The Daily Prism

Donors Help Men Suit-Up for Job Hunt

2012-02-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

In a time when job hunting is like hunting for unicorns, compounded with waning bank accounts, looking good and professional for a job interview can be a challenge for men. While most nonprofits that provide professional attire for women in the same circumstances, only a few offer dress for success for men.

Career Gear -- A Suit--A Second Chance, a nonprofit, offers more than a business suit, "We now deliver much-needed job retention and advancement coaching, helping our clients to build on their achievements and continue their upward path," the website explains

Nepal's Vulture Restaurants Revives Population

2012-02-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

When standing out on the Piedras Blancas bluffs near San Simeon, Ca., and answering questions about the northern elephant seal, a common question is "What do you do with the dead seals?"

I answer, "The clean-up committee handles that: gulls and vultures." The turkey vultures here seem to be in good shape. But not so much for the vultures in Nepal that have feasted on cattle carcasses that have traces of the drug diclofenac--a compound that causes kidney failure and death in vultures. The White-rumped and Slender-billed -- are now critically endangered in Nepal, as well as in Pakistan and India.

According to an article in Planet Ark , five years ago Bird Conservation Nepal "came up with the idea of 'restaurants' as places where the birds could feed on safe carcasses...and now...the number of nesting pairs there has grown to 46 compared with just 17 before the feeding site was opened five years ago.."

Banking Used Supplies For Worldwide Use

2012-02-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

Imagine that your nonprofit group of volunteers committed to setting up a beneficial service to people in a part of the world where drinking the water could be perilous, your group is short funds for proper electronics, office supplies, and a requirement of certain agricultural equipment for grounds maintenance and community assistance. The current worldwide economy has further lessened your group's ability to purchase essential operational requirements.

There's a bank for that. Banc de Recursos or Resource Bank, Barcelona, Spain. "Resource Bank is a non-profit organization that collects surplus materials from businesses and individuals and sends them to countries and collective needs...The mission of the BDR is to redistribute resources more fairly. BDR also wants to strengthen solidarity networks (voluntary, non-governmental organizations, mutual information, etc..) And public awareness of the need for a more rational and responsible use of material goods (based on non-consumer, non-destruction and non-waste)," explains the website.

The "bank" operates in

South America: Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, etc..

Central America and the Caribbean: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba, Dominican Republic, etc..

Africa: Chad, Cameroon, Senegal, Gambia, Morocco, Sahrawi camps, etc

Peace-ability A Possiblity With Peaceabilities Program

2012-02-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Peaceabilities , a Bringham Young University project, is designed to develop ".. higher-order skills that increase children’s abilities to live peacefully with others." The program is designed to "...develop critical higher-order skills needed for building peaceful relationships - kindness, forgiveness, compassion, and a deep respect for self and others."

This program "... can be used in schools, domestic violence shelters, after school programs, churches, community groups, and families," the website explains.

An Oily Idea: Turn Grease Into Oil, Heat Low Income Homes

2012-02-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

From the Westerly, Rhode Island Junior WIN Team website:

Project T.G.I.F—Turning Grease into Fuel, aims to recycle used cooking oil into biodiesel to help heat needy people’s home in Westerly.

The idea was first initiated after reading an article in The Westerly Sun about the WARM shelter’s A Dollar A Week campaign to raise funds for heating assistance in Westerly. At the same time, we knew of the growing problem of global warming and the emissions produced by conventional petroleum based fuels. We looked for a solution to this problem through recycling cooking oil.

Some restaurants may produce between 100 and 300 gallons of cooking oil per month. These restaurants then pay a company to dispose of the oil. Instead, we envisioned a system where companies would donate their oil to be recycled, and some of the oil recycled would be donated to the WARM shelter for heating assistance.

Religious Leaders Deplore"Ugly Racial Stereotypes on the Campaign Trail"

2012-02-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

While The Daily Prism is not a political site, we can't help but hear loud political rhetoric during the current presidential race in America.

It appears to be open verbal warfare on the poor and less fortunate. So when faith organizations request candidates to cease decrying the poor and using racial code words, that's a big spark of light.

An open letter to the candidates says:

Some presidential candidates now courting “values voters” seem to have forgotten that defending human life and dignity does not stop with protecting the unborn. We remind (them) that Catholic bishops describe racism as an “intrinsic evil” and consistently defend vital government programs such as food stamps and unemployment benefits that help struggling Americans. At a time when nearly 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty, charities and the free market alone can’t address the urgent needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. And while jobseekers outnumber job openings 4-to-1, suggesting that the unemployed would rather collect benefits than work is misleading and insulting.

The statement came from the website PaxChristiUSA a religious non profit that, "...commits itself to peace education and, with the help of its bishop members, promotes the gospel imperative of peacemaking as a priority in the Catholic Church in the United States. Through the efforts of all its members and in cooperation with other groups, Pax Christi USA works toward a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world," according to the website.

Compassion Wins

2012-02-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

After the Susan G. Komen For the Cure declined further funding of Planned Parenthood for breast exams for women in need, millions of people protested the move.

Today, compassion won. The breast cancer research and support group reversed its decision and will continue grant funding to Planned Parenthood. See: http://philanthropy.com/blogs/philanthropytoday/update-komen-plans-to-maintain-support-of-planned-parenthood/44431?sid=pt&utm_source=pt&utm_medium=en

Shared Bravery on Sinking Ship

2012-02-02T07:24:00.000-08:00

In a recent article by Zeno Franco, Ph.D discussing the recent cruise ship calamity in the waters off of Italy, he pointed out: ".. there were numerous examples of everyday heroism on display. Giuseppe Girolamo, a drummer aboard the ship who is currently missing, was witnessed giving up his spot on a life raft to a child. Individuals and groups of people used their own bodies to form human ladders to allow others to escape, exhibiting individual and shared bravery."

Seaweed Rebels Seek Marine Conservation

2012-02-01T07:18:00.000-08:00

Photo by C. Coimbra

"Seaweed Rebels" unite under the banner of a nonprofit that "...works to promote unity, provide tools to and raise awareness of the solution-oriented marine conservation community." The Blue Frontier Campaign "... has established a nationwide network of grassroots (the marine conservation community or Blue Movement calls this 'seaweed') lobbyists. It is campaigning for an American Oceans Act to protect what the members call "our public seas" and is working to improve ocean policies in the 23 coastal states of the United States. Blue Frontier supports maritime community activists by distributing model policies and practices. Its other objectives include the creation of books, a TV documentary series, and other educational materials on ocean exploration and stewardship," according to Wikipedia.

Social Media Entrepreneurs Generously Support Education

2012-01-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

Tweet this: Twitter co-founder hlps pa aftschl prgms low-income stdnts.

Make that: Twitter co-founder and his wife are, "..helping to pay for afterschool programs and other enrichment activities at Henry Haight Elementary School, in Alameda, Calif. (Their) donation allowed low-income students to attend the after-school program on a scholarship...The charity also paid for the Marine Mammal Center’s Whale Bus and WildCare Bay Area’s Nature Van to come to the school, allowing students to get hands-on experience with the natural world...(The foundation also) recently started supporting two schools in addition to Henry Haight—Peres Elementary in Richmond, Calif., and United for Success Academy, in Oakland—and four other programs. Oakland’s Museum of Children’s Art, the music-and-dance nonprofit Young Imaginations, PRBO Conservation Science’s Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed program, and the Chabot Space & Science Center are all working with the charity and the schools
Source: Philanthropy Today

Youth Halt Unhealthy Pharmaceutical Disposal

2012-01-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

Improper disposal of pharmaceuticals violates the environment says a USGS Report. When a Midwestern teen discovered the facts about pharmaceuticals and the environment, she took action.

The teen studied the facts and presented the challenge, the consequences and proposed a means to stop the proliferation of improperly disposed pharmaceuticals in homes and the environment to local organizations. Her efforts, along with other students, brought a bill to their state legislature.

