Seattle, U.S.A. — As he prepares for his Olympic Summer Games qualifying heat on Wednesday, August 8 th in the men’s 5,000 meter, former Sudan Lost Boy Lopez Lomong is also focused on children living in poverty back home in South Sudan.

After London, whether he medals or not, the U.S. Olympian is hoping to return to Africa. The trip, tentatively scheduled for January, 2013, is part of long-term partnership between Lomong’s non-profit, 4South Sudan and Team World Vision, a program sponsored by international Christian charity World Vision. Lomong’s group is dedicated to helping raise $500,000 to provide access to clean water, health care, education and nutrition.

According to the latest United Nations (UNHCR) estimates, there are more than 660,000 displaced South Sudanese as fighting rages between Sudan and its neighbor, South Sudan. Malaria and diarrhea run rampant in the overcrowded refugee camps. Nearly three children die of preventable illnesses in the camps every day.

At the age of six, Lopez was kidnapped from his Southern Sudan village and held captive as he was being prepped as a child soldier. Too small to undergo training, his fate would most likely have been starvation. But he managed to escape with the help of three other captives. After running three days and nights, they were captured by Kenyan troops and brought to a refugee camp where Lopez lived for 10 years.

He was sponsored by a U.S. family and brought to this country where he soon discovered he was the fastest kid in school. At track meets he then discovered he was the fastest in the state. Soon he would become one of the fastest in the nation.

In 2008, Lomong qualified for the Beijing Olympics in the men’s 1,500 meters. He was voted by his teammates as the flag bearer in the Opening Ceremonies.

Lomong has a new book entitled “Running For My Life” (Thomas Nelson Publisher) http://www.thomasnelson.com/running-for-my-life.html

Image Courtesy of  sidelife

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Global Festival 2012 will take place on September 29 in New York’s Central Park at the same time of the United Nations’ General Assembly in New York. The festival will be headlined by the Foo Fighters, The Black Keys,  Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Band of Horses, and K’NAAN, who will join around 54,000 attendees.

The charity festival is “a catalytic event to end extreme poverty,” as stated on the show’s Facebook page. It is part of the Global Poverty Project, and the spirit behind the organization of the show has been expressed by the organizers, who wrote: “The fight for justice has never been easy. But human history has always been shaped by courageous actions and a vision of a better world.  As Global Citizens, we’ve put our hands up to stand against the greatest injustice of our time: extreme poverty.”

No tickets will be sold; they have to be earned. This is the “action” part. People (18+) will be able to participate to a lottery for the chance to win tickets for the event by completing some steps as explained on the Global Citizen’s website. After taking actions such as signing petitions, promoting awareness via social networks, making donations and so on, people can earn points that will open them to the doors to the lottery.

For the organization of the event, The Global Poverty Project is assisted by promoters Goldenvoice/AEG. The festival will be financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Sumner Redstone Charity Foundation, with the participation of international groups such as UNICEF.

Organizer, Hugh Evans, said the goal of the event is to have fans take 100,000 actions by September. This will then be used as leverage when asking the world’s leaders, who will be in town during the event, to make monetary commitments for reaching development goals.

According to Huff Post, The Black Key’s Patrick Carney said about the event: “The scale of things that they’re trying do just felt really cool, and we’re trying to get the ball rolling. Especially with everything that’s been going on for the last three years, I suppose, after the stock market crashed. There’s attention on the amount of people living below the poverty line and the disparity between the rich and the poor and everything that’s going on now … . It just felt like the right time to do something.”

Foo Fighters released a statement which read “We are very proud to be lending a hand to such a creative, important event and are looking forward to adding to the noise in the big park and helping the effort toward reducing the global shame of deep poverty.”

Image Courtesy of   s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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East Hampton, U.S.A. — The Retreat, a non-profit organization serving victims of domestic violence for the past 25 years, is pleased to announce their 4th Annual Juried Art Show. In the previous three years of the Juried Art Show the Retreat has garnished both national and international attention by reaching artists who have submitted works for consideration as far as South Africa, San Paolo, Brazil, the Midwest, and the entire Eastern seaboard. The message is clear: artists from diverse backgrounds and cultures are showing they care and are coming together to try to end domestic violence.

The show benefits the Retreat’s Domestic Violence Services and is open to all artists with work in Photography, Painting, 2D, 3D, and Sculpture (no video art). The work cannot be larger than 24″ x 36″.

