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The stories behind the grants
When the Students Become the Teachers: Student-Led Ed
In the summer of 2020, Kerry Dolan, an assistant principal at a Chicago high school, received a letter addressed to the entire body of predominantly white teachers and administrators. Signed by over 100 mostly BIPOC students, the letter described their feelings of...
The Place Where We Are Kind
This week, I am drawing inspiration from the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai. In particular, his poignant piece “From The Place Where We Are Right.” From the place where we are rightFlowers will never growIn the spring. The place where we are rightIs hard and...
Jose German-Gomez: Bounty in Small Packages
Jose German-Gomez is a retired corporate accountant, environmental activist, and master gardener. Even in the smallest of spaces, Jose is able to create lush, verdant green spaces that produce plump, delectable vegetables. After calculating that his own backyard...
Greatness and Perfection
“You are not ready for independence. If we were to grant it, you would make so many mistakes.” This is the response Mahatma Gandhi received from the ruling British as he petitioned and advocated for the freedom of India. With deep thought and gravity, Gandhi...
Amanda Cats-Baril and Anne McGuinness: United for Women’s Empowerment
In 2014 Amanda Cats-Baril and Anne McGuinness were working in Nepal in the humanitarian sector when they met and decided to found The WE United Project. Anne grew up in Kathmandu and returned home in 2011, the same year that Amanda moved to Nepal from New York. Both...
Planting Seeds or Stones?
Lately I have found inspiration in the writings of the Polish-born American Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Heschel’s own life was a testament to the power of the human spirit. His father died when he was just a child, and many more of his family members were murdered...
What Philanthropy Can Learn From Afghanistan
Recently, I read the report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction titled “What We Need to learn: Lessons from 20 Years of Afghanistan Reconstruction.” I wanted to understand how the investment of two decades and $145 billion in...
Pigs & Kids: Allie Gadziemski
Allie Gadziemski is a homeschool mother of four sons, all of whom are vegan and passionate about introducing others to a compassionate lifestyle. Realizing the influence children can have on their families and friends, Allie wanted to create a special day camp...
Antonette Franceschi-Chavez and Marysol Perez: Finding Equity through Literacy
In the United States, the ratio of high-quality, age-appropriate books in low-income communities is one for every 300 children, facilitating a learning gap between privileged and underprivileged students. Antonette Franceschi-Chavez and Marysol Perez, both educators...
Finding Sanctuary in Stories: Rosa Sabido
After living in the United States for more than 30 years, Rosa Sabido was facing deportation. She made the difficult decision to live in sanctuary rather than leave the community and friends she loves so much. For the past four years, Rosa has lived in a church near...
Teaching the Value of Veganism: Alysson Augusto
While attending philosophy school in 2013, Alysson Augusto studied the countless consequences of eating animal meat and decided to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. Today, he is fully vegan and dedicates his time to educating others on the harsh realities of...
Obrobibini Peace Complex: A New Form of Global Deepening
Since 2017, Dr. Christian Andres has worked to turn two hectares of land in Busua, Ghana, into a vocational center; the culmination of a life-long dream to build something meaningful in Africa. Promoting social entrepreneurship and a circular economy model, the...
Material Innovation Initiative: Redefining Sustainable Materials
Each year, over 3.6 billion animals are killed, sheared, or plucked to supply leather, fur, wool, down, and other materials we rely on in several aspects of our lives. The consequences of these materials are dire, both on the planet and the animals they’re sourced...
Youth for Aarey: Fighting for the Last Green Space in Mumbai
The Aarey Forest, part of the Sanjay Ghandi National Park, is home to 15,000 indigenous peoples called Adivasis, as well as a rich array of flora and fauna. Existing for more than 500 years, the forest holds centuries of native knowledge. It is also the only open...
Studio Kunukku – Woodblock Printing’s Revival
Last week’s Fashion Week in Rome featured pieces by a designer who used a nearly extinct craft to create her patterns. The designs were made with woodblock printing, a textile technique that was once at the core of Syrian culture. This collaboration was a huge feat...
Heart Like a Mirror
"The heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form." -Shinto proverb Most of the world’s great faith traditions teach the centrality of loving your neighbor as yourself. Iterations of the “Golden Rule” have been spoken in temples, mosques,...
Ruben Diaz: Transgressing Oblivion in the Amazon
Deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, an ancient culture is struggling to survive. The Sapara people are one of many groups fighting to preserve their roots, and their heritage is at risk of vanishing completely. Rubén Díaz, a Quito-based artist, is not willing to sit back...
Black Girls Dive: Empowering Young Women in STEM
This fall, the Black Girls Dive Foundation will observe its first young woman, Skye Garrett, go off to college to pursue a career in STEM. Attending Coastal Carolina University, Garrett is the first of many young Black women the foundation plans to empower for...
The Alukakin Women’s Group – Giving the Gift of Learning
Each day in Uganda, 30 million people survive without access to electricity. In rural communities especially, this reality creates dire consequences for physical health and mental wellbeing. For young children trying to learn, this obstacle makes it nearly impossible...
Real Friends
There are over 7 billion people on the planet, each born with a drive to connect. The explosion of technology means we can digitally meet new people from all over the world. Social media “friends” lists can number in the thousands, a testament to our innate interest...
My Friend, Death
Amidst this extended season of loss and grief, my family experienced another last night. My wife’s beloved cousin left this world from cancer, leaving behind young children and a family that will deeply miss him. These moments in life, when the loss of a loved one...
Community Gardening: Bringing Sanctuary to Refugees in Tijuana
On Sunday, June 20, we celebrate World Refugee Day; an opportunity to honor those fighting for safer lives. Millions of forcibly displaced people face treacherous conditions daily, many of whom are stuck at the Mexico-United States border. Over the past several years,...
Fresh Minds Radio Program – Bringing Awareness to Mental Health
When mental health advocate Mercy Mkandawire was invited to discuss mental disorders on a radio show last year, she received overwhelming feedback that people wanted to know more. This hunger for information inspired Mercy to create her own show, dedicated solely to...
Unadilla Community Farm – A new generation of farmers
Our Changemakers of the week are the farmers of Unadilla Community Farm in Edmeston, New York. The Unadilla River, which runs alongside the farm, gets its name from the Oneidan word for “a meeting place.” And at its very core, Unadilla Community Farm is just that - a...
A Truer Picture
Suppose two people are on opposite ends of a vast and lush forest that stretches for many thousands of acres. One stands beside a rushing stream, watching the light play on the water. The other is in a heavily wooded thicket, so dense that very little light filters...
Personal Reflection on the Virtual Animal Advocacy Retreat
My Personal Reflections on the Virtual Animal Advocates Meditation Retreat - May 2021 Animal Advocacy work is big work. It is the work of a lifetime. It can also be incredibly challenging for many of us - and to me for sure. This retreat with Tashi and about 30...