Better World Boston

Saurabh Madan, the founder of Be A Meditator, discusses the importance of meditation and how to create your own practice. He covers the various benefits of meditation and explores different ways you can meditate. Be A Meditator is an excellent knowledge resource for learning how to meditate and is an excellent source you can use to create a mindfulness and meditation practice. Saurabh is also an author and has published 2 books. https://www.flipkart.com/medi-buddies/p/itmf4ggepmmhmgg5

Oceans are important for our planet and we need to take care of them. Sometimes, it is hard to know what to do or where to start. Bill Hickman, the regional manager for Surfrider Foundation-Southern California, shares his insights on plastic pollution and ocean health and what you can do to help. Links from the episode: Surfrider Foundation https://www.surfrider.org/ Surfrider Foundation - Ocean Friendly Gardens Program https://www.surfrider.org/programs/ocean-friendly-gardens Surfrider Foundation - Ocean Friendly Restaurants Program https://www.surfrider.org/programs/ocean-friendly-restaurants Surfrider Foundation - Rise above Plastics Campaign https://www.surfrider.org/programs/rise-above-plastics

Dr. Deepa Jhaveri is a co-founder of Women Who Win, a global empowerment platform for women. In a short period of time, it has become a global community that celebrates the success of women, empowers them to take on challenges, and inspires them to be their best selves. She also discussed her philanthropic work with The Shoe Project. To learn more about these projects, please visit their website, https://www.womenwhowin100.com/

Join in a practice of 31 days of kindness towards yourself and others this month.

Corinne Joachim Sanon Symietz, the founder of Askanya Chocolates talks about how she created a bean to bar artisanal chocolate company in Haiti. She was motivated to start a company that could provide employment to farmers year round. You might be wondering what "bean-to-bar" means. It means that the beans are roasted and ground, then tempered and molded into bars. Each bar is made from 100% cacao sourced from within Haiti. You can learn more about Askanya Chocolates on their website - https://askanya.ht/ Here are their social media handles: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/askanyachocolate Instagram https://www.instagram.com/askanyachocolate/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AskanyaChocolat

If you're looking to make some changes in your life but don't know where to start, this episode of the podcast might be just what you need. We will discuss goals, intentions, and life coaching with life coach and yoga teacher Kristin O'Donnell Klipp. To learn more or to work with Kristin, please visit her website Truth Lives Within, https://truthliveswithin.com/ or follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/truthliveswithin/, Facebook https://truthliveswithin.com/connect or visit her wonderful YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8XStITU3ddgggZCmZddFaA .

Yes, we can enjoy winter holidays without having much stress or creating too much waste. The winter holiday season does not have to be overwhelming, have a large environmental footprint, or need to generate a lot of waste. This episode will go over the ways to make simplify the holidays for less stress and less waste. Here are links discussed in the episode: etsy.com https://equalexchange.coop/ https://askanya.ht/ https://www.penzeys.com/

In this episode, Scoop Marketplace Founder, Stephanie Lentz, talks to us about zero-waste and shares some advice on how to reduce more waste. You can learn more about Scoop Marketplace here and Scoop Intelligence here. coop is the world's first zero-waste and sustainable marketplace that helps you save resources and live a healthier life. Scoop Founder, Stephanie Lentz, talks to us about the Scoop Marketplace and why it's important for people to reduce their waste. Links discussed in the episode: https://www.encorerevel.com/events Get started with Zero-Waste Living 101 Practicing Hygge Stephanie's Plant-based cooking class

Sometimes life can get chaotic and feeling overwhelmed is never fun. In this episode, we will discuss some ways techniques that can help you if life gets hectic. Here are some links to boxed breathing and breathwork... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEmt1Znux58 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGKnQN7zUmw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vSXJP4Gf4g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT3V1ux9hLs

Curt Andino, the executive director of Friendly Water, talks about some of their community initiatives around water. He also discusses how their organization changed after listening to their community partners. Friendly Water is has been working to improve water access through community partnerships and technology. They have a holistic approach to address this problem. Some of their projects include rainwater collection systems using sustainable bricks, multipurpose soap, and permaculture gardens. Please visit their website to learn more, https://friendlywater.org/

