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WWII Vet Gets Bronze Star, 68 Years Late

2012-02-10T16:47:18Z

Arno Heller, a Rego Park resident and World War II veteran, earned a Bronze Star for his commitment to duty — it just came a little late.

During a ceremony at the American Legion Post in Forest Hills, Heller was given the medal by U.S. Rep. Bob Turner after decades without realizing he had earned the honor.

New Meaning To Sisterly Love: BOTH Become Surrogates

2012-02-10T16:17:24Z

Tanya, Tara and Cassie give a new meaning to the term sisterly love. When Tanya Ratcliff learned she would never be able to carry a baby, her two sisters, Tara Schamel and Cassie Ripp, stepped up to be surrogates. Now both are pregnant with babies conceived by Tanya and husband Dan. Tara is due to give birth to a baby girl in April, and Cassie to deliver a boy in July.

The three sisters, along with the dad-to-be, appeared on the "Today" show this morning to share their touching story. Tanya and Dan had been trying to get pregnant for months with no luck and decided to visit a fertility clinic. The doctor told the couple that though their sperm and eggs were healthy, "Tanya's womb didn't respond properly to the hormone treatments designed to plump up its' lining" and that "the embryos wouldn't survive if they were transferred to Tanya's uterus."

They were devastated. "I don't think you can ever prepare for a moment like that," Tanya said.

Her sisters, Tara, 35 and Cassie, 26, who both have kids, knew that they had to help. "Cassie and I just started talking behind the scenes about, let's just tell Tanya that we can do this," Tara said.

Both sisters had embryos transferred to increase the chances of one of them becoming pregnant. According to MSNBC, they went through the medically induced roller coaster that is familiar to IVF patients: first medications to halt ovulation and create a menopause-like state, followed by large amounts of estrogen to do what their sister's womb could not.

It worked. Tara became pregnant in just two weeks, and Cassie on her third attempt. Dan called the sisters' loyalty and selflessness "truly a blessing."

When Ann Curry asked how Tanya plans to thank her sisters, she said: "I don't think we ever truly can."

Over 70 Pets, Including Rats, Hedgehog And Chinchilla, Rescued From Fire

2012-02-10T16:10:02Z

MOUNT HEALTHY, Ohio — Several dozen animals have found temporary shelter after Ohio firefighters rescued more than 70 pets from a house fire in a Cincinnati suburb.

Authorities responding to the Thursday morning fire found a menagerie of about a dozen snakes, 18 rats, a hedgehog, a chinchilla, birds, rabbits and others creatures. Most of the animals survived the fire at the Mount Healthy home, although one iguana and a couple of cats died.

Pet owner Nikki Hagaman, who volunteers at The Animal House pet store that also rescues animals, was not at home when the fire broke out. She said she had at least 77 pets.

"I can't say no," she told The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Hagaman told the media she believes a heat bulb used to keep her reptiles warm may have started the fire. Many of the rescued pets were taken to the pet store after the fire.

A Colerain Township family also offered to care for almost three dozen of the animals. Adam Charles and his wife took in some ferrets, guinea pigs, rats and others. Charles told WCPO-TV that the animals are adjusting to their new surroundings.

He said one of the rats has a broken back and the ferrets were coughing and sneezing from inhaling too much smoke.

Firefighter Races Up Empire State In 50-Pound Gear For Cancer Research

2012-02-10T15:55:54Z

After racing up the Empire State Building for charity while wearing 50 pounds of gear, Touche Howard dispelled his biggest fear -- that he would never return to his tip-top firefighting shape -- once and for all.

Howard, 50, thought his career was over after he seriously injured his back while carrying a woman suffering from a seizure, during a routine call in 2008. But through the surgery and excruciating recovery, his 12-member squad never let him give up.

"That was a time when I didn't know if I would ever be a firefighter again," Howard told The Huffington Post. "I was feeling really vulnerable and they provided support at a really critical time."

When he returned to his job within a year, Howard vowed to achieve another overwhelming feat -- to climb all 86 stories of the Empire State Building and raise $30,000 for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation along the way.