The successful passage eventually created a program called P2D2 or the Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program -- a "...collaborative effort between communities, local pharmacies, police departments, hospitals, city officials, students, and more," according to the P2D2 website.

Similar actions are now occurring throughout the U.S.

SEALs Rescue and Rescued Seals

2012-01-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

Guadalupe Fur Seal

Brave soldiers and caring marine mammal rescue teams brightened the daily newspaper headlines with
"SEALs rescue two from Somali pirates," and just beneath the story the featured photo read, "Marine mammals head back to sea."

The Somali story is national, while the seal (pinniped) story is localized. Four rescued and rehabilitated seals, including a rare Guadalupe fur seal, were successfully released back to the sea by volunteers.

GoodSearch Shares Profit With Non-Profits

2012-01-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

It's a 3-step search engine powered by Yahoo that gives a penny a search to your designated non-profit, and it's called GoodSearch--You Search. We Give.

Over 104,000 NGOs participate with over $8 million donated to participating non-profits that range from animal protection to cystic fibrosis research.

Spirit Gardens for Ogala Lakota Well Being

2012-01-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

According to the Ashoka Changemakers website, "We are working to promote better health among Oglala Lakota Native American families on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, USA, by helping them create a culturally relevant and sustainable agriculture and augment their diets with fresh produce. Our project goals are: (1) To help meet the food needs of low-income Oglala Lakota people; (2) Increase the self-reliance of Oglala Lakota communities in providing for their own food needs; (3) Uphold and extend Oglala Lakota cultural strength through gardening education, garden design and development of a sustainable agriculture."

Urban Farm Harbors Angry Boys

2012-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

It's edgy, in your face, and a project for sustainability that serendipitously attracted "angry boys...with school issues, stupid stuff with the law."

The quote comes from today's San Luis Obispo Tribune in a column that exposes community volunteers and activists.

A local botanist created an urban farm "...as an industry (that) responds to the nutritional demands of a city, from within that city, with the use and reuse of that city's resources." he explained. Young men "with issues" worked on the urban farm and now actively volunteer to develop sustainable community gardens.

Educating Girls in Nepal

2012-01-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

This photo from Bishnu Ray Bhatta, captures the will of girls to seek education in Nepal. This photo was taken over the Trishuli River near Kathmandu as the girl make their way to a secondary school.

The literacy rate in Nepal is 65% male and 47% female. NGOs like Girls Education Nepal, "...actively seek to find girls whose situation is particularly vulnerable. Hence, sponsorship is aimed at the most desperate cases – girls who otherwise would have little or no chance of going to school, mainly due to poverty, but also because of other kind of hardship. All girls are welcomed regardless of age, religion, location, previous education or background. We guarantee the scholarship until SLCs (School Leaving Certificate, normally taken at the age of 18) but will try to also encourage and financially support further education, be it vocational or higher education," states the website.

Foundation Funds Social Justice Leadership

2012-01-19T08:42:00.000-08:00

Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College received a $23 million grant that will put the college, "...on a path to become a higher education leader in the field of social justice and leadership development," according to a quote a MLive.com story.

The Arcus Foundation funded the grant because, "We envision 'K' College becoming the place to be for young people who aspire to develop the strategies and lead the work that will make our world more just and humane. This ambition maps directly to the values shared by the foundation and the college," a foundation spokesperson explained.

Minority Donors Are Generous Donors, Says Study

2012-01-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

From Philanthropy Today

January 13, 2012

Minorities Are More Generous Than Whites, Study Finds

By Marisa López-Rivera

Blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities give larger shares of their income than whites, a new study finds.

Most of the donations go to organizations and causes that affect members of the same minority group.
According to the report, almost two-thirds of black households make charitable donations, giving 25 percent more of their income than whites. About $11-billion comes from black donors; education groups got the biggest share of their donations. The study also found that 63 percent of Latino households donate to charities. The report, by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, was compiled from data on 1,500 donors supplied by 34 foundation grantees that aid minorities.

With data provided by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, in New York, the report also examined community foundations and charities that devote their money and work to aiding specific minority groups and causes. Of the 355 funds included in the analysis, a third were established in the 1990s. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors estimates those organizations collect and distribute about $400-million a year.

One-Year Landmark: India Polio-Free

2012-01-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

From Reuters:

When the clocks strike midnight in New Delhi on January 12, India will mark the first year in history it has recorded no new cases of polio.

It's a huge milestone for a country many experts thought would be the last place on earth to get rid of the crippling virus. And it's an exciting step forward for global health workers battling to make polio only the second human infectious disease after smallpox to be eradicated.

Celebrating and Acting on "A Day of Service"

2012-01-16T08:44:00.000-08:00

"We must work unceasingly to uplift this nation that we love to a higher destiny, to a higher plateau of compassion, to a more noble expression of humanness" -Dr Martin Luther King

The beauty of the national holiday, Marting Luther King, Jr. Day, is it is more about making this a day of service to others than a day lounging.

In my neighborhood, college students distributed grocery bags to every house on our street. Each bag offers suggestions of what foods to put inside that will be donated to a local food bank. "Please place your donations in this bag on your front porch before 8 a.m., Monday, Jan. 16." Volunteers will pick up the bags.

A Twitter stream lists the services all ready completed today:

300 books collected in Denver for AmeriCorps distribution
Volunteers painting homeless shelter

Volunteers helping at health fair
UPS drivers delivering volunteer services
Neighbors cleaning up neighborhood
Serving food in homeless shelter
1800 volunteers gathering to serve in North Carolina
Anticipating over 10,000 volunteer projects today
Expectation of over 100,000 community volunteers
Collecting "gently worn" coats in NYC
Search for youth exemplifying MLK's vision
Collecting "gently used" sports equipment
Planting flowers and shrubs on school campuses
Building benches for parks
Signing up to mentor youth
Donating blood

"Goodness Is Part of Our Human Repertoire"

2012-01-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

"Indeed there is an increasing body of empirical science which firmly indicates that basic goodness is part of our human repertoire. Paul Bloom and his colleagues at Yale demonstrated that infants as young as six months prefer an individual who helps another to one who hinders another. Michael Tomasello of the Max Planck Institute in Germany has found that both human and chimpanzee toddlers engage in spontaneous acts of altruism to help others. These studies clearly establish the fact of innate basic goodness. From the youngest of ages, we are oriented to prefer altruistic others and to engage in altruistic acts. Of course, we all engage in these behaviors, but sometimes they become obscured amidst all of the other input we encounter on a nearly constant basis."

From: Reflecting on Basic Goodness An Alternative to The New Year Resolution by Richard J. Davidson

Community Health Care Centers: "An Engine of Well-Being"

2012-01-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

A commentary in a recent editon of Philanthropy Today, reviewed the importance of community health care centers that operate as nonprofits.

"Increasingly, communities are recognizing the value of health centers as nonprofit enterprises that consolidate government, private, and consumer dollars. These centers are critical engines of well-being in distressed communities, and we must continue to encourage efforts to ensure that their growth is done smartly and sustainably," the commentary states.

In went on to note, "For investors of any kind looking to make an immediate social impact on communities in need and introduce greater efficiency into the market, health-care centers are a great deal. Located in neighborhoods with limited medical-care options, community health centers that have won federal certification are required to serve everyone, regardless of whether they have insurance or can afford the care. In 2010, such centers served 19.5 million patients, 38 percent of whom were uninsured."

"I Wanna Shower With You In The Dark"--Mr. Eco Rap Energy Super Hero

2012-01-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

It's camp. It's funny. It's corny and maybe that is what makes Mr. Eco a "rap energy super hero" on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo.

Mr. Eco jumped to super hero status from the university's Alliance to Save Energy Green Campus program.

"The Alliance Green Campus Program empowers college students to be tomorrow’s energy efficiency leaders. Currently employing over 75 interns each year, the program engages students in building pathways to green careers, realizing measurable energy savings, infusing energy and energy efficiency concepts into academic curricula, and promoting energy efficiency awareness. Green Campus interns work closely with faculty, staff, administrators, and other students to engage them in energy efficiency projects," explains the Alliance home page.

