It’s that time of year when I wake up in the morning not sure if it’s actually morning or still the middle of the night. I’m a person who thrives on light; starting my day in darkness is particularly difficult. So it hits me hard to know that there are people – during those long hours when the sun goes down or before it comes up – who have limited access to light at all. Lots of people. 1.7 billion people. More than a fifth of the world’s population. Have no electricity or modern lighting.

This is not just a matter of convenience. Without light, adults are limited in their ability to work evenings or early morning hours. Of course, that limits the amount of money they can earn to feed their families. Without light, children are limited in their ability to read or do homework. Of course, this limits their education that in turn limits their earning power when they grow up.

Repurpose

Repurpose is a South Africa organization that is doing something about it. They make backpacks. For poor children who have no light to study by. Each backpack is retrofitted with a solar panel that charges during the lighted part of the day and lights the child’s study space in dark hours – the charge lasts for 12 hours. There are other cool things about these bags – they are made of 100% recycled material, they are retro-reflective to help keep the wearer safe in the dark, they are waterproof. And they are really cute (what child does not want cute?!)

Here’s a little of what Repurpose has to say about their work:
“Rethaka: it’s the radical idea of uncovering opportunities.”
“It’s having the audacity to uplift communities with uplifting ideas.”
“It thrives on thinking differently about inherited struggles and daring to realize we already have in these, the solutions we seek. It makes problems work for us, not control us.”

And that, to me, is creating light in darkness.

Learn more and get involved at repurposeschoolbags.com. Share your favorite resources for lighting the world.

A few weeks ago, one of my Facebook friends invited me to join a group called Pantsuit Nation. You may be familiar with this group. Maybe you are even a member. As you may have guessed, the group name was chosen in reference to Hillary Clinton. My understanding is that the group was formed as a communal place for people who want to uphold the values Hillary has championed her whole life.

As the weeks have gone by, Pantsuit Nation has become something more. There are, of course, stories of protesting and facing up to bullies, organizing voters for the next election and teaching children about racism. But the stories reach beyond this.

Stories of Compassion

Pantsuit Nation has become a place where you can simply share stories of human caring for the people who walk this planet with you. A story about someone who lost a job, digging deep and finding the compassion to give to another who has even less. A story about someone seeing a stranger in trouble and stopping to help, even at personal risk to self.

Seeing Ourselves in the Stories of Others

These types of stories don’t belong solely to any particular political party. They don’t belong exclusively to rich or poor, working class or middle class. They aren’t the stories of one race or ethnic group, one gender or the other. They belong to all types of people, rural and small town and big city. They are the stories that allow us to see ourselves in each other. Across all the lines that divide us. That is inspiring stuff.

Share your stories of compassion.

Last year, as I was just starting out on my adventure into the world of inspiring organizations, I stumbled onto the Boulder Food Rescue. The founder, Hana Dansky, had done her own reconnaissance into our nation’s food cycle: we put “10 percent of our national energy budget, 50 percent of our land use, and 80 percent of our freshwater resources into food, truck it around the country, and then end up throwing away nearly 40 percent of everything we produce, much of which is still edible and healthy.” At the same time, there are hungry people everywhere.

Saying No to Waste

Hana is putting her body and soul into changing that.

• Rescuing from local grocery stores perfectly fresh unused food that is slated for the garbage heap
• Redistributing this food to people in need
• Hosting community meals where the wealthy and the poor, side by side, cook and eat together

Check out my archived November 24, 2015 blog entry for more detail on the basic mission.

What’s New from the Boulder Food Rescue?

The Boulder Food Rescue crew has been busy since my last look a year ago.

• In February, they produced the first-of-its kind food waste audit for the City of Boulder. The purpose is to identify the key factors that are contributing to food waste, including food donor fear of liability, a concern I’ve heard voiced over and over.
• This year they’ve upped the total food redirected away from landfills to a whopping 1, 509,506 pounds.
• They continue to sustain the environment by doing these heavyweight pickups and deliveries on bikes – 85% bike use, snow or shine!

Some other cool facts:

• The Boulder Food Rescue co-founder created a web application to efficiently track the cumbersome logistics of food rescue. The app is now being used in 13 cities.
• Ongoing research is underway that analyzes barriers and strategies to healthy food access for people facing food insecurity.

Inspired? Want to start your own food rescue? Check out this roadmap.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Share your stories of sharing food

Have you ever read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Well, today was one of those for me — a rough day at the office. And I have to admit, I wallowed in it a bit. Not a great day for me personally. But as the day went on, I lifted my gaze from my navel and here’s what I saw:

• On this November 4 in Chicago it was bright and sunny and 67 degrees!
• 5 million people descended on our center city celebrate the baseball team that – for over a century – could not find a way to win but is now world champion!
• My boyfriend gave me a bear hug and my daughter called just to say Hi!
• The election is now only 4 days away!
• I am going to a dinner tonight to celebrate one of my good friends who has give countless hours, days, years to inspiring me and others to use our gifts for the good of the world!

Tomorrow, I may make a bigger, better contribution to the world around me. Today, I am reveling in the contributions of others. Inspiring!

What do you do when you need a pick-me-up?

Today’s inspiring story comes from my hometown Chicago where the Cubs may FINALLY win the World Series. Disclaimer: I do not have the power to jinx them.

The Cubs have not won a championship in over a century. Many Cubs fans have come into the world and passed away again never experiencing the thrill of that victory. But now, this year, Cubs fan Virginia Wood, who herself has lived over a century – 101 years to be exact – may get her chance.

With so many disappointing seasons in the past, many Cubs fans are tamping down on visions of trophies, hedging against possible disappointment. Not Virginia Wood. Interviewed by a Chicago Tribune reporter, Wood exudes the confidence of a champ : “Oh, I’m counting on them going all the way, absolutely.”

Wood will be 102 next month. What a birthday present a championship would be! She makes no bones about it: “Oh yeah, sure, I’d like to have that. Good birthday present. Oh yeah, that’s the best.”

Go Cubbies!

Share your stories about the boys of summer!