Howard accomplished his goal Wednesday night, along with 649 other climbers, when he soared to the top of the Empire State. But he was the sole racer to add more weight to the already daunting challenge.

"As firefighters, that's the stuff we have to have with us," Howard said. "It just made sense in keeping with all the goals I wanted to accomplish; to show people that their efforts had been worth it and to try to be the best firefighter I can be."

When it came to supporting the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the organization that sponsored the run up, Howard said he was immediately moved to contribute.

He said he was amazed by the fast pace at which the nonprofit has been able to bring drugs to the market to help patients suffering from the bone marrow cancer, and the way in which the organization engages with those in need of care and support.

"They're able to inspire a sense of camaraderie and optimism," Howard said. "That's the sort of thing that firefighters thrive on, people pulling together and supporting each other."

Howard couldn't help but notice the uncanny parallels between surmounting the stairs and the challenges he's faced in his life.

"It starts off being terrible and it just stays terrible," Howard said of climbing 1,576 steps. "Sometimes that's the way challenges are. You just have to keep persevering."

And persevere he did, with the unending help of his friends and supporters. Even though there are no buildings in Durham, N.C., that even slightly resemble the Empire State, his training buddies found innovative ways to make do with six-story parking decks and 15-story buildings. He trained three hours each day, for six weeks, and blogged about the experience to inspire donors to give to his cause.

When his fellow firefighters joined him in the stairwell for his last few flights, reminding him that he had faced such an uphill battle before, he gave one last push, and hit the top in 34 minutes and 45 seconds.

"As you come out to the observation deck and into the open, nice, cool air, there's light snow and you can see the glow of city lights," Howard said. "It was really a very moving moment."

'Soup Movement' Brings Local Donors Together To Fund Community Projects

2012-02-10T15:38:36Z

Gathering around a bowl of soup never warmed so many souls.

Communities around the country are organizing local soup gatherings for local good. This "Soup Movement" brings together friends and neighbors, who all bring a modest donation -- usually about $5 -- as fuel to share ideas to tackle social change in their communities, NPR reports.

The news outlet cites examples such as funding proposals that have been submitted by local artisans or shop owners who want to continue their community-driven work. FEAST in Brooklyn, N.Y., for example, has given out more than $17,000 in local grants.

Lloyd Piehl and Heather Renner, both Grand Prairie, Tex., residents, got wind of the idea and worked to spread the word in their community, the Daily Herald Tribune reports. Their organization, GPSoup, asks for a $10 donation and can of soup per attendant.

Piehl, who is new to the city, is excited about meeting people. He's also excited to fund new ideas for the community.

“Ingenuity is a big part of this," Piehl told the news source, "because honestly, $500 or $1,000 is not Earth-changing, but with a really good idea, it could be.”

Feeling inspired? Check out NPR's full story for even more organizations bringing the "Soup Movement" to their communities.

105-Year-Old Volunteer: 'I’m Very Blessed'

2012-02-10T14:53:13Z

View more videos at: http://nbcmiami.com.

On her 105th birthday, Dorrie Aber Noyek celebrated by doing the activity she loves most, volunteering at a local hospital, NBC Miami reports.

Noyek was honored at the Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., for her 38 years of service, where she picks up and delivers mail. The do-gooder does not plan on stopping to help out any time soon.

"Volunteering has been important to me for as long as I can remember," Noyek told the news outlet. "I feel I want to give back. I think I'm very fortunate, very lucky, very blessed."

A survivor of colon cancer, Noyek has outlived two husbands and seven siblings and lives completely on her own.

Read other inspiring stories of heroism in our slideshow below:

Warm Your Hearts: 7 Valentine's Volunteer Dates

2012-02-10T13:56:33Z

Make it a night to remember -- and not for the fancy prix fixe meal. Take your special someone on a Valentine's Day outing that matters. Volunteer to package meals together, help host a party for single moms and their kids or do a charity run. Check out the slideshow below for more ideas.

Mary J.Blige Plays For AIDS Charity

2012-02-10T13:55:40Z

By ALICIA QUARLES, ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES -- Mary J. Blige brought out plenty of emotion as she performed in front of a packed house to support one of her favorite charities.

