Dear ServiceSpace Fellows,

Just this week, we shared an invitation to dialogue that received a tremendous response from the community! How do we respond, in such turbulent times, with a heart of service? The many beautiful reflections and responses inspired us to host a more global call on March 31st: RSVP here.

To further respond to the needs of the hour, we have also just soft-launched a new website: www.karunavirus.org

Karuna is Sanskrit for compassion, and the website will feature stories of how people are responding to a crisis of uncertainty with an open heart and grounded wisdom. For many weeks now, so many of our volunteers in India have been particularly reflecting on the play on the words -- and the opportunity to create a pandemic of kindness.

Moreover, for couple years now, we have been working on a "compassion bot" that leverages AI and machine learning to understand the ServiceSpace lens of compassion. We are excited to not only pilot that technology for this website, but explore its many creative applications for spreading goodness.

Thank you, all, for standing up for love, in these times of great challenge.

As you may already know, ServiceSpace offers dozens of virtual ways to engage during this time -- online volunteering, circles, e-learning, podcasts, webinars and a ton more. We would love to have you join us!

Among the viral reads this week, here's an excerpt from a beautiful poem by Father Hendrick in Ireland:

Yes there is fear. Yes there is isolation. Yes there is panic buying. Yes there is sickness. Yes there is even death. But, they say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise, You can hear the birds again. They say that after just a few weeks of quiet The sky is no longer thick with fumes But blue and grey and clear. They say that in the streets of Assisi People are singing to each other across the empty squares, keeping their windows open so that those who are alone may hear the sounds of family around them. [...] All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting; All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way; All over the world people are waking up to a new reality; To how big we really are. To how little control we really have. To what really matters. To Love.

To Love,

Audrey and many ServiceSpace Volunteers
www.servicespace.org