Prosperity

Housing Them in Her Heart

admin — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:27:00 -0500

The irony isn't lost on Diane Nilan. She voluntarily became homeless to try to end homelessness.

Her first exposure to poverty was in childhood, through her family's maid Minnie, who supported 13 kids on a salary of $8 an hour. "It started getting me to ask 'Why?'" says Diane. "I realized that the happiest times in my life are ones that are centered on others."

Down Payment on a Dream

admin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:08:16 -0600

My teenage daughters, Sara and Reneé, and I were living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the late 1970s. I was a single parent, scraping by on a Social Security disability check. We were grateful for the row house I was able rent in Chestertown. I had learned how to make ends meet so we had just enough for rent, food, utilities and clothes.

Parents Share Childcare to Beat the Recession

batch — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:05:14 -0500

In the past several months, there have been a number of news reports showing how the recession has fostered a new culture of sharing between friends and neighbors.

Now, it seems the desire to reduce childcare costs has resulted in more families participating in babysitting swaps and co-ops.

A report by the Associated Press describes how both informal and organized childcare-sharing networks are flourishing, as parents look for ways to avoid paying for casual babysitters.

Kids Learn How Lemonade Can Make a Difference

batch — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:05:12 -0500

A lemonade stand run by a group of youngsters is a classic summertime image. But what if that youthful entrepreneurial inspiration could be channeled to benefit those less fortunate?

The goal of the LemonAid Movement, a nonprofit project, is to encourage educators and communities to organize opportunities for children to learn how to give back to global causes through fundraising.

U.S. Kids Shoot Hoops to Help African Children

batch — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:05:13 -0500

At age 9, Austin Gutwein knew he wanted to help orphans living halfway across the world.

So he did something about it.

In 2004, the Mesa, Arizona, resident had been touched by a video telling the story of African kids orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Despite his young age, he organized a fundraiser—similar to a walkathon—in which he shot basketball free throws to earn $3,000 for the World Vision charity.

Volunteers Sew Blankets for Sick Kids

jbloustein — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:19:05 -0500

A group of volunteer quilters and knitters hopes that the blankets they create will give some needed comfort to children living with cancer.

Project Linus was started by Karen Loucks Rinedollar in 1995, after she read a moving article in a magazine about kids who were undergoing intensive chemotherapy.

Talk the Talk

jbloustein — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:36:17 -0500

My wife, Lynette, was flipping through the pile of mail on the kitchen counter. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, waving an envelope while she scanned its contents.

The letter.

I’ve been a professional truck driver for 28 years and I’ve got more than a million-and-a-half miles under my belt without an accident—something my company, Con-way Freight, took notice of.

Sole Survivors

jbloustein — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:37:55 -0500

It was one of those moments, a simple question that changed my life. “When are you coming back?”

I was getting over a divorce, raising my kids Morgan, Hannah and Christopher, who were all under five. I made a decent living as a hairstylist, had a nice home.

But I felt guilty about the family breaking up—so I spoiled them. I took them on exotic vacations, shopping sprees for name-brand shoes, whatever they wanted. I overcompensated a bit. It was my way of showing them what I thought love was. But what kind of example was I setting?

Dollars and Sense

admin — Mon, 01 May 2006 12:36:00 -0500

Kids want to learn about everything. That includes money. Why not take advantage of that natural curiosity and teach them how to spend and save wisely? Give your children a clear understanding of what their money is worth, and you'll be helping them develop financially healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

Turkey on Every Table

test_1 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:11:40 -0600

I lifted the heavy lid of our old freezer in the garage and peered inside, looking for some vegetables to make for dinner. For the past year, we’d scraped by on my small teacher’s salary while my husband, Mike, was away at graduate school. With three hungry teenagers to feed, it was a challenge to stretch our grocery dollars. Now, one glance at the half-empty freezer made me question what I’d done on impulse a week earlier.