Shanghai Promotes Good Deeds

2012-01-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

From Philanthropy Today:

Aiming to counter a reputation for civic indifference and greed among its 23-million people, the Chinese city of Shanghai has instituted an incentive program to reward volunteerism, the Financial Times writes.

Shanghai residents will get discounts on their utility bills for public-service work. The move follows a trend in other Chinese cities, which have mounted similar incentive programs or, in one case, drafted good Samaritan laws.

Learning Forgiveness

2012-01-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

"Hate Hurts is determined to encourage us all to forgive those who have hurt us and end our own acts of hatred – no matter how small," simply states the website's mission.

It encourages students to take a pledge that says, "I will strive to embrace diversity, love and respect all people, and pursue equality in all of my daily interactions."

It also offers free teaching tools for classrooms

Web-zine Inspires Hope & Wisdom

2012-01-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

The website publication, Hope Dance.org has a simple mission, "Inspiring genuine hope, our intention is to also help connect people to specific projects, individuals, and organizations so that dialogue, wisdom, and vital action will be the fruitful outcome for the people, plants, animals and land..."

The community-oriented site features news on laughter and health, smiling and money, blogs that focus on patience and kindness.

UK Soldier Rescues Afghanistan Cats, Dogs & Donkeys

2012-01-05T11:21:00.000-08:00

War and civilian disrupted and displaced lives also leave pets to fend for themselves. Such is the scenario in Afghanistan. A UK Royal Marine stationed in Afghanistan explained, “When we first arrived in the town of Now Zad I broke up a dog fight that was taking place right outside our remote compound. What I didn’t know was that one of those fighting dogs would then befriend me! I couldn’t say no to those big sad eyes, the now very former fighting dog, became my buddy and found himself a name – Nowzad”.

This led to the "...Nowzad Dogs charity has been formed to do something positive for the cats, dogs and other animals of Afghanistan that have no hope and nobody to care for them. We realise we cannot transport all of the stray dogs of Afghanistan and to loving homes, but we will do our best to promote animal welfare and to assist in vital animal aid work that is so desperately needed in Afghanistan," the website, for the charity explains.

10 Day Kalachakra For World Peace

2012-01-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

The first ten days of January are develoted to spiritual teachings, prayer and devotions in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, the Kalachakra For World Peace. His Holiness the Dali Lama spent Jan. 1-3 in prayer and sand mandala creation. Teachings that include lessons on meditation and mind training continue through the 7th, when ritual dance begins.

A Promise Realized and Gives Kids The World

2012-01-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

When a young leukemia victim died before her wish to visit Orlando, FL theme parks came true, a Holocaust survivor and now a successful hotelier, swore this would not happen again. He gathered his friends and business associates to meet his goal to Give Kids the World.

The website explains: Imagine a child whose illness prevents them from enjoying their childhood, from doing the things so many of us take for granted. Imagine a child whose weekly routine includes a steady regimen of medicine, needles, treatments, and pain. Imagine a family that would do anything to ease their child’s pain, to make their child smile, to make their child’s dream come true.

For so many families, these unthinkable odds are a reality. Give Kids The World exists solely to fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, providing them a memorable, magical experience that will live in their hearts for years to come.

With the help of over 3,500 devoted volunteer angels, countless compassionate corporate and individual heroes, and dedicated staff members, Give Kids The World is able to give these children and their families the most precious gift of all – the gift of hope. Families enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity to have fun, to relax, and to spend the type of quality time together absent from their normal daily lives.

Hikers Walk To Save Desert Park

2012-01-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

A sign of the times is the closing of state parks because of bugetary cuts. But nature lovers, realizing the value of these natural preserves took to a hike on New Year's Day 2012 to help save a desert park slated to close, Saddleback Butte.

SaveSaddleback is so new that the website remains under construction.

Saddleback Butte, elevation 3,651 feet, is a granite mountain top that stands some thousand feet above the broad alluvial bottom land of the Antelope Valley about twenty miles east of Lancaster, on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. The 2,955 acre state park surrounding Saddleback Butte was created in 1960 to protect the butte (one of many similar land features in the Antelope Valley). Even more importantly, to preserve a representative example of the native Joshua Tree woodland and other plants and animals that were once common throughout this high desert area.

Guardian Angels for Soldiers' Pets

2011-12-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

When a soldier is deployed, everything, including a beloved pet is left behind. "This left the deploying active duty military pet owner with only one option, which was to relinquish their beloved pets and pet ownership rights to an animal shelter or rescue group never to see their pets again, know if they got a new good home, or ended up being euthanized," explains the website that represents a nonprofit group called Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pets (GASP).

GASP formed in 2005 to "...find a caring, loving, and safe home to care for them during the pet owner’s deployment to fight the global war on terrorism (combat and peace keeping missions), but had not been able to find someone to care for them."

Gaga & Bieber: "Celebs Gone Good"

2011-12-30T07:20:00.000-08:00

A recent The Hollywood Reporter story announced the celebrities voted who gave the most:

For the second consecutive year, Gaga tops the Celebs Gone Good Top 20 list, courtesy of DoSomething.org. Hot on her heels is another pop superstar, Justin Bieber, who jumps to the No. 2 spot from last year's position at No. 10, with George Clooney rounding out the top 3.

Gaga instituted the Born This Way Foundation to help empower youth. And teen pop star, Bieber, was recognized for his support of Pencils of Promise, "an organization which has built 41 schools in Laos, Nicaragua and Guatemala," according to the news release.

Army of Young To Change World For Good

2011-12-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

Bring Your Dog To A Hospital
Teach Your Grandparents Technology
Teens for Jeans--Help the Homeless

Each of these ideas come from a website that encourages teens to act positive and "Do Something Good." The website? DoSomething.org

The site offers causes that range from stopping abuse to war, peace and politics.
Google.com recently awarded "Do Something" with a $2 million grant to "...help build our army of young people who are changing the world for good."

Helping Your Neighbor Made Easy

2011-12-28T09:44:00.000-08:00

GiveLocally.net, allows people who need emergency help getting food or paying the electric bill to tell their stories; donors read those stories and make donations targeted for specific individuals or families, writes a recent USA Today story. Here is more from USA Today:

Attorney Brad Newman, 41, started GiveLocally a little more than a year ago. Bo Young, 38, an Atlanta entrepreneur, came on board late last year. They purposely chose not to be a non-profit.

"The philanthropic model needs to be more accountable, so we are accountable to our donors and our investors," Newman says. "We operate like a business. We operate as a Web start-up. Our product is to help people. Our mission is to do it efficiently."

At a time many Americans are struggling, Newman and Young say their business fills a niche. "We chose this model because we want to be self-sufficient," Young says. "We are hard-working Americans helping one another, and we're not relying on charity or government to do it."

U.S. Ranks "Most Charitable"

2011-12-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

From CAF America

WASHINGTON, D.C.///December 19, 2011///The United States now ranks the highest in terms of charity in a massive global survey that put the nation in fifth place in 2010, according to CAFAmerica, a member organization of the United Kingdom based Charities Aid Foundation International Network of Offices, providing charitable financial services to individuals, global corporations, charities, and foundations.

According to those surveyed, two out of three Americans said they donated money to charity (65 percent), more than two out of five volunteered their time (43 percent) and roughly three out of four helped a stranger (73 percent). The new “World Giving Index (WGI) 2011” report is based on over 150,000 Gallup polling interviews with members of the public in 153 countries. The 2011 report looks at three aspects of giving behavior of individuals in the preceding month, asking if they have donated money to a charity, volunteered time to an organization, or helped a stranger.

Read the December 19, 2011 news release.

Read the “World Giving Index 2011” report.

Listen to the December 19, 2011 news event.

Yes, Kmart Shoppers, There is a Santa Claus

2011-12-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

From Philanthropy Today

December 19, 2011, 10:25 am

Shoppers at Kmart stores in several states are finding their layaway accounts for Christmas gifts being paid in full by anonymous donors, according to the Associated Press.

