https://www.karunavirus.org/ Karuna is a Sanskrit word for compassion. Our site offers stories of inspiration. In times of great challenge, love must rise again. en helpers@charityfocus.org (Charity Focus) Wed, 27 May 2026 18:18:32 -0700 coronavirus, compassion, good news, kindness, service, care, philanthropy, love, generosity, gift economy, volunteer, nonprofit, inspiration As part of the Ontario Student Leadership Conference, students from London Central Secondary School fundraised for Second Harvest and together raised enough to provide more than 46,000 meals to community organizations with food programs across the country, including in their own city of London. "Since we go to a downtown school, we unfortunately are witness to people that go hungry each day,” shared Jack Flaherty, top fundraising student at London Central. “So, we wanted to help make a difference in our community by fundraising for Second Harvest. While fundraising door to door in our neighborhood, we found that having conversations about Second Harvest motivated us to continue raising money as people were very receptive of the cause.” Students were especially inspired by Second Harvest’s commitment to making sure nourishing food reaches people who need it, rather than let good food go uneaten as surplus. They also valued seeing how far each contribution could stretch. With every dollar providing five meals, students could clearly see the impact of their efforts in the fight against hunger. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19457/london-central-students-help-provide-46-000-meals https://www.karunanews.org/story/19457/london-central-students-help-provide-46-000-meals Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:23:00 -0800 The last remaining youth center in one of England’s most deprived coastal places has been saved from being sold after a long campaign by the charity that has for 13 years called it home. The center in Ramsgate on the Kent coast was facing being auctioned off by Kent county council, despite an independent report that estimated the center was saving the council more than £500,000 (about $684,000 USD) a year in costs, including for services in mental health, youth justice and social care. Pie Factory Music, the charity that is based in the youth center, has for many years provided a social space for eight- to 25-year-olds, but also offers services including counselling, employment advice, life-skills sessions, assistance for young refugees, and creative and music projects. After a campaign that started in September 2024, Pie Music Factory has been able to buy the freehold of Ramsgate youth center. This was partly thanks to a grant of £535,000 from Labour’s Pride in Place strategy, which aims to put significant investment into deprived communities across the country. “Knowing our future in the building is secure fills us with hope and relief,” said Pie’s chief executive, Zoë Carassik. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19461/seaside-town-s-last-youth-center-saved https://www.karunanews.org/story/19461/seaside-town-s-last-youth-center-saved Tue, 10 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 Hatikhuli-Ronghang village has been writing a new chapter in the history of human-wildlife conflict, setting an example for the whole Indian nation. Once notorious for conflicts between villagers and elephant herds, the village is now celebrated as a place where wild elephants roam freely through farmlands and people live side by side with them. In 2018, environmentalist Pradip Kumar Bhuyan and local conservationist Binod Dulu Bora co-founded Hati Bondhu, literally “Friends of Elephants,” and on hundreds of acres near Hatikhuli and surrounding villages, local people began planting elephant-friendly foods. In the past eight years, this area has not recorded any casualties from human-elephant conflict, and farmers who previously abandoned their fields due to elephant incursions are now reaping abundant harvests without fear. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19460/assam-elephants-as-honoured-guests https://www.karunanews.org/story/19460/assam-elephants-as-honoured-guests Tue, 10 Feb 2026 01:10:00 -0800 A pilot program in 18 libraries across nine counties in Illinois trains staff to help residents navigate civil court proceedings, offering a lifeline in communities where legal aid and public transit are scarce. Since August last year, Illinois residents navigating civil court cases, such as housing, family and probate law hearings, have received help logging into remote proceedings, requesting translation services and learning the court’s e-filing system from librarians trained through the Court Access Library Center pilot program. The pilot locations in the nine counties are where low-income residents with limited transit were most concentrated. Some libraries have since expanded on the initial setup, copying court links and Zoom guides onto other computers, creating online reservation forms for private rooms or posting regular reminders about the service on social media. Program rules prevent library staff from supporting patrons with criminal cases; instead, they refer them to the public defender’s office. The bar foundation and Supreme Court commission share the program cost. