>> each week photo journalist, big roar, goes out into the community to capture inspiring people. he puts what they're doing in unique focus, tonight we look at some of his stories. >> we start with a truely groundbreaking coffee shop in south jersey that employs adults with special needs, and it inspires pretty much all who walks through its doors. here's bill. >> hi, neighbor, how are you? >> the breaking grounds coffee shop in mt. holly, new jersey has only been open for a little over a month. >> so your total will be 9.50 for today. >> but this coffee shop has already changed the lives of many of it employees. >> i feel very strongly that i'm doing exactly what it is i was born to do. and that's very special gift. >> brandy fishman's drive to provide meaningful work for adults with developmental

disability. >> they really get to do everything from stocking the shelves, to measuring out the coffee, grinding the beans. it has been amazing. they're happy to come to work. they have purpose. they know that we rely on them >> a perfect place to work. >> they get to work on their social skills, and it improves their confidence. it makes them more outgoing. >> good choice. >> it is beneficial to everybody. >> brandy's motivation for all of this? her ten year old daughter zoe who has autism. >> when your child turns 21, on their 21st birthday, they age out of the school system. so, the school is no longer responsible for their education. all of the services and support that they had from three to 21 are no longer available. you know, as an adult. and it is quite terrifying for a lot of the parent. >> so brandy found the a foundation to build a bridge into adulthood for these families. >> how are you doing today? >> adults with developmental disability a place to work. >> you raise your child for

zero six years, and they'll out live you, so you have to have a plan for them after you are deceased. >> brandy's plan is to open up more business that is appeal to adult looking for work. >> thanks for coming in, guys. >> well, great mission, and speaking every great missions, local college student sent using her voice to tell the stories of the men and women most in need, philadelphia homeless. >> as bill shows us, capturing some amazing stories. >> i basically just listen, and like look at my notes at the same time. >> twenty year old college sophomore lauren purr nel has the passion to become a print journalist. >> i kind of think it as like an interview series. >> so to help build on her interview and writing skills, lauren started a blog, but the blog is much more than a tool to lawn of her career mr. really just taught me to just be more open minded about people. >> the blog's goal, naming the homeless. >> our blog contents are primarily personal stories from homeless individuals with

intent of tearing down negative con occasions for the term homeless. >> every other saturday afternoon, lauren and her family head into philadelphia, with her note pad and care package filled with all sort of necessary items. >> clothes, socks, hat. >> toothbrush, toothpaste, bunch of different shirt, some brand new still have tags on them. >> clothing and supplies are mostly donated by friends and family. while other donate money toward naming the homeless go fund me page. >> it is just really re leaving, and overwhelming that we got the support. >> so far lauren has interviewed six people. >> it shows you they are a real pern, they went through some stuff just like everybody does. >> pictured here known for finding stray cats new home. >> usually when you think homeless, a lot of negative stereotypes come to mind. so this is the casino kind of show if you gives awe name and i am and, person, story, background, all all of these different things have to happen in their life to bring them to where they are today. >> her mom captures the images with her cell phone as lauren

's sister helps taking notes. naming philadelphia's homeless , one sentence at a time. >> you know teenage girl with olympic dreams is aiming for tokyo for 2020. her sport every choice box being but getting into it hasn't been east. >> i photo journalist bill shows us before she got into the ring she first had to win over her dad. >> fourteen year old is on a mission. to chip away at her competition, and qualify for the 2020 olympic games. >> from a young age. >> that journey with her dad charlie right by her side for every punch. >> i think she goes hard on me just because i'm his daughter. he wanted to prove to everybody to make sure i'm on top. >> two times a day, seven days a week, facing her dad makes her way into the all might willing boxing club in reading , pennsylvania. >> i make sure that no matter what it is, we get up, go to

the gym. >> fate doesn't mind the long hours, all she thinks about is boxing. for three years, fate begged her dad to train her, until one day, he said yes. >> he let me spar with a kid. >> spar one of the young men, and maybe she will get a bloody nose or get hit wrong and i don't want to box no moran i'll be happen. >> i he thought he would beat me up. i beat the kid up. he finally said yes. >> in a few short years has more championship belt than she can carry now one of the best 110 junior boxers in the country. >> i don't think i'm better than everybody else, i just think i got a better heart than anybody else for the sport. >> you've got to have the love for boxing. if you don't have love for it, you don't want to do it, you're not going to make it far. however far down the boxing road, fate goes, is up to her.

each punch, hit, and jab will bring fate closer to her olympic dream. >> come on, let's see the dance. >> unforgettable experience for the student manager of high school basketball team, how she went from managing her team during the game, to being in the game. - honey, look what we got! - [narrator] going big (yelling) isn't always best. unless it's a aaa plus membership. get 100 towing miles and free emergency gas delivery.

