Minneapolis to disband its police force and adopt community safety model
These days, we find ourselves writing stories that would have been unthinkable just weeks ago. Yesterday we published a groundbreaking story out of Los Angeles where Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced that he was defunding the police department. By defunding the police, what is really meant is Read More...
“The Garden City” is distributing free vegetable seedlings to those in need
Blessed with a mild Pacific coast weather, the city of Victoria, British Columbia, is known for its stunning flower gardens that are colored with magnificent blooms almost all year round; hence its nickname “The Garden City”, or the flower capital of Canada. This year, however, the city has Read More...
This platform allows you to send words of encouragement to frontline workers
With movement restrictions and social distancing as a result of lockdown measures, these last couple of months have left many feeling more isolated and lonelier than ever before. But these times have also made us more compassionate towards others and more likely to show appreciation for the efforts Read More...
“Adopt a Grandparent” initiative helps elderly Bolivians cope with hardship
Much like in other parts of the world, many of the elderly in Bolivia have been struggling to cope with the difficult changes brought by the pandemic, such as getting enough food on their tables or sorting out messy bureaucracy to get their relief packages. Living far away from their families is Read More...
Second chances: This bakery is bringing hope back to an old mining town
Generations of Appalachians have relied economically on the coal mines, but now that the coal industry has practically become obsolete, communities are suffering. Unemployment is high and substance abuse is becoming a more pervasive issue. However, not all is bleak in the Appalachian mountains. Read More...
This Boston-based nonprofit pays former gang members to go to college
Founded in 2009, College Bound Dorchester is a Boston-based nonprofit that supports formerly incarcerated, gang-involved, or otherwise at-risk residents as they get an education, whether high school equivalency or a college degree. In 2016, the nonprofit launched Boston Uncornered, a program that Read More...
You can now volunteer in a meaningful way, without leaving your couch
As the country remains at a social-distancing standstill, not only are vulnerable people in need of essential items, companionship, and care, but many more fortunate individuals are finding themselves with more time on their hands and a feeling that they should be doing more to give back to the Read More...
A revived old custom in Italy is helping those in need during the pandemic
In Italy, where the coronavirus has shuttered more than 2 million businesses and left one in every two workers without income, some Italians are putting a new twist on an old custom to help the needy and restart the economy. In Rome, the Piazza San Giovanni Della Malva used to echo with the noise Read More...
This design makes social distancing at the park a beautiful thing
As city dwellers have flocked outside during the pandemic, some cities have shut down urban parks because of fears of overcrowding—at a time when people could most use the mental and physical health benefits of green space. A new design, proposed for a vacant lot in the city of Vienna, shows how Read More...
While at home, you can help astronomers demystify our Universe’s history
Be it baking or needlepoint, since the start of the outbreak, quarantine has been encouraging many people to take up new hobbies as a means to keep busy and make their time at home a little more enjoyable. But what if there was a hobby that would help stave off boredom during self-isolation while Read More...