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19444/low-cost-library-program-takes-on-the-justice-gap https://www.karunanews.org/story/19444/low-cost-library-program-takes-on-the-justice-gap Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:23:00 -0800 Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, in partnership with the South Korean military, have developed a spray-on powder for emergencies that can seal even severe wounds in about one second. Released from an aerosol canister, the powder spreads quickly and evenly over a wound and in contact with blood, transforms into a tough, gel-like barrier that seals the injury. The structure can absorb over seven times its weight in blood, staying intact even in high temperatures and humid conditions. In preclinical testing, the powder was used successfully on complex injuries, including liver wounds. Bleeding stopped rapidly, and the treated tissue showed signs of healthy regeneration, including formation of new blood vessels and collagen. If approved for clinical use, AGCL could become a standard tool for paramedics, military personnel, emergency rooms, and remote healthcare workers, particularly in regions where surgical care may not be immediately available. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19427/spray-on-powder-stops-severe-bleeding-in-a-second https://www.karunanews.org/story/19427/spray-on-powder-stops-severe-bleeding-in-a-second Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:23:00 -0800 The historic Peñasco High School and St. Anthony Parochial School has long been an unofficial landmark along the scenic High Road to Taos. The single-story adobe building — recently recognized on the National Register of Historic Places — has been empty and maintenance deferred since the late 1980s. But the old schoolhouse will soon take on a new life as the Peñasco Valley Heritage Plaza. “Our end goal isn’t just seeing the building restored,” says Jose López, executive director of the Peñasco Valley Historic Preservation Society (PVHPS), the nonprofit organization leading the restoration efforts. The new community center will host a museum, classroom space, a gift shop selling local wares, and a commercial kitchen with a pop-up restaurant. Outside, landscaped grounds will boast walking paths, a stage, and community garden plots. An outdoor seasonal farmers’ and crafters’ market has been running on-site since 2022, as a first peek at what’s to come. Saving the schoolhouse has been a labor of love for many. “The building itself means a lot to people. It has a lot of memories, and we want to preserve those memories,” says Alfredo Romero, who attended St. Anthony when it was a parochial school in the 1950s. Romero now serves as PVHPS president. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19425/a-century-old-adobe-schoolhouse-is-being-restored-as-a-community-hub-in-new-mexico https://www.karunanews.org/story/19425/a-century-old-adobe-schoolhouse-is-being-restored-as-a-community-hub-in-new-mexico Sat, 07 Feb 2026 14:07:00 -0800 Eighteen caregivers at a Pennsylvania retirement community walked into work this past fall to discover that resident Eva Lu Damianos, 90, had been secretly painting their portraits for months. After Eva broke her leg over the summer, her doctor ordered her to refrain from standing on it for 10 weeks. The team at Longwood at Oakmont’s nursing center -- the nurses, aides, and therapists were “very patient, very upbeat, always pleasant” during her recovery — so she took their pictures and saved them for when she was able to paint again. After moving from a wheelchair to a walker, she spent two months completing the portraits. By the time they were all complete, the team had mostly forgotten about the pictures she’d taken. “They came over and said how much they really enjoyed their portraits," she said. “And I feel that they’re like friends now. They give me hugs, I give them hugs, and it’s just very, very nice.” Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19443/after-healing-from-a-broken-leg-90-year-old-artist-painted-18-portraits-to-thank-her-caregivers https://www.karunanews.org/story/19443/after-healing-from-a-broken-leg-90-year-old-artist-painted-18-portraits-to-thank-her-caregivers Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:23:00 -0800 Some blind and low-vision fans will have unprecedented access to the Super Bowl thanks to a tactile device that tracks the ball, vibrates on key plays and provides real-time audio. The NFL teamed up with OneCourt and Ticketmaster to pilot the game-enhancing experience 15 times during the regular-season. About 10 blind and low-vision fans will have an opportunity to use the same technology at the 2026 Super Bowl. With hands on the device, they will feel the location of the ball and hear what's happening throughout the game. Scott Thornhill, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, will be among the fans at Levi’s Stadium with a OneCourt tablet in their lap and Westwood One's broadcast piped into headphones. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa when he was 8, and later lost his sight. “It will allow me to engage and enjoy the game as close as possible as people who can see,” Thornhill said. “As someone who grew up playing sports before I lost my vision, I'm getting a big part of my life back that I've been missing. To attend a game and not have to wait for someone to tell me what happened, it's hard to even describe how much that means to me. “It's a game-changer.” Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19418/some-blind-fans-to-experience-super-bowl-with-tactile-device-that-tracks-ball https://www.karunanews.org/story/19418/some-blind-fans-to-experience-super-bowl-with-tactile-device-that-tracks-ball Fri, 06 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 Having a work buddy helps employees and their workplaces function better, researchers say. Workplace buddies can help us feel emotionally supported or offer to cover our shift if we’re sick or feel overwhelmed. “Everything you do at work will be better when people get along well with each other than when they don’t,” says Stephen Friedman, of York University, Canada. “The things that are difficult become just a little bit easier.” Organizations can make it easier to make those connections. Buddy programs, kindness campaigns, happy hours and making sure people are recognized for who they are—by celebrating birthdays or offering to help when employees go through hardship—can build a culture of care and inclusivity, says Marisa G. Franco, professor at the University of Maryland and author of the bestselling book Platonic. “When we’re friendly with people at work, we collaborate better, we solve problems better, we’re more forgiving of each other, we’re kinder to each other,” Friedman says. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19380/a-work-buddy-can-improve-your-well-being-and-your-workplace https://www.karunanews.org/story/19380/a-work-buddy-can-improve-your-well-being-and-your-workplace Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:23:00 -0800 In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) provides most medical care for free to all legal residents. While this model is less financially burdensome than what many United States citizens experience, wait times and overcrowding in hospital systems make it challenging for people to receive timely care. In recent years, A&E, or accident and emergency, units have been overwhelmed by people in mental health crises. The NHS is doing something about it. In 2025, they opened a network of specialized clinics, which provide 24/7 support for patients feeling suicidal or experiencing symptoms of psychosis or mania. The new services also include a “full and holistic assessment” of a patient’s mental health needs. The idea is to address the root causes of a crisis, like homelessness or substance use issues, connecting patients to an action plan or additional resources for their overall well-being. And it all happens in 10 minutes, guaranteed. “Normally in A&E, they would have to wait for hours, surrounded by the noise and the chaos. Most of the people we see have suicidal thoughts. Here, they can come in and sit with their families. We are able to intervene early and link them up with treatment in the community. It means we can get them home much sooner,” said Toti Freysson, who manages one of the locations. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19386/england-s-new-10-minute-clinics-treat-emergency-mental-health-crises-and-ease-burden-on-hospitals https://www.karunanews.org/story/19386/england-s-new-10-minute-clinics-treat-emergency-mental-health-crises-and-ease-burden-on-hospitals Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:17:09 -0800 In this part of Kashmir, the school day begins with the rhythm of water and paddles. Their destination: Kashmir’s floating schools — classrooms anchored on the lake. Dal Lake is home to entire communities who live in dongas, or wooden houseboats, and on scattered islands that exist on the edges of state infrastructure. Reaching school has never been simple for children here. There are no roads connecting their homes to the nearest city, just narrow canals, shifting water levels and the long paddle to land. Poverty, uncertainty and the absence of government planning also hinder access to schools. Enter the floating schools, a creation of parents, volunteer teachers and local organizers to ensure that their education does not sink beneath circumstance. The first floating school appeared in 2020, when the pandemic closed classrooms across the valley and families on Dal Lake decided to act. They cleared space on floating land, set up benches and a blackboard, and began teaching. Today, the school’s three teachers share lessons in English, Urdu, math, science, history and geography, and while the school is small and not yet affiliated with any official board, it pulses with ambition. Very few children in Kashmir’s lake communities miss school by choice. There are now also a handful of similar schools scattered across the lake’s small island communities. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19414/the-whimsical-floating-schools-of-kashmir https://www.karunanews.org/story/19414/the-whimsical-floating-schools-of-kashmir Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:23:00 -0800 Even from a few kilometers away, Dr. Vitor Mendes Pereira is able to perform a critical diagnostic procedure, thanks to an internet connection and a remote-controlled robot. “Every minute counts,” Pereira said. “If I can deploy the robot and treat closest to where the patient is, that can save hours. And that is really the ultimate goal of this type of treatment.” The team at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto has performed 10 brain angiograms — a procedure used to get detailed images of blood vessels in the brain — through this remote-controlled robot over a fiber-optic internet connection. But that's just the start. The same team hopes to perform a remote endovascular thrombectomy — a critical surgery to remove blood clots — via robot, for a patient about 500 kilometers away in Sault Ste. Marie. While it still needs approval from Health Canada, if performed, it would be the first time endovascular thrombectomy was performed remotely in the world. It's an advancement that doctors say could have a positive impact for stroke patients in rural parts of Canada, and across the globe. