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Showing posts from March, 2017

Helping Teens Aging Out of Social Services and Terminally Ill Kids Through Education, Camping and Bass Fishing

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odd-fellows.org   Sitting at "Five," the bar at Hotel Shattuck Plaza in Berkeley, CA I struck up a great conversation about social responsibility and giving back with Chris and Roy-- 2 independent contractors taking a break from their work. Their passion and personal mission is to reach out and help  teens "aging out" of our social services system and kids with terminal illnesses whose parents -- as a result of drug addiction, finances or other circumstances -- really aren't there for these kids. Through our conversation I learned about  a national organization called  Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) and their charitable work including education- literally getting kids to college and striped bass fishing trips - giving many kids  their first experience outside of gang and violence riddled neighborhoods. They even have a summer camp program. What's more I mentioned to Chris and Roy, in passing, my own little effort with my kids of li

A Robin Hood Tax To Take On Poverty and Climate Change?

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Started in the UK and spreading  to  25 countries and counting The Robin Hood Tax initiative is a collaboration and partnership between many nonprofit organizations, politicians and activist volunteers in countries including England, Canada, the United States, Spain, Mexico, Norway, Germany, The Netherlands and more. The idea is to turn our global financial crisis into an opportunity to provide funds to address gender equality, climate change, international maternal healthcare.  The thinking is-  as result of the financial crisis  created by  hedge funds, banks and other financial institutions  these issues have gotten worse.  An example from Britain is that according to an IMF report as a result of the global financial crisis 1 in 5 British families has to choose between food or paying for heat. robinhoodtax.org Now think of conditions in  impoverished developing countries that were in the worse economic circumstances to begin with and where the  result of the financial