Hello! We hope you, and your family, friends, and colleagues are doing well. For the thirteenth consecutive week, the Ball State University Center for Peace & Conflict Studies (www.bsu.edu/peacecenter) has compiled a list of acts of kindness and peace, as a response to COVID-19 and the racism pandemic. Please share these stories. If you have stories of positive acts people/organizations are taking in the midst of our pandemics and you would like to share them, please email them to Aashna Banerjee at peacecenter@bsu.edu. You can follow the Peace Center on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) at bsu4peace.
After getting laid off ‘Lasagna Lady’ responds to coronavirus by cooking 1,200 pans for strangers in need
Soon after getting laid off, Michelle Brenner first turned to comfort food—using her grandmother’s special recipe, she made a huge pan of lasagna. Then, she offered to go grocery shopping for some friends and was dismayed that they had all added frozen lasagnas to their lists. Her culinary mind screamed, “This just won’t do at all!” The Italian-American posted on Facebook, letting her friends and neighbors know that she could whip up some homemade goodness for them—all they had to do was ask, and come by to pick it up. She received her $1,200 government stimulus check, and used all of it to buy ingredients for her cooking. She has made over 1,200 pans of lasagna—no questions asked—for anybody who wants one. She then began dropping them off for essential workers at the local police and fire departments, the hospital, and even the prison. In order to scale up her operation, she set up a fundraiser on Facebook to support her work. Before long, it had raised more than $22,000, mostly from strangers on Facebook from all corners of the world. She says this will enable her to continue cooking for several months. “The world as we know it is falling apart, but my two little hands are capable of making a difference,” Brenner told the Washington Post. “I can’t change the world, but I can make lasagna.” To support Brenner’s initiative, click here!
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/06/24/she-was-furloughed-her-job-so-she-became-lasagna-lady-gave-away-1200-pans-free-lasagna/
Sanitation workers break down in tears when residents surprise them with ‘Thank You’ party attended by Mayor
Saul and Keon have never missed a day of work picking up trash in Miami Beach even during the racism and COVID-19 pandemics—and they’re especially glad they were covering their route this week as a beautiful surprise awaited them. When their huge truck rolled down the street into the North Bay Road community they found scores of residents who’d gotten up early to line the street with signs, balloons, gift bags, cards, and presents, all to simply say ‘we love you’. Jennifer Elegant wanted to show her family’s appreciation so she organized the socially-distancing surprise ‘thank you’ celebration to honor the essential workers whom she called “extraordinary”. “They continue to maintain their upbeat demeanor even during this stressful COVID-19 pandemic, sacrificing their own safety in order to keep our city clean and beautiful,” she said.
Source: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/garbage-men-surprised-with-thank-you-party-in-miami-beach/
Sean Penn’s nonprofit relieves burden of firefighters by administering COVID testing in 10 U.S. cities for free
Sean Penn’s nonprofit, CORE, is staffed by 150 people working with their local communities. The organization has stepped in to do the valuable work of testing for COVID-19, free of charge, in communities across the country. They’ve already completed 530,000 tests, and maybe just as importantly, freed up firefighters to get back to their regular duties. After he learned that the testing stations were being staffed by firefighters in Los Angeles, Penn says CORE was able to leverage “existing infrastructure” and send in trained volunteers to practically take over the city’s testing program. CORE is also providing free testing in the California cities of Bakersfield, Oakland, and Napa, and now has expanded to Atlanta, Georgia, New York City, New Orleans, Detroit Chicago, and the Nation of the Navajo. To get information on how to volunteer with CORE, click here.
Source: https://www.newsbreak.com/california/los-angeles/news/0Omfe5uc/actor-sean-penn-is-helping-set-up-coronavirus-testing-sites-in-los-angeles
9-year-old and friends have raised $100,000 for African American businesses selling homemade bracelets
Some unlikely heroes in Minneapolis have raised $100,000 to support black-owned businesses and neighborhoods—and they’re only 9-years-old. It all started one day when Kamryn Johnson and five of her friends had the bright idea to sell some bracelets. Rather than just keep the money for themselves, Kamryn’s mom suggested it would be nice to do something positive for others—and the kids agreed. “Kamryn & Friends: Bracelets for Unity and Justice” was born. The kiddos hoped to make a small impact with their enterprise, but since May 30, these altruistic children have managed to raise almost $100,000. The money raised by Kamryn and her friends will deliver welcome aid to those trying to get back on their feet. Even though the bracelets cost $5, people have paid $20, $50, even $100 to support the cause. In addition to selling bracelets—each woven with different colors—they have collected online donations on a GoFundMe campaign that has tallied $46,000. To donate to this initiative, click here!
Source: https://www.gofundme.com/f/kamryn-amp-friends-bracelets-for-unity-amp-justice