Spare Change News

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Occupy The Dream

    Nakia Hill Spare Change News Harry B. Rutherford, Jr. lives in Columbus, South Carolina, where he has his own dental practice serving his community. On January 16, when the nation celebrates the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by taking a day off of work to reflect, attend an event in his honor, like…

  • Michael Shorey Vendor Profile

    Larissa Butrimowicz Spare Change News Michael Shorey was born in New York, but moved to Salem, Mass. with his adoptive parents, who then decided to move to York, Maine, when he was 11. He was one of six adopted siblings and had an idyllic childhood. He worked at a restaurant in Kittery, Maine for 12…

  • Grateful For a Shelter, But Life Still Isn’t Easy

    Mary Felix Spare Change News I am a mother of three. I was homeless in 2001 and got pregnant in 2002 for the first time. Six months later, I got my housing. But I had to give up my housing because I was in a violent domestic relationship, and I was afraid the man was…

  • Haitian Folk Tales: The Snake and the Pauper

    Jacques Fleury Spare Change News It was a beautiful sunny day in the forest of Carfou, a small town in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city. The birds were chirping and the trees were swaying in a sing-song sort of way. Di Dim, a local farmer, strolled down the winding dirt road, occasionally stumbling…

  • Unwanted pity, and an unfair hike

    James Shearer Spare Change News Just a couple of small items as we finish taking down the tree. Pity is a dirty word As I was selling papers shortly before Christmas, a woman came up to me and said while she couldn’t give me any money, she offered me a holiday bag. Usually I don’t…

  • Meet the New Year, Same as the Old Year?

    Tom Benner Spare Change News The year 2011 marked a new turn in the fight against homelessness in Massachusetts. HomeBASE, a new state initiative designed to steer homeless families from shelters and motels into homes of their own, went into effect on Aug. 1. The promising program sought to move the homeless into permanent housing,…

  • DESPITE RISE IN TAX RECEIPTS, STATE’S FIXED COSTS MEAN MORE SPENDING CUTS

    By Kyle Cheney STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 12, 2012 Massachusetts residents should brace for another year of program cuts and elimination of services, Gov. Deval Patrick’s top budget adviser warned Thursday, citing the growth of budget-busting accounts that he said will be the target of a new round of reforms. Even…

  • SENATE GIVES INITIAL APPROVAL TO BILL AIDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS

    By Colleen Quinn STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, JAN. 9, 2012….Domestic violence victims would be guaranteed leave from their jobs under legislation that received initial approval in Senate Monday and has the backing of two major employer groups. The law would require Massachusetts employers with more than 50 employees to give up to…

  • TALKING BACK: A Critical Dialogue On Spirituality Part III

    Jacques Fleury Spare Change News “Just for today, do not worry Just for today, do not anger, Honor your parents, teachers and elders. Earn your living hon- estly. Show gratitude to everything”. -Dr. Mikao Usui I have written about how my mother helped to create my own reality, hence my own identity. Now I will…

  • Hot Stove Cool Music

    Chalkey Horenstein Spare Change News In order to promote the 13th annual Hot Stove Cool Music charity concert on January 14th, renowned baseball journalist Peter Gammons and musicians Robin Lane and Bill Janovitz prepared a promotional get-together, which featured a performance from “Songbird Sings,” a program within The Home For Little Wanderer’s Young Adult Resource…

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