The deadline to enter is August 1, 2012 . Entry fee is $50 per entry, limit 3 entries (1 entry is $50, 2 is$100, and 3 is $150). Actual work will not be judged but have to be submitted in JPEG form. For complete rules and entry form, visit http://www.hamptonsjuriedartshow.com/.

This is a chance to have artwork judged by distinguished members of the art world. The jurors of this competition are:

• Kathryn Markel – Owner of art gallery Kathryn Markel Fine Arts with locations in Bridgehamptonand New York City
• Christina Mossaides Strassfield – Museum Director/ Chief Curator of Guild Hall Museum in East Hampton, NY

The top 25 entries, as decided by the jurors, will be in a group show at Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery in Sag Harbor, New York, opening October 27th – November 5, 2012. The best in show will be chosen after the show is hung by the jurors and will win a solo exhibition at the gallery, at a date to be determined by the gallery owner and winner, within one year of winning. The winner of the 1st Annual Juried Art Show is now represented by a major gallery in New York City.

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Michigan, U.S.A. — Chrysler Group LLC and United Way for Southeastern Michigan (UWSEM) are teaming up to fight against the epidemic of childhood hunger that has plagued the region in recent years. Chrysler Group is calling its more than 57,000 employees to tap their energy and the company’s spirit of volunteerism to help the hungry and to spread understanding and utilization of UWSEM’s programs.

“We are in a unique position – as a company that has been to hell and back – to provide a beacon of hope,” said Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler Group Chairman and CEO. “We can choose to make a positive difference in the world. It’s time for us to help generate a turning point within our community for people in need.”

Marchionne is serving as this year’s UWSEM campaign chair. In this role, his primary responsibility is to promote growth, fundraising and educational efforts for the campaign throughout the community. Ending child hunger is one of the biggest areas of concern for UWSEM. The organization’s Michigan No Kid Hungry program provides free meals to children in need throughout the summer and school year across Southeastern Michigan.

Chrysler is rallying its employees to pledge to do their part to end childhood hunger by increasing awareness about the United Way’s Summer Meals Programs, volunteering in food-related community service activities and by gathering food donations at the company’s Southeastern Michigan facilities. To sign the pledge and get involved, employees and the public can go to the United Way web site (http://www.liveunitedsem.org/ChryslerPledges).

To enable and encourage these types of activities, Chrysler recently announced a new corporate policy that allows employees to use up to 18 hours per year of their normal working hours to take part in company-sponsored charitable or public-service activities.

“Building awareness of the United Way’s school and summer food programs is the key to reducing child hunger,” said Michael Brennan, President and CEO of United Way for Southeastern Michigan. “The most basic need for all people is food and nutrition. As more families are faced with dwindling resources, they often do not have enough money to purchase the food they need and are unaware that assistance is as easy as dialing 2-1-1. That’s why it is important for major corporations such as Chrysler to use their energy and resources to spread the message.”

In 2011, through the generosity of Chrysler Group employee pledges, including UAW and CAW represented employees, more than $4.6 million was donated to United Way campaigns in the U.S. and in Canada. In addition, during the year hundreds of Chrysler Group employees volunteered thousands of hours to support United Way agencies and activities – from Pontiac to Detroit, Warren, Fraser and more communities in the state where their time and resources were needed to help others.

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Water.org is the charitable organization co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White in 2009. The organization has worked in many developing nations including Haiti, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Honduras, Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, and India. They work to not only provide the communities they help with potable water but also better sanitation; however, the power of these projects is put in the hands of the communities themselves.

While working in Haiti, water.org tries to work with local non-profit organizations that know the local, usually rural communities and can better understand their cultural, political, and environmental needs. The local partner will also know what the best technologies to use for that region are based on the environmental needs of the community and whether or not the parts for repair are easily obtained in that region or country.

Additionally, water.org does its best to work with the Haitian government and DINEPA, the organization responsible for water regulations in Haiti. Recently DINEPA has been addressing the cholera epidemic that began in October 2010 after the earthquake, monitoring water quality throughout the country, and decentralizing water and sanitation so that there are regional representatives. This decentralization works well with the water.org system

Water.org has been in Haiti since 2009 and has helped to sustainably provide 18.000 people – mainly in the Pignon region of Saint-Raphael – with potable water; their goal is to reach 50.000 by March of 2014.

