Waging Life in a War Zone
"From the stones of the destruction we will build plant basins to grow flowers." It started with one man's efforts to beautify his home with paint and flowers, but the initiative spread as neighbors came forward to spread the beauty. Using salvaged and recycled material, with some funding from a local and U.S. nonprofit, the densely populated neighborhood of al-Zaitoun in Gaza City, Palestine, is ... posted on Feb 07 2016, 2,750 reads

The Disappointed Diner Who Now Feeds 1200 Children Daily
Unhappy with the service he'd received at a restaurant, Darshan Chandan sent the management an email expressing his disappointment. When the management apologized and offered him a free meal, Darshan asked them to feed underprivileged children instead. What happened next changed the course of his life. The restaurant carried out his request and sent pictures of the children they'd fed. "This is th... posted on Feb 06 2016, 24,772 reads

Today We're His Family: Teen Volunteers Mourn Stranger's Death
"On the drive to Fairview Cemetery in the Boston neighborhood of Hyde Park, six seniors from Roxbury Latin boys' school sit in silent reflection. Mike Pojman, the school's assistant headmaster and senior adviser, says the trip is a massive contrast to the rest of their school day, and to their lives as a whole right now. Today the teens have volunteered to be pallbearers for a man who died alone i... posted on Feb 05 2016, 6,071 reads

The Story of Bopsy: The Very First Make-a-Wish Kid
"In 1978, 5-year-old Frank "Bopsy" Salazar was diagnosed with leukemia. Doctors advised his mother, Octaviana Trujillo, to check him in to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. At the time, Trujillo was 26, single, and couldn't afford to put Bopsy on her health insurance. She checked him in anyway. Over the next two years, Bopsy was treated by Dr. Frank Barranco, a physician who the... posted on Feb 04 2016, 17,409 reads

We Are All Homeless
Many of us feel uncomfortable and nervous when we come across homeless people carrying signs asking for money. We cross the street or look away to avoid making eye contact. Designer and artist Willie Baronet started buying signs from the homeless as a way to deal with his discomfort. In 1993, he embarked on a cross-country trip, buying signs from homeless people from Seattle to New York City. Alon... posted on Feb 03 2016, 5,702 reads

Re-Constructing Philanthropy
"The Empire State Building is a marvel, one of the seven modern wonders of the world. Yet when it was built, the most revolutionary change wasn't the architecture or the height, there were two other buildings built nearby, almost as high. The less acclaimed, quantum leap was in the construction practices by which the building was framed. Never before had a building been constructed the way they di... posted on Feb 02 2016, 6,082 reads

Seven Ways to Help High Schoolers Find Purpose
"One thing nearly all teens agree on is that most of what high school teaches them is irrelevant to their lives outside of school or their future careers. One study found that the most common feelings among high school students are fatigue and boredom. Another study concluded that 65 percent of the jobs that today's high school graduates will have in their lifetime do not even exist yet. But we ar... posted on Feb 01 2016, 11,185 reads

The Pollination Project: The Power of Small & Philanthropy
The Pollination Project has a unique approach to philanthropy. It grants small donations of up to $1000 each day, to causes spanning all geographies, all unmet needs, and all issues. The common element for each grantee is that their work spread compassion. Founder Ari Nessel defines compassion, "being this ability to see yourself in others, and others in yourself. Wanting to reduce our collective ... posted on Jan 31 2016, 10,715 reads

A Beautiful Mind: A Conversation with Gina Sharpe
What if "the real adventure and beauty in life does not consist in grand gestures but in imperceptible acts of daring -- moments of daring to be open, to listen, to not run away or defend ourselves from what arises"? In this interview, Tracy Cochran explores precisely this idea with Gina Sharpe, co-founder of Manhattan retreat center New York Insight. Their illuminating conversation explores how ... posted on Jan 30 2016, 19,233 reads

Dr. Abdul Kalam on Life's Pursuit
This artful rendition of the inspiring words of the late former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, cautions us against the constant pursuit of material goods and status symbols, and prompts us instead towards discovering our own deepest dreams and convictions.... posted on Jan 29 2016, 17,468 reads