The Boy Who Gave It All Away
Drew Friend's 5th birthday party had been in full swing for less than half an hour -- and toys, board games, clothes, and stuffed animals were stacked on the dining room table. The pile kept getting bigger as guests poured into his home with armfuls of birthday gifts. But Drew didn't pay much attention to the pile. And a few hours later, he gave all the presents away. He had made an unusual decisi... posted on Apr 15 2008, 3,846 reads

Why Aren't We All Good Samaritans?
Daniel Goleman, psychologist and award-winning author of "Emotional Intelligence"(EI) and other books on EI, challenges traditional measures of intelligence as a predictor of life success. In this 20 minute TED Talk video, he asks why we aren't more compassionate more of the time. Sharing the results of psychological experiments, and using personal anecdotes, he explains how we are all born with t... posted on Apr 07 2008, 4,893 reads

One Woman Dedicated to Healing Haiti
"I've had more children dying in my arms than most people have ever experienced in their whole lives," Louise Ivers said. "I was thinking of the people I know in Ireland and the U.S., and most people don't know anyone whose child has died. Yet this is just everyday stuff. And we only see the half of it." Ivers has been steadily seeing more and more of the health care picture around Boucan Carre, H... posted on Apr 06 2008, 1,705 reads

52 Weeks, 52 Jobs
Fifty-two jobs in 52 weeks may sound horrific to some, but that's Sean Aiken's goal. Aiken's job-shopping odyssey began in February 2007, after he graduated as a class valedictorian with an undergrad degree, but no idea what to do for a living. Aiken's solution? To direct his passion into his job search by creating a personal employment agency on the Web. On his site, www.oneweekjob.com, he solici... posted on Apr 02 2008, 4,317 reads

Capturing Final, Precious Moments
In the muted light of the maternity ward, photographer Sandy Puc' works steadily, composing portraits of infant David. "If you want to put your lips right on the top of his head?" she asks David's father. "There. That's beautiful." There is always a final kiss to capture. David was stillborn early this morning. His parents, Gina and Rob Harris, will take home his plastic hospital bracelet and his ... posted on Apr 01 2008, 3,650 reads

Joe's Journey
When a truck slammed into Joe Damon's car in 2006, the 48-year old husband, father, businessman and athlete suffered a devastating brain injury that left him in a coma for five weeks. "Joe's Journey" tells the story of everything that was lost that day, but more importantly, of all that survived. Through powerful and deeply personal encounters with Joe, his wife, children and close friends, this f... posted on Mar 31 2008, 3,403 reads

Garden Variety Revolution
Earthworms are the original recyclers. They eat garbage, shred plant residue, and then spread the broken-down matter as they burrow into the ground.The worms also mix and aerate the soil, improve its drainage, and provide channels for roots to take hold. With the help of a talented social entrepreneur, hard work, and good luck, earthworms are making history again at TerraCycle Inc. The eco-friendl... posted on Mar 28 2008, 2,493 reads

The Woman Who Gives Away Computers
Forty-seven-year-old Lorraine Kerwood confounds expectations. One of eleven children, she grew up under challenging circumstances. Teachers labeled her mentally challenged and assigned her to special education classes. A wide variety of low-paying, blue-collar jobs followed. Yet, when Lorraine returned to school at the prodding of a friend, she became an academic star, eventually graduating magna ... posted on Mar 27 2008, 2,800 reads

The 'Do One Nice Thing' Lady
It began in the simplest way. Over lunch with girlfriends, Debbie Tenzer listened as they argued over the state of the world –- war, crime, schools in Los Angeles -– and how they felt helpless to change anything. Tenzer found herself resisting that view, and began to think what she could do. She started with small gestures of kindness one day of the week. Friends soon suggested she post these ... posted on Mar 26 2008, 4,307 reads

A Small Dose of Hope 30 Years Ago
"When I was in my first year of college, I hit a stretch where every area of my life was a disaster, I felt hopeless and alone, and more depressed than I knew was possible.On one such day, I was walking from class across campus to catch my bus home, head down, fighting tears of total despair, when a guy came down the sidewalk toward me. I had never seen him before. Embarrassed at being seen in suc... posted on Mar 20 2008, 5,092 reads