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May 4, 2022 Read in Browser

Karuna News

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all

    -- Emily Dickinson

Hello everyone! We know that hope is more than just an emotion that feels good. It is an action-oriented strength that has the power to fully engage our will. This week’s stories share how hope can be translated into creative solutions, generosity and hard work. May these stories strengthen hope and inspire confidence in you this week!

Pssst! One more thing that gives up hope: 100 people from 10 countries have signed up to engage dedicated acts of compassion for a whole week together. And you're invited!

ELDERS

A Shelter In Ukraine Saved Hundreds Of Cats And Dogs -- And A Lion

A Shelter In Ukraine Saved Hundreds Of Cats And Dogs -- And A Lion

Sasah Sashina | Unsplash

With terrified residents pouring out of Kyiv as Russian tanks made their way there earlier in the year, 77-year-old Asya Serpinska walked toward her animal shelter of two decades. With three colleagues, she kept most of the 700 dogs and 100 cats alive -- and even rescued a lion -- amongst shelling and Russian forces threatening their lives. She says she's stubborn. Her husband Valentyn, at 78-years-old, drove through the night and hostile checkpoints to bring her a generator that saved the shelter. Read Full Story.

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BUSINESS

Canadian Clothing Entrepreneurs Are Disrupting 'Fast Fashion'

Canadian Clothing Entrepreneurs Are Disrupting 'Fast Fashion'

Above: Oghosa Ogiemwonyi, co-founder of Thriftsome. Photo: Jaison Empson | CBC

Growing up in Ghana, Joshua Akom relied on second-hand clothing. Now living in Canada, he and Oghosa Ogiemwonyi run Thriftsome, an online thrift store that lets Canadians make more sustainable fashion choices. ALT TEX in Waterloo, Ontario, is creating an alternative to polyester that is biodegradable and carbon neutral and made from food waste. People blame cars and power companies for carbon emissions even as we are literally wearing fossil fuels, says co-founder Avneet Ghotra. The nonprofit Fashion Takes Action teaches young people the seven Rs of sustainability -- reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose, repair, rent, resell, and recycle again once clothing exhausts its lifespan - to create awareness leading to systems change. Read Full Story.

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NEWS

Jessica Watkins Makes History As First Black Woman On International Space Station

Jessica Watkins Makes History As First Black Woman On International Space Station

Joel Kowsky | Wikimedia Commons, PD NASA

Among the NASA crew blasting off most recently is Jessica Watkins, who will spend several months on the International Space Station, the first Black woman to do so. "Growing up and throughout my career it's been really important to see people who look like me or have my background or similar experiences. That I'm able to do that for others, for other young girls or young people of color, I'm grateful for the opportunity to return the favor," Watkins said. She is only the fifth Black woman to join an astronaut crew. She is a geologist and will perform scientific experiments and maintenance while in orbit. Read Full Story.

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COMMUNITY

A Police Department's Random Acts Of Kindness

A Police Department's Random Acts Of Kindness

Tomas Ryant | Pexels

Officers at California's Oceanside Police Department have been focusing on a different way to help out strangers in their community every month. In March, they helped people face rising gas costs by handing out envelopes filled with cash at local gas stations. In April, they were helping shoppers with their grocery tabs. "Are you serious?" one woman asked after being approached and receiving $100from the police department. "I never thought of anything like that happening, it's remarkable, takes your breath away," shared Wayne Fortin, founder of Trauma Intervention Programs Inc., which provided the generous donation behind these gifts. "We can think of no better way for us to provide acts of kindness to Oceanside residents than by partnering with Oceanside police officers who are on the front lines and encounter those who need kindness and a helping hand on a regular basis." Read Full Story.

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EVERYDAY HEROES

Finding Tracy: How $100 Changed The Lives Of Two Refugee Sisters

Finding Tracy: How $100 Changed The Lives Of Two Refugee Sisters

Ayda Zugay was 12 years-old when she and her sister, then 17, fled the former Yugoslavia for the US. On the flight, a woman named Tracy handed them an envelope with a $100 bill inside. That money, says Ayda, helped feed them for an entire summer while they scraped by. Since then, Ayda has pursued every possible avenue to find Tracy. "I want to be able to … thank her for her generosity, for her kindness, for her empathy," Ayda says in a video shared on Twitter. "I was wondering if you could help me find her." This powerful story of compassion is more important than ever, with the number of displaced refugees in the world reaching an all-time high, says Sarah Sheffer, who works with refugees. Ayda knows she might never find Tracy, but she will keep trying. Even if she isn't successful, more people might hear about Tracy and go out of their way to be welcoming to refugees. [Update: Ayda's story went viral and she and her sister have since found Tracy. The three joyously reunited on a video call in early May.] Read Full Story.

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