Blige sang several of her most famous songs including "No More Drama" and "Family Affair" at the Avalon nightclub on Thursday night to support the (RED) campaign that raises money to fight AIDS and HIV. She has supported the charity for years.

The singer gave a few emotional speeches where she talked about the importance of giving back.

"All those people we are rocking for are going to be just fine," Blige said before performing her hit single "Just Fine."

After her set, musician Skrillex acted as DJ, playing in a VIP area at the Belvedere-sponsored pre-Grammy event that also included singer Kelis, actress Malin Akerman and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.

The Grammys will be held Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

WATCH: Web Thrift Store Allows You To Donate Unwanted Items

2012-02-10T13:20:02Z

Pushing spring cleaning ahead a few months might have a new appeal with an online thrift store that makes it easy to support the causes close to your heart.

Web Thrift Store has a simple appeal: They turn "stuff" into cash for charities, taking donations of all sorts and reselling the items online. But the transaction gets better -- all donations are tax-deductible, and the seller gets to choose the charity that the donation will support.

Currently, the for-profit online thrift store lets donors choose from four different organizations when they pledge their unused things, and shoppers can search for specific items, or shop right from the organization they want to support.

If you're making extra room for the fuzzy friends in your home, you can choose to donate to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, which advocates animal adoption and works for the prevention of animal cruelty in the U.S.

Passionate about education? Use Web Thrift Store to support ClassWish.org, which lets teachers and schools post requests grants or supplies for their classrooms.

Its all fashion and no closet space in the Big Apple! Help improve both by donating items to the East River Development Alliance, which works to break the cycle of poverty in housing projects in the New York City area.

Maccabi USA is a nonprofit that works toward Jewish pride through sports. It, too, can be supported by donating items through Web Thrift Store.

Just got rid of your old stuff, but still want to get involved? Dont forget, all your shopping supports these causes too!

Guess Which Local University Shattered Fundraising Records?

2012-02-10T00:04:34Z

SAN FRANCISCO -- Stanford University's latest five-year fundraising drive netted $6.2 billion, the largest amount ever raised in a higher education campaign, school officials said Wednesday.

Money from the Stanford Challenge is being used to fund an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research on areas such as education, environment, human health and international affairs, officials said.

"We've undertaken a new model in higher education, with experts from different fields joining together," school president John Hennessy said in a statement. "This kind of collaboration has enabled Stanford to assume a larger role in addressing global problems."

The money is providing funding for more than 160 endowed faculty positions, 360 graduate student fellowships, the construction or renovation of 38 campus buildings, $27 million in seed grants for innovative research and more than $250 million for need-based undergraduate scholarships.

The $6.2 billion raised by the Stanford Challenge is the most collected by a university in a single fundraising campaign, said spokeswoman Lisa Lapin, citing the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. That total surpasses the $4.3 billion goal set when the campaign was launched in October 2006.

During the campaign that ended Dec. 31, the university received donations from more than 166,000 alumni, parents and community members.

The university received contributions of more than $50 million from Stanford alumni such as Yahoo Inc. co-founder Jerry Yang, Nike Inc. co-founder Phil Knight and Silicon Valley venture capitalist Robert King.

Stanford is the latest university to announce a successful multibillion fundraising campaign. Last year, Yale University said it had raised $3.9 billion, and the University of Pennsylvania said it collected $3.5 billion.

"It's an impressive drive for funds that most public universities can only dream to eventually match," said John Aubrey Douglass, a researcher at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of California, Berkeley. "Donors are attracted to the big-name universities, but I worry some that the rich keep getting richer."

The Dodgers Spread The Love In LA

2012-02-09T23:06:38Z

This week, the Los Angeles Dodgers have traversed our city on their highly anticipated, ninth Community Caravan -- an annual opportunity for the team to give back to Los Angeles.

Dodgers such as Dee Gordon, Javy Guerra, Tony Gwynn, Jerry Hairston, Josh Lindblom and Al Ferrara made stops at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, the Mayberry Elementary School, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and Five Acres. Teammates also spent time helping at a Habitat for Humanity build in Lynwood, the MLB Urban Youth Academy and the LAUSD's Frances Blend School.