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19395/doctors-can-now-perform-robotic-procedures-from-afar-what-that-means-for-rural-canadians https://www.karunanews.org/story/19395/doctors-can-now-perform-robotic-procedures-from-afar-what-that-means-for-rural-canadians Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 A new generation of ocean research technology is enabling scientists to listen closer than ever to sperm whale communication, leading one study to conclude the species may use its own form of alphabet, while another reports the use of features that mirror elements of human speech. By deploying advanced bio-logging devices capable of recording high-fidelity audio alongside behavioral data, researchers are now certainly beginning to unravel how these deep-diving cetaceans communicate with one another. Project CETI (the Cetacean Translation Initiative) is a nonprofit, multi-institutional effort aiming to decode communication between sperm whales using AI and machine learning. At the heart of this effort is a newly developed bio-logger, which attaches directly to whales to capture high-fidelity audio and contextual data during their deep-sea dives. The CETI bio-logger gathers a richer array of data than previously available and can distinguish between individual whales by analyzing the origin of recorded sounds. The technology has been made open-source in the hopes of accelerating innovation in the marine sciences. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19225/scientists-listen-in-on-sperm-whale-communication-with-new-tech https://www.karunanews.org/story/19225/scientists-listen-in-on-sperm-whale-communication-with-new-tech Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:23:00 -0800 During the Covid-19 pandemic, when The Miami Foundation received a $20 million grant from Wells Fargo to support small business owners, it created the Collective Real Estate Ownership program, a five-year, fully-forgivable $500,000 commercial down payment program to help Miami-Dade County’s small business owners of color partner with similar organizations to buy their buildings instead of continuing to rent. When you own both your business and the place in which you operate it, you won’t be pushed out, says Brittany Morgan, senior director of economic resilience. ”We’ve deployed a little bit over $4 million in commercial acquisition assistance, and that has leveraged $22 million worth of property and real estate, including nine acres of land, multiple facilities and almost 100,000 square feet of space.” Although the CREO program has sunsetted, it’s helped spark a “laundry list” of local governments creating similar financial tools to help combat small business displacement. “We’re now creating a national cohort of cities, municipalities and funders who are looking to do this work,” Morgan says. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19397/a-program-that-is-saving-miami-s-small-businesses-from-displacement https://www.karunanews.org/story/19397/a-program-that-is-saving-miami-s-small-businesses-from-displacement Mon, 02 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 In Northeast Kansas City, Missouri, one working-class neighborhood is using a multi-pronged approach to take control of its housing supply while preserving its blue collar heritage. Since 2018, the Lykins Neighborhood Association has been using a state law to take control of abandoned homes, establishing a mixed-income neighborhood trust, and partnering with Habitat for Humanity to construct 15-20 new houses. In 2025, the Lykins Neighborhood Association launched its Urban Homesteaders program, under which renters with technical skills in construction and renovation can agree to “buy” a dilapidated home at no cost to them and receive a $15,000 loan for materials — if they agree to renovations and stay in the property for at least five years. Lykins Square Park, around which only seven of neighboring 45 properties were occupied, has been redeveloped and is no longer a hub for drug activity. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19393/transforming-neglected-housing-while-keeping-control-local https://www.karunanews.org/story/19393/transforming-neglected-housing-while-keeping-control-local Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:23:00 -0800 When temperatures drop below freezing in Monmouth County, New Jersey, the local sheriff’s office issues a “Code Blue” alert to activate warming centers for unhoused people. Trinity Church in Asbury Park runs the county’s largest drop-in overnight warming center for adults and employs four social workers each winter to run it throughout the night. Trinity always has hats, gloves, hand warmers, foot warmers and other necessities available to help people stay warm during the day and runs a soup community meal on Saturdays and a food pantry on Tuesdays. Its Radical Wellbeing Program helps unhoused people find affordable housing and jobs. It also provides financial coaching, mental health support, medical support and more. In 2025, Trinity served more than 400 people over 98 “Code Blue” nights, including one night when 105 people stayed at the warming center. