Philanthropic Ways To Get Involved In Your Own Neighborhood

Being involved in philanthropy is a great way to give back to your community and contribute to making the world a better place. These days in our busy and overscheduled world, it can become hard to find the time to attend philanthropic events or groups. It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, and feel like we don’t have the time or energy to give back to the community in a big way. However, giving back isn’t measured by the amount of money you donate or the number of fancy events you attend. There are plenty of ways to be philanthropic right in your own neighborhood.

If you’re looking for a way to give back to your community with a group of people or by yourself, here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling.

Clean Up! You don’t have to be an official cleaning crew to get to work! Gather a few families, friends or do it by yourself! All you need is some trash bags and some gloves. Head to a place that could use a little love, and leave it better then it was when you found it. Maybe you’ll even inspire others to do the same.

Offer to help. Is your neighbor going through something that makes life stressful? New babies, moves, or the loss of a relative can really throw people for a loop. If you know someone who might need some help, show up at their house with a simple meal, or maybe mow their lawn. Small gestures can make all the difference during a stressful time, and giving back can happen even on the simplest level.

Sing a Song. You have the potential to brighten the day of an entire retirement home by walking in and signing ONE song. It’s something so simple, but so greatly appreciated by the residents. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy—folk songs and old standards are great, because everyone can sing along. Bonus points if you can bring someone who knows how to play a guitar or piano!

Keep Someone Company. Many communities have senior centers with programs linking seniors and younger people, offering companionship and company for an hour here and there. Childrens Hospitals are another great place to go and spend time with someone who could really use the company and conversation. Do a search for your local centers and hospitals and inquire how you might help.

Plant Something. Want your neighborhood to be a little greener? Make it happen! Organize a planting party and beautify your surroundings. Whether you’re building a community garden or planting some flowers in your neighbor’s yard, you are giving back to your community in a big way! Just make sure to check with your city to ensure you’re planting in the right areas, especially if you’re planting trees.

Neighborhoods are made great by the people within them, so don’t be afraid to lead the way. Your efforts will come back to you tenfold, as you enjoy the neighborhood that you’ve fostered!

19 Amazing Diamond Facts

I found this infographic to be both helpful and interesting, and I hope you enjoy it!

amazing-diamond-facts-infographic-by-whiteflash

People Undergoing Root Canals May Have Gained A Powerful Yet Tiny New Ally — Diamonds

People undergoing root canals may have gained a powerful yet tiny new ally — diamonds.

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More than 15 million painful-yet-necessary root canal procedures are performed in the U.S. each year to protect us from tooth infections. But complications such as infection can arise post-surgery. Teeth infections can lead to tooth loss which is something the UCLA School of Dentistry is trying to prevent! In a new study at UCLA, they have found that these post-surgery infections can be warded off by a girl’s best friend: diamonds!

Nanodiamonds, specifically, were the subject of the researchers’ study. Thousands of times smaller than a human hair, at about four to five nanometers in diameter, nanodiamonds have the shape of very tiny soccer balls and are the byproduct of diamond mining and refining. They’ve also been widely explored for use in dentistry, cancer therapy, and regenerative medicine, among other applications. Combining the nanodiamonds with current root canal therapy, scientists at UCLA fortified a material that could significantly improve the outcomes of root canal patients.

Typically during a root canal, the area inside a tooth where there are nerves and blood vessels are is removed by dentists and refilled with a polymer called “gutta percha.” The purpose of the polymer is to act as a sealant and prevent future infection. However, gutta percha isn’t always successful in ridding a tooth of infection, in part due to the material not being a complete solid.

Using a compound that consisted of nanodiamonds and the traditional gutta percha mixture, the team at UCLA conducted an experiment on human teeth. One set of teeth was tested with nanodiamond-reinforced gutta percha while another set was tested with gutta percha by itself.

The traditional gutta percha mixture left small gaps in the canal — making the tooth susceptible to harmful bacteria. However, as predicted, the nanodiamond gutta percha mixture proved much stronger than traditional methods. By eliminating space for bacteria to fill within the tooth, the nanodiamond mixture allowed for a lower chance of infections or other complications following a root canal.

“The nanodiamond-enhanced gutta percha combines many desirable properties into a single platform, including vastly improved mechanical characteristics and the ability to combat bacterial infection following a root canal,” said UCLA study author Dong-Keun Lee in a press release.

Over the next two years, the team plans to optimize the nanodiamond-reinforced gutta percha formulation, and begin clinical trials at UCLA. To read more about this study or future research at The UCLA School of Dentistry, click here.

Belgian Politician Warns Against Diamond Sanctions

(IDEX Online News) – The 36th World Diamond Congress has opened in Antwerp, with Minister-President of Flanders, Kris Peeters, cautioning of the “disastrous” affect that authorizes identifying with the jewel business could have. The Congress is the half-yearly gathering of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA).

Talking of the immense part of the precious stone industry in the Belgian economy – with turnover in 2013 of $55 billion – and the paramount connections that Belgium has, subsequently, with Russia, India and China, Peeters said that “investment assents identified with jewels can’t be permitted to happen”.

“Jewels are our area [flanders] and nation’s calling card,” he said. “They give work to 35,000 individuals in the Antwerp range alone. Authorizations would be a fiasco.”

The European Union has talked about conceivable approvals against Russia because of its movements in Ukraine. Around 70 percent of Alrosa’s precious stones are promoted in Antwerp.

Peeters additionally said talks were occurring at the territorial and elected level in Belgium in an offer to diminish work costs and present a ‘carat charge’ under which organizations would not be exhausted on the premise of their benefit yet on a rate of their turnover. “That would give Antwerp organizations a basic edge,” Peeters clarified.

In the interim, WFDB President Ernie Blom said the business required to make a reasonable procedure for how to achieve expanded gainfulness and to overcome difficulties, for example, the absence of worldwide non specific promoting.

He portrayed the jewel business as a standout amongst the most enacted on the planet and that intense money related controls as of late have hit gainfulness, subsequently making banks significantly more careful about giving to diamantaires.

Taking after Blom, Antwerp Alderman of Economy, Philip Heylen, said that Antwerp had flourished as a jewel place for more than 500 years because of its liberality, financing in engineering and comprehension that it couldn’t live alone and the need to work and create relations with others, saying that the city was home to 172 nationalities.

Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC) President Stephane Fischler said that despite the fact that precious stones are mined and fabricated everywhere throughout the world, Antwerp remained “the thumping heart” of the jewel business.

“Permit me to say a couple of words in regards to what AWDC, speaking to around 1700 jewel organizations here in the heart of Europe is centered around.

“Yes in fact we have been prudent pioneers for a long time. Yes for sure we accept that exchange more than governmental issues fabricates scaffolds, enhance dialog and cultivate fellowships. Yet additionally, that nobody ought to be left aside. That every one of those men and ladies burrowing or cleaning, here and there in conditions that must continue testing us, are a piece of this enormous jewel family and help immensely in making included quality.

“Along these lines, the AWDC, among others, gladly upholds the vital and highly perceived work of the Diamond Development Initiative.

“This industry can’t bear to deliver THE most novel and valuable, without keeping up all in all the most elevated notoriety in the eyes of governments and bu

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