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Got a parking ticket? In some cities, you can pay for it with school supplies or cat food.

Marisa Iati

August 13, 2019 |

The Washington Post |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Muncie, Indiana

Across the United States, cities are letting residents pay off their parking tickets with donations to local organizations. For set periods of time, cities like Muncie and Las Vegas write off traffic tickets – as long as they aren’t related to public safety – when residents donate things like cat food to the local cat shelter, or school supplies to educational organizations. The initiatives have been such a success that people from around the country are sending in their donations, even without the trade-off of a paid parking ticket.

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Bringing Together Young And Old To Ease The Isolation Of Rural Life

Rhitu Chatterjee

August 07, 2019 |

NPR |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, McGregor, Minnesota

Due to urban migration from rural areas, communities in less populated regions around the country are experiencing increased loneliness and lack of social connection; a health organization in Minnesota is building personal relationships to between youth and elders to combat that loneliness. Through intergenerational trust building and social activities, rural residents in 18 Minnesota towns combat isolation, depression and anxiety.

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Sweden's surprising rule for time off

Maddy Savage

August 07, 2019 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Sweden, Stockholm

In Sweden, employees are allotted up to 6 months in an unpaid leave of absence for the purpose of entrepreneurship. Because of the reported decrease in fear of job loss or financial insecurity, this law has said to increase the potential for entrepreneurs around the country to succeed, as it encourages risk-taking with a built-in safety net.

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Can hip hop heal trauma?

Megan Clement

August 06, 2019 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

When paired with evidence-based intervention methods, hip hop therapy is gaining ground as a means of increasing the odds that the intervention will work. Although further studies are needed to prove the effectiveness of this approach on its own, social workers and clinical psychologists are implementing it on small scales throughout various practices.

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America has a housing segregation problem. Seattle may just have the solution.

Dylan Matthews

August 04, 2019 |

Vox |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

A group of economics researchers and county officials in the Seattle area teamed up to create a more comprehensive approach to housing vouchers. Rather than simply provide a rental voucher, the city piloted a program that included information about the city's areas of economic and social opportunity, increasing the number of families that moved into higher-economic regions of the city.

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Court Observers Are Shining a Light on the Immigration Court System

Ari Honarvar

August 02, 2019 |

Rewire |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Diego, California

One way that any ordinary citizen can lend a hand to the plight of those caught in the American immigration system is by being a court observer: someone who sits in immigration court and takes notes by hand. Several organizations are working to develop a standardized way of evaluating judges' treatment of migrants to put it in a central database so that the data can be used to evaluate the human impact by the system as a whole. People who participate testify to the job alleviating despair over the situation as they can mitigate any unfair practices going unnoticed.

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A police department asked for cat food instead of cash for parking tickets

Andrea Diaz

July 29, 2019 |

CNN |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Muncie, Indiana

In Muncie, Indiana, parking violators can bring cat food to the local shelter in exchange for a parking ticket violation. Though the offer only ran for four days, the local shelter was overwhelmed with donations from parking violators and non-violators alike.

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Preventing Gun Violence with Nicole Hockley of Sandy Hook Promise

Becky Margiotta

July 18, 2019 |

Unleashing Social Change |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Newtown, Connecticut

The non-profit, Sandy Hook Promise, equips schools and youth with knowledge and tools to prevent gun violence. Founded after the Newtown shooting, the organization couldn’t make headway through policy and legislature, so they turned to people. The founders spent time analyzing how social change happens and took a strategic, generational approach to shifting the culture of gun violence. With much success, they now face the challenge of scaling to a national level.

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Feeling Lonely? Perhaps You'd Like to Talk to Some Strangers

Julia Hotz

July 18, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Feeling isolated often leads to increased feelings of loneliness, but is also a reason why new meet-ups such as Tea With Strangers are becoming widely used as a solution. Based on the idea that strangers can become more like neighbors, these gatherings promote conversation and connection with the goal of reducing isolation.

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How exercise is helping extreme athletes and others in Colorado battle addiction

Dan England

July 15, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Exercise has long been regarded as healthy, but it's now being used as a way to combat addiction. From specialized gyms that require 48 hours of sobriety to addiction recovery centers emphasizing exercise, people battling addiction are finding comfort and community to keep them on a healthy track.

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