In addition to providing drinkable water, water.org does its best to encourage better sanitation practices. They will analyze what sanitation barriers are in place and what the needs of the community are. Currently in most of Haiti only fifty-one percent of individuals are using some kind of latrine as opposed to the eighty-three percent of people who have and use these sanitation measures in communities aided by water.org. However, Laura Ralston, International Programs Manager, states, “you will always find people who are not necessarily going to be on board [with sanitation measures] for whatever reason.” Unfortunately these seventeen percent of people are still affecting the health of the rest of the community.

Ralston stated that in one community she visited recently, the water sanitation committee put together by water.org was “at their wit’s end” trying to get the last few households to get latrines. The families did not have financial difficulty, but simply did not see the need. According to Ralston, some individuals do not see a need for the latrines even after they are given presentations and explanations.

Perhaps the most important aspect of water.org’s work is the community involvement. Water.org is, of course, essential for the projects, but they only get involved with communities who reach out to them through their local non-governmental organizations or charities. Then the community forms a committee to oversee the water and sanitation projects and to collect the maintenance fees for the well. The communities will also decide the rules and regulations regarding the wells and what kind of savings threshold they want to meet every month as a community. Only when these communities have trouble does water.org intervene with advice and as a facilitator of conversations. Ralston claims that “it’s [the communities] prerogative to meet those thresholds.”

As of now all of the communities in Haiti are meeting their savings goals. Some communities are even saving enough money to consider getting a solar panel for their well or another well for the purposes of irrigation. It is very important to water.org, according to Ralston, that these projects are sustainable for the community financially and technically so that when water.org leaves the community will not have to worry about the well breaking and the funds or parts not being there to fix it.

Most of the projects in Haiti use wells but there are some that capture water from springs. Before determining which type of construction needs to be done, water.org and the local partner will do hydrological and sometimes geological assessments. It is also important for them and the community to know if the spring they are using is in a delicate watershed.

The community is also responsible for the water quality treatments from the wells and springs. Most of these water supplies will require chlorine treatments before human use and the community can decide whether they want some kind of automatic dispenser or if they would prefer to do the treatments manually.

Since the devasting Haiti earthquake in 2010, over 4500 people have died from cholera. The main source of this contamination was the Artibonite River. The journal Nature published an article that claimed Haiti’s limited resources should be spent not on vaccinations but on sanitation and access to clean water. Obviously, water.org has been working towards these goals and begin their projects with surveys and assessments. After the communities have taken over the responsibilities of sanitation and clean water some have continued to do surveys and gather data on how many are sick and they are seeing improvements in fewer numbers of cholera cases.

Some projects are not always successful. Although water.org may start a project in a location, the project can be halted for several reasons such as a lack of any kind of water resource, or human interference. Human reasons are the main reason for the cancellation of projects such as social reasons, rivaling groups, or political disputes. According to Ralston the problem boils down to “money always complicates things.”

Water.org will continue its work in Haiti until it hopefully reaches its 2014 goal of 50000 people with potable water. Although water.org has other projects elsewhere around the globe Ralston claims the direst situations at this time are in Haiti so this is where they will focus.

Find out more on how to get involved and support the Water.Org project by visiting Water.Org or Facebook.

Image Courtesy of  Water.Org

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Las Vegas, U.S.A.- Fourteen years later, and Tiger Jam has yet to skip a beat! This past Saturday, Tiger Jam 2012 again rocked the Las Vegas strip, bringing host Tiger Woods and talents including Jon Bon Jovi and Friends and American Idol winner David Cook to the stage for an incredible performance. Held at the renowned Mandalay Bay Events Center, the sold-out concert and accompanying attractions raised approximately $1 million for programs of the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Kicking off the weekend, VIP Tiger Jam guests were treated to a day of golf at Cascata Golf Club, which included a private exhibition with Woods followed by a round of golf. Next, guests went head-to-head for an exclusive night of poker, competing against some of the game’s biggest names.

Tiger’s Poker Night, held Friday, April 27, featured such legends as Phil Hellmuth, Jr., who emceed the event and took second place; Ben Lamb who finished fourth; and Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson, won first place. Proceeds from the Texas Hold ‘em style charity poker tournament went directly to the college-access programs of the Tiger Woods Foundation, while the winner of the tournament received a foursome of golf with Tiger Woods. Following poker, VIP guests gathered at Moorea Beach Club for a performance from The Bravery.

On Saturday, headliners Jon Bon Jovi and Friends took the stage, delivering a rocking performance that included some of Jon’s greatest hits such as: Livin’ on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name and Wanted Dead or Alive. Opening the show was singer, songwriter and American Idol season seven winner David Cook.