Amin Sheikh lived on the mean streets of Bombay from the age of five. Luckily, Amin was taken to an orphanage three years later and learned what it means to have a place you can call 'home' and people you can call 'family'. He had a dream of opening a cafe for street children. That dream became a reality in 2016 when he opened the Bombay to Barcelona Cafe. This cafe is run by former street children and is a safe haven and a place that they can call home. Amin also wrote an autobiographical story, I Am Because of You. You can learn more about Amin and his work at the cafe, https://bombaytobarcelona.com/ or at his book site, https://www.iambecauseofyou.com/ Here is an article about Amin's story, https://www.firstpost.com/living/bombay-to-barcelona-former-street-kid-amin-sheikhs-plan-to-help-others-2737486.html

Music is an ancient art form, with roots in many cultures and traditions. Its power as a healing art has been recognized for centuries in many different cultures. In this episode, Rebecca Strauss will discuss music as a healing art. Rebecca is an accomplished violist, certified musical therapist, and faculty at the Longy School of Music. She is also the founder and director of Riverview Chamber Players and Harmony and Hope.

Kathy Halamka, one of the founders of Unity Farm Sanctuary, talks about how she and her husband started their farm sanctuary, what they do and what they're looking forward to in the future. Unity Farm Sanctuary provides a safe and loving lifelong home for farm animals, offers unique educational programs to the public, and promotes a culture of kindness and connection. To learn more about Unity Farm Sanctuary, please visit their website, https://www.unityfarmsanctuary.org/

Mental wellness is an important part of overall wellness. It's something that is often overlooked, and it doesn't have to be. Mental health is just as important to maintain as physical health. In this episode, Gabbi of Gabbisolarpowered.com discusses the importance of paying attention to mental wellness and gives excellent self-care tips. You can find out more about Gabbi here: Gabbisolarpowered.com https://www.facebook.com/GabbiSolarPowered/ https://www.instagram.com/gabbisolarpowered/ https://twitter.com/gabbisolarpower https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbisolarpowered

Steph Speirs, co-founder, and CEO of Solstice discusses community solar. Community solar gives renewable solar access to households who can not install solar panels. To learn more about Solstice and community solar, please visit their website, https://solstice.us/.

Social dances are found in many cultures around the world. Dance has also been found to contribute physical, mental and emotional well-being. In this episode, Ching Kao, the co-owner of Firebeat Ballroom Dancing in Winchester MA talks about ballroom dance, the benefits of dance and learning dance as an adult. Please visit Firebeat Ballroom Dancing to learn more about ballroom and social dancing.

Judy Manzo is the owner of Book Ends, a popular independent bookstore, shares her perspective on the books, bookstores, and the importance of local small businesses. To learn more about Book Ends, please visit their website, https://bookendswinchester.indielite.org/.

Kay Patterson is a professional organizer and opera singer in the Boston area. In this episode, Kay shares organizing and declutter tips and tricks. To learn more about Kay, please visit her website, https://www.theorganizedsoprano.com/ and her youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGZKYFBPnLYy6U3nLcZpcBw

n this episode, I will speak with Dan Fireside of Equal Exchange. Dan has a wealth of knowledge on fair trade, farmer cooperatives and how things in the fair trade movement have changed over the past several years. In this episode, we delved into all of the above. We also discussed the problem of child slave labor in the chocolate industry. Equal Exchange is a mission based Massachusetts based worker cooperative. You can learn more about Equal Exchange and the products they carry here. https://equalexchange.coop/ Dan shared a petition asking Mars & Nestle to stop using child slave labor in their chocolate products. Here is the link. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/mars-nestle-stop-using-child-slave-labor-in-your-chocolate-products?source=facebook-share-button&time=1602094938&utm_source=facebook&share=a4b5713e-66b2-4fef-a4b2-6c4434384162&fbclid=IwAR0Pq_7dj4N8EM8Ef5hHoX4GxNsAUX00a1FEPkreuEek4LTvJA-QFYfhag8

Lenni Armstrong is a visual storyteller and part of Depave Somerville. Depaving is the concept of removing impervious surfaces like concrete and asphalt from cities. It has many benefits including ambient cool, visual privacy, and restoration of local habitat for birds and insects. Lenni discusses more about depaving, including its benefits and practical guidelines to get started. You can learn more about Depave Somerville: here http://www.depavehub.org/ Here is Lenni’s TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlTG0Y_zknc You can learn for about Lenni Armstrong here: http://informmotion.biz/

Residential solar is becoming a more viable option for many looking to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. Dave Judelson of BlueSel (https://www.bluesel.com/) will talk about the basics of solar, tax credits currently available and buying vs leasing panels.