Wednesday evening, the Dodgers Dream Foundation held a ceremony unveiling the new Dodgers Dreamfield at the Normandie Recreation Center. This is the 20th Dreamfield to date.

This whirlwind tour of gratitude and giving back has got us really looking forward to early April when we get to see our Dodgers back on the field. Let's go blue!

Browse images from the Dodgers Community Caravan by Jon SooHoo:

North Korean Propagandist To Show New Satirical Artworks

2012-02-09T23:04:45Z

Like many North Koreans, Song Byeok was brainwashed into believing Kim Jong Il loved and cared about his country. At 24, he was hired to be a propagandist, and he fulfilled his duties until it all became too much, and then he defected.

Song Byeok Atlanta Exhibition from Song Byeok on Vimeo.

Byeok's world changed completely in the late 1990s when famine struck North Korea, killing his father, mother, and sister. He wandered alone and hungry through a country he once loved, and was later tortured by the government he once idolized. At this point, he began a journey to discover a life outside of DPRK. Byeok, now in his 40s, has devoted his life to using his artistic skills to promote freedom through satirizing Kim Jong Il and the legacy of his reign.

Byeok's works riff off the notion of the propaganda machine, inserting absurdity where seriousness once held court. These works of Popaganda reveal the strange face of tyranny by creating caricatures of Kim Jong Il's enigmatic persona, whether dressing him up in Marilyn Monroe's signature garb or simply highlighting his Napoleonic stature. After hearing the news of Kim Jong Il's death, Byeok told The Boston Globe, "He was praised like a god, but in the end, he was only a human who fell like an autumn leaf."

Forever Freedom : Song Byeok's Art and Story from Song Byeok on Vimeo.

Byeok's upcoming exhibition will feature 20 of his works, 6 of which have never before been seen. Visit Byeok's Kickstarter page to learn more about the project. The exhibition will show at the The Goat Farm Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia from February 17-26.

Check out some of Byeok's fearless works below:

Renegade Girl Scouts Recognized For Saving Orangutans

2012-02-09T21:45:54Z

A pair of renegade girl scouts accepted a prestigious U.N. award in New York Thursday for their work bringing attention to the threat palm oil production poses to orangutans and the rainforest in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Nominated for the award by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the U.N. Forest Heroes Award the scouts received is the first of its kind.

"It is exceptional to be considered and we're both delighted, thrilled and humbled to win the award," Girl Scout Madison Vorva said in an interview with the Huffington Post.

Back in 2007, Vorva and Rhiannon Tomtishen started a five-year campaign to get Girl Scouts USA to ditch Southeast Asian palm oil from its girl scout cookie recipe. The ingredient is said to fuel deforestation as trees are clear cut for palm oil production, leaving orangutans with no forest to inhabit.

The girls' slick lobbying efforts and social media campaign persuaded Girl Scouts USA and Kellogg to commit to introducing sustainable palm oil by 2015, a policy they announced last fall.

The organization also pledged to purchase certificates from the GreenPalm program, which directs funds to palm oil producers who are working sustainably under guidelines outlined by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.

While the pair agree the policies are a step in the right direction, they said more still needs to be done for Girl Scouts USA to make truly sustainable girl scout cookies.

"We are trying to keep the pressure up to ensure the Girl Scouts find an environmentally and socially responsible palm oil to be used in these in the cookies," Vorva told HuffPost.

That's why Vorva and Tomtishen recently launched an online petition with Change.org to call on the organization to completely eliminate unsustainable palm oil from their cookies.

Over the past two weeks, more than 57,000 people have signed the petition supporting Project ORANGS.

"Essentially we are asking Girl Scouts [USA] to live up to the Girl Scout values. We are trying to make a positive change and take a holistic approach. So it is little steps with some pressure," Tomtishen said.

So far, they've partnered with a number of organizations, including UCS and Roots And Shoots. They've even gained the support of Jane Goodall, someone they say has been an inspiration.

As for what's next for the duo? Turning Project Orang into a registered non-profit is on the horizon so they can begin urging other companies to switch from palm oil to a more sustainable ingredient.

