Films tell stories of compassion at Seattle event

by | Oct 29, 2012 | , , , , , ,

 Submitted by What's Good 206 If you let a community tell its own stories, what do you hear? During Seattle's Compassion Games, independent filmmakers brought us stories of a neighborhood coming together around a community garden, a community formed around an all-night diner, and a community of dancers that became family for a Seattle newcomer.   These and about a dozen other films were shown during an event called, "A Story Runs Through It, " which was hosted by Seattle International...

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Help plant a garden of compassion at Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club

by | Oct 26, 2012 | , , , ,

By Jon Ramer   The Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club needs you. Dedicated school chef Patrice Freeman shops the sales to feed her hungry troupe, but she has a dream, to feed her boys and girls with fresh fruit and vegetables from a bountiful school garden. She has the space, and she's looking for donations of soil and the materials to create eight to 10 large planters for the garden and fill them with rich planting soil for the 2013 spring and summer. The club is budget challenged. On the...

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‘Kindness School’ builds strong academics with compassion

by | Oct 26, 2012 | , , , , ,

 Submitted by What's Good 206 Strong academics are a byproduct of a good school. That's the model for Puget Sound Community School, which operates on the premise that students learn best when they are supported in their passions. And yes, they do take classes like pre-calculus and physics. Teaching compassion and kindness are an essential part of that education, says founder Andy Smallman, who founded the school 19 years ago with his wife Melinda Shaw. Hear students and teachers talk about...

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Hope and pain through a social worker’s eyes

by | Oct 26, 2012 | , , ,

By Martha Hopler As I head to the home of J. I feel a sense of urgency today is the day.  Today is the day I have waited for, for some time.  I have waited for the moment she is ready to head to re-hab.  I am very aware of the choices I have made to allow her to continue to care for her children while she chooses  to use drugs and alcohol to escape the realities of her difficult life. As the social worker I live in the ever present tension of what is right for her kids and what she wants…. ...

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He lived compassion at life’s end

by | Oct 23, 2012 |

By Alanna Gunne Lying in his bed, he listened to the sounds of life.  He could smell the pot roast cooking in the kitchen and hear his housemates moving through the halls.  A movie was playing on his VCR and he was comfortable.  He had not envisioned his life this way.  He loved the beach and the sunshine.  He loved his work and his many friends knew him as a passionate foodie.  Assisted by his pain medications, he often dreamed of those days.  In a way it was a gift because he could live in...

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Volunteers nurture compassion throughout community

by | Oct 22, 2012 | , , , ,

   Submitted by Kizzie Funkhouser We are fellow volunteers that serve those in need, Farmers of hope, we're planting the seeds - Weeding out obstacles when lives' pathways are blocked. Standing together, our diverse strands, woven to stalks Of goodwill and compassion we nurture, Strong - rooted in belief that every life matters That dignity and respect have no boundaries or status. We are young, we are old, yet we are the same Our vision not of the chore, we see the faces, know names,...

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brother’s compassion for his sisters is a life lesson

by | Oct 21, 2012 | ,

By Lee Campbell There was a man named Joe Earl. He was born in 1911 in a small town near the Mississippi River. His father died of an unspecified illness when he was a toddler. His mother, Mollie Bodi, remarried and  had two daughters, Ida Mae and Delores. Mollie’s second husband died in an accident in a Missouri mine. She married a third time to a man whose last name was Dockins and had four more daughters. In approximately 1925, she died while giving birth to a baby boy. After her death, Mr....

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Report: Final Week of Scavenger Hunt Rocks!

by | Oct 20, 2012 | , , ,

Officially, the Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest are in their final week. But you wouldn't know it from the activity in the Scavenger Hunt. New players sign up on SuperBetter everyday and this week included some spectacular Quests.   Quest #14: Check out Yes! magazine; find and post a link to a story that inspires you personally.     Quest #15: Learn about the Fare Start Program. Take someone out for a wonderful meal at one of Fare Start's excellent restaurants or...

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Looking for compassionate solutions to gun violence

by | Oct 17, 2012 | , , , , , , ,

Submitted by What's Good 206 Why should you care about gun violence? "It has no race, no creed, no age barriers. If it hasn't affected you yet, it will if it continues." Stark words from one man interviewed in this array of community voices recorded at an anti-gun violence rally at Seattle's Martin Luther King Memorial Park. "It needs to be talked about among your family and friends," says a police officer. "We have to work to get the community out to say we've had enough of the gun violence...

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Smarter & more compassionate schools? Yes we can!

by | Oct 16, 2012 | , , , , , ,

Submitted by What's Good 206 Build more compassionate schools by combining students of different ages in the classroom, and fully integrating schools, says a 17-year-old high school senior who has written a book advocating overhaul of the educational system. In this video produced by What's Good 206, Nikhil Goyal also advises educators to start treating students respectfully and invite them into the conversation about their education. Directed by AUSTIN WILLIAMS Hosted by STARLA SAMPACO Edited...

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