Our top three heartwarming stories of the week are all about people helping others. They include teachers, a sanitation worker and even a college football team. Here are the inspirational stories from this week.
First up, we've got a group of teachers at a California elementary school who got together to help out a fellow co-worker.
Sixth-grade teacher Carol Clark is currently battling breast cancer and had run out of her own sick days and paid time off.
Carol's husband, Dave, who is also a teacher at the school, discovered the district had a program that allows employees to "donate full-pay illness days."
The Los Angeles Times says Dave asked teachers to donate up to 20 sick days. Employees within the entire district banded together and gave up 154 days of time off.
CAROL CLARK VIA KTLA: "I started to feel very down and very negative. But once these donations of sick days started coming in, it did make me feel better. It did give me hope."
DAVE CLARK: "There's good people out there."
CAROL CLARK VIA KCAL: "It's not just the donation of the time. It's the heart and the love they also gave."
And we've got really great news: Carol's cancer is in remission, and she's already back in the classroom.
Next, we meet Harvey Arnold, a Maryland sanitation worker who, as People reports, "helps thousands of hungry families" in his spare time.
Back in 2007, Harvey began noticing there were more and more people sleeping in the streets while he was out on his route. So he and his wife decided to do something about it — they put together what they call "Love Bags" containing food, blankets and toiletries.
ARNOLD HARVEY VIA ABC: "When the shelters get full, they have no other place to go. So they've got to turn to the streets, even if it's just for a night or two. … We're gonna leave you this bag. Well, you know who I am?"
MAN RECEIVING BAG: "You're the trash truck driver."
HARVEY: "I'm the trash truck driver."
Arnold and his wife, Theresa, created God's Connection Transition, a nonprofit organization that feeds 5,000 families in need, including some who live on the streets.
The organization is located in a warehouse where people can come pick up whatever they need from a food pantry. Arnold has even gotten his church, Lighthouse Ministries International, to provide food each week.
Earlier this year, Arnold was honored as one of Fortune's Heroes of the 500.
And finally, the Army football team welcomed its newest teammate: 11-year-old Sean Callahan. (Video via YouTube / ArmyAthletics)
Now, you might be thinking 11 years old is a little young to be a member of a college football team.
But Sean is a member of the Friends of Jaclyn foundation, which teams up children with brain tumors with sports teams across the country.
JEFF MONKEN, ARMY HEAD COACH: "Our players are excited to have him join us. He suffers from pediatric brain tumors."
The Army Black Knights adopted Sean back in June, but it was just this week that he was officially made a member of the team. According to the team's website, Sean got to meet his new teammates and tour the school's athletic facility Tuesday.
NBC reports Sean was invited to stay for practice, but he couldn't do so because he had to get to practice for his youth football team.
Sean will be on the sides when the Army plays its first home game Saturday. He'll even get to do the coin toss. We hope you enjoyed our heartwarming stories of the week; check back next week for more top-three fun.
