Caring for Our Families
Caring for Our Families “Caring is such a simple thing, yet it is so often neglected in our fast-paced world.” In this story, Marianne Larned
Stone Soup Leadership Institute
Book 1
Compassion, Their Precious Treasure
Compassion, Their Precious Treasure Tibet’s exiled leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, is an inspiration to millions of people around the world. With his deep
A Healing Heart
A Healing Heart As a surgeon, Dr. Juan felt it was his sacred duty to treat people from both sides who were fighting the long
Courage to Care
Courage to Care “Will you hide the Jews?” Protestant minister, Andre Trocme was asked during World War II. When he said yes, the people in
Democracy in Action
Democracy in Action Ada Deer’s mother taught her to study the spiritual traditions of her Native American tribal life and to commit herself to public
Christmas in April
Rebuilding Together Since 1989, Patty Johnson has been organizing volunteers andrekindling the tradition of neighbors helping neighbors. Christmas in April’s specialty is repairing low-income homes
Changing People’s Minds
Changing People’s Minds Joe Rogers was once homeless, wandering the streets of New York City and fishing through dumpsters for food. Today, he is the
Cultural Healing
The history of America is one of the most amazing Stone Soup stories of all. In just 300 years, people from all comers of the
A Mensch
A Mensch Aaron Feurerstein is a factory owner who thinks of his workers as an asset, not an expense. He and his Malden Mills will
Cesar Chavez, By Giving our Lives
By Giving Our Lives, We Find Life Following the tradition of his hero, Gandhi, Cesar Chavez became one of the greatest Hispanic leaders of our
Baby Magic
Baby Magic Twelve years ago, Lynn was a busy wife and mother of two teenagers, suffering from chronic back pain. Faced with the choice of
Asking for Help
Mother Theresa Mother Teresa was one-of the most beloved and admired women of her time. Her selfless, ceaseless efforts on behalf of the poor, sick
Ashley’s Big Plans
Ashley’s Big Plans Seven-year-old Ashley had been praying for a playground for her Washington D.C. neighborhood. When Darell Hammond came to visit, she knew he
Adagio in Sarajevo
Adagio in Sarajevo Once considered a model of religious and ethnic harmony, in 1992 Sarajevo was in a siege that was slowly destroying the city.
A Miracle in Montgomery
A Miracle in Montgomery Alabama Governor George Wallace became a symbol of the hatred and bigotry during the Civil Rights era. After being shot and
A Man with a Past Gives Back
A Man With a Past Gives Back When Will Morales was only 14 years old, he was already a leader of an infamous gang, in
A Long Road to Freedom
A Long Road to Freedom In this story from his autobiography, Nelson Mandela gives us a great lesson in the power of forgiveness and acting
A Little Extra
A Little Extra Like many Americans, 27-year-old Chris Gross was appalled by the Oklahoma-City bombing. He was especially troubled by the children who lost their
A Little Company Makes a Big Difference
A Little Company Makes a Big Difference When Laura Scher received her MBA from Harvard, she could have gone work to for a prestigious Fortune
A Culture of Giving
A Culture of Giving For more than fifty years, the Dayton-Hudson Corporation has been a national leader in charitable giving and social action. So strong
By Giving Our Lives, We Find Life
By Giving Our Lives, We Find Life Cesar Chavez For the migrant farm worker, each day felt virtually endless; each night he was exhausted and
A Healing Moment
A Healing Moment In this story, Brother David Stencil-Rast tells how he and his close friend and fellow monk Thich Nhat Hanh marched in an
A Messenger of Hope
When Edward James Olmos wanted to deliver a strong anti-drug and anti-gang message to kids in the barrios in his film American Me, he went home to East Los Angeles. There he invited young gang members like George Sarabia and Gil Espinoza as extras and crewmembers. He hoped to demystify the glamour of gangs, while giving kids new skills and a way out of the gang world. Before he met Eddie, George had only one goal in life: to come back from prison a hero — having earned his “stripes.” He now shares his life-changing story with other young people, asking them to stop the violence. “We all have a choice. You can do whatever you want to do,” George says. Then he pauses and adds, with quiet intensity, “Think about it. What you could do. What you could be.”
A Lesson in Giving
Clair Nuer was a Holocaust and cancer survivor who taught people how to use the difficulties they face as levers to change their lives. Laura Gates was a successful businesswoman who had reached a point of both personal and professional despair. One day, Claire said something that touched her very deeply, “One person can be the rock that changes the course of a river.” In this story, Laura tells how Claire’s words inspired her to have the courage to tell one client the truth, instead of “minding her own business,” and how this moment of truth changed everything. ”The impact I was able to have by being compassionate and giving rather than getting was amazing,” she says. “If each one of us made this kind of commitment, collectively we really could build a better world.”