The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month It’s tough to fathom how anyone could hurt a lovable, fuzzy animal that only seeks love and affection. And yet, it happens. Cruelty to animals is a very real problem in our world. According to the Humane Society, as many as 10 million pet dogs and pet cats are abused each year, often by people who also abuse their children and spo... »
Turning Today’s Youth Into Tomorrow’s Leaders Today’s youth will be tomorrow’s leaders. That’s why it’s so important to raise our children with confidence and good ethics, and to serve as mentors and positive role models. The Lehigh Valley’s goLEAD program takes things a step further, offering a unique, one-week training program to help guide and prepare young high school ... »
A Surprising Source For Your Home Projects As we start a new year (and new decade!), you may already be thinking about getting an early start on your spring house projects. One way to help stretch your budget dollars is to consider buying gently used or new items to help get your project completed. Did you know that we have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore (that’s the name t... »
BRINGING LIGHT TO THE DISADVANTAGED Be the light in your neighbor’s darkest hour. Since its founding in 1985, New Bethany has assisted more than 148,000 individuals in its role of providing hope and support to people who experience poverty, hunger, and homelessness. And every December, many Lehigh Valley residents hear about New Bethany Ministries through “Luminaria... »
Thanksgiving Day is just a few weeks away, and we’re all anticipating a table loaded with enough food to feed an army. This time of year, it’s important to recognize that thousands of people in the Lehigh Valley won’t have that kind of meal. Whether through age, infirmity, or economic situations, purchasing and cooking food for many presents challenges. Twelve hundred meal... »
Fire is an essential part of our lives. We use it for cooking, for heating, for industrial and scientific applications, for ambiance, even for many religious rites. But fire can easily become assertive and dangerous. Take the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In two days, it destroyed 3.3 square miles of the city at a cost of $222 million (about $4.6 billion today). That’s rough... »
Domestic violence often goes unnoticed, shrouded by pretenses at the surface level. The fact of the matter is that domestic violence is the number one killer of women worldwide. Does this staggering figure scare you? It should. “Globally, 6 women are killed every hour by someone they know,” says Heidi Markow of Beginning Over Foundation and TruthtotheMasses.com. “And last ... »
Modern medicine can do wonders for the chronically and seriously ill—providing radiation and chemotherapy for cancer patients, for example. But the powers of science don’t always address the internal stresses that often accompany major illnesses. That’s where St. Luke’s Healing Arts program comes in, says Kristen Ward, program coordinator. “Artistic activity helps ou... »
Because of its name, it’s easy to picture the Lehigh Conference of Churches (LCoC) as a solemn, deliberative body that concerns itself with deep theological concepts. But it’s much more than that, says executive director Dr. John “Jack” E. Felch Jr. “We are a Christian organization with an ecumenical mission,” he said. “So by definition, we work across all theological divi... »
SPOTLIGHT ON THE VOLUNTEER CENTER OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND HOW TO GET INVOLVED Did you know volunteering brings physical and psychological benefits all around? The charities and beneficiaries enjoy the obvious philanthropic effects, but when you volunteer your time, you also benefit. Studies have shown that the volunteers feel many health and wellness benefits like lower b... »
