, he came to twitter with a request.

I’m asking that today on #FirstRespondersDay we do everything we can to help those who risk their lives to protect us all. pic.twitter.com/aJOmO4hkCw

— John Cena (@JohnCena) October 28, 2019

In the video, Cena states, “Right now California is in dire straits. It is burning, it is under siege from massive wildfires statewide. Which means our first responders are working around the clock, and they need our help.“ Paramount Pictures is the studio behind Playing with Fire, and Cena calls on them to help, with a simple request. He continues, “I want them to pick a charity. Pick a charity that aids our first responders as soon as possible. And on behalf of Playing with Fire, and out of respect to the people that I truly believe are heroes, my response will be to immediately donate half a million dollars to this cause.”

Paramount actually picked two charities. The first being LAFD Foundation, an organization that “Supports the LAFD in protecting life, property and the environment by providing essential equipment, training, and outreach programs.” This mission statement was taken from their website, where you can make a direct donation to help support them through the LA fire season.

The second charity selected by Paramount was the California Fire Foundation. An organization “Providing emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect.” This mission statement also taken from the California Fire Foundation’s site where you can again help with a donation.

Though Paramount didn’t just name them, they also agreed to match Cena’s $500,000 donation. The money will go to help fight the fires, and to support those working so hard to combat it. Though I know the money was so desperately needed, and will go far to make a difference, there’s always a small part of me that believes, if John Cena simply punched the fire, there’s no way it’d try it again.

John Cena isn’t the only celebrity looking to help these firefighters. You can read all about Matthew McConaughey helping to prepare 800 turkey dinners for firehouses combatting the blaze.

What could possibly better than spending the day playing video games? What about a day spent gaming that benefits children in need?

Well that’s the name of the game here at The Dad as we join gamers around the world to give back this weekend.

In partnership with Extra Life, an organization that works with gamers to turn their gaming into donations from friends and fans, The Dad Gaming will be hosting a 24-hour marathon of gaming, all to benefit children’s hospitals across the United States. Anyone can participate and compete for prizes, watch from home on Twitch, or donate to the cause.

Executive Editor of The Dad, Joel Willis, says it’s been a dream of his and the team’s to leverage their love of gaming for a good cause. “Since The Dad started in November 2017, gaming has been a favorite topic of our team and our audience. So creating a gaming group with virtual gaming events was an exciting and natural fit.”

Like many parents who came of age in the 90s, video games were a major part of growing up for Willis. However as real life sets in, parents often have little time for what was once a huge influence in their younger years. “Until I bought my kids a Nintendo Switch last Christmas, I hadn’t had a gaming system of my own since Nintendo 64,” Willis admits. However thanks to new gaming systems and revamped classics, the entire family can now game together in ways never before possible.

So Willis and his crew set out to form a team of dads and moms who can game together. “We created The Dad Gaming group on Facebook a couple of months ago. We’re now closing in on 10,000 group members. We have regular events/leagues in 7 games: Fortnite, Call of Duty, Mario Kart, PUBG, Madden, Rocket League, and Destiny, with more to come.”

To celebrate the group’s success, The Dad Team will be gaming for good in a 24-hour mega marathon beginning Saturday, November 2nd. “At The Dad, we love giving back and spotlighting those in need, so Extra Life is a perfect fit,” Willis says, adding “I see it as a walkathon for charity, except with video games.” That’s right. You can raise money form your couch. 2019 baby!

An initial schedule of events has been released, but like your kid making up their mind on a halloween costume, it’s subject to change.

The team has set an ambitious goal of raising $10,000 in just one day so we need your help! We’re still looking for gamers, so anyone interested in joining our team or donating before the event can visit the team’s official fundraising page here.

Reuben Qualls, Team Captain here at The Dad, will be raising money for UC Davis Children’s Miracle Network, but there are children’s charities across the nation who need your support. Qualls says no matter who you’re playing for, it’s all about spreading the word on game day. “On the Extra Life event page on Facebook, we’ve linked all kinds of helpful information from Extra Life itself, including articles on best practices for fundraising, a Media Kit with things like flyers and avatars you can use to help in your fundraising efforts, as well as a Broadcaster Kit, with all kinds of stuff any participating streamers can use to add some Extra Life flair to their streams.”

So this weekend you can put away the mower and hunker in for some flatscreen fury and join us as we play for a purpose and have a few laughs too. We’ll be sharing updates throughout the weekend, so stay tuned for even more info heading your way!