"Every individual has a role. If you have a passion, you can change anything," Tomtishen said.

Are You At Risk For The No. 1 Killer Of Women?

2012-02-09T20:31:54Z

By the time Tami Kemit finally saw a doctor, she had been having a heart attack for three days.

The then-36-year-old mother from Erie, Pa., eventually suffered three more heart attacks. At 27-weeks-old, her daughter Brooke went into cardiac arrest from a congenital heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia, or SVT, ABC reports.

Statistics suggest Kemit's hesitation in getting help might be all too common among women -- every year more women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined, which WTOT.com reports is a woman's death almost every minute of every day.

Now, after multiple surgeries and a pacemaker defibrillator implanted, Kemit and her daughter are actively involved in the American Heart Association's You're The Cure, which advocates for research and medical screenings.

"If anybody in the family -- man under 60 or woman under 30 -- has had a heart attack," Kemit told ABC, "you need to stress to your doctors to check it out and -- cholesterol and blood pressure -- and stay physically active."

Kemit's caveats are more than echoed by major heart health organizations. The American Heart Association advocates weight and stress management, physical activity, and an eye for nutrition -- especially through a reduction of sodium, which causes high blood pressure and leads to heart disease. And of course, quitting smoking.

But it isn't just the heart-healthy organizations getting involved in the fight. New legislation aimed at improving the cardiovascular health of millions of women nationwide has been introduced by U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., called the HEART For Women Act.

“While we have made great progress in the fight against heart disease," Capps said about the bill, "it remains the number one killer of American women, needlessly claiming the lives of far too many of our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters.”

Shermane Winters-Wofford was almost one of those lives, beating the odds and surviving two strokes.

Her first stroke happened on a first date. She dismissed the sweating as nerves, but within hours she was at the hospital with blurred vision and speech. Heart disease ran in her family, and being an African-American woman made her health risks even higher.

But after the second her routine changed: Now she exercises and eats right, and is a spokesperson for Go Red For Women. The man from the first date proposed a year later, and Winters-Wofford is set on making sure other women don't let heart disease take their lives prematurely, either.

“I Go Red,” Winters-Wofford said in a release, “for all the women in my family.”

Want to help with the fight against women's heart disease? Here are a few ways to get involved:

Join the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Campaign this month, spreading the message of heart health by wearing red, or donate to the organization.

Support the American Stroke Association -- strokes are directly related to cardiovascular disease, and are the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S.

Give the gift of hope, by donating blood through the American Red Cross. Plus, the Indiana Blood Center has teamed up with the American Heart Association to donate $1 for every new "like" on their Facebook page.

One Politician's Plan To Stop Cheating Husbands

2012-02-09T19:45:18Z

The provincial government of Gorontalo in northern Indonesia will begin depositing the salaries of civil servants directly into their wives' bank accounts as part of an effort to crack down on unfaithful husbands and ensure spouses and children have enough money for food and other essentials, the BBC reports.

The policy, introduced by newly-elected Gorontalo Governor Rusli Habibie, will be implemented next week and will take full effect in March, according to the Jakarta Globe.

A spokesman for the Habibie administration said the governor has received complaints from wives that their husbands give them limited money for meals and expenses and had blocked access to bank accounts, possibly because they were trying to conceal affairs.

"We are very concerned about the issue. Thus, we believe it would be best if salaries of male, married civil servants are paid through their wives' accounts," spokesman Rudi Iriawan told the BBC. "Every cent from the salary can be used to cover household expenses instead of other things such as financing extra-marital affairs."

Some parts of Gorontalo may already be familiar with the policy.

When Rudi was serving as a district head of North Gorontalo three years ago, he reportedly instituted a similar policy amid "lots of complaints coming from the wives of male civil servants after not getting any money nor allowance from their husbands to buy daily staples," according to the Jakarta Globe.

It's unclear how easy it will be to implement the new policy, as government officials are exploring ways to encourage civil servants' wives to sign up for bank accounts and check to see if their husbands' salaries have been deposited.

But Bernama Media reported that the government is currently collecting financial data on its married employees and will begin depositing salary and allowances into wives' bank accounts on the first day of each month.