Social Impact Social Media

Since 1987 the Appalachian Community Fund (ACF) has been making a difference – helping create social change in West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. appalachiancommunityfund.org ACF funds and encourages grassroots social change in Central Appalachia. ACF works to build a sustainable base of resources to support community-led organizations seeking to overcome and address issues of race, economic status, gender, sexual identity, and disability. As a community-controlled fund, ACF offers leadership to expand and strengthen the movement for social change through its practices and policies. Their efforts range from mentoring teenagers and guiding them toward college, supporting women in emotional crisis to keeping the only public clinic serving the poor open. And ACF has forced changes in the Federal Black Lung Program for miners and those in mining areas and they have helped protect endangered forests in the Appalachian region. To find out more so you can ...

wellsbringhope.org It all started when Gil Garcetti spoke at Barbara Goldberg’s Salon Forum in 2008 sharing powerful photos he had taken in Western Africa. He shared the dire need for safe drinking water and the endless struggles of women and girls to get it.    In 2009 Barbara founded Wells Bring Hope and, partnering with World Vision, drilled 10 wells the first year. Inspired by the commitment of Wells Bring Hope Gil Garcetti continues help share the story of this struggle for safe drinking water through speaking opportunities and his photography. In the Fall of 2007, the UCLA Fowler Museum had an exhibition of his photographs, “Women, Water and Wells.” In 2009, many of these photos were on exhibition in the visitors lobby of the United Nations in New York. In February, 2008, these same photographs and his words inspired the founding of “Wells Bring Hope.” Since its start Wells Bring Hope has funded 681 wells  and 3 solar water systems helping...

blac.media Named for Hiedelberg Street in Detroit The Hiedleberg project began with Tyree Guyton decorating houses in a  Detroit community that resembled a burnt out war zone in 1986. Today the project uses art to teach community children about art and the environment while instilling a sense of community. Through the organization's ingenuity they have engaged students and professors from Wayne State University to the University of Michigan and Harvard. The photo here is of artwork from Tim Burke's Detroit Industrial Gallery Working with children that walk past rubble, debris, crime and abandon houses day after day The Hiedelberg project networks urban vacant lands into art/play/garden spaces while teaching children the philosophy of  "art-as-life." They have a Young Adult Heidelberg program that is nurturing and mentoring young adults, 18 - 25, to become community leaders and nurture the...

Playworks is the only national nonprofit sending trained "coaches” to under-served inner city schools. They currently have programs in 300 schools in 23 cities and serve around 130,000 students. playworks.org Playworks trains adults in how to create, safe, rewarding and inclusive experiences at recess. These coaches then go out to low-income urban schools and train teachers and parents how to get the most out of learning opportunities even during recess. Coaches become a part of the school community. Playworks also runs tutoring programs and physical activity programs. It is amazing what kids and adults can learn in terms of leadership skills, diversity tolerance and apparently much more according to results of their annual survey of participating principals, teachers and staff. With coaches in place students come back to class more focused and ready to learn. For the 2010 -11 school year Playworks surveyed over 2,500 educators. Here, briefly are the results. 98% r...

In  a July 2002 editorial  published in the San Bernadino  California Sun Jane Roberts wrote, " A week has passed since the Bush Administration decided to deny the $34 million dollars  voted by Congress for the United Nations Populations Fund. Ho Hum, this is vacation time. Columnists have written about it and newspapers have printed editorials of lament. Ho Hum. More women die in childbirth in a few days than terrorism kills people in a year. Ho Hum. Some little girl is having her genitals cut with a cactus needle. Ho Hum just a cultural thing. As an exercise in outraged democracy, would 34 million of my fellow citizens please join me by sending one dollar each to the US Committee for UNPA?" That idea was the genesis of 34 Million Friends  when Jane and co-founder Lois Abraham - separately and not knowing one another had the same idea-- a grassroots effort, one dollar at a time to get 34 million American women to give one dollar each  to help provide ...

aif.org Founded in 2001  American India Foundation (AIF)  is a network of US-based chapters that form the basis of the organization's giving and initiatives that currently contribute to the support of 150 non-government organizations in India. The India-based organizations that AIF supports provide a wide array of programs and services, that so far have benefited more than 1.5 million people in India. AIF initially began with donors and fundraisers in Silicon Valley, New York and Chicago. Now has chapters across the US including the Midwest, Dallas, DC and southern California. The organization's intent is for those here in the US to contribute to and support non-government organizations in India to assure that those in need in India have access to healthcare, education and employment.    AFI chapters include both young professionals groups and junior chapters for high school students. To ...

It all started when Jessica Maddin was inspired to send an email to the CEO of 24 Hour Fitness and within 10 days had received an unbelievable amount of donated goods. Since December 2013 Jessica’s Hope Project has shipped nearly 2,000 nutrition-based care packages to deployed troops. They are raising money to cover shipping of more care packages and keep the momentum going. The nonprofit says that according to data from the U.S. Marine Corps, “The average deployed individual loses 50 pounds per deployment.” The mission of the Jessica’s Hope Project is to keep this from happening by providing protein bars, muscle milk and vitamin supplements to as many military individuals as possible to maintain their physical well-being and mental sharpness. In many locations where troops are deployed there are very few, if any, food options other than MRE’S (made ready to eat) which were not designed to be the daily sole nutritional source for 2000 daily calories – and apparently the...