The Best Education Money Can't Buy
Berea College, founded 150 years ago to educate freed slaves and "poor white mountaineers," accepts only applicants from low-income families, and it charges no tuition. "You can literally come to Berea with nothing but what you can carry, and graduate debt free," said Joseph P. Bagnoli Jr., the associate provost for enrollment management. "We call it the best education money can't buy."... posted on Jul 25 2008, 4,008 reads

Public Meditation Project
What would it be like to meditate in a public place--at a busy intersection or amidst teems of shoppers at a mall? A few years ago, Alex Cequea asked himself this very question, and acted on it by creating The Public Meditation Project. Convinced that world change starts from within, this young activist from Houston, Texas has since opted to "be peace" in congested locales all over town, often in ... posted on Jul 24 2008, 2,354 reads

Peace, Love and Ice Cream
Matt Allen,won't disclose his age but must hover around 30. He finds happiness in life's small wonders. He plays kickball; he does the happy dance. With free-flowing floppy hair and thrift-store threads, he resembles an elementary student allowed to pick his own outfit for the day. Matt Allen is not just an ice cream man, he's "The" Ice Cream Man. And his venture, meanwhile, has grown from a one-m... posted on Jul 23 2008, 3,979 reads

Isabel Allende on Giving and Loss
"I have lived with passion and in a hurry, trying to accomplish too many things. I never had time to think about my beliefs until my 28-year-old daughter Paula fell ill. She was in a coma for a year and I took care of her at home, until she died in my arms in December of 1992." Celebrated novelist Isabel Allende shares further on NPR's "This I Believe," reflecting on giving and loss, on her own jo... posted on Jul 22 2008, 4,663 reads

The Best Advice I Ever Got
Indra Nooyi -- PepsiCo's CEO, listed in Time's Top 100 influentials around the globe -- was recently asked by Fortune magazine: What was the best advice you ever got? Her response, based on advice from her father, holds the keys to a truly unique way of approaching conflict.... posted on Jul 18 2008, 12,347 reads

Empty Wallet, Full Hearts
"It seemed to be an ordinary crazy busy Saturday at the restaurant I work in. Then, all of a sudden, all the staff started turning the kitchen upside down, going through the garbage, looking and looking for something. As it turned out, a fellow server had lost her wallet full of money from the day. It was really moving to see so many people (including the caring management team) taking the time... posted on Jul 17 2008, 3,457 reads

Selling 1 House to Serve 30 Villages
One day while driving with her father, Hannah Salwen noticed a Mercedes stopped next to a homeless man sitting on the curb. "I said to my dad, 'If that guy didn't have such a nice car, then that guy could have a nice meal,'" the 15-year-old from Atlanta, recalled. And so began the tale of what the Salwen family calls "Hannah's Lunchbox." The family began seriously thinking through what they actua... posted on Jul 10 2008, 3,207 reads

The Hands On Network
Twenty-one years ago, Michelle Nunn was a recent University of Virginia graduate and a fledgling community activist. Motivated by her life-long zest for civic involvement and a sense of personal responsibility, she co-founded a small organization called Hands On Atlanta. Today that has grown into the largest volunteer organization in the country, and Nunn is at the helm of it all. "We have 370 vol... posted on Jul 06 2008, 2,268 reads

Are You The Favorite Person of Anybody?
A man stands on a sidewalk, waiting to ask passersby a single question: "Are you the favorite person of anybody?" Remarkably simple, yet profound its implications, this script, penned by indie phenom Miranda July, asks viewers to take an inward glance at their own lives. With subtle direction and wonderfully quirky performances, the film was also recently selected for YouTube's online screening.... posted on Jul 05 2008, 4,740 reads

A Homeless Man's Gift
"On New Year's eve my husband and I stopped in San Francisco for dinner on our way back from a retreat. While eating we felt that we should do something different this year. I took a $20 bill and asked the restaurant owner to give me $5 bills." So begins this heart-warming real-life story of a couple who ventured out on the streets to give and in the process received. ... posted on Jun 25 2008, 5,408 reads