On December 6, a group of 10th-graders from Hashmonaim and Beit Shemesh arrived in New York to help in the ongoing clean-up and fix-up efforts after Hurricane Sandy. They dubbed their impromptu trip Masa Hashemesh, or Sunshine Journey.
Besides pulling down rotting dry wall and pullying up moldy carpeting, they will also be speaking to hundreds of their 10th grade counterparts throughout the city about their life in Israel and livening up Hanukkah celebrations in Long Beach and Brighton.
The controversial government bailout of the huge global insurer, AIG, during the worst days of the financial crisis in 2008, will yield billions of profit for the US treasury and taxpayer.
The treasury department announced Tuesday that it will sell 234 million shares in American International Group (AIG), bringing the estimated profit on the original AIG TARP assistance to $22.7 billion.
The department said more than 90%, or about $380 billion, of the $418 billion spent under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) during the financial crisis has been recovered through repayments and other income.
Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, has installed a puppy room for stressed-out students.
While puppy leasing has begun to catch on in some Universities in the US, Canada is providing its young people with a whole room of puppies to play with, to help ease the anxieties of college exams.
The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels squadron transformed its C-130 aircraft into a modern-day Santa’s sleigh in support of the U.S Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program, hauling several pallets of toys to children affected by Superstorm Sandy.
The Blue Angel stunt crew, along with Santa and his elf, arrived from Florida in Wrightstown, N.J., where many residents have needed to forestall celebrating the holidays because the hurricane forced upon them more pressing concerns.
One of the families invited to the airfield was that of volunteer firefighter Peter Sabey.
Peter and his wife, whose home in Tom’s River, N.J. was flooded during the storm, said their daily activities are now tied up trying to restore some sense of normalcy to their lives.
“Going Christmas shopping for our kids has taken a seat to us making calls to insurance companies and trying to get our lives back,” said Heather Sabey, who feels like a burden has been lifted.
“Receiving Christmas presents thanks to Toys for Tots today is going to be huge for our kids to feel the love and the joy of the season from all over the country.”
The Toys for Tots deliveries are an annual tradition for the Blue Angels. Last year they airlifted gifts to families who’d survived the devastating tornadoes in Alabama.
“It’s simply a matter of taking the opportunity to do what we can for those in need,” said Frosch. “It wasn’t a question of whether we could support this outstanding cause, but rather, how soon we could provide support and get toys to the children.”
Among the crew of Blue Angels who made the trip for this mission were some active- duty servicemembers originally from the Northeast, giving this trip a special meaning to them.
Logistics Specialist 2nd Class William Kelly, a supervisor in the Blue Angel’s Supply Department, was visiting family in New Jersey and rode out the early days of the storm in his family’s home. ” I can’t imagine how the children in this area feel,” said Kelly.
“Coming on this trip to help out and bring a little Christmas joy to them was something I jumped at soon as I heard about it.”
(WATCH the video below, after an advertisement, or read a report from FOX)
She grew up in Kampala, one of the poorest places on earth. She couldn’t read or write. As a child, she scrounged for food each day, and without money for school fees, she lived on the streets.
But a chance encounter with a Ugandan chess coach turned her into a rising international chess star, the subject of a book — and the protagonist in a future Disney movie.
The Christian missionary had started a chess program in the Katwe slum that offered a bowl of porridge to any child who would sit through chess lessons.
From the time Mutesi first showed up in 2005, her extraordinary aptitude was clear.
Now 16 years old, she goes to school, has the drive to become a doctor, and has already represented Africa in the Chess Olympiad in Siberia.
(WATCH the new CNN report or a documentary video below – or READ the story at CNN)
To donate to the chess camp, visit www.sportsoutreach.net
SHARE the story with your chess friends…
Hundreds of South Mississippians stood in line at the Biloxi Town Green where more than 1,500 lunches were served and more than 500 pounds of donations dropped off to benefit New York City firemen.
“We just want to say thank you,” Jessica Mcneel, who chaired the Nov. 30 event, told WLOX.
As survivors of Hurricane Katrina the town echoes Matthew Lambert, who said, “So many people over the years, all the many, many years, have helped us and our friends and families. It’s our turn.”
“We want them to know we appreciate and continue to appreciate all they’ve done for us,” explained Ms. Mcneel, who volunteers for the fire department’s Junior Auxillary.
You can still drop off donations and gifts at any Biloxi fire station.
(READ the story from WLOX)
Massoud Hassani grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan and played every day in nearby fields, surrounded by high mountains. His favorite toy was homemade, a small rolling object that was powered by the wind.
“We used to race against the toy and other kids,” he wrote on his website. “A strong wind would sometimes blow the toys into restricted areas where we couldn’t go because of landmines.”
Africa produces 70% of the world’s chocolate and 60% of the world’s vanilla crop, yet the continent makes just 1% of finished chocolate bars, which leaves very little profit for the essential farming communities.
Now, an innovative company started by former Peace Corps volunteers is disrupting that market spiral to make the world’s best chocolate bars — and make a difference — in Madagascar.
Africa produces 70% of the world’s chocolate and 60% of the world’s vanilla crop, yet the continent makes just 1% of finished chocolate bars, which leaves very little profit for the essential farming communities.
Now, an innovative company started by former Peace Corps volunteers is disrupting that market spiral to make the world’s best chocolate bars — and make a difference — in Madagascar.
An historic milestone in the nation’s fight against drunk driving was announced this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: the first time annual drunk driving fatalities have fallen below 10,000.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is hailing the news as an important moment in their ongoing quest to lower the death rate.
The Disney company has donated $250,000 to aid in ongoing recovery efforts for children and families in New York and New Jersey affected by Superstorm Sandy.
