After seeing both food waste and food insecurity in their community, Simon and Aleeza Berman started Offer Kindness to connect the two challenges. Through a network of volunteers, homeowners, farmers, food banks, and community organizations, they rescue surplus fruit that would otherwise go to waste and distribute it to individuals and families in need throughout California’s Central Valley. Their work transforms excess harvests into nourishment, strengthens community connections, and demonstrates how simple acts of kindness can create meaningful change
United States
Find Your Voice Now
After experiencing the challenges of unhealthy relationships in their own lives, Annie Roth and Mary Ellen Bartlett created Find Your Voice Now to help others find support, healing, and hope. Through peer support groups, educational programs, and a caring community, they provide individuals with the tools and encouragement to reclaim their confidence and move forward. Their inspiring work reminds people that they are not alone and that healing is possible.
Sunflower of Westchester
Walt Ritz founded Sunflower of Westchester to improve the lives of children and families involved in the foster care system. Drawing on the experiences of foster youth, foster parents, and community partners, Sunflower provides mentorship, resources, respite care, and practical support to help children and families thrive. Through their work, more young people and families receive the encouragement and stability they need to build brighter futures.
1in6 Support
The number is astounding — 1 in 6 children lives with a disability.. For Alma Schneider and Iris Mehler this is an all too familiar reality as both know first-hand the challenges that come from having a child with atypical needs, as well as the joy that also brings.
1in6Support’s mission focuses on three areas: empowering and uplifting families of children with disabilities by providing emotional and practical support; encouraging communities to recognize and foster accommodations for these children; and collaborating with organizations and companies dedicated to creating a more accessible and inclusive world. Their in-person and online support gatherings are a vital part of the many services they provide to families who often feel alone in this journey.
TransParent
In a world that has become increasingly hostile to the realities of the transgender experience, TransParent provides safe harbor and community to parents with a transgender family member. Originally created by families in St. Louis, today the organization is headed by Susan Halla and operates sixteen chapters in nine states. Put very simply, TransParent seeks “to normalize this naturally-occurring human experience and to empower children to live authentically.” By creating opportunities for parents to connect with each other, fostering advocacy and providing resources, TransParent offers compassion and hope in an increasingly alarming environment.
Abrahamic House
Raised in Yemen, Mohammed Al Samawi was taught from an early age to be suspicious of other faiths. An unlikely encounter with a Christian teacher challenged his beliefs and led him toward interfaith activism. In an epic story that has been shared in a compelling book, Mohammed escaped his war-torn country and came to the United States where he founded Abrahamic House, a multi-faith space where individuals from diverse religious backgrounds come together to live, learn, share, pray, celebrate, connect, and serve. Located in Washington, DC, Abrahamic House hosts emerging interfaith leaders from different faith traditions for a 1-2 year residential fellowship program. Through this program, they challenge assumptions, prejudices, and inequities, while inspiring and mobilizing others to foster understanding and build bridges across communities.
