Number in The News: 21: Calgary students launch hotline to bring uplifting stories to seniors

The World
A black and white illustration with a telephone on it and the words, "we are here to spread joy."

From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 21.

In these challenging times, sometimes you just need a pick-me-up — and fast. Luckily, residents of Calgary in western Canada literally have joy on speed-dial. High school students launched a hotline called Joy4All. Dial it, and you can hear local students share jokes, short stories and acts of kindness. The project is directed specifically toward seniors who may feel lonely while social distancing.

The Number in the News is a daily flash briefing for your smart speaker that we’re featuring as a special here in The World’s podcast feed. Listen to the Number in the News every morning to hear a shareable story in just two minutes. It’s one number you won’t forget, plus why it’s in the news today.

Click here to add The Number in the News to your smart speaker News Briefing on an Amazon or Google smart speaker. Produced by The World’s Bianca Hillier.


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