Executives with the retail chain said the phenomenon appears to have begun in Michigan and spread to stores in Indiana, Iowa, Montana, and Nebraska, with dozens of customers being notified that their balance for toys and children’s clothes have been fully or nearly covered.

Benefactors generally ask to help families that are deferring payment on items for young children. At an Indianapolis Kmart on Tuesday an anonymous woman reportedly paid layaway orders for as many as 50 people and handed out $50 bills as she left the store.

Kmart representatives said they have done nothing to instigate or spread word of the giving. “It is honestly being driven by people wanting to do a good deed at this time of the year,” said Salima Yala, a vice president with the company’s layaway division.

A 1000 Gifts For Senior Citizens Missed by Santa

2011-12-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

Pennsyvania college students recently sorted, tagged and wrapped about a 1000 holiday packages for senior citizens who would, otherwise, be without a present under the tree on Christmas morning, reports The Times-Tribune:

“…dozens of students…sponsor a program where students and faculty can purchase and wrap presents for local senior citizens who would otherwise have nothing to unwrap on Christmas morning….This year…about 1,000 gifts, all of which fulfill wish lists filled out by area seniors….”

Mud & Volunteers Create Energy Efficient Housing

2011-12-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

“In this challenging economy when people are struggling to afford housing and other basic essentials, it is admirable that you and all the good people involved with Adobe in Action are working not just to help provide any home for a deserving family in Espanola (New Mexico) but a home that is both energy efficient with the use of classic adobe bricks and sustainable with passive solar design. We commend you on combining sustainability with heritage values while meeting real economic needs in our time," said the president of an environmental group when awarding the 2011 Conservation Quest Champions Prize in New Mexico.

Adobe in Action, in coordination and partnership with other entities, promotes access to affordable, quality, sustainable and energy efficient housing to those who have fewer resources. This year the organization has employed thousands of labor hours from dedicated volunteers and students from over twenty distinct groups in exchange for education in traditional brick building skills. All told, volunteers have produced over 6,000 adobe bricks which will be used to build Adobe in Action’s first home for an Espanola family in need, notes a Dec. 16, 2011 media release.

A Basic Need: Shoes

2011-12-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

In sub-Sahara Africa, alone, 20 million children will never own a pair of shoes.

The barefoot facts: "As the skin on the bottom of the feet toughens and thickens, large cracks can form, which allows parasitic infections such as hookworm and threadworm to penetrate the skin. In addition, constant cuts and scrapes to the feet and ankles frequently become infected and many of these infections can lead to ulcers and worse...In addition to infections brought on by external injuries, a child's bare foot is particularly at risk of infection by hookworm. Especially at risk are children living in African and Southeast Asian countries, where hookworm infections are about 60 times more common," notes the nonprofit Soles4Souls -- a nonprofit that procures shoes and distributes them to those in need.

Soles4Souls collects new shoes to give relief to the victims of abject suffering and collects used shoes to support micro-business efforts to eradicate poverty.

Soles4Souls’ other two divisions, Clothes4Souls and Hope4Souls, provide the same relief and support through clothing and other necessities.

Boomers Post Nonprofits On To-Do Lists

2011-12-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

From The Chronicle of Philanthropy:

?More than 12 million Americans from 44 to 70 years old would like to start nonprofits or businesses that solve social problems, according to a new study by Civic Ventures, a think tank in San Francisco. The report, which was supported by the MetLife Foundation and compiled by Penn Schoen Berland, a marketing-research firm, also found that more than half of those 12 million Americans say it is very likely they will start such an organization within the next five to 10 years."

Rebuilding Joplin, Mo Schools After EF5 Tornado

2011-12-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

A generous community came together after the May 2011 EF5 tornado destroyed or severely damaged Joplin, Mo schools. Here's a list of some of the volunteer fundraising and efforts to help the schools rebuild:

$25,000 from Freeman Health Systems
$22,500 from Anderson Family Charitable Foundation & supporters
$1400 from New Jersey 5th Grade student
3000 books from 13-year-old California student
$850 from Webb City students
$7500 & truckload of supplies from Parkway School students
School supplies from 3rd grade student
$500,000 from United Arab Emirates
$50,000 from Liberty Bank
From Texas donors:

around 70 bikes and scooters

over 330 pairs of shoes

230 backpacks filled with toys, craft supplies, and other supplies for kids aged pre-school through eighth grade

40 boxes of books for school libraries and classrooms

10 "treasure" boxes for Pre-K and kindergarten teachers

$263,000 in classroom supplies from Learning Resources

$360 from 9-year-old who held a car wash

$250,000 from Satterlee Family

$20,000 from Blue Springs School District

$250,000 from Humphrey Family

Wishbook Benefits Soldiers and Military Families

2011-12-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

The USO Wishbook is a new online catalog for giving to US military troop and family. One can tailor a gift from a $25 phone call or a gift box for the children of deployed soldiers, called Growing Up Brave, or one can Build a Bike for a Wounded Warrior "...an extraordinary gift for some truly extraordinary people – our wounded warriors. Each bike purchased with this gift will be custom built for their specific injury, and each bike will be used to restore hope and confidence, and the joy of once again being active with their families and friends," for $5000.

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A 1000 Trees A Year for One Cool Earth

2011-12-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

One Cool Earth is a registered nonprofit devoted to planting as a means of creating a sustainable planet.

Projects are holistic with five goals for each project:

· Education

· Restoration

· Beautification

· Human Utility

· Economy

“We currently plant over 1000 trees each year with the help of hundreds of volunteers, and both numbers continue to grow,” notes the organization’s web site.

Teens Benefit From Celebrity Clothes Donation

2011-12-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

Children's Resource Network, a local nonprofit program that allows disadvantaged and homeless teens or their parents to pick out and try on donated clothing, took in a large donation of stylish clothes delivered by a handsome young man who looked like a movie star. As he helped the nonprofit's president and CEO load clothes into the back of her car, he introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Zac Efron," greeted the popular celebrity.

Efron donated over 300 pieces, and signed a few, that will be available to regional teens in the Teens Closet, a small portable building where clothes are distributed.

High school students volunteer to help sort and organize donated clothing.

Source: San Luis Obispo Tribune

Helping With Modest Needs

2011-12-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

Furniture Maker Lost All Tools In a Fire: Needs Help Getting Livelihood Back
Chemotherapy Took My Hair, Need Wig to Feel Like Me Again

Husband Sidelined by Brain Infection: Help Us Keep Our Home

The above pleas for help are typical of the circumstances of the average low-income worker whom conventional philanthropy has forgotten.

Modest Needs has a simple mission: to work to stop the cycle of poverty BEFORE it starts.

"We do this by empowering compassionate members of the general public to safely and securely help hard-working, low-income households to afford the kinds of short-term emergency expenses that we've all encountered before: the unexpected car repair, the unanticipated visit to the doctor, or the unusually large heating bill, for example.

Since 2002, by working together in this very 'modest' way, Modest Needs' donors have stopped 10,082 low-income individuals and families from entering the vicious cycle of poverty and a lifetime of dependence on the public welfare system for their survival," the website explains.

Promoting Anti-Bias and Diversity Training Programs

2011-12-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

The Anti-Defamation League's A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE^® Institute provides anti-bias education and diversity training programs and resources. The Institute seeks to help participants: recognize bias and the harm it inflicts on individuals and society; explore the value of diversity; improve intergroup relations; and combat racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of prejudice and bigotry.

Battle of The Toucan Benefits Mayan Culture

2011-12-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

Maya Archaeology Initiative Logo

VS.

Toucan Sam

Defending their Fruit Loops Toucan Sam, Michigan Kellogg Company's cereal mascot, was, they claimed, much too similar to the toucan logo used by the Maya Archaeology Initiative, a San Francisco nonprofit group.

But according to a Detroit News story, the battle of the toucans took a peaceful flight with the cereal maker giving "...the green light to continue using its rendering of a toucan, and will contribute $100,000 toward establishing a Mayan cultural center."

