Author Archive for Gabi Moore
Gabi Moore is a Michigan State University journalism student. She's still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, but she harbors a passion for telling moving and meaningful stories, and appreciates the power of storytelling to influence the world. An animal lover since she can remember, she volunteers at her local animal shelter and is involved with Michigan's Children, pushing for legislative support and funding for children's programs across the state.
American Idol, Cheesecake Factory Help Feed America
September is the third annual Hunger Action Month, and Feeding America is partnering with American Idol finalists — including winner Lee DeWyze — and the Cheesecake Factory to raise awareness and funds for those in need. The Cheesecake Factory is applying proceeds from the sale of its Reese’s® Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake toward its goal of donating 3.5 million meals — a step toward aiding the 49 million-plus Americans that suffer from limited access to food.
People with singing talent, meanwhile, can participate by uploading their rendition of “Lean on Me.” Performing could result in meeting Lee DeWyze.
The theme of this year’s Hunger Action Month is “30 Days in 30 Ways,” and stresses that everyone can do something, no matter how small, to help end hunger. Consider participating in one of the following five ways:
Pledge money. Even one dollar can help get meals to those in need; providing 9 pounds of food and grocery products for those facing hunger. The Cheesecake Factory is offering a free slice of cheesecake to those who donate $5 or more to Feeding America.
Pledge food. Feeding America distributes 3 billion pounds of food and grocery products to more than 37 million people yearly, but more is always needed.
Pledge time. You can go here and enter your zip code to find a Feeding America food bank at which to volunteer your time. Food banks across the country are dependent on volunteers to help repackage donated food, transport food to charitable agencies, and assist with other tasks.
Write congress. If you’re lacking in time or money, you can take a stand and raise awareness by writing congress to encourage it to make ending hunger, particularly child hunger, a priority. Find a template of what you can write to your local legislators here.
Tell a friend. Making a difference is as simple as spreading awareness, and just sharing information about the hunger crisis can make a major difference.
Visit the Cheesecake Factory’s Share Your Voice website to learn more about Hunger Action Month and what you can do to help!
Farmer Changes Practices to Stop the Gulf Dead Zone
The Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone has been declared one of the largest ever this year; void of oxygen due primarily to fertilizers that run off into the ocean from Midwestern farms. Thankfully, on the mainland, farmers like Minnosota’s Tony Thompson are working hard to stop further damage to this already-devastated body of water.
Thompson grew up on a farm, and came to hate farming practices, like tilling the soil, for being so destructive. So he came up with a plan that would be better for the environment, using a soft touch on the land instead of tilling to prevent erosion and runoff.
“This is where I make my living. This is where my ancestors made their living. I’m not interested in fouling my nest,” he told CNN.
Thompson planted a field of alfalfa uphill from a lake on his farm, because alfalfa is a “greedy” plant that sucks up the nutrients so the fertilizer doesn’t get into the water. He also installed an underground bioreactor that manages to remove 50 to 80% of nitrates from the water.
The runoff that Thompson is trying so diligently to prevent causes massive algae overgrowth, which depletes the oxygen and suffocates the plant and animal life that can’t escape (shrimp caught in the zone commit suicide by jumping onto the beach). The dead zone this year covers 6,000 square miles — an area twice as big as last year. It hasn’t reached the “tipping point,” where it’s large enough to dramatically affect fishing industries, but it is only growing. The Gulf is already under intense stress, particularly with the damage from the oil spill still lingering.
Thompson feels that taking care of the water is his responsibility, and that other Midwest farmers should make the same efforts in keeping the water clean. The Gulf of Mexico can affect the nation and the world in a variety of ways. If farmers took the same measures as Thompson, the damage might be stopped.
Brad Pitt Makes New Orleans Right Again
Five years after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Brad Pitt’s Make It Right project has, according to its founder, “exceeded expectations.”
The Make It Right home building foundation has created a group of sustainable homes that will lower costs of living for low-income families in the area. The goal is to have 150 homes finished by the end of this year.
Pitt and the Make It Right team have also put their efforts toward landscaping, roads and other municipal projects. The efforts have helped resettle New Orleans residents who were at a time hesitant to return.
The sustainable neighborhood has opened discussion on bringing building to other cities. Pitt tells CNN that the community of green houses they have built is a “game-changer,” and could be successfully implemented across the country. The organization’s New Orleans homes are specially built to survive another hurricane, are healthy (there are no toxic materials to release harmful gases), and are powered by solar energy and geothermal heating and cooling systems. Not only has Make It Right helped to rebuild a community devastated by Hurricane Katrina, they have set a model for neighborhoods like this to be built in the future.
You can learn more about the Make it Right foundation and read the stories of those live in the green homes on their website, as well as donate to the cause.
Naked Roller Coaster Fights Breast Cancer
More than 100 people of all shapes and sizes broke the record last week for the biggest naked roller coaster ride. Many of the 102 people that bared all have relatives or friends who have been affected by breast cancer, and felt the event was a good way to raise money for the cause. The ride took place at Adventure Island in the UK and raised more than £22,000 for the Southland Hospital Charitable Foundation’s Bosom Pals Appeal.