Live and silent auctions preceded Saturday night’s event. VIP guests mixed and mingled over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the Tiger Jam reception. During the live auction, a Lindsey Vonn skiing weekend package that included a skiing lesson from the Olympian, went for $20,000; a Maui Jim Fishing Excursion went for $10,000; a getaway to Turtle Island, Fiji raised $19,000; and the Ultimate Gastronomic Golf Getaway With Mario Batali in NYC, went to the highest bidder for $10,000.

After the main concert event, guests returned to the House of Blues for the after-party hosted by M.C. Hammer.

Image Courtesy of   sportgraphic / Shutterstock.com

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Yoga Aid Foundation, an international nonprofit that raises funds for charities through philanthropic yoga events, announced that it will host the first-ever, one day, around the world yoga tour benefiting 15 humanitarian-based charities internationally.

On September 9, 2012, The Yoga Aid World Challenge will unite yogis around the globe in an effort to raise $1million with 100% percent of the proceeds going directly to the selected charitable organizations.

Starting in Sydney, the 24-hour yoga relay will travel around the world and end at sundown in Los Angeles. The Yoga Aid challenge will bring together renowned teachers, studios and students in over 20 countries, creating a united community, while focusing on raising money for charity. During these events, yogi participants will embark on a 2-hour yoga practice as a way to celebrate the funds they raised for the charity partners.

Unlike any other event, all expenses are supported privately – ensuring 100% of donations go straight to the charities.

The Yoga Aid Challenge supports select charities in each country. This year, the Yoga Aid Challenge has chosen four charities that all embrace the power of yoga to support for the USA leg of the world relay:

• Off the Mat, Into the World
• The Africa Yoga Project
• Ganga Action
• Yoga Across America

“The Yoga Aid family is calling on the entire international yoga community to band together and help us host at least 200 events in 20 countries and raise more than $1 million for charities during the 2012 Challenge,” said Clive Mayhew, Co-founder, Yoga Aid Foundation.  “We could not be more excited for the 2012 Yoga Aid World Challenge, as we hope to raise more money through yoga than ever before.”

Those individuals who are inspired by The Yoga Aid World Challenge are encouraged to signup and become Community Ambassadors. Ambassadors bring The Yoga Aid World Challenge home to their communities by creating, organizing and hosting a local event, whether the venue be a nearby park, studio or community center.

Furthering Yoga Aid’s commitment to giving, the Foundation will provide all of the necessary event tools and funding for the creation of any local event scheduled during the September 9th24-hour global yoga-relay.

“The Yoga Aid World Challenge is more than just our way to give back – it is an international charitable platform uniting all yogis for the greater good and activating a sense of joy in giving back to the world.”Eriko Kinoshita, Co-founder, Yoga Aid Foundation.

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Lutheran World Relief is providing emergency water services to families who still have no access to clean drinking water more than a month after a devastating typhoon ripped through the Philippines island of Mindanao, killing 1,257 people and affecting more than a million.

The storm, which hit on December 16 and destroyed more than 14,000 homes, also disrupted water supply in the city of Cagayan de Oro. Repairs to the water supply system are underway, but families in the western part of the city will not have access to piped water until at least the end of January.

“I do not know where to get water now,” said Maryann Lagara, 24, a mother of two in the affected area, who lost her home in the storm. Speaking to an LWR staff member in early January, she reported that without assistance, she would be forced to get water from the nearby river, which is not safe to drink.

Thanks to a $31,500 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, LWR is now delivering water to 230 families in an impoverished area in western Cagayan de Oro through the end of January. Each family will receive 15 liters per person per day for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene, in accordance with Sphere standards, the generally accepted best practices in humanitarian response. Families will also receive jerry cans for water storage and training on how to properly clean and care for the cans.

“These are very poor families, many of whom lost their means of earning a livelihood as the result of the storm, so they have no way to purchase water even if it were readily available,” said Joanne Fairley, LWR’s regional director for Asia and the Middle East. “Thanks to this grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, they will have access to clean water until the city water system is repaired.”

In addition to emergency water delivery, LWR is reaching out to flood-affected communities with emergency cash assistance to buy food, medicine, and other necessities. LWR is also distributing Quilts, Personal Care Kits, and School Kits from its warehouse in Mindanao, as well distributing other critically needed items to flood-affected families.

LWR is also planning a longer-term response that will include cash-for-work programs, provision of clean water, building shelter, and rehabilitating homes for more than 900 families.