The Maya Archaeology Initiative's mission includes,

"... to provide the means to protect and improve northern Guatemala through a range of diverse programs including:

1) To provide educational opportunities and training in Mayan history and culture for Guatemalan young people. This includes sharing artifacts and antiquities at interpretive centers, explaining the significance of Maya history in world history, and fieldwork at archaeological when possible.

2) To encourage conservation of the Peten rainforest’s animals, plants, and natural resources. To this end, MAI works with other NGOs seeking protection for the region's invaluable natural resources;

3) To support research in new areas of Maya archaeology, including pressing for protection of Holmul, Cival and nearby sites;

4) To protect cultural and historical resources, and to make them available to the public through digital means where possible;

5) To help communities better their standards of living by supporting sustainable tourism and promotion of traditional arts and handicrafts."

Two Wheels To A Better Life

2011-11-30T08:56:00.000-08:00

This story was featured in a Sunday magazine, Wheels of Change. The mission statement says,

"Wheels of Change International was established to help the people of Africa gain access to mobility and create a better life for all in their communities. As an organization WOC International’s mission is to help form the foundation for change in Africa, driven by the simple belief that a bicycle can make a difference."

Facts from the WOC website:
When a bicycle is donated, the possibilities are endless and the math becomes simple. In the hands of a healthcare worker, they can cover four times the ground than otherwise on foot. This translates into four times the number of patient visits and four times the number of medication disbursements. Wheels of Change helps fulfill a basic need: to provide a distribution vehicle for improved healthcare for those too remote from formalized healthcare facilities. But it doesn’t stop there. Why bikes?

A healthcare worker visits 3 to 4 times the number of clients with a bicycle compared to walking.
Girls are 70 percent more likely to attend school if their household owns a bicycle.
5km on foot = 1 hour / 5km by bicycle = 20 minutes.
A bicycle carries up to 5 times the load compared with a person walking

Volunteers Continue Building In Earthquake Destroyed Peruvian Region

2011-11-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

In 2007 a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake along the Pisco region of Peru, left thousands of families without homes and community resources. One year later, Pisco Sin Fronteras (PSF), a Peruvian organization formed to launch sustainable reconstruction--one without a pullout date.

"Our vision is of a Pisco with adequate housing, sanitation and education for all, in which everyone has the opportunity to shape their own future," notes the website.

"PSF works directly with families and communities in the region of Pisco, improving their lives through construction projects, community initiatives and education. From short term disaster relief to sustainable long term solutions, PSF empowers local people and volunteers from all over the world to build a stronger Pisco."

First Ecoregion Map of the World

2011-11-26T09:36:00.000-08:00

Scientists and conservationists from nearly every corner of planet Earth contributed to create Freshwater Ecoregions of the World, (FEOW), a new global biogeographic regionalization of the Earth's freshwater biodiversity. Covering virtually all freshwater habitats on Earth, this first-ever ecoregion map, together with associated species data, is a useful tool for underpinning global and regional conservation planning efforts, particularly to identify outstanding and imperiled freshwater systems; for serving as a logical framework for large-scale conservation strategies; and for providing a global-scale knowledge base for increasing freshwater biogeographic literacy.

Culturally Diverse Program For Young Women in Crisis

2011-11-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

"The Center for Young Women's Development (CYWD) is one of the first non-profits in the United States run and led entirely by young women. From the beginning, we have organized young women who were the most marginalized in San Francisco — those in the street economies and the juvenile justice system — to design and deliver peer-to-peer education and support."

The mission: Our mission is to empower and inspire young women who have been involved with the juvenile justice system and/or the underground street economy to create positive change in their lives and communities.

From Halloween Fear to Feeding Hungry Families

2011-11-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

New Mexico Vietnam Veterans Deliver food and gift cards to teen homeless shelter.

Last October a "Halloween geek" and a host of volunteers created "the best haunted house in the world," in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which this week (beginning Nov. 21), benefited the For Kid’s Sake Project, St. Elizabeth’s homeless shelter, Casa Familia and the Agua Fria Teen Shelter, according to an Albuquerque Journal report.

The haunted house volunteers from Vietnam Vets of America/ Northern New Mexico Chapter 996 and The Santa Fe VIP.COM, presented gift certificates and boxes of food to homeless teens, this week.

Dance Moves Empower Survivors

2011-11-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Professional dancers from Gibney Dance For Community Action in New York, donate time to help teach dance moves to victims of domestic violence. A program designed to work with domestic violence survivors has been developed that can be used in other communities.

The program offers free movement workshops for lower income women in domestic violence shelters. Currently 100 free workshops operate in New York City that offer safe, supportive and empowering moves to help explore physical ease and expression.

Brigades of Peace Activism

2011-11-21T07:52:00.000-08:00

Since it's beginnings in 1981, Peace Brigades International (PBI) "...has helped hundreds of communities and thousands of people in 11 countries by protecting human rights defenders who tirelessly work in pursuit of justice for the victims and survivors of violence, displacement and repression."

PBI sends international volunteers to areas of conflict, providing protective accompaniment to human rights defenders threatened by political violence, and PBI facilitates other peace-building initiatives.

Peaceful Passings for Animal Friends

2011-11-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

As our pets age we are faced with hard decisions as to their well being. Today's prism of light I found through Facebook, it's called Peaceful Passings, Inc..

The website states,

Peaceful Passings is a home-based animal rescue, located in Fluvanna County in Central Virginia. Our vision is a world where no animal has to be euthanized because of age or medical challenge, where a quality of life remains.

The goal of animal hospice is to provide comfort, dignity, and a sense of peace to animals reaching the end of their natural lives. The focus of care is on sustaining

the highest quality of life for whatever time remains.

Scholarships for Young Women Honor Generous Hero

2011-11-19T10:07:00.000-08:00

Viola’s Huge Heart Foundation is a charity founded by the Barrios family of San Antonio, TX, that...awards one full time scholarship to a student at Incarnate Word High School...This scholarship will support a young lady who might not have been given the opportunity to pursue a high-quality education due to financial constraints.

The foundation, according to its website, supports causes in San Antonio as well as in Bustamante, Mexico. "The foundation will also support Les Dames d’Escoffier scholarship, a scholarship that encourages women to pursue careers in the culinary arts..."

The nonprofit was formed after the violent murder of a San Antonio matriarch, restaurateur and community volunteer, Viola Barrios.

Penny Power Benefits Hospitalized Kids

2011-11-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

A young girl with a hospitalized brother proves the power of a penny through Pennies of Love.

She explains from her website:

"Brianna's Pennies of Love" collects money and art supplies for childern with medical needs. I use the money to buy art and craft supplies on wish lists at hospitals and clinics and to make art bags for children in isolation. They need large easels, painting smocks, drying racks, and other art supplies. The children use the art supplies to keep them busy while they are receiving extended medical treatment. This includes the Children's Blood and Cancer Center, Children's Dialysis Clinic, other infusion centers, and Dell Children's Hospital's playrooms and art bags for children in isolation

Restoring, Protecting Costa Rican Rainforests

2011-11-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

From Inner Traditions

The Hacienda Rio Coté Project (HRC) has been established to restore and protect rainforest land adjacent to the Rio Coté National Protected Areas in Costa Rica.

HRC’s mission is to reforest and preserve land that is contiguous with existing protected areas of the Rio Coté National Forest and in effect to increase the size of a pristine rainforest environment. HRC’s goal is to maintain and extend natural biodiversity, preserve watersheds, reduce erosion and river degradation, protect animal and insect habitats, and preserve the primordial beauty of the tropical rain forests for future generations.

"Wrap With Care, Save A Polar Bear"

2011-11-15T07:57:00.000-08:00

“Wrap with care, save the polar bear,” reads a condom packet. “Wear a condom now, save the spotted owl,” says another.

The Center for Biological Diversity is one of the first environmental groups to address human over population by giving away "endangered species condoms" with messages like the above.

A recent New York Times article notes:

Major American environmental groups have dodged the subject of population control for decades, wary of getting caught up in the bruising politics of reproductive health.

