Chef, Bakers Cook For Ukraine: Feel Good Friday

Let's kick off the weekend with some good news.

NewsNation has partnered with Patch to bring you uplifting stories each week from communities across America. Nichole Berlie is bringing you this week's top feel-good headlines from Patch.

In this week's collection of stories, Patch and NewsNation took a look at how Americans across the country are giving back to Ukraine, and how one Illinois man is paying homage to his home country.

Watch below:

North Fork Chef Creates Special Menu With Love To Help Ukraine

A North Fork, New York, chef and restauranteur is opening his heart and showing his deep concern through the universal language of love and nurturing — food.

George Giannaris, a chef for 37 years and the owner of his family business, Hellenic Snack Bar & Restaurant in East Marion, will offer a special "I Stand With Ukraine" menu will be offered at his restaurant, with 100 percent of the proceeds donated to the people of Ukraine.

"I feel so moved to help in any way that I can," Giannaris said.

The special menu will be available on March 8.

Northern Virginia Bakeries Support Ukraine With Sold-Out Sale

When Russia invaded Ukraine, residents around the world looked for ways to support the Ukranian people. For a group of bakers in Northern Virginia, the best way they knew how to help was baking.

Sarah Marshall, owner of Vienna-based The Sweet Life NoVA, knew baking was a way to help when seeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the news. She reached out to her friend Sarah Fiacco, owner of Little Carousels Macarons Co, to see what she could do. Then she started contacting other bakers, both ones she was familiar with and others she's heard of.

The group of bakers has now grown to a baker's dozen, who've contributed desserts for boxes of baked goods with all proceeds supporting humanitarian relief in Ukraine.

Aside from The Sweet Life NoVA, the 13 other bakeries involved are: Little Carousels Macarons Co, Bake to Bless, Lucy Q's, Flourloom, Momma Lemon's Treats, Delicioso Decor, Harper G Designs, European Cakes in VA, Madeleine Proust, Sweet Gratitude Bakery, Ola's Bakery, From Maddie's Kitchen, and Treats and Sweets 4 U.

Spreading A Little Patriotism: Snow Flag In Manhattan Goes Viral

Farmers in the Midwest usually have a bit of downtime in the winter. One Manhattan farmer decided to make the most of that time and achieved internet fame recently when he created a larger-than-life American flag in the snow on his 160-acre property.

Dave Kestel, a third-generation farmer, made the roughly 90-foot by 60-foot flag Feb. 5. The flag itself is gone now, thanks to sunshine and warmer weather this past week, but the images are still there and making the rounds across social media.

"I am so overwhelmed about how it's gone over because on my Twitter account — I'm a zero with 700 followers — last I looked, it's got 66,000 or 67,000 views on Twitter," Kestel said.

The flag has also been shared and reposted all over Facebook, including by WGN's Tom Skilling's Facebook page and the Manhattan Weather Channel's page.

"The comments people make are just really heartwarming," Kestel said.

For fact-based and unbiased breaking news reporting as well as big interviews, real people and always something to make you smile, tune in to Morning in America, NewsNation's live three-hour national morning newscast hosted by Adrienne Bankert. LIVE at 7/6CT on NewsNation. www.newsnationnow.com/morninginamerica