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19406/new-jersey-church-s-warming-center-is-both-shelter-and-community https://www.karunanews.org/story/19406/new-jersey-church-s-warming-center-is-both-shelter-and-community Sun, 01 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 Missouri’s prison nursery program allows eligible women to live in prison with their newborns for up to 18 months. Women must have no more than 18 months remaining on their sentence at the time of delivery. During the day, the nursery fills with the kinds of small, steady interactions that shape early childhood: Mothers reading baby books, caregivers rocking fussy infants, babies sprawled across play mats surrounded by stuffed animals. Correctional officers and nursery staff also often help, whether by holding a wiggly baby or fetching supplies. Some of the program’s caregivers say the strength of the unit comes from the fact that no one is raising a baby in isolation — and that some caregivers bring their own lived experience as mothers to guide the others. A 2018 study of Nebraska’s program found participation was associated with a 28% reduction in recidivism within three years of the initial offense and a 39% reduction in returns to prison custody within 20 years over the 20-year period of the study. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19339/how-missouri-prisons-allow-mothers-and-infants-to-nest-for-months https://www.karunanews.org/story/19339/how-missouri-prisons-allow-mothers-and-infants-to-nest-for-months Sat, 31 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800 The canals of Amsterdam can be dangerous for its stray cat population, with 19 cats drowning in the first six months of 2025. After Amersfoort, in neighboring Utrecht, said it was installing 300 “wildlife exit ladders” along its waterways, Dutch councilor Judith Krom, of the Party for the Animals, proposed a plan to install tiny wooden staircases along Amsterdam's canal walls, for cats, stray hedgehogs, frogs, and birds. She found 100,000 euros ($116,994.50 USD) in unused funds that will be used to build the staircases, thanks to approval from Amsterdam’s city council in July. So far, locations have been based on reports from Animal Ambulance, eyewitness help from residents, and additional input from local ecologists. Maggie Ruitenberg, a behavior and welfare specialist at Katten Kenniscentrum, the Dutch Cat Knowledge Center, has also lent her advice. Cats can get exhausted quickly if their fur is weighed down by water, so cat ladders can be life-saving, provided they are placed every few meters. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19389/amsterdam-builds-cat-friendly-staircases-along-its-canals https://www.karunanews.org/story/19389/amsterdam-builds-cat-friendly-staircases-along-its-canals Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:23:00 -0800 Awe is “the emotion we experience when we encounter vast mysteries that we don’t understand,” said Dacher Keltner, psychologist and co-founder of the Greater Good Science Center. Keltner discovered that awe is very good for us. It activates the vagus nerve, prompting relaxation and lessening of anxiety. It generates a sense of joy and curiosity about the world around us. Maybe most importantly, awe shifts focus outward, increasing our capacity to care for people and issues beyond ourselves. In both children and adults, experiencing awe helps shape us to be people oriented toward others and the world beyond us. For parents who want to nurture their children’s spiritual formation, focusing on awe is a good place to start. Since young children seem tilted toward awe and predisposed to feel amazed, all parents really need to do is follow what their children are feeling awed by and go from there. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19379/wide-eyed-wonder-how-awe-shapes-children-s-spiritual-growth https://www.karunanews.org/story/19379/wide-eyed-wonder-how-awe-shapes-children-s-spiritual-growth Fri, 30 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800 Denman Island, in British Columbia, Canada, is home to about 1,391 people and a payphone. Yes, a real, functioning payphone in a cool phone booth. The payphone was outside the General Store for decades; when the news came in 2021 that it would be removed, residents didn’t take it quietly. They lobbied the company responsible for the phone to keep it, but they efforts weren’t successful. The phone was removed in August, 2022. It seemed like the end of the story, but it was also a new beginning. Nathan Garfat was one of many Denmanites troubled by the phone’s demise. He is a blacksmith—a maker, fixer, and problem solver. He began imagining a way to bring the phone back, not as a corporate utility, but as a community creation. He found a phone booth for sale and through a social media post enlisted help to buy and refurbish it. The final installation is a place for phone calls, art venue, source of empowerment for children and modest monument to the island’s do-it-yourself spirit. Karuna News https://www.karunanews.org/story/19407/how-denman-islanders-took-connection-into-their-own-hands https://www.karunanews.org/story/19407/how-denman-islanders-took-connection-into-their-own-hands Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:23:00 -0800