Yet, virtually alone, the Center for Biological Diversity is breaking the taboo by directly tying population growth to environmental problems through efforts like giving away condoms in colorful packages depicting endangered animals. The idea is to start a debate about how overpopulation crowds out species and hastens climate change — just when the world is welcoming Baby No. 7 Billion.

Worldwide Effort To Correct Birth Defect

2011-11-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

"Clubfoot, which affects about 200,000 infants a year, is a horribly disabling birth defect, one that can doom a child born in a poor country to a marginal life. In the condition, one or both feet are turned inward and down, forcing afflicted people to walk clumsily on the sides of their feet," writes Barry Meier for The New York Times.

The Ponseti International Association was formed to create "a world free of clubfoot." Their mission includes, "To prevent disability, ill health, and poverty in children born with clubfoot by globally implementing comprehensive programs of Ponseti training, ongoing support, and public awareness. "

Clubfoot Birth Defect

Corrected Birth Defect

Generous Lower-Income Brits

2011-11-12T08:49:00.000-08:00

From the Third Sector:

People earning less than £32,000 give on average more than 1 per cent of their income to charity, whereas those on more than £52,000 typically give only 0.8 per cent, according to research by the Charities Aid Foundation and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

Busting World Poverty With Innovation

2011-11-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

A California couple recently donated $150 million to Stanford Graduate School of Business in an effort to sideline world wide poverty through enabling entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders to alleviate poverty in developing economies. The program is Institute for Innovation in Developing Ecnomies, also known as SEED.

A university press release notes:

To amplify its impact on the more than one billion people in the world who live on less than $1.25 a day, SEED will partner with organizations such as Endeavor, which mentors and accelerates the work of high-impact entrepreneurs; Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm that helps scale innovative organizations that catalyze economic, social, and political change; Skoll Foundation, which drives change by investing in social entrepreneurs; and global social enterprise investor Acumen Fund. All have established operations abroad.

2011-11-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

Editor's Note: We joined a CSF and are amazed at how much we learned about our local fish and feel good about supporting our local industry. Also, it is the best fish ever, other than catching your own.

LocalCatch.org is an online network that links consumers to community supported fisheries (CSFs).

The network seeks to increase the visibility of CSFs and it aims to provide assistance to individuals and organizations that need support envisioning, designing, and implementing locally-relevant businesses that work towards a triple bottom line.

Though each CSF is designed to fit its local context, several core elements tie them together. CSFs:

Establish a transparent chain-of-custody from boat to fork;
Increase access to premium, locally caught seafood;
Ensure fishers receive a fair price for their catch that reflects the value of their work;
Engage fishers and community members in more robust, viable, local food systems;
Provide a framework through which fishers and customers alike can creatively steward our marine resources.

Four Events To Help Others

2011-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Four local events listed in today's news with a holiday flavor to help others:

1) Coats for Christmas Day Drive: Raising funds to purchase coast for the homeless. www.unitedwayslo.org

2) Holiday poinsettia sales to benefit mental health providers for less fortunate.

3) "Be a Santa to a Senior" program featuring ornaments that list names of seniors and their gift requests. www.BeASantaToASenior.com

4) Horsemen's Club Toy Ride: Collecting toys for disadvantaged children.

China's Orphans' Life Improvement Program

2011-11-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

In 1996, Jenny. Bowen and her husband adopted a 20-month-old girl from China who couldn’t walk or talk but grew into a healthy child. Two years later, Ms. Bowen started Half the Sky to change the way China cares for its orphans. Since then, the charity has grown to operate programs in 51 Chinese cities, improving conditions for more than 60,000 children. In the next five years, the organization will help train 110,000 child-care workers and watch as the Chinese government invests $300-million in building 300 model orphanages. Ms. Bowen will ask donors to match the prize money and pay for a national effort in China to train workers who care for orphans.

Source: Philanthropy Today

Rockers Promise End To "Teenage Wasteland" For Cancer Patients

2011-11-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

For more than a decade rock legends from the band the Who, Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend, have supported England's Teenage Cancer Trust--19 cancer units for teenagers across the U.K, reports Rolling Stone.

The report notes, "On Friday, (Roger Daltry) was joined in Los Angeles by Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin to announce the launch of the UCLA Daltrey/Townshend Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program, in hopes of changing a medical culture that categorizes patients as either adults or children, with few special considerations for teens."

A UCLA news release explains, "The vision of the UCLA Daltrey/Townshend Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program is to ensure that every young person receives the best possible care and professional support to help them meet the physical and emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis. The belief is that teenagers and young adults shouldn't stop enjoying their youth just because they have cancer."

Daily Prism Blog Writer Busy With Life

2011-11-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

The Daily Prism's poster is suddenly busy with life.

Our next post will return Sunday, Nov. 7.

Keep you light beaming!

Differences Ignored In Wake Of Humanitarian Call

2011-10-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

From The Economist

SOMETIMES it takes a tragedy. The earthquake that struck Turkey’s mainly Kurdish province of Van on October 23rd, killing at least 481 people, triggered an outpouring of solidarity. Millions of Turks donated to relief campaigns. Convoys of volunteers drove thousands of miles from Istanbul to help dig for survivors in Van, an impoverished and mountainous province that borders Iran. Mustafa Sarigul, the mayor of a posh borough in Istanbul, offered free housing and education to 1,000 children left homeless by the quake.

From Globes

This afternoon, the first Israeli assistance airlift was due to fly out to the disaster area in Eastern Turkey with portable homes and buildings. Ankara has requested help from Israel and 30 other countries to repair damage from the strong earthquake that has caused the death of more than 400 people so far.

Turkey is mainly interested in receiving portable homes and buildings to house refugees whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake, as well as equipment for rescuing people trapped under the rubble. The office of Minister of Defense Ehud Barak said that, "After receiving a request from the Turkish government in Ankara, it instructed the defense establishment to fly out special aid to Turkey following the earthquake."

A Better World Due to " Better Angels"

2011-10-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

When caught in the clutch of 24/7 cable news, it can look as though the world is collapsing on itself. But not so, says a recent report by Seth Borenstein for Associate Press.

Borenstein writes, "...historically, we've never had it this peaceful.

That's the thesis of three new books, including one by prominent Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker. Statistics reveal dramatic reductions in war deaths, family violence, racism, rape, murder and all sorts of mayhem.

In his book, Pinker writes: "The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species."

In a Greater Good report it says,

Steven Pinker’s new book, The Better Angles of Our Nature, starts with a modest claim: “This book is about what may be the most important thing that has ever happened in human history.”

“Believe it or not,” he continues, “violence has declined over long stretches of time, and today we may be living in the most peaceable era in our species’ existence.”

"Trick Or Treat So Others Can Eat"

2011-10-26T09:42:00.000-07:00

Following the lead on a recent post about hunger in America, American youth have taken to the streets in a campaign to collect food for their local food banks.

"We're the next generation. ... We can make a big difference," said Ellie Morrison, 15, of Ventura, according to a recent Ventura County News report.

The national campaign began Oct. 17 and runs through Nov. 7.

Feeding the Hungry

2011-10-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

A network of food banks "supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors," in a time when 1 in 6 Americans struggle with hunger.

" These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days," says the nonprofit website Feeding America.

200 member food banks are located across the United States.

Take the Hunger In America Quiz

http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/quiz.aspx

Act of Giving Blesses

2011-10-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

After seeing American castoffs at the curb with free signs on them, a Nigerian man collected the goods with thoughts of sending them to his native Nigeria, where people have so little. He'd often collect the free goods while riding his bicycle.

“A lot of people had sympathy when they saw me on the bicycle and offered to help convey the things to my house," he explained to a local reporter.

He then collected goods from garage sales and stored them in a rented shed--spending an average of $200-$300 per week. The assorted household items are now filling a container for shipment to Nigeria.

“... The level of generosity and lightness of heart (is) America, which gives more than any other country in the world. America is seen as the grandfather of the world. America is always there to provide solutions," he told the reporter.

