For many and for various reasons, 2017 has been a crushing and depressing year.

Now, as the year ends, many are looking for a silver lining to the year, including former President Barack Obama. The first black president in American history took to Twitter late this week to give a few selfless people the spotlight they deserve by sharing their stories with his millions of followers.

Obama began his thread with a note reminding Americans that there are a lot of people out making America great right now:

As we count down to the new year, we get to reflect and prepare for what’s ahead. For all the bad news that seemed to dominate our collective consciousness, there are countless stories from this year that remind us what's best about America.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2017

Obama recalls the story of Houston wedding planner Kat Creech who postponed a wedding to help those in need during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. She teamed up with Recovery Houston to clean up after the floodwaters rescinded:

Kat Creech, a wedding planner in Houston, turned a postponed wedding into a volunteer opportunity for Hurricane Harvey victims. Thirty wedding guests became an organization of hundreds of volunteers. That’s a story from 2017. https://t.co/yxhjwkr5Se

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2017

Then, he brought his followers' attention to the philanthropic work of Philadelphia Eagles player Chris Long, who planned to give his paychecks from the first six games of this season to help fund scholarships to students in Charlotttesville, VA. Ultimately, he decided to give away his entire season's salary:

Chris Long gave his paychecks from the first six games of the NFL season to fund scholarships in Charlottesville, VA. He wanted to do more, so he decided to give away an entire season’s salary. That’s a story from 2017. https://t.co/NL0RoARkan

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2017

Obama also gave a shout out to 10-year-old Chicago resident Jahkil Jackson, who has dedicated his time helping the homeless in his city. His "blessing bags" that included kits with socks and other helpful things have helped 5,000 people:

Ten-year-old Jahkil Jackson is on a mission to help homeless people in Chicago. He created kits full of socks, toiletries, and food for those in need. Just this week, Jahkil reached his goal to give away 5,000 “blessing bags.” That’s a story from 2017. https://t.co/muxPZnEGkd

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2017

To close out his celebratory thread, Obama encouraged others to help out their communities and be the change they want to see in the world:

All across America people chose to get involved, get engaged and stand up. Each of us can make a difference, and all of us ought to try. So go keep changing the world in 2018.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2017

Obama's Twitter

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