Someone has been leaving envelopes of $13,000 in various locations like a church, a hospice and soup kitchen in the town of Braunschweig, Germany.
Everyone around town is currently playing: Guess who?
“Maybe it’s a kind of Robin Hood … or someone with no family who wants to give something back to society.”
Last fall, Texana Hollis, 101, was evicted from her Detroit home after almost 60 years. A Good Samaritan from church took her in, while others tried to find funding to get her foreclosed home back. Unfortunately the building was in bad condition and condemned as not fit to live in, especially for the wheelchair bound great-grandmother.
But, now her house is being given back to her – in better shape than ever – thanks to Detroit resident Mitch Albom, the best selling author of “Tuesdays with Morrie” and his charity for the homeless, S.A.Y. Detroit.
In January, after hearing about Hollis’s troubles, Albom offered to buy the severely distressed property from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for $100 and take responsibility for repairs. HUD agreed to the deal, and on Wednesday Hollis and Albom returned together to the home, which is being renovated with volunteer labor and more than $20,000 worth of materials paid for by Albom’s charity, S.A.Y. Detroit.
Hollis had been evicted from the home after her son failed to make tax payments.
“Everyone deserves a home,” Albom said. “Especially one they have lived in for 60 years. I am blessed to be able to help this sweet and deserving woman, who told me her husband got her that house after returning from World War II.”
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan added, “We moved heaven and earth to find a solution to get Texana back into her home. Working with Mitch and his organization offered the perfect solution that will give her not only a new home, but peace of mind.”
Since its inception, S.A.Y. Detroit has raised nearly $2 million in funding for such projects as a Family Health Clinic, the first medical clinic for homeless children in America; Working Homes/Working Familes, which refurbishes decaying properties and fills them with deserving families; a new kitchen for Michigan’s Homeless Veterans, and a daycare center at COTS for mothers who are in shelters or treatment.
Through Albom’s volunteer corps, A Time to Help, the organization has engaged over 6,000 metro-Detroit volunteers in projects throughout the city, and volunteers will put the finishing touches on Hollis’ house before turning it back to her.
Chad Audi, President of Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries and director for S.A.Y. Detroit operations said, “I cherish the partnership with Mitch Albom and it makes you feel proud, humble, and happy to bring joy to a 101 year old lady.”
DONATE to the S.A.Y. Detroit effort HERE.
Last fall, Texana Hollis, 101, was evicted from her Detroit home after almost 60 years. A Good Samaritan from church took her in, while others tried to find funding to get her foreclosed home back. Unfortunately the building was in bad condition and condemned as not fit to live in, especially for the wheelchair bound great-grandmother.
But, now her house is being given back to her – in better shape than ever – thanks to Detroit resident Mitch Albom, the best selling author of “Tuesdays with Morrie” and his charity for the homeless, S.A.Y. Detroit.
In January, after hearing about Hollis’s troubles, Albom offered to buy the severely distressed property from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for $100 and take responsibility for repairs. HUD agreed to the deal, and on Wednesday Hollis and Albom returned together to the home, which is being renovated with volunteer labor and more than $20,000 worth of materials paid for by Albom’s charity, S.A.Y. Detroit.
Five nations have agreed to launch the world’s largest international conservation area to protect nearly half of Africa’s elephants and a vast range of animals, birds and plants, many of them endangered by poaching and human encroachment.
At a ceremony in Namibia on Thursday government ministers from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe put their official seal on a transfrontier treaty set to combine conservation in 36 nature preserves and surrounding areas.
In the beautiful valley of Savoie, France, Simon Beck creates patterned snow art to decorate the large expanse of frozen lakes and delight the local skiers — until the next snowfall.
With each layer of fresh snow, Beck walks the lakes with mathematical precision to design and redesign his incredibly intricate snow flakes and three dimensional star bursts and spirographs.
In the beautiful valley of Savoie, France, Simon Beck creates patterned snow art to decorate the large expanse of frozen lakes and delight the local skiers — until the next snowfall.
With each layer of fresh snow, Beck walks the lakes with mathematical precision to design and redesign his incredibly intricate snow flakes and three dimensional star bursts and spirographs.
Art researchers and scientists said on Monday that a high-tech project using tiny video probes has uncovered evidence that a fresco by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci lost for five centuries may still exist behind a wall of Florence’s city hall.
“The research team has unlocked a mystery that has been with us for more than 500 years,” said Terry Garcia, an executive vice-president of the U.S. National Geographic Society, which sponsored the research.
Art researchers and scientists said on Monday that a high-tech project using tiny video probes has uncovered evidence that a fresco by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci lost for five centuries may still exist behind a wall of Florence’s city hall.
“The research team has unlocked a mystery that has been with us for more than 500 years,” said Terry Garcia, an executive vice-president of the U.S. National Geographic Society, which sponsored the research.
A 17 year-old Michigan teen won the top award and $100,000 in the Intel Science Talent Search for his research on breast cancer, which could lead to more direct, targeted, and less toxic treatments.
