Stories to Make Birmingham Proud: 10 Inspirational Tales from 2012

The news doesn't have to be all bad.

In 2012, Patch talked to some amazing people doing some amazing things for the Birmingham community. As we look back on the year that was, here's our favorite feel-good stories from the year.

In April, two Seaholm seniors — Nick Resnick and Rebecca Rosen — sat down to talk to Patch about Seaholm High School's Cool to Care program, which looks to combat bullying by bringing high school students into Birmingham elementary schools.

Teen Teams Up With Candy Shop to Sweeten Lives of Young Cancer Patients

Birmingham resident and Hillel Day School student Miles Menuck worked with Birmingham's Sweet Thing last year to donate more than $650 worth of candy to the Metro Detroit charity, Kids Kicking Cancer.

Fighting the Odds: How One Birmingham Mom is Working to Live With Epilepsy

After a risky surgery in 2009, life has become somewhat normal for this Birmingham mom, wife and PR executive, Alysse Mengason. "I have my moments," she tells Patch in May. "But I try not to feel sorry for myself."

Giving Back With Dodgeball: Area Students Organize Charity Tournament for Africa

Two Birmingham-area residents and Mercy High School students hosted Dodge for a Cause at Groves High School, a charity dodgeball tournament that raised money for the Troy nonprofit, Bands that JAM for Africa.

Birmingham Families Stand Up for Down Syndrome

At least 12 families from Birmingham Public Schools participated in September's Step Up for Down Syndrome Walk at the Palace of Auburn Hills. "We all want for our kids what everyone else wants for theirs — love and acceptance," said one parent.

Groves Teacher Gives Back During Summer Trip to Kenya

As part of the Africa Inside program, Groves science teacher Bonnie Bartnick spent the summer volunteering at an orphanage in Nairobi. "Taking a trip like this is life-changing," Bartnick told Patch in September. "To see first-hand people living with no electricity or running water, without even a garden, makes you stop and think about how much we need to live."

Who Was the Inspiration for Miles4Miles?

A parade-style bike race during August's second annual Birmingham Bike Festival benefitted the Miles Levin Miracle Fund at Beaumont Children's Hospital. Mikes, a former Cranbrook student, passed away shortly before his 19th birthday in 2007.

Volunteers From First Presbyterian Help Build School in Mexico

As part of a mission trip with the First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, a dozen Birmingham residents helped build a secondary school building in the impoverished Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Charlotte Eriksen, a Patch editor from Illinois and Birmingham native, chronicles her experience volunteering with her family.

Birmingham Ranks in Top 1 Percent of Giving Cities Nationwide

Birmingham was ranked 295th out of more than 28,000 zip codes nationwide for the amount of money given to charities, according to a study released by The Chronicle of Philanthropy in August. Birmingham residents gave $44 million to charities in 2008.

Bottomless Toy Chest Receives $10K in Chase Community Giving Contest

The Birmingham-based charity Bottomless Toy Chest that provides toys and games to kids with cancer was one of 196 nonprofits nationwide to receive part of $5 million in grants from Chase Bank.

Do you have an inspirational or good news story to tell for 2013? Get in touch with Local Editor Laura Houser at laura.houser@patch.com.