Honoring Cultural and Biological Diversity

2011-10-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

"Amazon Watch is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin...(Amazon Watch) envisions a world that honors and values cultural and biological diversity and the critical contribution of tropical rainforests to our planet's life support system," notes the group's website.

Amazon Watch also:

Believes that indigenous self-determination is paramount,
Indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contribute greatly to sustainable and equitable stewardship of the Earth.

Another Bar Mitzvah Benefits Local Food Bank

2011-10-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Today's local paper reports that a local young man who recently celebrated his bar mitzvah, "...used his monetary gifts to help fight hunger...(and) donated $1,000 to the Food Bank Coalition..."

Source: The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, October 20, 2011

Saving Poland's Primeval Forests

2011-10-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

Poland's Bialowieza Primeval Forest is a treasured forest that is more than 8,000 years old. Preserving and protecting the forest has become the focused project by a group called Workshop for All Beings.

"Workshop for All Beings-— seeks to protect the environment of Poland by helping local communities become knowledgeable about their local environment and enabling them to better articulate the conservation issue they need to pursue. It is building a broad citizen-based environmental movement and equipping citizens to form and sustain a commitment to Poland’s primeval forests and wildlife and to the ecology of its many human communities, as development takes place in the recent political and economic contexts. They prepare maps of "Wild Poland" and of existing and possible problems and conflicts. To help provide a social background for these efforts, they find and gather local people to participate in training programs. The seminars and workshops inform them about Poland's environmental laws, ways of social, political and scientific cooperation and participation, and ways of creating groups of lobbyist. They publish a monthly illustrated magazine "Wild Nature," which is widely quoted in the national media." explains Solutions Site.

Standing For Women's Rights in Armenia

2011-10-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Following the death of an Armenian woman by domestic violence, volunteers worked to bring the case to public view in a conservative environment. For the first time, the accused batterer was sentenced to a lengthy prison stay, according to a recent Armenian Weekly report.

Seven organizations gathered together for the first time and built the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women -- bringing this case to the public. Last January, over 200 people marched in Los Angeles, demanding justice.

A Bank For The Poor

2011-10-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Grameen Bank (Grameen meaning "village") was formed for the poor with the following objectives:

* extend banking facilities to poor men and women;

* eliminate the exploitation of the poor by money lenders;

* create opportunities for self-employment for the vast multitude of unemployed people in rural Bangladesh;

* bring the disadvantaged, mostly the women from the poorest households, within the fold of an organizational format which they can understand and manage by themselves; and

* reverse the age-old vicious circle of "low income, low saving & low investment", into virtuous circle of "low income, injection of credit, investment, more income, more savings, more investment, more income.

From Wikipedia:

Grameen believes that charity is not an answer to poverty. It only helps poverty to continue as it creates dependency and takes away individual's initiative to break through the cycle of poverty, whereas loans offer people the opportunity to take initiatives in business or agriculture, providing earnings and enabling them to pay off the debt.

Grameen regards all human beings, including the poorest, as endowed with endless potential, and that unleashing the creativity in each individual should be the answer to poverty.^[15] Grameen has offered credit to many poor, women, illiterate and unemployed people. It created access to credit on reasonable terms such as the group lending system and weekly-installment payment with reasonably long term of loans, enabling the poor to build on their existing skill to earn a better income in each cycle of loans.

Compassion Drives Mobile Loaves & Fishes

2011-10-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

14,000 volunteers in seven US cities participate is a program called Mobile Loaves and Fishes, a nonprofit ministry with the mission of "Going out onto city streets every night with our catering trucks, MLF serves food, basic clothing, hygiene products, etc. to our brothers and sisters living on or near the streets. MLF currently owns 19 catering trucks located in seven cities, six states all serving with compassion and love. We help meet the needs of our brothers and sisters through a powerful, innovative process of mobilizing communities of volunteers to serve the homeless and working poor. While our fundamental mission is to feed the hungry, our broader mission is to empower individuals to serve their communities, thus inspiring a lifestyle of volunteering to serve."

A Garden for the Righteous

2011-10-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to honoring those who have stood up against genocide and persecution, gardens in locales such as Armenia, are planted by the Committee For The Gardens of The Righteous Worldwide.

From the website:

The Righteous Gardens are remembrance places dedicated to those who opposed human rights violations in our most recent history, which has been marked by increasingly widespread genocidal practices.

After Yad Vashem Garden within the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, other gardens have been created worldwide such as in Yerevan besides the Museum of Armenian Genocide, as well as in Milan, in Sarajevo and in Poland.

Trees symbolize life and call for its defence against the haralds of death; the example of the Righteous becomes a cry to our conscience and shows that even in the direst straights it is possible to choose not to remain indifferent.

This is why the Righteous Gardens play a role in terms of remembrance as an educational tool for the new generations, the protagonists of tomorrow's history, to whom they propose a feasible alternative, a warning and a message of hope.

Healing Children's Hearts

2011-10-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

"On September 28, an eight-member (volunteer) team of doctors and nurses from Auckland, New Zealand completed a two-week mission to Makassed Hospital on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem in which 31 babies, most from the besieged Gaza Strip, had life-saving open-heart surgery...This team worked long hours and provided expert care for many sick babies who otherwise would not have gotten the surgery that they needed in Palestine," reports the non profit Palistine Children's Relief Fund

Help For Girls' With Mothers In Jail

2011-10-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Not every Girl Scout has a law-abiding mother. And for those Girl Scouts with a mother behind bars, there's an app (program) for that, Girl Scouts Beyond Bars.

From the website: The Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (GSBB) Initiative was established in 1992 in partnership with the National Institute of Justice. The goals of GSBB are to lessen the impact of parental separation due to incarceration, to foster the personal and social development of girls and their mothers, and to provide girls with the opportunity to participate with their parents in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.

Parents and their daughters take an active leadership role in the planning and implementation of Girl Scout program activities and also participate in facilitated discussions about family life, conflict resolution, and the prevention of violence and drug abuse. After release, parents and daughters can continue to participate in troop meetings in their communities, making Girl Scouting a consistent presence in their lives.

The Better To See You With

2011-10-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

Swiss designer, Yves Béhar, "... partnered with nonprofit Verbien, Mexican company Augen, and the Mexican government on the eyewear project (See Better to Learn Better) which launched in 2010. Due to the high price and social stigma of wearing glasses, many Mexican students were not receiving the eye care they needed, causing them to fall behind at school. With the See Better to Learn Better program, students are given an eye exam, then those who need glasses are encouraged to build their own frames from a library of unique colors, shapes, and sizes, which are manufactured locally. According to Augen, more than 500,000 kids have received optometric care and more than 358,000 kids received donated frames and lenses. In the next school year, they estimate more than 240,000 kids and 20,000 adults will receive glasses."

Source: FastCoDesign

83-Year-Old Shuns Spotlight for Humanitarian Work

2011-10-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Times recently published a story about an 83-year-old Pakistani who devotes his life to the "poorest of the poor," and declines any spotlight for his work.

" He owns a single set of clothing and often sleeps in a storage room — even though millions of dollars pass through his hands annually. At 83, creature comforts don't matter much to Abdul Sattar Edhi. He is far too busy caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, burying the dead," writes the report's author.

"Known to some as Pakistan's Mother Teresa, Edhi is a humanitarian light in a violent and troubled land...He counters that his true religion is human rights."

The Edhi Foundation was established in 1951.

More Anonymous Donors For Earthquake Victims

2011-10-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

"I am all alone and have no use for the money," explained an anonymous donor of 10m yen or $131,000, to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The BBC News reports: "...the earthquake and tsunami that devastated north-eastern coastal areas in March has brought out striking examples of generosity and honesty."

Women Committed to Peace, Nonviolence, Honored

2011-10-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

From The Denver Post:

CAIRO — Three women from Africa and the Middle East who symbolized nonviolent struggles to improve their nations and to advance the role of women's rights were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

Sharing the award were Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first democratically elected female president; her countrywoman Leymah Gbowee, a peace activist who challenged warlords; and Tawakkul Karman, a Yemeni human-rights leader seeking to overthrow an autocratic regime as part of the regionwide Arab Spring movement.