Focusing on helping kids deal in the aftermath of the storm that forced thousands from their homes, Save the Children immediately established Child Friendly Spaces at shelters across the region. These safe play areas allow children to socialize and begin to recover from the emotional distress caused by the storm.
After the waters receded, the organization distributed contributions of cribs, baby care supplies and hygiene kits. As of Nov 30, the group raised $2.42 million toward its post-Sandy relief efforts.
“With Disney’s contribution, we can help rebuild thousands of children’s lives affected by Sandy,” said Carolyn Miles, Save the Children’s CEO. “Children are naturally vulnerable, and the experiences they have had during Sandy will stay with them for a considerable time. Together we can provide the specialized support needed to cope and recover.”
To support Save the Children’s Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts, visit savethechildren.org/sandy or text HURRICANE to 20222 to donate $10 from your mobile phone. When you receive a text message, reply YES.
It wasn’t like any birthday party his friends had ever been to. Everybody brought presents — bright, big, new ones — but none were for the birthday boy.
Chase Branscum, 8, of Oklahoma was just seven years old when he came up with the idea of giving all his presents to the Toys for Tots holiday gift drive.
Contrary to what you may have heard, new retirees are doing better financially than previous generations, according to research being published on Wednesday by a mutual fund industry trade group.
“On average, more-recent generations of households have higher levels of resources to draw on in retirement than previous generations,” said the study by the Investment Company Institute, a trade group.
Mission statements seldom come simpler than the one guiding the Whole Planet Foundation, which aims to alleviate poverty through microcredit — small loans extended to poor people — in communities that supply Whole Foods stores with products.
Since 2005, the Foundation has witnessed a payback rate of 97 percent on the staggering $32 million committed to nearly a quarter million microcredit clients in 54 countries globally, the most recent being Danish lenders Sambla and Eksperten.
Dozens of homeless Milwaukeeans are improving their self-esteem with professional portraits from Help-Portrait Milwaukee, a local branch of the global initiative that arranges for photography sessions to benefit those in need.
The Repairers of the Breach homeless shelter hosted the event Friday inviting their regular clients to meet with photographers. More sessions were planned at other shelters citywide over the weekend.
Some of the participants planned to give the printed photos as Christmas gifts to family members not seen in years.
The objective of the program, according to the Milwaukee Help-Portrait website, is to show homeless or at-risk people that “they are valuable, respected and important members of our communities. They may be looked past on a daily basis but . . . they are beautiful and worthy people who may just need to see it in their hands to understand what we mean.”
The events are free of charge thanks to local amateur and professional photographers, licensed hair stylists, makeup artists and other volunteers. Over the last several years rehabilitation centers and nursing homes in the Milwaukee area have benefitted too.
To date, more than 200,000 portraits have been taken worldwide by more than 16,000 volunteer photographers in 60 countries, according to the international organization.
(READ the feature article, w/ photos, in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Dozens of homeless Milwaukeeans are improving their self-esteem with professional portraits from Help-Portrait Milwaukee, a local branch of the global initiative that arranges for photography sessions to benefit those in need.
The Repairers of the Breach homeless shelter hosted the event Friday inviting their regular clients to meet with photographers. More sessions were planned at other shelters citywide over the weekend.
Some of the participants planned to give the printed photos as Christmas gifts to family members not seen in years.
One of the world’s rarest seabirds has returned to remote Ascension Island in the Atlantic 150 years after its colony was wiped out by feral cats.
Last week ornithologists spotted two nests containing eggs being guarded by Ascension frigatebirds.
It is the first of the species to breed there since Charles Darwin visited the island in the early 19th century.
A nice story was posted on Reddit about a friendship between a young shop girl and a homeless veteran who hangs out near where she works (photo, right). She received a gift from him the other day and shared the story with photos on December 5:
“Over the past few months we have become friends… On certain days we eat lunch or have snacks together.”
“Tony tells me about his war stories, loved ones, and who should win the Super Bowl. I tell Tony about my problems, loved ones, and how I don’t really care who should win the Super Bowl.
This past month has been one of the hardest ones to get through in my life and at times there really seemed as if there wouldn’t be solace. Tony was there for me, listened each day as things got worse and surely pushed me to move forward and continue working toward my ambitions and dreams.
I was walking outside still feeling sorry for myself listening to self-loathing music when I felt a tap on the shoulder. It was Tony.
He says to me, “I don’t have much but I wanted you to know that you have done what many others would not simply by being my friend.”
As Tony walked away, I started to cry. I realized at that moment, when you reach out and do something kind for someone less fortunate, you get back not only what you gave, but infinitely more.”
(SEE the watch at the original post on i.imgur.com)
A nice story was posted on Reddit about a friendship between a young shop girl and a homeless veteran who hangs out near where she works (photo, right). She received a gift from him the other day and shared the story with photos on December 5:
“Over the past few months we have become friends… On certain days we eat lunch or have snacks together.”
In Paraguay there is a town essentially built atop a landfill where adults pick through the latest heaps of trash for sellable goods and children are at risk of getting involved with drugs and gangs.
Things changed for the people of Cateura when an orchestra director and music teacher came to town with the notion of teaching the youth how to play violins and flutes. But they had a problem. Too many students for the number of instruments they brought.
Then, someone from the town brought something the musicians had never seen before: a violin made out of garbage. The town scrap dealers fashioned horns, violins, violas and guitars out of junk. The newly created orchestra used only assembled instruments and chose a new name, The Recycled Orchestra.
With the children inspired by a new passion and purpose, Beethoven never sounded so good.
“An upcoming feature-length documentary shows how trash and recycled materials can be transformed into beautiful sounding musical instruments,” according to the filmmaker’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/landfillharmonicmovie. “More importantly, it brings witness to the transformation of precious human beings.”