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>> this fox 29 in focus special continues, photo journalist, bill, captures inspiring people and ideas in our area, just last week bill caught up with a group of montgomery county student putting their hockey skills to the test. >> they were non-stop for hours, as part of marathon to raise money for char i annual tradition they love being a part of. >> middle school annual's floor hockey challenge, for the last 42 years, eighth grade verse been tearing up the gym floor with their hockey skills. >> i've looked forward to the challenge since fifth grade. >> i told my mom, mom, eighth grade, only four more years, or mom, only two more years, mom, it is next week. mom, it is today.

ould not fall asleep last night, you know, just thinking about, i had my outfit laying on the ground, all of the stuffy was going to wear, real fun experience. >> a hockey marathon of sort. thirty-two teams will rotate and play every 15 minute until midnight. >> it is not about the winning or losing just about having the chance to come together as a school, and play a hockey marathon, weaver a good time, eat food, raise monday. >> i this year the event has raided over $40,000. and the money will be donated to the "make a wish foundation." making the dreams of children with life threatening illnesses come true. >> started back in 1977 as a way for student to honor, and in the last 42 years, the event raised over a million dollars. >> eighth grade student ava was trying to work on her nerves, while wait to go play in her game. >> it is so nerve wracking, but also like so fun, like what shot am i going to do, am i going to do a fake out, just the greatest experience of my life. >> the team that raised the most money will play the faculty. >> i know we use hockey as a

contact, but it impresses me student get what this is about >> a special moment for a local high school senior, kate is manager for the cam catholic girls varsity basketball team. >> shows the team's final home game, she got to suit up for a memory are you to last a lifetime. >> yeah! last home game for the season, for the girls varsity basketball season, the irish rich have their hands full, the lenape indians. >> throughout the game each had memorable moments. but none greater than the one that happened during the first two minutes. each year it is tradition to honor the seniors graduating, by calling them up to center court before the last home game. for the team's head manager, this moment is bittersweet. >> i just feel like threes four years went too fast. i wish i could go back in time

>> if one could go back. it would be hard not to notice kate, sitting on the bench cheering on her team at every game. >> yeah, ladies. defense, yeah. >> what a better way to share my voice than being a cheerleader. >> so before this game, coach told kate to suit up. you know, kate is a integral part of our team, it is special, special night for all of us. >> just after tip-off, and with her dad cheering her on, kate gets the biggest moment of the game, even if it didn't go as smoothly as hoped, one finally went through. >> my dad just went crazy.

crazier, all because my last home game. i really wanted to make it. >> and she blossomed like you would not believe. just been incredible, incredible four years. >> a night like this point on the scoreboard don't add up. seniors hearts. >> i love you. >> so proud of you. >> most of us when given the options take the elevate over over the stairs. one local woman doesn't mind. in fact, going up 90 floors is no big deal. she does it every day. >> ♪ >> ♪

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>> new community of homes, not talking about your average red brick house. >> now, there are homes built from shipping containers, bill went to chester county, to check out these building blocks of the future.

>> william, and carlo are in the business every building houses. but not in the way you may be used to. on the inside this house looks like any normal house. but the outside it, looks completely different. you see there is house is made out after recycled shipping container. for the last four month, standard 20-foot container has been park at the great valley shopping center in malvern. >> presented the container home idea to william a few years ago. >> i had just retired. i told it has potential, concept of tiny house was coming up, and was becoming a trend, so we said i think it is probably the right time to do it. >> this home is about 160 square feet. but if that's too small, these containers can be placed side by side, or stack up to as high as nine. these steel structures make it all possible. >> in backyard we create, i mean, guest house, even a

house, kid coming back from college, want to geffin dependence. >> the homes assembled inside a factory and moved and set up anywhere you can imagine, plans on the company's website show these containers can be used as shelters in emergency areas. >> we are exploring the possibility of having a combination of of solar panel and water collection system on the roof and would have something completely -- >> this model start at $36,000 so for less than a luxury car, this could be yours. >> you can compare prices maybe on the same level at mobile home, but, i mean, that's like comparing apples and/or ankles. >> the difference is living in a steel container is a new idea. >> people are slow to adopt them. it is not that come on, and people are not used to them, and i think that has to grow on people. >> interesting. so how flights of stairs do you think you can climb?