Lloyd Smith / Shutterstock.com

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Of all the families who seek temporary shelter in New York City, 40 percent have had at least one prior shelter stay. To reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for homeless parents and children in New York City and throughout the country, the independent nonprofit research organization Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness released a draft of ‘A New Path: An Immediate Plan to Reduce Family Homelessness’ during ICPH’s conference Beyond Housing: A National Conversation on Child Poverty and Homelessness.

Read the draft report here.

The plan proposes using the family shelter as a tool for parents with limited education and work experience, as well as for victims of domestic violence, those with mental health and substance abuse issues, and a history in the child welfare system.

While many families are forced to go to shelters because of the lack of affordable housing in the United States, ‘A New Path’ argues that approximately 15 percent of families living in shelters are further held back by lack of education, work experience, and family support.

For this subpopulation, ‘A New Path’ argues that shelter stays should be extended to 12-18 months and used as an opportunity for parents to immerse themselves in an on-site learning, career-building, and healthy environment. Although some residents will have a longer initial shelter stay, this will lead to less recidivism.

“New York City has long led the way in confronting the challenge of homeless families and should serve as a model for reducing recidivism,” said ICPH President and CEO Ralph da Costa Nunez. “This is not a 10-year plan, but an immediate action that can serve as a guide to cities, suburbs, and rural communities throughout the country.”

These shelters—designated in the plan as ‘Tier III’— should offer on-site employment opportunities for shelter residents starting at minimum wage; job search, readiness, and retention training; and GED classes.

Other advancements ‘A New Path’ recommends:

• Some ‘Tier III’ shelters should be designated ‘Safety First’ residences and serve domestic violence victims. In 2010, there was only bed space for 70 percent of families deemed eligible for DV Shelters. These shelters would offer the same safety and support as those at DV shelters.
• ‘Child Wellness Residences’ would provide on-site assistance to families with active child welfare cases and those receiving voluntary preventive services. On average, 670 active child welfare cases and 1,300 closed cases were identified each month among homeless families in New York City in 2010.
• ‘Health and Recovery Residences’ would provide targeted services to those with mental health and substance abuse concerns.

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As cold winter weather brings misery for the survivors of Turkey’s October and November earthquakes, Islamic Relief USA— a relief and development organization based in the D.C. metro area— is supporting 615 children between the ages of 6 and 16 in Van province.

The 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near the city of Van, killing 601 people and injuring 4,152.  According to the Disasters and Emergency Situations Directorate of Turkey, at least 11,232 buildings were damaged, and 6,017 were found to be uninhabitable.  An aftershock measuring 5.6 rocked the city of Van on November 9, 2011, and caused the collapse of more than 25 buildings, including apartments, two hotels, and a children’s hospital.

This project is providing the 615 children and their families with winter clothing, food, and hygiene kits. Children will receive daily food baskets for 40 days containing milk, fruit juice, sandwiches, sweet tahini bars, and seasonal fruits.  Islamic Relief also is providing hygiene kits containing two months worth of needs for 398 households, including hand soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, detergent for clothes, and dishwashing, shavers, diapers, and other items.

Islamic Relief USA, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is a nonprofit humanitarian organization with eight consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator. Its mission is to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy, and disease regardless of color, race, gender, or creed, and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner.

Islamic Relief USA aims to provide rapid relief in the event of human and natural disasters and to establish sustainable local development projects, allowing communities to better help themselves.  In 2010, Islamic Relief USA programs benefited more than 3.4 million people in 34 countries, including the United States.

In addition to its 4-star rating on Charity Navigator, Islamic Relief USA meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, a national charity monitoring group affiliated with the Better Business Bureau system.   Islamic Relief USA is on the U.S. government’s Combined Federal Campaign charity list, and it is also a signatory to the code of conduct of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

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Singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson will appear on season five of ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ and has announced she will play for the charity Children International.

Celebrity Apprentice is a reality television show where celebrities compete in weekly challenges and donate any winnings to their personal charities. Every week, the celebrity contestants will work in two teams, each under the guidance of a designated project manager, to compete in business-driven tasks around New York City, using their fame, along with their proven business acumen, to win challenges.

Contestants are subjected to long hours, grueling deadlines, intellectual challenges, personality clashes, and intense scrutiny under the careful watch of Donald Trump and his advisors. The last person standing will be chosen as the Celebrity Apprentice and have the honor of delivering a $250,000 bonus check to their designated charity.

