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As times of physical distancing prolong, creative pathways to tend to community surface in unexpected ways. In nature, some plants, such as Eucalyptus trees, require the excruciating high temperatures of a fire in order for its seeds to release and then germinate. As the heat of a 'new normal' seeps into our days, this week's stories invite us to look at unique seeds of community and unity sprouting in our social structures, some in ways that may not have manifested before.
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College sophomore Gordon Wayne finished a walking journey in August that spanned over 500 miles from central Virginia to Boston. The purpose was two-fold: to get to school while raising funds for and awareness about homelessness. The year before, he was living out of his car and working 10-hour shifts at a local amusement park. He spent his evenings applying to college. After getting admitted to a local community college, he then got acceptance into his dream school, Boston College, on a full scholarship. Along his walk, he walked 30-40 miles a day over 16 days and raised over $100,000 for National Alliance to End Homelessness. "Every time I want to quit, I just think about the people I'm doing this for and this is bigger than myself and I have to keep going," Wayne told World News Tonight.
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Emma Fishman. Audio: Listen Here.
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Food writer Angela Lansberger writes poignantly in Bon Appetit magazine about how, in the midst of a pandemic, she derives joy from creating intricate restaurant-quality meals for her friendly neighborhood chipmunk, Thelonius. It started with a simple snack of walnuts on a tiny picnic table that she received from her uncle. Within minutes of setting the table on her front porch, she got the satisfaction of seeing the chipmunk at the table gobbling up the walnuts, and an obsession was born. She has since created a sushi counter for Thelonius, made tiny taco shells (which he picks up and eats like a human), and even served him ramen in an edible "bowl." She documents her exploits on her Instagram feed. This is how I am coping, laying out a picnic, watching tiny hands hold my tiny food," Lansberger said. "It's silly, yes, but sometimes silliness is needed.
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Adam Casey | Today Show. Audio: Listen Here.
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At a time when the United States feels more divided than ever, a group of people in Omaha, Neb., are bringing people of different backgrounds together. Almost "smack in the center of America," as the Today Show reports, "there's a synagogue, a mosque and a church." The experiment in unity, named the Tri-Faith Initiative, also unveiled a new interfaith center on Oct. 17, 2020. The hope is to learn about the "religious other," become more tolerant and less fearful. "We're talking about celebrating each other's faith and becoming stronger in our own faith by doing so," said Dr. Ali Khan, University of Nebraska Medical Center's dean of College of Public Health.
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McEldowney | IndyStar. Audio: Audio: Listen Here.
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The Pendleton Correctional Facility in Indiana brings together cats and inmates in the FORWARD Program. FORWARD stands for Felines and Offenders Rehabilitation with Affection, Reformation and Dedication. Inmates care for abandoned and abused cats in a Cat Sanctuary inside the correctional facility, performing tasks such as providing food and water, cleaning the litter boxes and grooming the cats. The program has shown some remarkable outcomes for the offenders, including increased empathy, responsibility and self-esteem. FORWARD and other programs pairing pets with inmates help reduce recidivism and improve inmate relationships inside correctional facilities. Maleah Stringer, who has developed many animal/inmate programs, said, “Our mission is making second chances possible through the human-animal connection. Because of that connection with the animals, we’re able to help offenders who are serious about trying to do it differently when they get out.”
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Priscilla Du Preez | Unsplash. Audio: Listen Here.
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Koki Ozora in Tokyo is concerned to see that suicides are on the rise in Japan. Having grown up struggling with depression and loneliness, the 21-year-old now spearheads a volunteer-run nonprofit that offers a 24-hour text-messaging service for those who simply seek a listening ear. The service, called Anata no Ibasho ("A Place for You"), answers every request -- and responds within five seconds for urgent ones. Since March, the online chat service has mushroomed to 500 volunteers, many of whom live abroad in different time zones, which provides counseling in hours when the need for suicide prevention runs highest: 10 pm to dawn. The effort has received more than 15,000 online messages asking for help -- roughly 130 a day.
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