Over the last few months, I’ve learned about some inspiring efforts to serve people in need and tell their stories. Hopefully they’ll encourage you and give you hope during this holiday season.
- Project Worthmore — Works to improve the quality of life of Denver-area refugees from Burma.
- Kairos USA — Working to unify and mobilize American Christians to take a prophetic stance for a just peace in Israel and Palestine. I heard the program director of this organization, Mark Braverman, speak at the Simply Jesus Conference in November, and was challenged by what he had to say.
- Heartbeat — A non-profit rooted in the Celtic Christian tradition. Heartbeat seeks to facilitate interfaith relationship, enhance earth-stewarding spirituality and invest in contemplative practices and pilgrimages.
I heard about the following projects at the recent Denver Faith & Justice Conference:
- Delve:Denver — A new multimedia, interactive digital magazine tellings inspiring stories from every corner of the city, “even the shadows.”
- 25 In Change — This ambitious effort mobilizes people of faith and others to help end world hunger. It organizes groups of 25 people to commit for 25 days to advocate for an end to global malnutrition by changing their regular diet to a 12 oz. cup of rice and beans per meal. This type of “nutritious” meal is offered by the U.N. World Food Program to millions of hungry children around the world as their daily school meal. There are also millions of hungry children who do not receive regular meals at school or at home.
- My Quiet Cave — Created to help those struggling with mental illness, particularly bipolar disorder and depression, find hope. Cofounded by two men graduate students with bipolar disorder.
- Breathless — This short film by Air Ball Creative for TEDxMileHigh tells the story of Denver, Colorado’s “thin air culture.”
- The Lion Project — This group “partners with creatives to educate, inspire and mobilize young professionals to live outward focused lives and invest in marginalized communities.”
