Sangha of Auspicious Companions

September 13, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Feeding the World From A Garden Shed

The corrugated tin hut crouching in the undergrowth, dwarfed by dripping firs, looks like a wartime relic nobody could be bothered to clear away … a sign reading “Mary’s Meals” has been stuck above the doorway. To Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, his father’s shed in Dalmally, Argyll, has acquired a talismanic significance. It’s where he stockpiled food and clothes for Bosnian refugees in the 1990s — an amateurish humanitarian mission that eventually led him to sell his house, give up his job and concentrate on the much bigger project of feeding poor children in developing countries. Today his efforts provide over 550,000 children with a daily life-saving meal. { read more }

Be The Change

Watch this inspiring video about how Mary’s Meals work. { more }

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September 12, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Planning & Other Paths To Less Stress

A recent survey by psychologist and self-help author Robert Epstein found that 25% of our happiness hinges on how well we’re able to manage stress. The next logical question is, of course, how best can we reduce our stress? The stress management technique that worked best, according to the survey: planning. In other words, “fighting stress before it even starts, planning things rather than letting them happen,” says Epstein. “That means planning your day, your year and your life so that stress is minimized.” This Time magazine article shares more. { read more }

Be The Change

Try incorporating one of Epstein’s relaxation techniques in your own life.

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September 11, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

The Ripple Effect of Kindness

“Over the last few years, I’ve become a big proponent of Smile Cards. The premise behind these small cards is simple: do an anonymous act of kindness and leave a card behind, inviting the recipient to pay-it-forward. If he/she does, the chain keeps going, resulting in “ripples” of kindness radiating out. Smile Cards are wonderful in ways I cannot count. Small, simple, humble — yet powerful, because one act of kindness can be the start of a long chain. But for all these reasons, the main reason why I use them is the subtle change that has begun to occur in the way I think.” So begins this reflection on how the ripple effect of kindness leads to change — both externally and internally. { read more }

Be The Change

Do a kind act, leave a smile card, and start a chain. Download or receive a gift of pre-printed smile cards here. { more }

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September 10, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

10 Strategies for Reducing Prejudice

UC Berkeley professor Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton provides research-based tips for overcoming prejudices based on differences. Here are his top ten strategies, summarized: Travel (somewhere that challenges your worldview); Take a course on prejudice; If you value egalitarianism, recognize that unconscious bias is no more “the real you” than your conscious values; Laugh a little — smiles and happiness help trump racial bias; Recategorize other people according to characteristics that you share; Do your part to save the planet; Stay healthy — a sense of security promotes tolerance of other worldviews; Acknowledge differences, rather than try to fight an uphill battle to ignore them; Remember that people are really bad mind-readers, so communicate; Make a cross-race friend. This in-depth article shares further. { read more }

Be The Change

Make a conscious effort to be aware of preconceived notions — and to stop propagating them internally.

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September 9, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Where Children Sleep: A Poignant Photo Series

‘Where Children Sleep’ is a remarkable series capturing the diversity of and, often, disparity between children’s lives around the world through portraits of their bedrooms. Kenyan-born, English-raised, Venice-based documentary photographer James Mollison explores the topic with poignancy. The project began on a brief to engage with children’s rights and morphed into a thoughtful meditation on poverty and privilege, its 56 images spanning from the stone quarries of Nepal to the farming provinces of China to the silver spoons of Fifth Avenue. “From the start, I didn’t want it just to be about ‘needy children’ in the developing world, but rather something more inclusive, about children from all types of situations. It seemed to make sense to photograph the children themselves, too, but separately from their bedrooms, using a neutral background,” says Mollison, whose touching photos follow. { read more }

Be The Change

What memories do you have of your childhood room? Share your reflection with other readers here. { more }

DailyGood is a volunteer-run initiative that delivers “good news” to 108,960 subscribers. There are many ways to help. To unsubscribe, click here.

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September 8, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

A Storyteller of the Streets

Most people have never walked down the street and looked for homeless people before — most look the other way. But not Mark Horvath. A former Hollywood insider, Horvath has been a drug addict, con artist and, for a brief period, homeless. He says he’s left that life behind, and these days, he’s drawing on his past to inspire his Web site — Invisiblepeople.tv. The site is a collection of YouTube-length video profiles of homeless people he’s met across the country, and it’s become a surprise hit in social media circles. Horvath heads down Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, looking for homeless people. When he finds someone, he reaches into an overstuffed backpack and pulls out a bag of fresh white socks. Nearly everyone takes a pair. And when they do, Horvath pulls out a video camera and asks if he can interview them. { read more }

Be The Change

Visit Mark’s website InvisiblePeople.TV, which aims to change the story around homelessness. { more }

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September 7, 2011

a project of CharityFocus

Dogs with Custom Wheelchairs Inspire Rehab Patients

Cruising in their custom wheelchairs, Chili and Arlo are the center of attention wherever they go. But for patients at the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas, these two canine caregivers are also an inspiration. “Many of the patients are new to wheelchairs,” Linda Marler, the program’s director told TODAY.com. “When they see Chili and Arlo, they say, ‘If those dogs can do it, so can I.'” Chili and Arlo are the only dogs with disabilities among the 90 specially trained therapy dogs that participate in Baylor’s Animal Assisted Therapy program. The canine volunteers make weekly visits to lift the spirits of patients who have suffered traumatic injuries or a stroke. “We use the dogs to create more of a home atmosphere and also to get a response,” Marler said. She’s found that animals will often elicit a reaction when every other method has failed. { read more }

Be The Change

Consider the challenges you’ve overcome — and share your process with someone who might benefit.

DailyGood is a volunteer-run initiative that delivers “good news” to 108,911 subscribers. There are many ways to help. To unsubscribe, click here.

Other CharityFocus projects include:

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