Addie Rose, the co-founder of Real Pickles, talks about fermentation, local farms, and being a mission-driven business. Addie Rose, the co-founder of Real Pickles, shares how it is possible to be a successful business while supporting local farmers and having a low carbon footprint. Real Pickles is a mission driven worker co-operative based in Greenfield MA. Their pickles are made through a unique fermentation process and have won Good Food Award medals. You can learn more about Real Pickles at their website https://realpickles.com/. Their online store finder shows you where you can buy their products. https://realpickles.com/products/stores/

Composting is the practice of speeding up the natural decay of organic material. It has multiple benefits including reducing waste, adding nutrition back to the soil, and reduces your carbon footprint. Conor Miller, the founder of Black Earth Compost discusses all things related to compost. Black Earth Compost offers both residential and commercial composting services in eastern MA. Please visit their website to learn more, https://blackearthcompost.com/.

Composting is the practice of speeding up the natural decay of organic material. It has multiple benefits including reducing waste, adding nutrition back to the soil and reduces your carbon footprint. Conor Miller, the founder of Black Earth Compost discusses all things related to compost. Black Earth Compost offers both residential and commercial composting services all actress Eastern MA. Please visit their website to learn more, https://blackearthcompost.com/.

Evelyn Kimber is the president of the Boston Vegetarian Society. The BVS is an all-volunteer organization which welcomes both vegetarians and non-vegetarians who are interested in learning more about the whys and hows and benefits of living plant-based. They have multiple events throughout the year including the Boston Veg Food Festival. To learn more about the Boston Vegetarian Society, click here. Here is a list of Black-owned restaurants https://www.boston.com/food/restaurants/2020/06/02/black-owned-restaurants-in-boston

Evelyn Kimber is the president of the Boston Vegetarian Society. The BVS is an all-volunteer organization which welcomes both vegetarians and non-vegetarians who are interested in learning more about the whys and hows and benefits of living plant-based. They have multiple events throughout the year including the Boston Veg Food Festival. To learn more about the Boston Vegetarian Society, click here Here is a list of Black-owned restaurants https://www.boston.com/food/restaurants/2020/06/02/black-owned-restaurants-in-boston

Food For Free is an organization that improves access to healthy food by rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste and creating new distribution channels for under-served populations. They have several unique and creative programs that help provide access to healthy food in the Greater Boston area. To learn more on how you can volunteer, go to https://foodforfree.org/volunteer/

Food For Free is an organization that improves access to healthy food by rescuing food that would otherwise go to waste and creating new distribution channels to under-served populations. They have several unique and creative programs that help provide access to healthy food in the Greater Boston area. To learn more on how you can volunteer, go to https://foodforfree.org/volunteer/

John Moore is an architect and a solar hot water installer at New England Solar Hot Water. So far, they have installed 600 solar hot water systems in Massachusetts. Their website and phone number are https://www.neshw.com/ and 781-536-8633. 4 major incentives for solar available to residential customers: Federal tax credits - 26% in 2020 Massachusetts tax credits Cash rebates AECs (alternative energy credits) Interesting installations mentioned in the show. Big Elm Brewery - in western Mass, apparently breweries use a lot of hot water to clean their equipment Peppers Artful Events in Northborough, MA

This episode will focus on mental health. Kelly Fey Holt is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice in Cambridge. She answers questions about mental health and provides some tips for self-care. Here are some of the resources that were discussed in the podcast. To find out more about Kelly visit her website, CoreArtsGroup.com. Mental Health Resources: https://www.nami.org/getattachment/About-NAMI/NAMI-News/2020/NAMI-Updates-on-the-Coronavirus/COVID-19-Updated-Guide-1.pdf https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/local-mental-health https://massachusetts.networkofcare.org/mh/ https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-department-of-mental-health Kelly’s Bio: Kelly Fey Holt is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice in Cambridge. She works with college students and adults of all ages struggling with issues of anxiety, depression, grief, and life purpose. With a background in theater and art, she often uses the creative process as a tool to foster awareness, insight, and change with her clients. Kelly is also an acting teacher and performance coach who works with artists, businesses, human service organizations, and anyone simply wishing to discover their potential and live a meaningful life. To learn more about Kelly's work, check out her website coreArtsgroup.com.