Read more: 3 women win Nobel Peace Prize - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_19067869?source=rss#ixzz1aEE7tbwD

A Million Youth Work To "Free The Children"

2011-10-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

A 10-year-old Pakistani child escaped the slavery he was sold into when he was 4-years-old. He spent the next two years working to end childhood slavery, until he was assinated at age 12. This inspired another 12-year-old boy, this one living in Canada, to form an organization called Free The Children.

Since its 1995 founding, Free The Children is the "..world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries," notes their website.

Volunteers Clean Elkhorn Slough

2011-10-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

	"The Bear Clan of the Ohlone Tribe recently purchased land near Elkhorn Slough. They will hold ceremonies and have vision quests on the land. They intend to clean it up and plant natives plants there. It has been used as a dumping grounds for years. A lot of debris has been removed, but a lot of broken pieces of drip irrigation remain in the field. that overlooks Elkhorn Slough," notes a Facebook page encouraging volunteers. Last Saturday, October 1, seven voluneers gathered to clean up the plastic debris, keeping it from the waters of Monterey Bay in California.

"The Bear Clan of the Ohlone Tribe recently purchased land near Elkhorn Slough. They will hold ceremonies and have vision quests on the land. They intend to clean it up and plant natives plants there. It has been used as a dumping grounds for years. A lot of debris has been removed, but a lot of broken pieces of drip irrigation remain in the field. that overlooks Elkhorn Slough," notes a Facebook page encouraging volunteers.

Last Saturday, October 1, seven voluneers gathered to clean up the plastic debris, keeping it from the waters of Monterey Bay in California.

Thailand's Volunteer Health Corps Slay Disease

2011-10-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

"...the spirit of community service and self-reliance in a society with a strong tradition of caring for family and neighbors...has helped curb a slew of infectious diseases, including H.I.V., dengue and malaria," in remote Thailand villages, according to a recent New York Times report.

"Thailand’s Village Health Volunteers, as they are known, have been a source of reliable caretakers in a country perpetually beset by military coups and changing governments. Health care has marched forward in Thailand even as its politics have been mired in conflict," notes the report.

Standing For Their Neighbors

2011-10-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

After a fire destroyed their family home, looters came by to see what they could scavenge. So the fire victims' neighbors banded together to not only watch the home 24/7 but to take up donations to help the family that lost everything.

Source: KTNV News

Recycled Soap For South Sudan

2011-10-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago 2.5 tons of soap, reprocessed from waste soap salvaged from hotels, was shipped to the new country of Republic of South Sudan--a country with some of the worst health conditions in the world.

The Global Soap Project partnered with several other humanitarian focused operations to accomplish this project, reports Humanitarian News.

Woman Devoted to Helping Sex Trafficking Victims

2011-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

"Trafficking & Prostitution Services (TAPS) is a network of sex trafficking and sex work survivors who banded together to help others escape from being forced into sex work - no matter what their race, religion, background or geographical location.

TAPS is not connected with any government, law enforcement, religious, or political entity..." is the simple statement from the nonprofit's website.

The group's founder, for the most part, funds the operation from her own bank account. From the book Heroes Among Us, the author writes, "So far she's helped thousands of people. She's bought plane tickets, rented apartments, paid huge phone bills, and stayed up countless nights helping others escape live of degradation and exploitation, disease and self-hatred. She estimates spending well over $300,000 of her own money in her efforts."

Clean Water--"A Basic Right For All"

2011-09-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

"Clean water is a basic right for all," is the fuel that keeps a worldwide alliance of scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and citizens that have banded together in a grassroots effort to protect worldwide watershed and fresh water resources.

The Waterkeeper Alliance connects and supports about 200 Waterkeeper Organizations on six continents defending their communities against anyone who threatens their right to clean water—from law-breaking polluters to unresponsive government agencies.

"I Will Be A Hummingbird," Wagari Maathai

2011-09-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

The beauty of the late Wagari Maathai honored today.

Teen Raises Funds For Coats for Kids in Need

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

From Points of Light Institute:

For Make A Difference Day 2010, 14-year-old budding philanthropist Nicholas Cobb upped his annual fundraising goal by $1,100. Though his mom was skeptical, Nicholas didn't waver.

He set to work soliciting donations so he could buy new coats for everyone at a shelter for abused children in his Allen, Texas community.

Not only did Nicholas meet his fundraising goal, he and 20 helpers bought 54 coats for children in need.

Paths Toward Independence For Disadvantaged

2011-09-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

Even while some applaud others' misfortune, one nonprofit exists for the opposite reason: To provide comprehensive training and support services that empower people with disabilities or disadvantages to live and work as valued members of our communities."

The nonprofit, Pathpoint, is a 47-year-old program devoted to helping create independence and job opportunities for developmentally and/or economically disadvantaged person.

"There is no typical PathPoint program participant. All are low-income, but the similarities frequently stop there. Every person has a unique story about the challenges and the successes on his or her path to living a productive, meaningful life," notes the website.

Social Change Through Music

2011-09-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

The Playing For Change Foundation is dedicated to the fundamental idea that peace and change are possible through the universal language of music.

The website explains:

"The Playing For Change Foundation is dedicated to creating positive social change through music education. We are driven by the belief that peace and change are possible through the universal language of music. By providing children a safe place to learn, flourish and express themselves, PFCF helps provide a creative alternative to the struggles many of these children face daily."

Peace Corps Service Promotes Nonprofit Careers

2011-09-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

From The Chronicle of Philanthropy

By Heather Joslyn

A stint in the Peace Corps can help shape a career path at nonprofits, according to a new survey of the organization’s alumni.

The survey of more than 11,000 former Peace Corps volunteers, conducted for the federal agency’s 50th anniversary, found that one in five corps alumni who served during the 1960s has worked primarily at nonprofits since returning from their service. The numbers are higher for alumni who served abroad in the past decade, with one in three having worked at charities since their Peace Corps days.

Sixty percent of all returning Peace Corps volunteers say their service abroad influenced their choice of career.

Other key findings:
• About 58 percent said they volunteer “a great deal” in their local communities; 45 percent said they raise money or other resources to help people abroad.
• Recent alumni are more likely to be women than men, a shift from the early years. In the 1960s, 65 percent of corps members were men; in the 2000s, 66 percent were women.
• More alumni from the past decade were minorities than in the 1960s: 14 percent in the 2000s compared with 9 percent in the agency’s first decade. Currently 17 percent of corps members serving overseas are nonwhite.

See the full report, “A Call to Peace: Perspectives of Volunteers on the Peace Corps at 50.”

A Day To Play and Laugh--For Kids and Adults

2011-09-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

A Day For Kids is taking place around the U.S. during the month of September. Sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of America.

The purpose:

Boys & Girls Clubs of America celebrates the importance of establishing stronger relationships between adults and youth by leading the BGC Day for Kids effort.

Stay involved and in touch!

Youth Group Dedicated To Disaster Survivors

2011-09-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

The We Care Act has nothing to do with lawmakers. It's a nonprofit formed by high school students "To help school children recover from disasters and to engage youth around the world to help others in need," according to their website.

The youth‐led organization includes team leaders from four different countries. They have helped students suffering from various disasters, including the hurricane Ike victims in Galveston, Texas and the earthquake victims in Haiti and in Sichuan and Qinghai, China.

An Institute For Love & Forgiveness

2011-09-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

The once owner of the Detroit Tigers baseball team and owner of a vast multi-state media empire, sold off his holdings and created the Fetzer Institute--a nonprofit with the mission to ".. engage with people around the world to foster awareness of the power of love and forgiveness in our global community."

The website explains: In collaboration with our Fetzer Advisory Councils, we seek to understand the motivations and preconditions of exemplary cases of love and forgiveness in the world. From these examples, we develop projects to grow an even greater awareness of love and forgiveness in action in individual and community life.