What happens when a building dies (aka is abandoned)? In most cases it’s demolished and tons of usable lumber, bricks, and metal become trash in our landfills. According to the reuse advocacy website Waste to Wealth,“The construction and demolition (C&D) industry disposes of almost 65 million tons of waste annually, much of which is reusable or recyclable.” The wastefullness of demolition is compounded when fresh materials are made for a new construction project using up... [Read more]

I know what I was expecting. I envisioned myself majestic like Meryl Streep in “Out Of Africa.” Wandering through vast green fields, smelling the harvest, and looking fabulous while assisting in the cultivation of produce. The reality: I find myself holding a hoe, up to my knees in year old horse manure, under the watchful eye of a man who I’m sure Rob Zombie is disappointed he missed for “The Devil’s Rejects” casting sessions. I’m sure if I don’t complete the job of spreading the... [Read more]

Ryan C. Farrell pulls out his hair, repeats things other people say, and stretches his mouth till it develops sores. For Ryan these impulses are uncontrollable, he has Tourette syndrome and in his words, “There aren’t many people that are capable of dealing with my problem and that’s why I think God made me special…I do not want sympathy. I just want to tell my story and help others…” [From “God Made Me Special!!!!” By: Ryan C. Farrell] For many years the non-profit Children... [Read more]

According to the United Nations, 25,000 people die of starvation everyday; 16,000 of them are children. That’s one child every 5 seconds. Amidst these horrifying numbers, Oxfam warns that millions of people in Africa “are fast being pushed towards severe hunger and destitution.”  Unfortunately the formula that causes the hunger crisis in African is being repeated thousands of times around the globe. Drought conditions, sustained growth in demand (both from biofuels and growing... [Read more]

More puppies should be sent to jail. I say this as an animal lover and someone who realizes our prisons are already bursting with inmates. So why crowd prisons further with dogs? Because people both inside and outside of “the big house” are finding freedom and dignity thanks to a unique program in New England called Puppies Behind Bars. Puppies Behind Bars (PBB), founded in 1997, utilizes inmates in seven New York area prisons to raise and train puppies to become service dogs and bomb... [Read more]