Swallowing Your Pride to Put Food in Your Stomach
I was at the local food bank today, having given a ride to a friend. He's talented and capable, but temporarily out of work and low on resources in this tough economy. The experience was a painful one...
View ArticleMake a Difference in Hunger, One Person or Village at a Time
When most people I know talk about hunger, we are referring to a rumbling emptiness in our stomachs that makes us look forward to our next meal in a few minutes or, at worst, a few hours. We get...
View ArticleHeifer International – A Sustainable Solution to Poverty
"Lifting people out of poverty doesn’t come from the outside in; it’s an inside-out job," says Christine Volkmer, spokesperson for Heifer International. The organization she represents is known...
View ArticleKiva –“Make a Small Loan, Make a Big Difference”
When someone with an entrepreneurial vision lives in a developing nation, they often need only a little capital to turn their dreams into reality. Costs are low, relative to the developed world. And a...
View ArticleGrameen Bank –“Working toward a Poverty-Free World”
On October 13, 2006, Professor Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh stepped to the podium in Oslo, Norway, to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. The work for which Yunus was being honored had started a financial...
View ArticleHalf the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
Women hold up half the sky – Chinese Proverb Mercy Corps is inviting book clubs and reading groups throughout the nation to read Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,...
View ArticleFace to Face: Children of the AIDS Crisis in Africa by Ande and Richter
Open to any page of Face to Face: Children of the AIDS Crisis in Africa, and you'll find haunting photos and text that will either make you weep for, laugh with, or give applause to the children who...
View ArticleThe Next Right Thing – Saving Children’s Lives, One at a Time
In Cote d'Ivoire, on September 28, a child entered the world with a cleft palate so severe that he cannot nurse. He cannot eat. If he is to live, he must have surgery. The newborn is named Leandre. He...
View ArticleHaiti on Our Minds
Like many of you, I've been watching three days of news reports streaming from MSN.com and CNN.com. As I sit here in the comfort of a sturdy Midwestern home, I grieve for people I have never known. I...
View ArticleIndustrial Overfishing Causes Food Insecurity in Uganda
“Fishing has almost collapsed in Uganda, especially Lake Victoria,” said Seremos Kamuturaki, Executive Director of Uganda Fisheries & Fish Conservation (UFFCA). “The stock has dwindled...
View ArticleFrank McKinney – “Tapped” to Live a Dichotomous Life
Frank McKinney isn’t just a man, he’s a full-fledged brand. His name is synonymous with the most expensive, most lavish homes built on speculation in the United States. In typical style, Frank...
View ArticleFrom Rich to Enriched – Responding to The Tap
There’s no doubt that Frank McKinney stands out in a crowd. His long, flowing, blond hair sets him apart from most business types he deals with. His daredevil actions put others in awe of his tolerance...
View Article“I Can’t Walk Away and Leave Malnourished Children Standing There”
My cousin, David Wasson, knows about childhood nutrition better than most. David is an award-winning chef who spent his career preparing meals for wealthy people and teaching their children to cook. He...
View ArticleNotes from Iowa: The Downside to Biofuels
Fully 58 percent of Iowa’s 2010 corn crop was used to make ethanol. So, it is not just “surplus” corn that is going into ethanol, as is claimed by the ethanol industry. Even the livestock industry does...
View ArticleNotes from Virginia: Love in the Time of Cholera, Air Conditioning, and Basic...
At the end of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book Love in the Time of Cholera, Florentino Ariza's lifelong love is finally reciprocated. Fermina Daza, an aged widow, accepts his invitation to ride a...
View Article
