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For Centuries, A Small Town Has Embraced Strangers With Mental Illness

Angus Chen

July 01, 2016 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Belgium, Geel

Institutionalizing the mentally ill can exacerbate their symptoms, while dehumanizing them and taking away opportunities for agency. For centuries, the town of Geel in Belgium has a government-funded program that places “boarders” in residential homes where they receive care like a family member. The solution to the problem is to not treat the mentally ill as a social problem, but rather as a social norm.

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Tiny Interventions Can Help Reverse Our Sky-High College Dropout Rate

Ben Paynter

June 30, 2016 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

The rate of students dropping out of college or failing to complete their degree in the allotted time has soared in the United States, and experts are discovering that one of the causes is simply that students feel isolated, discouraged, and overwhelmed. A study by Ideas42 across a number of universities revealed that fairly simple behavioral "nudging" - or the process of providing tiny but regular interventions and encouragement through systems like text messages - can have a drastic impact on a student's likelihood of success.

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How A D.C. Diversion Program Helps Get Young Lives Off The Ropes

Armando Trull

June 30, 2016 |

American University Radio (WAMU) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

A city-run diversion program in D.C., Alternatives to the Court Experience keeps young, low-level offenders out of jail with counseling and by channeling their energy into better activities.

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For Nonprofits Tackling Poverty, Collaboration Remains Important Hurdle

Kavitha Cardoza

June 30, 2016 |

American University Radio (WAMU) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Fort Worth, Texas

Padua Project is an innovative program that has a goal of getting poor people out of poverty in three years with a job, three months’ savings and off government assistance. Its unusual success involved a collaboration with other social services organizations. Overcoming the big challenge of this collaboration is an important learning tool to scale similar initiatives.

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Refugees Encounter a Foreign Word: Welcome

Jodi Kantor Catrin Einhorn

June 30, 2016 |

The New York Times |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Toronto

Fueled by xenophobia, many countries around the world are refusing refugees at the border. But Canadian hockey moms, poker buddies, and neighbors are personally resettling Syrians, one family at a time.

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Meet the Full-Service Social Media Secretary for Prisoners

Maurice Chammah

June 29, 2016 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Toledo, Ohio

"A social secretary for people who have been deprived of the forms of communication that are now ubiquitous almost everywhere except for prisons," Renea Royster is part of a network of organizations (including Pigeonly, Infolincs, Inmatefone, and Phone Donkey) helping prisoners keep in touch with people on the outside.

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Taking The Personal Approach To Lifting People Out Of Poverty

Kavitha Cardoza

June 29, 2016 |

American University Radio (WAMU) |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Fort Worth, Texas

One of the challenges is that social workers who help poor people typically have large caseloads of clients and lots of paperwork, often leading to burnout. The Padua Project is trying to change that with what they call “supercharged” case workers with manageable caseloads and the freedom to come up with creative solutions to problems.

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Can a Minuscule Nonprofit Help San Francisco Win Its War on Homelessness?

Gary Kamiya

June 29, 2016 |

San Francisco Magazine |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Solving the homeless crisis in San Francisco requires many different initiatives, some of which can be costly. North Beach Citizens is a small non-profit, founded by Francis Ford Coppola, has managed to offer temporary housing and peer support for the homeless. Since 2005, the organization has found permanent housing for over 100 clients and has operated with mostly private donations.

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District policing finds success in Sun Prairie

Jennifer Fetterly

June 29, 2016 |

The Sun |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

In Sun Prairie, policemen would frequently rotate their districts and feel that they were unable to help people who were in trouble because there was not enough time to know the residents. Now Sun Prairie has begun district policing, which positions policemen in different districts for one year before rotation. The police have found that they are able to problem solve situations better, requiring less force and more interpersonal skills, especially for individuals with mental health disorders.

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On the Streets of the Tenderloin, ‘a Light in an Unlit World'

Natalie Yemenidjian

June 28, 2016 |

KQED |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Homelessness has been a consistent problem in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. While churches can offer a form of sanctuary, some homeless persons cannot maintain the composure for a long mass. S.F. Night Ministry offers open cathedrals, which are services outside the church but offer comfort, prayer, and friendship.

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