Gibson will compete to help provide 5,000 poor children in India with medical and dental care and educational support. Children International president and CEO Jim Cook said, “Children International is fortunate to have such a dedicated supporter as Debbie Gibson. She has proven she is an ardent advocate for children living in the most extreme poverty.”

Gibson, who is the youngest performer ever to write and record a number one song, has been a supporter of the U.S.-based humanitarian organization since 1991. Currently, she helps support 7-year-old Helen, her mother and five siblings living in a cemetery in Manila, Philippines. Helen and her family guard a cemetery crypt, and live on less than $11 a month. With Gibson’s help, Helen and her siblings now receive medical and dental care and attend school.

Children International’s programs provide poor children like Helen with medical and dental care, educational support and health education to children and youth, some whose families live on less than $1.25 a day.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/wilsonh/

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The holidays are always a time of increased focus on giving and charitable activity, but, this Christmas, the Petya I. Edwards Foundation has truly given one deserving family a gift they will not soon forget—a much-needed new car.

The Texas-based charity is known for offering vital financial assistance to families in need, but what they do is far from merely giving handouts. On the contrary, the Petya I. Edwards Foundation chooses individuals and families who have been dealt difficult hands, such as unemployment or health expenses, but who are resolved to regain their footing.

The Foundation offers the family help and educational services and ultimately allows them to stabilize, which is precisely what is happening through their work with one Texas family. The family in question is made up of mom Sally*, her husband, and their three daughters. Sally lost her job in June, following which the family lost their apartment.

Sally has since found new work, but her husband is still diligently searching for employment. The family has been staying with friends, and remains in need of such essentials as clothing for the girls, a washing machine, and more. But, up until this holiday season, their greatest need was for an automobile. Sally’s new work requires her to make an hour-and-a-half commute, by bus, every morning.

However, as a gesture of Christmas charity and compassion to the family, the Petya I. Edwards Foundation gifted them with a new car over the holiday season, something that will surely prove to be a great and immediate blessing to Sally and her entire family.

While the new car is certainly a great asset to the family, their needs remain very numerous, and very urgent. Says Sally, “I am just trying to make it through the holidays without them seeing all their friends getting presents and knowing I cannot afford to get them much.” The girls, ages 5, 14, and 16, are in dire need of clothing and other life essentials. The Petya I. Edwards Foundation is asking for its patrons to become involved with the wellbeing of this highly deserving family.

All of the charitable actions of the Petya I. Edwards Foundation are made possible by the generous donations of caring supporters. Checks and cash donations can be sent directly to the charity, where they will be administered to families in need, such as Sally’s.

* Name changed to protect the privacy of the family.

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On October 19th international known rock star Jon Bon Jovi opened up his new donation only restaurant, Soul Kitchen. Teaming up with the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, the Soul Kitchen is located in Red Bank, New Jersey, Bon Jovi’s home state. The Soul Kitchen is a unique restaurant where people can enjoy healthy meals from locally grown products without dipping into their wallets to pay for it.

Bon Jovi understands the struggles of his fellow Americans during the current hard economical times. With the increased prices of food and millions losing their jobs, many people across the country are left hungry and without much hope. Bon Jovi’s mission in creating a pay what you want restaurant is to make sure people in his supportive community do not go hungry anymore.

“This is not a soup kitchen,” the rocker stated. “You can come here with the dignity of linens and silver, and you’re served a healthy, nutritious meal. This is not burgers and fries.” For the minimum donation of $10, people can enjoy the experience of dining out in a restaurant while eating a nutritious and delicious meal.

Every person dining in Soul Kitchen can enjoy a three course meal American meal. For the first course, diners can choose from either a soup or salad. For the main course, people are given the choice of having a meat, fish, or a vegetarian entree. A sweet dessert rounds out the three course meal.

The chefs at Soul Kitchen strive to create regional dishes using only the freshest ingredients. The restaurant uses organically grown produce as much as possible and often sources its ingredients straight from New Jersey. Although there is a minimum of $10, people who are able to afford to donate more can make an impact in the lives of their community.

Those who pay more than $10 can cover the bill for someone else who can’t afford the meal. Dining out is often considered a luxury for people around the country, and some simply can’t afford it. Soul Kitchen aims to make sure people don’t go without a healthy meal, even if the $10 minimum donation is too high of a price for some.

Soul Kitchen will not turn away anyone who can’t pay, and instead gives these people an opportunity to volunteer at the restaurant. These diners are able to pay for their meals by helping around the restaurant. They are able to lend a helping hand in preparing the food in the kitchen, cleaning and setting the tables in the front of the restaurant, or helping others as a waiter or waitress.