The money will fund breast cancer screenings so that more women can be seen and possibly diagnosed with breast cancer. The appeal is attempting to raise £750,000 to purchase two full field digital mammography machines and the associated I.T. equipment. The hospital sees 22,000 women each year, about 450 of which are eventually diagnosed with cancer. This equipment will give them the ability to see and screen even more women.
Going on a roller coaster naked may seem incredibly intimidating, but it’s inspiring to see that the cause meant enough to these people to prompt participation. It fulfilled its purpose by raising quite a bit of money for breast cancer screenings, but the unusual way in which it was done also brought a lot of attention to the cause. How much more money will be donated to the appeal just because people see this story? You can learn more about the breast cancer appeal here or watch this video coverage of the ride:
Have you heard of other unusual ways to raise money? Have you ever participated in an event like this? Share your stories!
TNR: A Better Life for Feral Cats
Commonly referred to as TNR, the Trap Neuter Release method may be the best form of TLC for feral cats.
Feral cats are a common occurrence. Take this delayed demolition in Miami Beach: an old hotel was set to be demolished, but a large colony of stray kittens got in the way. All the cats have to be removed from the area before the building can be destroyed. Up in Michigan, I’ve watched a family of feral cats living in a nearby parking lot. I’ve tossed them my leftovers and even tried to approach a recent new litter, only to find that they had already developed a fear of humans.
But even if I could take one into a shelter, adult feral cats don’t fare well there — they often get put to sleep and are essentially better off taking care of themselves. Still, it’s not good for feral cats to be running around having babies all the time (if you’ve ever lived on a farm, or seen a feral cat colony, you know how fast they can churn out kittens!). The best scenario for these animals, then, is TNR.
Trap Neuter Release often involves a colony caretaker, who feeds the cats and possibly takes them into the vet if they appear to need health care. With all the cats neutered, the population of the colony will not spiral out of control. A cat born into a feral lifestyle does not have the ideal life, but this is the best chance they have. If you have a feral colony near you, look to see whether one of their ears appears to be torn. A common way of signifying if a feral cat has been neutered is by cutting off the tip of one ear, which is a simple surgery that does not affect the cat in the future and that heals quickly.
Keep in mind that TNR is only the best solution for fully grown feral cats. A feral cat will be very scared of humans, and it will be difficult to approach them. A once domesticated cat that ran away from home is referred to as a stray cat, and they will often be rather friendly and approach you. Should you find a stray cat, it is probably best to bring them into an animal shelter where they can be adopted out.
The other exception to TNR is kittens. The life of a feral cat is not ideal, so if you can capture kittens and take them to an animal shelter, it is often advised. Kittens are much easier to adopt out than cats, and much easier to socialize than an adult cat. If you are in the position to, consider fostering kittens or a stray cat, as not to take up room in the shelter.
You can find more information about feral cats at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website.
Muslim Woman’s Pork Refusal Results in Foster Rejection
While the religion makes headlines and faces criticism for potentially building a mosque near Ground Zero, Tashima Crudup seems a recent victim of an anti-Islamic sentiment. After the former foster care child completed 50 hours of training and cleared the initial screening process with Maryland’s Contemporary Family Services, her application to become a foster parent was denied. Why? Because the practicing Muslim refused to serve pork in her home.
Some are concerned that the dietary issue was an excuse to deny Crudup a foster care license based on her religion.
“I have a hard time believing [the company] denies every vegetarian or Orthodox Jewish person a foster care license,” said an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a discrimination complaint on her behalf. “But I do believe Mrs. Crudup was picked out here … and it has led us to believe an anti-Muslim bias is playing a role in the decision.”
According to Crudup, Contemporary Family Services placed no emphasis on the type of food she served in her home, and she explained to them during the interview that she would allow children to eat the meat elsewhere. She was happy to be sensitive to any religious preferences of the children that would be staying with her.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Human Resources told the Baltimore Sun that it was against the law to reject an application based on the type of food served in a home.
Naturally, Contemporary Family Services says they respect Crudup’s beliefs and that her religion had nothing to do with the denial of her application. A statement from the company specifically cites “concerns raised by statements made during the home study interview, specifically your explicit request to prohibit pork products within your home environment.”
Yet what if someone was vegetarian or vegan, or even gluten free (like me)? Would they not be allowed to foster a child? Denying pork seems such a small part of what would make a good foster home. Religious discrimination, therefore, seems blatant.
It’s extremely unfortunate that Crudup would be denied something she is passionate about for something like her religion, and it seems unfortunate that the foster care system may miss out on a good parent. What do you think about Crudup’s story? Does the company seem to be against her religion, or is refusal to serve pork truly enough to deny someone foster care parenting? Leave a comment with your thoughts.
Ultrinsic: Internet Gambling on Good Grades
Forget about betting on your college’s next ball game, how much money would you bet on your own grades? Ultrinsic, a new website, is sponsoring bets from students at colleges across the country on what grades they will get in their classes. Getting a 4.0 will result in the most money, but students can even bet that they will fail a course — a move the site calls “grade insurance.”
