Making a Positive Difference

Thanks to Caine’s Arcade, Kids Across the World Are Creating Cardboard Wonderlands
- Making a Positive Difference
- October 2, 2012
9-year-old Caine Monroy, about whom we've written in the past, has now inspired young inventors to use their imaginations and take part in the Global Cardboard Challenge. In the Caine’s Arcade School Pilot Program, over 100 schools in nine countries participated in a viewing of the video about Caine and then worked with cardboard as a way to teach math,
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And the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2012 are…
- Making a Positive Difference
- September 27, 2012
CNN's global audience nominated the top ten CNN Heroes of 2012 based on their efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of others. These ten everyday people, representing six countries and four continents, will receive $50,000 and a chance to be the CNN Hero of the Year. All ten Heroes will be honored at
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Calif. chef serves up generosity to homeless kids
- Making a Positive Difference
- September 19, 2012
Good for You! to Bruno Serato, the chef who has served up almost 250,000 meals to children in need. Serato is also now involved in fundraising to help families get the housing they need. CBS Evening News, 9/14/2012
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At school, Dads get involved
- Making a Positive Difference
- September 14, 2012
A program called WATCH D.O.G.S., now active in more than 40 states, is increasing the number of male role models at schools across the nation by encouraging fathers to volunteer at least one day a year in several types of school activities. Watch the video to learn all about this important initiative! NBC Nightly News,
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Volunteers cross item off 9/11 victim’s “bucket list”
- Making a Positive Difference
- September 13, 2012
Years after her daughter, Ann, died in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, Jenette Nelson found Ann's "bucket list" on her old laptop. Buying or building a home in North Dakota was on that list, along with volunteering for a charity. Last week, more than 500 volunteers traveled to a remote corner of the state
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Infants’ parents hand out gifts to fellow fliers ahead of twins’ first flight
- Making a Positive Difference
- September 7, 2012
The parents of infant twins handed out this note and goodie bag, along with ear plugs, to passengers on their San Francisco-Washington, DC flight as a preemptive apology for any crying or nuisance the babies might cause. "We're twin baby boys on our first flight… We’ll try to be on our best behavior, but we’d
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The Power of a Grandmother’s Heart
- Making a Positive Difference
- August 31, 2012
Diane Latiker, 54, took it upon herself to start a nonprofit community in her Chicago South Side living room for kids living amidst rampant gang violence. The program, Kids Off The Block, has grown since 2003 to become a successful mentoring site and a safe haven for Chicago's youth, serving 300 children last year. Latiker,
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Tivo’s fix for jobless veterans
- Making a Positive Difference
- August 21, 2012
Tivo has developed an innovative internship program that helps returning vets transition from military life to finding their niche in the workplace. Good for You, Tivo, for initiating an internship program that is truly making a positive difference in the lives of others! The Wall Street Journal, 8/16/2012
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Making a Difference, One Thread at a Time
- Making a Positive Difference
- August 10, 2012
Volunteers make a positive difference by giving back to their community, like employees of the Cosmopolitan who spend time working with intellectually disabled people in Opportunity Valley, and they also help their company's bottom line. In addition to fostering teamwork among employees and attracting and retaining top talent, philanthropy can become part of a company's
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For North Haven woman, writing love letters a labor of love
- Making a Positive Difference
- July 30, 2012
Hannah Katy Brencher, along with her staff at "The World Needs More Love Letters," writes letters of encouragement and mails them to peoples' homes. Brencher, who is 24 years old, came up with the idea when she saw tired and worn out people riding on the subways. She recently quit her job as a writer for Save
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Changing lives, one picture at a time
- Making a Positive Difference
- July 16, 2012
NBC's Ron Mott profiles "Flashes of Hope," a national nonprofit organization that photographs children, some facing serious health issues, in an effort to change how they view themselves. NBC Nightly News, 7/14/2012
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Women race cross-country in seven days
- Making a Positive Difference
- July 9, 2012
In just one week a group of four women, each over the age of 47 (and one of whom used to be obese until she decided to make a positive change in her life), traveled 3,000 miles for Race Across America, under extreme conditions and severe sleep deprivation. By doing this, these women demonstrated that
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Grand re-opening for Joplin businesses
- Making a Positive Difference
- June 29, 2012
More than a year after the devastating tornado that ripped through Joplin, Mo., stores are opening their doors once again. NBC’s Chelsea Clinton reports. NBC News, 6/28/2012
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Pet Therapy: Some Hospitals Allow Patients’ Own Dogs to Visit
- Making a Positive Difference
- June 27, 2012
A growing number of hospitals have pet therapy programs, in which a trained owner-volunteer will bring a dog to the hospital for patients to enjoy. These programs have been said to help patients with their mood, pain, and comfort levels. A growing number of these hospitals have taken their pet therapy programs even farther, allowing
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New Venture Connects US Teachers Online
- Making a Positive Difference
- June 19, 2012
Share My Lesson, an online portal that teachers will be able to access free of charge, has been created to bring teachers together to share and learn from one another at a time when cuts to education budgets have led many districts to slash professional development. Randi Weingarten, leader of one of the country's largest
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