Nithin Tumma from Fort Gratiot analyzed the molecular mechanisms in cancer cells and found that by inhibiting certain proteins, we may be able to slow the growth of cancer cells and decrease their malignancy.
Before beating out 1,800 other science stars for the prize, the Port Huron Northern High School student had already been accepted to MIT, Cal Tech and Stanford.
Tumma says he will use his winnings toward a college education.
The finalists join the ranks of other notable Science Talent Search alumni who over the past 70 years have gone on to win seven Nobel Prizes, four National Medals of Science, and 11 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships.
Third place honors and $50,000 went to Mimi Yen, 17, of Brooklyn, N.Y., for her study of evolution and genetics, which focuses on microscopic worms, specifically looking at their sex habits and hermaphrodite tendencies. The Honduras-born teen believes that through research such as hers, we may better understand the genes that contribute to behavioral variations in humans.
(Read more about other finalists at Intel’s website)
In the UK, the world’s second oldest animal welfare organization said it was shocked by the scale of organized badger persecution it has uncovered in Northern Ireland.
But now, operatives working for the USPCA are using an aerial drone with a camera onboard to film gangs, and chase them away, as they prepare to attack badgers.
(READ the story from BBC– or WATCH the video here)
After thousands of Canadian residents banded together to preserve a forest of 300 year-old red pines threatened by expanded mining, the government scrapped its plans to rescind the “reserve” status bestowed on 840 acres (340 hectares) of pristine forest.
In 1999, the government of Ontario promised to protect Wolf Lake’s ancient pines, located near the Temagami canoeing area northeast of Sudbury.
After thousands of Canadian residents banded together to preserve a forest of 300 year-old red pines threatened by expanded mining, the government scrapped its plans to rescind the “reserve” status bestowed on 840 acres (340 hectares) of pristine forest.
In 1999, the government of Ontario promised to protect Wolf Lake’s ancient pines, located near the Temagami canoeing area northeast of Sudbury.
Dallas Seavey won his first Iditarod Championship as thousands of fans lined the street in Nome, Alaska to greet the youngest person to ever win the grueling thousand-mile sled dog contest.
When Dallas set off from Anchorage he was 24 years old. Nine days and four hours later when he finished the race he was 25. Previously, the youngest musher to win the Iditarod was Rick Swenson who won at age 26 in 1977.
Dallas Seavey comes from a long line of Iditarod finishers and, in fact, competed this week against both his father, Mitch, who won in 2004 and 74-year-old grandfather, Dan, who was the only 2012 competitor to have run in the first Iditarod Championship in 1973.
A Florida woman named Angela was leaving a playground with her toddler in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot and threatened her at knife point.
Suddenly, a Pit Bull who had been wandering the area charged the man, growling and barking until the attacker fled in surrender.
An animal control officer believed the exceptional part of the story was the fact that the dog had never met the woman or child before, yet instinctively defended them.
A Florida woman named Angela was leaving a playground with her toddler in Port Charlotte when a man approached her in the parking lot and threatened her at knife point.
Suddenly, a Pit Bull who had been wandering the area charged the man, growling and barking until the attacker fled in surrender.
An animal control officer believed the exceptional part of the story was the fact that the dog had never met the woman or child before, yet instinctively defended them.
The Dow Jones industrial average is at its highest level since 2007, and the Nasdaq tech index closed above 3,000 for the first time since 2000, after a day of encouraging signs for the U.S. economy.
Retail sales were strong, the Federal Reserve was optimistic about jobs and growth and 15 of the nation’s biggest banks passed a stress test to determine whether they could withstand another financial crisis.
“He just showed up at my house,” said Makua Rothman, a Hawaiian surfer who frequently rides the local pipeline.
When Makua learned that Derek Rabelo, who was visiting from Brazil, could surf even though he was totally blind, the Hawaaiian was so blown away that he gave his new friend a brand new surf board.
For more than a century, scientists have been attempting to harness the immune system to fight cancer — trying to get the antibodies and cells that protect us from viruses and bacteria to kill diseased cells. Every once in a while, a tantalizing success occurred but could not be duplicated.
This time, the success was repeated in multiple advanced melanoma patients.
Researchers believe the same approach could work for kidney, lung and other cancers.
For more than a century, scientists have been attempting to harness the immune system to fight cancer — trying to get the antibodies and cells that protect us from viruses and bacteria to kill diseased cells. Every once in a while, a tantalizing success occurred but could not be duplicated.
This time, the success was repeated in multiple advanced melanoma patients.
Researchers believe the same approach could work for kidney, lung and other cancers.
It is quite courageous for any woman to shave her head, but especially so for one who happens to be a beauty pageant winner.
A young Alaskan beauty queen set a goal of raising $2,500 for childhood cancer research. She said when her goal was reached, she would shave her head.
That day came this week.
Her mom committed to taking the plunge alongside her. On stage at a local pub their locks came tumbling down.