The site was started as a way to motivate students to study hard and get better grades. The founder writes on the front page of the website that he had the idea after telling a friend he could get an A on a test if he studied, but he didn’t feel like it. His friend bet him money that he could do it.
Motivation for good grades has been around for a long time anyway — many parents give their children money, toys or some other incentive for doing well in school.
The founder of Ultrinsic says that the program isn’t gambling, because it involves skill. “The students have 100 percent control over it, over how they do. Other people’s stuff you bet on — your own stuff you invest in,” he told the AP. “Everything’s true about it, I’m just trying to say that the underlying concept is a little bit more than just making a bet — it’s actually an incentive.” Any student at one of the 36 schools Ultrinsic includes can register for the site. They upload their schedule and give the site access to school records, so they can calculate how hard the class should be based on various factors. The student can choose how much to bet on their grades. The site also has incentives for incoming freshmen. They can bet $20 that they’ll get a 4.0 throughout college and if they accomplish the feat, they’ll get $2,000 at the end of four years.
So what do you think of the site? It’s an interesting concept, but is it the best way for college students to spend their money? Leave a comment and weigh in!
Photo: Ultrinsic
Imagination Playground: Safe and Self-Directed Play
The Imagination Playground — one that encourages children to partake in self-directed play — recently opened in Manhattan. The playground puts an emphasis on loose, free parts, and is a collaboration between architect David Rockwell and the pre-existing playground organization called Kaboom! The team plans to open Imagination Playgrounds across the nation.
Rockwell and his architecture firm teamed up with Kaboom! to create a playground full of loose, mobile blocks that children can move and build things with. It encourages students to build and destroy, create stories and play, all with the assistance of the blocks. Elements like water and sand are also brought into the mix to further increase the amount of interaction. All the play is supervised by play associates — adults who help maintain a safe, secure environment.
Years before Imagination Playground’s inception, Darrell Hammond read a story about two children in Washington D.C. who suffocated from playing in an abandoned car; there just wasn’t anywhere else for them to play. Since then, he has made it his mission to provide safe and easily-accessible playgrounds for children all around the nation, subsequently creating Kaboom!
Why is a child’s playground so important? Playgrounds can facilitate imagination and learning in impressionable young minds, and help form social skills. And besides the potential for mental, emotional and social growth, children simply love playing. With somewhere safe to play, they can have a productive and fun place to go where no one needs to worry. Furthermore, Imagination Playground encourages learning in a time where the majority of a person’s brain function and makeup is set for life: while they are young. You can learn more about the first Imagination Playground here, or learn how to “help save play” with Kaboom! at their website.
Filmmaker Daniel Azarian On His “Save Lolita” PSA
Filmmaker Daniel Azarian does not consider himself an animal activist. Before March of this year, he didn’t really even know anything about orca whales. But after watching two documentaries on whales in captivity and learning about the plight of the oldest captive whale in the world, he became an advocate for the orca whale Lolita.
Forty years ago, Lolita and her family were rounded up and captured. In the process, mothers and children were separated, and one adult and four baby orcas were killed. Lolita was taken from her mother and sold to the Miami Seaquarium. There, she lives alone in a tank barely twice her size and performs tricks daily. The pool is illegally small, about the size of a swimming pool.
Azarian said he found out about Lolita through research online after viewing “The Cove,” a documentary about the slaughter and capture of dolphins in Japan. He watched a documentary about Lolita, and was compelled to use his influence as a director and filmmaker to do something to help. Through his research he got in contact with the woman who hosts the Freedom for Lolita Facebook page, as well as the people behind SaveLolita.org. He learned about Lolita, and why her situation was so bleak.
“I never realized how social and intelligent killer whales are,” Azarian said. “I actually saw the film footage of Lolita being captured 40 years ago, these men in boats went around with explosives to force these whales into a cove and separated the babies from the mothers. Killer whales will often die if they are separated from their families in the wild. One of the main things was that a killer whale will stay with its mother their entire lives. So to take a whale from its family, put it in a small tank all alone for 40 years just seemed criminal to me. My learning of the situation really made me understand that these are intelligent, human like creatures.”
His realization of how similar orcas are to humans led him to create a Public Service Announcement advocating for Lolita’s release; comparing her situation to that of a human. He said that he heard people defending the aquarium and saying that Lolita was happy where she was, and thinking, “If this was a person in a little jail cell walking around for 40 years and doing tricks, they would be complaining.”
Here is the PSA:
Lolita PSA from Underdog Entertainment on Vimeo.
Azarian, who has directed many television commercials, said his interest in filmmaking began when he was 8 years old making films with his father, when he learned that he could communicate most strongly through visuals. Through whatever he films, especially the Lolita PSA, he can impact and affect a large audience. “I feel I am able to use a visual image to communicate much better than if I was writing or speaking words,” he said. “That is the main reason that I do it. Especially in a media driven society, you really are able to communicate with a huge number of people, very quickly. Once you have a film that you made, it takes on a life of its own. You never know who’s going to end up watching something. To be able to know that you have created something that could have a huge impact is very gratifying for me.”
You can learn more about Lolita and the plan to release her back into the wild at SaveLolita.org.