>> thirty-five? >> how about the hite of the eiffel tower? >> , no bill here is a story of one moment taking stair climb to go whole new level, inspiring others as she does. >> sally is going up. way up to the top. only to turn around. >> here i come. >> and gently come back down. >> no worry, it is my work out >> using every muscle in her body sally lungs up 90 floors a day, in the parking garage, where she works. >> doesn't feel cold out here any more. >> she started all this after she lost her husband, peter, to cancer. >> as more adversity life i would take it out on the stairs. i would just climb harder and harder, faster and faster. >> so fast, at 55, sal is he one of the fastest competitive stair climbers in the world. >> it is a little fire inside of me that i'm very competitive with myself. and i always want to better myself. >> sport that's gaining more

popular every year, racer start at the bottom floor, and leave everything they have on the stairs. all the way to the top. >> and your lungs just freeze up along with all of your other muscles, and you're just , see that finish line, and just kicking for t and then the endorphins and the high is amazing. >> elite athletes like sally make it less than 20 minute. these races take place inside some of the world's tallest architect usual landmarks. the willis tower in chicago, the comcast center in philadelphia, and the empire state building in new york. with 102 stories. >> i find that one the most difficult of all of the buildings i've done. because it is very old. the architecture and the stairs are very steep. >> this year, sal is he the only elite american invited to race up the eiffel towers nearly 1700 steps. a race she was supposed to compete in last year. >> i notice i was getting sick often. and i it took me long time to recover. and the same with injuries. and i was like this is not me. >> sally was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

and needed a stem cell transplant. >> it is a type of blood cancer. and it attacks your white cells. >> sale didn't give in to her diagnosis. she fought hard and now is cancer-free. >> this is where the magic happens actually. >> training several times a day, in her home gym. able to race the eiffel tower steps this year. living each day by her late husband's motto. >> cancer may take the years from my life but i'm not going to let it take the life out of my years. >> life spent on her boat and being proud of her throw children, dealing with life's obstacles by lunging over them two set at a time. >> newborns every course need a lot of love and affection, nothing like holding them tightly. for some babies constant cuddling actually helps make them stronger. by the day. >> ♪ >> ♪

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>> ♪ >> ♪ >> welcome back to this fox 29 in focus special. you know, few things rifle the bliss of holding a newborn baby, i should know, i have triplets. >> troop, three times over for you. well, one local hospital has a program that is helping new parent and offering lots of cuddling for the little bundles of joy. here is bill ro h. r. mcmaster

>> after a quick swaddle, abington hospital volunteer, evelyn, is about to work her magic. >> rocking, singing, humming, anything that calms them down. >> cuddling is her specialty. >> evelyn's gentle touch. >> so calming to give this kind of care to a baby that it bridges down their stress level, as well as mine. >> retired kent err garth end teacher who has been around children most of her career. she has always had a special place in her heart for babies. >> it is very rewarding to be able to get them calm again. because some of them are very agitated. >> just one of abington hospital kid letters, program that lends a helping hand to parent, unable to be at the hospital.

>> it is comfortable for that mom to know that if she can't be here, that her baby is not going to lay in a crib and scream for five hours that i as a nurse or a volunteers tear is going to be in there soothing the baby and taking -- picking the baby up. you would be amazed at the effect on the baby. >> most newborns evelyn cuddles start their life inside abington neonatal intensive care unit where something as simple as a human touch can help the baby's development. >> all babies benefit from love and care it, stabilizes them, provides them with comfort, actually reducing the length of stay here at abington. >> every hour evelyn spends volunteering helps parent bring their little one home a little sooner. >> it feels incredibly rewarding to be able to give babe that's are that small the cuddling that they need. we both noah little about the nicu, don't we? all of our kids were therefore

little bit. >> and great things in there. >> yes, they do. >> and are healthy today. >> love the volunteers. >> absolutely. >> well thanks for joining us tonight for the fox 29 info special. >> have a great night. "fox 29 news" at 11:00 is next