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  • The Forgotten Stones That Still Inspire Turks to Help Their Neighbors

    Building on a history of anonymous charity, a mosque in northern Istanbul started a pop-up communal food bank to help those most impacted by the pandemic. The initiative is one of several mutual aid efforts underway in the municipality, with each paying homage to the nation's historical use of a charity stone - a place where "people who had money would leave some on top of the stone, and those who didn’t would take some, according to their need."

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  • To Manage Wildfire, California Looks To What Tribes Have Known All Along

    To combat wildfires in California, Native American tribal leaders and government officials are coming together to facilitate “cultural burnings” or controlled burns. Regularly burning the landscape prevents thick, dried out vegetation from catching fire and causing massive wildfires. Tribal groups used to perform this ritual in the 1800s, but as settlers moved West, many of them prevented Native Americans from doing these cultural burnings. While controlled burns can be challenging in places where there’s too much underbrush, these partnerships can bring together indigenous knowledge and wildfire management.

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  • How a quarantine matchmaking project for Muslims found itself navigating anti-Blackness

    Covid-19 has closed the places young Muslims go to meet potential spouses so two Muslim women created Eye Meets Soul, a virtual matchmaking service for US Muslim millennials where pairs first chat online without seeing each other. Initially, 10 potential couples led to 3 matches, with one continuing to thrive. However racial biases quickly surfaced, with many participants unwilling to date outside of their ethnic background. Muslims of African heritage report this as a common occurrence with Muslim dating services. Moving forward the co-founders will prescreen people for openness to all racial backgrounds.

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  • Why indigenous folklore can save animals' lives

    Conservations in the Philippines are using indigenous beliefs known as “mariit” — which is the belief that nature is inhabited by unseen dwellers and should be respected and taken care of — to protect the country’s endangered species. The Mariit Wildlife and Conservation Park serves as a refuge for at least 62 animals and the Taklong Island Marine Natural Reserve is a breeding ground for fish species caught outside its boundary. Experts caution though that mariit can have a positive impact on the environment, sometimes the beliefs can undermine science-based conservation activities. 

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  • ‘Drive-in' Mass in parking lot feeds faith, fellowship, despite sudden storm

    Parishioners are reunited for worship again in one Chicago church's parking lot with a "drive-in Mass." The Catholic congregation tuned into a radio station to hear the priest from their cars while lined up in rows to receive communion. Members of the church have been able to join in for online services since the health crisis began, but they missed the physical ritual of Communion.

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  • How the University of Dayton divested from fossil fuels — and what happened to its bottom line

    In 2014, the University of Dayton, a Catholic institution, made a public commitment to divest its investment portfolio from any fossil fuel funding. The university has since fulfilled and stayed strong on its commitment, but the process involved putting together committees to identify and replace fossil fuel companies in its portfolio, looking for more environmentally ethical companies, and investing in more sustainable companies and practices.

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  • This Maryland nursing home has had no coronavirus cases. How did they do it?

    A faith-based nursing home facility in Baltimore has managed to remain free of any cases of coronavirus due to proactive and aggressive preparedness measure. Although there were concerns that implementing such restrictions could negatively impact the social emotional health of residents, the facility management took this concern seriously and implemented additional protocols that prioritized making sure the residents felt taken care of.

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  • Minnesota 'crisis mode chaplains' seek to heal trauma of George Floyd's death

    In Minnesota, volunteer chaplains are attending community events at the request of the participants to provide counsel and support to anyone who may be experiencing symptoms of trauma. Before attending any event to lend help, the volunteer "clergy, spiritual leaders and mental health leaders" first undergo a virtual cultural sensitivity and trauma training. During the events, the interfaith chaplains often perform volunteer duties, but also wear orange shirts to be easily identifiable for those who would like to share.

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  • Keeping safe while serving, church groups tackle pandemic and protests

    After receiving a call from the local hospital saying they needed help in containing the spread of coronavirus, members of Christ the King United Church of Christ in Florissant, Missouri began sewing masks for those in low-income and minority neighborhoods. The church is now part of a larger movement known as Masks for the People that helps distribute masks to "incarcerated people, essential workers and minority communities, all of whom are more likely to be hospitalized with coronavirus, according to the CDC."

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  • From farm labor to food trucks, Sikhs adapt langar to serve the masses during a pandemic

    The Sikh community’s long tradition of feeding those in need through volunteer-run community kitchens called langar was primed to provide COVID-19 food aid, which many gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) did through active outreach rather than simply opening their doors. One group, Khalsa Aid, expanded into a multistate project to improve access to food in rural and other underserved areas, including a project in New Jersey to supply the Ramapough Lenape Tribe with food and help it start a farm to grow its own food. Many of America’s 246 gurdwaras already were equipped with large-scale cooking operations.

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