Not only are people able to work for their healthy meals, they learn valuable skills in the restaurant business that may lead to permanent jobs in the industry. Soul Kitchen has their doors open to volunteers in the community who want to make a difference in the lives of others.

The selfless act of community service is highly encouraged and Soul Kitchen is always on the look out for people who want to help serve others. For more information on how to volunteer at Soul Kitchen, check out jbjsoulkitchen.org.

sportgraphic / Shutterstock.com

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Do you sometimes wish that you could do more for the environment but don’t know where to start? Maybe you’ve taken that first step by starting to recycle but with a hectic schedule you don’t think you have time to do anything else.

Luckily, there are several things you can do that are simple and don’t require a big investment of time and energy on the way to becoming green. Here’s a list of down-to-earth ways for you to reduce, reuse, and recycle your way to a more eco-conscience self:

1. Stop buying bottled water

Buying bottled water is both expensive and wasteful. Giving bottled water the boot will save money and help the environment. Bottled water creates 1.5 million tons of garbage yearly and although water bottles are recyclable, nearly 80 percent of these bottles aren’t recycled. If more people stop buying bottled water then fewer bottles will end up in landfills.

Two of the most popular bottled waters, Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani, are sold along side soda in vending machines and cost about $1.00 per bottle. Both brands are sold in 24-ounce bottles and their websites state that their products are filtered and purified, municipally supplied water.

What does that mean exactly? Essentially, when you buy a bottle of water, you’re paying about $0.05 per ounce for filtered city water.

A better way to do water on-the-go is to buy a filtered water pitcher and each person in your home a reusable, dishwasher-safe water bottle. The Brita Bottle makes ditching bottled water easy: this reusable water bottle from Brita has a built in filter which allows you to filter water anywhere.

2. Switch to reusable cloth towels and napkins

Skipping paper towels and napkins in favor if a cloth alternative reduces garbage that would end up in landfills and saves natural resources. Stock up on cloth towels and napkins and store them in a drawer in your kitchen then pull them out when needed.

An easy way to determine the amount of cloth napkins you’ll need for your family and reduce your laundry pile is to assign each member of the family a different color napkin or a different color napkin ring and then wash their napkin only when it truly needs it or at the end of the week. Something Different Linen offers one-dozen, 20-inch square, cotton dinner napkins for $23.00 for sale at Amazon.com.

The retailer also sells smaller, 6-inch square napkins that would perfect for tucking inside of a child’s school lunchbox.

3. Start using reusable shopping bags

Cities across the globe are passing bans on plastic shopping bags. With tens of billions of plastic shopping bags ending up in landfills each year it’s no wonder. Even though these bags are recyclable only a very small percentage ever ends up being recycled.

The key to using reusable shopping bags is remembering them when going shopping. Stash reusable shopping bags in your car, your purse, jacket pockets or any place where you’re likely to look before heading into the store.

You’ll often be able to find reusable shopping bags for sale in your neighborhood grocery store however many stylish, inexpensive bags are available. Envirosax offer designer prints, have been tested for strength and safety, and are available different styles. The company’s Greengrocer Series bags will fit in the palm of your hand when rolled up and just under $9.00.

4. Reduce the amount of mail you receive

Let’s face it – not everything we get in the mail is important. More than one billion pieces of junk mail are delivered each year and in the United Statesalone the catalogs, sales flyers and credit card offers that clog mail boxes account for one-third of all the mail delivered in the world.

You can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by contacting the biggest offenders directly or by visiting DMAChoice.org or Catalogchoice.org. Both companies add your name and address to junk mail and catalog “do not mail” lists.

Every year inAmerica, more than 350 million magazines are published and nearly 50 percent of those purchased end up not being recycled. An easy way to ease to minimize to lessen the burden on the environment is to contact magazines publishers and request that your subscription be converted to a digital format.

5. Reduce water consumption

A running water faucet uses about two to three gallons of water per minute and a running shower uses about five gallons of water per minute. Why is this important? Knowing how much water you’re using when you turn on the tap or step into the shower helps when trying to conserve water.

Conserving water allows more water to stay in reservoirs which helps to maintain ecosystems and preserve water for future use. You can start to lower your water usage by taking shorter showers. The average person showers for eight minutes, using approximately 40 gallons of water.

Cutting your shower time to five minutes or less will save at least 15 gallons of water which can add up to thousands of gallons per year for just one person.