Cambridge Bicycle Safety is a bicycle advocacy group that is working to make streets safer and more enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During this pandemic, they have organized a program to help area seniors and others at risk while supporting local businesses. At this point, over 200 bicyclists have volunteered to assist with local bicycle deliveries for seniors and others in the community. Three members of Cambridge Bicycle Safety (and their sister organization https://somervillebikesafety.org/ ) Rebecca, Neuman, Arah Schurr And Randy Stern answer questions about the program. To find out more about this program, go to this link, https://www.cambridgebikesafety.org/volunteer-delivery-by-bicycle-during-covid-19-crisis/ or call 678-325-8253 For more information on Cambridge Bicycle Safety, go to this link, https://www.cambridgebikesafety.org/ For more information on Somerville Bike Safety, go to this link, https://somervillebikesafety.org/ Here are some pictures of the local deliveries on bicycle: https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO4NSGHqbejyJDhNEwRckDO6AVrwzxZgsPLqJsOkV9EkNmupkd5Q0OYryhkmnKbxA/photo/AF1QipNVI3sxJxikePu41Skpq0yqSNL0vNn4UqcFd4pz?key=SFZiWWNSNUlPNEdJX2UtbWM2SjluVHlOdDV1Mm13 https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO4NSGHqbejyJDhNEwRckDO6AVrwzxZgsPLqJsOkV9EkNmupkd5Q0OYryhkmnKbxA/photo/AF1QipNHnkOcR1HIaMzWcoBI36qEF1w7Iq6BPUW9BvwY?key=SFZiWWNSNUlPNEdJX2UtbWM2SjluVHlOdDV1Mm13 https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO4NSGHqbejyJDhNEwRckDO6AVrwzxZgsPLqJsOkV9EkNmupkd5Q0OYryhkmnKbxA/photo/AF1QipPmNDNjvHA1YSVLGGFSndjKYlno7H7qmyuwvj40?key=SFZiWWNSNUlPNEdJX2UtbWM2SjluVHlOdDV1Mm13 https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO4NSGHqbejyJDhNEwRckDO6AVrwzxZgsPLqJsOkV9EkNmupkd5Q0OYryhkmnKbxA/photo/AF1QipPTzVMeb4UUHiCzAvwpK6NRqaPJuFSKbL9GC3qV?key=SFZiWWNSNUlPNEdJX2UtbWM2SjluVHlOdDV1Mm13

Growing plants and having a garden does not have to be complicated or daunting. In this episode, Matt Buchanan, the founder and director of Salem Y GreenSpace will share some tips about how we can start a garden. Whether it is a small herb plant in the kitchen, a porch or backyard garden, Matt gives suggestions and encouragement on growing plants. Here is a link to a video about Salem Y GreenSpace, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk64CYZ1A2Q Matt Buchanan is the co-owner HomeGrown Urban Abundance gardening. https://mahomegrown.com/.

Chris Carreiro will go over ways we can focus on fitness during this time of COVID. Chris is the head personal trainer and the founder of Aum Training Center. Aum Training Center is part of a wellness center that he co-owns with his wife in Back Bay. Chris has a Master’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in coaching as well as several personal training certifications. Over the past 10 years, he has served as a trusted coach to many of Boston’s top business, education, and health care leaders. During this time of crisis, Chris opened up his fitness app to the general public. You can get information about the app by contacting him at AumTrainingCenter.com or on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/aumtrainingcenter/

Chris Carreiro will go over ways we can focus on fitness during this time of COVID. Chris is the head personal trainer and the founder of Aum Training Center. Aum Training Center is part of a wellness center that he co-owns with his wife in Back Bay. Chris has a Master’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in coaching as well as several personal training certifications. Over the past 10 years, he has served as a trusted coach to many of Boston’s top business, education and health care leaders. During this time of crisis, Chris opened up his fitness app to the general public. You can get information about the app by contacting him at AumTrainingCenter.com or on instagram, https://www.instagram.com/aumtrainingcenter/

Social distancing can be tough. We will go over ways we can be resilient and make the most of this time.

Social distancing can be tough. We will go over ways we can be resilient and make the most of this time.