We have a lot of fun at The Dad. But we also love to celebrate people doing amazing things for dads and families. So we’re starting Good Cause Spotlight, a new series where we recognize (and support with $$$) important causes and organizations.

For the inaugural Good Cause Spotlight, we are pleased to highlight Ronald McDonald House Charities, specifically Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest.

We donated $500 to Ronald McDonald House Charities on behalf of The Dad community. Our team is also personally donating. We encourage you to do the same if you feel inclined. (Make sure to write “The Dad” in the Additional Comments section so we can track and share the combined impact of The Dad community!) $32 provides one night of lodging for a family in need.

Has your family or anyone you know benefited from Ronald McDonald House? Have you ever volunteer there? Tell us about it at [email protected].

What Are They All About?

Ronald McDonald House Charities is a charitable organization providing temporary lodging for families that have critically ill or injured children seeking medical treatment. There are over 350 houses worldwide.

“The majority of families, 60% or more, arrive via helicopter or ambulance and show up with nothing but the clothes on their back,” Julie Delaney, Director of Marketing and Communications for RMHC of the Inland Northwest explained.

The Spokane Chapter house currently has 22 rooms that are always full. The rooms are free of charge. Additionally, there are Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in the hospital that provide a kitchen, laundry room, play area, sleeping spaces, and full showers. Servicing rural communities across Central Washington, the RMHC care mobile is essentially a doctor’s office on wheels.

Globally, Ronald McDonald House Charities is working to keep families with sick children together and near the care and resources they need. Last year RMHC served millions of children and families in more than 64 countries and regions. These families saved an estimated $880,104,484 in out-of-pocket lodging and meal expenses.

How Are They Helping?

Ronald McDonald Houses – a home environment providing support and resources that help keep families together.

Ronald McDonald Family Rooms – A place for families to rest and regroup right in the hospital.

Ronald McDonald Care Mobiles – Access to health care where children need it most.

Who Are They Helping? Meet the Young Family.

Having twins only 23 weeks into gestation can be a very emotional experience family. For Charlie and Kaitlin Young, that experience was compounded by having no choice but check into the NICU in an unfamiliar city without contacts or prearranged housing.

Living minutes away from a Level III NICU in their hometown of Orem, Utah, the Youngs had already thoroughly considered their birth plan. Then unexpectedly, Kaitlin went into labor while visiting family in Grangeville, Idaho. The Boise NICU was full, and their family was transferred to Spokane, Washington to receive care at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital NICU.

“It was definitely unexpected,” explained Kaitlin, the proud new mother of twin babies, Rex and Eleanor Young. “We had no idea where we were going to stay and we really didn’t want to be far from the hospital,” expressed Charlie, Rex and Eleanor’s father. “That was the most comforting aspect of the house. We were constantly worried about making sure we were close by. The house gave us the opportunity to stay close and be within minutes of Rex and Eleanor.”

Upon moving into the Ronald McDonald House, Charlie and Kaitlin found a source of strength and security. Meeting the other families in the house going through similar situations gave them a support system they did not expect to have. “There are so many families that you meet that are going through tough times just like you, so to have each other to talk to and to help everyone cope during these difficult times was an invaluable experience I will never forget.”

While caring for children receiving care at the NICU, parents often forget to attend to their own basic needs like food and sleep. “The sack lunch program is amazing. It is not something I would have even thought about but it helped us so many days when we simply didn’t have enough time to think about meals.”

The Young family were happy to report that Rex and Eleanor turned a corner for the better and are doing well. They will be forever grateful for the love and support that Ronald McDonald House and the city of Spokane showed to them while bringing Rex and Eleanor into the world, 760 miles away from home.

https://vimeo.com/319078960/9da52ad2d8

Read more stories of families impacted by RMHC of the Inland Northwest.

Need RMHC Services Or Want To Get Involved?

Contact your local RMHC chapter for volunteer opportunities and available services.

Buy something from the House Wishlist!

Amazon is donating 5-10% of all purchases made from this link to RMHC, whether it’s a wishlist item, or your own personal shopping.

Follow RMHC of the Inland NW on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or YouTube.

“Start liking and sharing! The more people we have access to, the greater the financial impact and results when we ask for help.” -Julie Delaney

Do You Have A Story To Tell?

If you have a positive experience with this charity, or a cause close to your heart, tell us about it at [email protected].