Week 36: Altruistic Stories from the BSU Peace Center

January 26, 2021

For the 36th consecutive week, the Center for Peace & Conflict Studies has compiled a list of acts of kindness and peace. The initiative began as a response to COVID-19 and the racism pandemic but has broadened to include any act of compassion or service to others. Please share these stories. If you have stories of positive acts people/organizations are taking and you would like to share them, please email them to Brandon Miller at peacecenter@bsu.edu. All the stories starting from week 1 are available online. Additionally, you can follow the Peace Center on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) at bsu4peace.

Volunteers Clear More than 9,000 Pounds of Trash from Tennessee River Banks

At various points along its course, the Tennessee River provides recreation, hydroelectric energy, drinking water, and sustenance. It the largest tributary of the Ohio River and among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the continent. It is also one of the most polluted rivers on the planet. Some dedicated volunteers are aspiring to change that. A team of volunteers organized by two nonprofits, Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB) and Johnsonville State Historic Park, spent a recent weekend clearing trash from the river and its banks. During that weekend alone and with only 25 people helping, the crew cleared over 9,000 pounds of trash from the waterway. The same nonprofits organized another cleanup last October during which volunteers cleared nearly 5,000 pounds. A partner organization supplied five workboats for the earlier cleanup to facilitate the trash removal. Although having cleared over 14,000 pounds already is a major accomplishment, the groups hope to continue staging cleanups and are aiming to clear 100,000 pounds of trash by the end of 2021. For anyone wanting to pitch in, KTNRB keeps a list of upcoming cleanups on their website.

Source: https://www.keeptnriverbeautiful.org/

Source: Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/volunteers-remove-9200-lbs-trash-from-tn-river/

Ethan’s Heart, Founded by Ethan Hill at age 6, Distributes Supplies to Homeless People in Birmingham

One day while walking through his Birmingham neighborhood, Ethan Hill met a homeless man with whom he struck up a conversation. The experience moved Ethan to found his own nonprofit, Ethan’s Heart, to help homeless people meet their needs. Ethan, by the way, is 10 years old and was on his way to school four ago when he met the man, Mr. Marcus, who inspired his philanthropy. During their conversation, Ethan learned that Mr. Marcus lived under a bridge and grew worried that Mr. Marcus would not have the clothing he needed as the weather grew colder. So, as a 6-year old, he founded Ethan’s Heart and began collecting supplies to distribute to homeless people. During the pandemic, Ethan began focusing on distributing PPE instead. His story is a reminder that good intentions, initiative, and a willingness to marshal the community are all it takes to make a major difference in the world.

Source: Inspire More - https://www.inspiremore.com/ethan-hill-bags4blessings/


After a Family Sledding Trip Goes Awry, 5 Teens Rescue Kids Who Crashed Through the Ice of a Frozen Pond

In search of some frosty family fun, Stephanie Irlbeck and Rich Heid and their two kids, RJ (4) and Olivia (8) headed out to a nearby sledding hill for the kids’ first ever sledding adventure. Unfortunately, the day downhill in more ways than one. At the base of the slope, the kids’ sled veered off course and landed on a patch of thin ice. The ice cracked and the sled began to sink in icy water. But before Stephanie and Rich even reached the bottom of the slope, help had already arrived. Five teenagers had been out testing the ice to see whether it was safe to sled on it and saw the whole event. One of the kids, Kieran (14), jumped into the water and handed the to kids up to his friends. Olivia later said she had been scared and that she was grateful to the boys for helping them. Stephanie was even more effusive. She wrote on the local social media page about the event praising the boys and their parents: “I just want to say you are raising AMAZING BOYS,” she wrote. “Not only did they stop a potentially catastrophic situation, they didn’t even want anything in return.”

Source: Patch - https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/middletown-teens-save-children-who-sledded-frozen-pond?fbclid=IwAR1tPm-3TShlSkKEoSRIntZd7bo7QQygDNZ-xexrX1aCjMcR1o7tlZMWG10

Note. The Ball State University Center for Peace & Conflict Studies will host the Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Conference: Building a Beloved Community. This virtual conference will be held on April 9 and 10!

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