Also consider turning off water faucets while you brush your teeth and shave. It takes practice to remember to turn the faucet on and off, but soon it will become second nature.

6. Clean out closets and donate unused items to charity

We live in a world that thrives on consumerism and it would be safe to assume that you, like many others, have items in your home that you no longer use. Are your closets bursting with unworn clothing? What about that set of golf clubs in your garage that you no longer use or all of the board games collecting dust in your hall closet?

Donating your unused items to charity gives them new life and placing clothing, games and other gently used items into the hands of someone else promotes reuse. It doesn’t make sense to throw away something that somebody else might be able to use.

Two charities that accept donations and help those in need are Goodwill Industries International, Inc. and The Salvation Army. Goods donated to be sold at Salvation Army Family Stores benefit the charity’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers which the organization’s website explains assists people with issues of “substance misuse, legal problems, relational conflicts, homelessness, unemployment, and, most importantly, a need for spiritual awakening and restoration.”

Donations sold in one of Goodwill International’s stores are put to use by offering, “job training, employment placement and other services to people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges.” Last year, Goodwill helped more than 2 million people train for careers.

The article Six Simple Ways to Go Green appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

When sex slavery comes to mind, most people think they cannot relate. What you should relate to is that it is happening a lot closer than you think. Sex slavery is one of the biggest and less noticed issues in the United States; even though it’s a billion a year enterprise and composed of mostly teen girls. Known for occurring overseas, sex trafficking is a commercial form of slavery a person under the age of eighteen is forced into. It is led by fraud and force. Thriving each and every minute, sex slavery is becoming more and more common in the United States, which has grew into over a twenty-eight billion dollar enterprise. Even though the sex industry is one of Americas booming industries, the consequences and downfalls of the industry are ignored. There are over one million slaves worldwide and about 17,000 end up working in the United States. Trapped with no way out, sex slaves have little hope, but is there hope? Celebrities and founders are known for helping charities, organizations, and finally there is someone who took on the war against sex slavery.

Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher launched their own non profit foundation against child sex slavery in 2007. DNA’s, the Demi and Ashton foundation, purpose is to hopefully abolish sex slavery by raising awareness through award shows, events, and communication with sex slave survivors. Phrases such as “Freedom.. its in our DNA” and “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” are raising attention to not only the government, but celebrities. Bradley Cooper well known from the Hangover, just recently joined the Real Men Don’t Buy Girls campaign by creating a video on what real men do. Music Superstar Drake, Justin Timberlake, and even Eva Longoria have joined the fight against sex slavery. Sex Predators use social media and the internet on about 77% of deals made within sex trafficking. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher hope to use that against them by using Social Media to raise awareness and hopefully prevent it from happening. Getting to the “heart” of sex transactions is where DNA will try to take a stand.

Appearing on Regis and Kelly, CNN, and the Pepsi Research Project, Demi and Ashton’s goal was to reach out to as many people as possible. With Facebook and Twitter created for the organization, DNA hopes to use social media as a backfire to all sex traffickers. They are working and combining forces with other sex slavery projects, such as the Polaris Project in Washington D.C., to help Americans understand the issue of sex slavery and how it can happen to anyone, no matter your location or gender.

Most Sex Slaves are enticed by fake ads and job opportunities, such as housekeeping and dressmakers in papers in countries like Ukraine. Once arriving at there fake job, women are enslaved and forced to have sexual encounters with over twenty men a day. Most of this happens in rural areas where there is nowhere to escape. Most sex slaves are women, but the scary part is most of them are under the age of 18, with the average age for a sex slave in the United States being thirteen years old.

Every ten minutes another sex slave is trafficked into the United States, so what can you do about it? Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher provided a three step process for people to help take a stand against sex slavery on demiandashton.org. First, join the “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” campaign by creating a video on what real men do instead. Justin Timberlake showed the men shave instead of buying girls on his video. The Real Men videos can be viewed on the website. Next, reporting any sex slavery seen on the internet or suspicions can help end sex trafficking online. This can be done by reporting to Craigslist, Facebook, and cybertipline.com. Finally, you can help raise money and awareness by doing it in style. The DNA t-shirt can be found online at stevenalan.com and all funds go to the DNA foundation. All of these actions can finally help put an end to sex slavery in the United States. Raising awareness is the first step to stopping the traffickers. So, go out and help put an end to sex slavery by showing that Real Men Don’t Buy Girls.

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The article “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls’..Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher Fight Against Sex Slavery” appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.