Lily Ledbedder Shares Her Story

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Caroline Kennedy Endorses President Obama

Four years ago today, I joined my Uncle Teddy and thousands of excited students at American University to endorse Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.

Barack Obama had stirred something in young people and the young at heart. I saw the passion in my own teenage children, and I heard it from a different generation of people who said they felt like they did when my father ran for president.

We felt strongly that we needed to elect a president who urged us to believe in ourselves, who could tie that belief to our highest ideals, and who understood that together we can do great things.

Four years later, as I think about what first inspired me to support Barack Obama, I’m proud we have a president who has fought hard for the values Teddy held dear, and stood up on issues that matter.

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Homeless NY science whiz getting $50K scholarship

Brentwood High School senior Samantha Garvey appeared Thursday as a guest on the "Ellen" talk show, where she received a $50,000 scholarship from AT&T to the college of her choice. She also was given a $5,000 J.C. Penney gift card and a $1,000 gift card for Whole Foods.

Last week, Garvey was named one of 300 semifinalists in the prestigious Intel science contest. The story of the aspiring marine biologist attracted national attention after it was reported that she and her family were forced to move to a homeless shelter on New Year's Eve.

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Bill Gates is Better Than Batman (Infographic)

I have a lot of respect for Bill Gates. Not just because he’s been wildly successful, but because as far as I can understand, he’s kept a steady head about him in spite of his success. As one of the wealthiest men in the world, he’s also making a name for himself as one of the most philanthropic.

Obviously most of us don’t have the kind of capital that Bill Gates has to work with, but I feel that everyone could learn from his philosophy towards philanthropy. I admire that his approach is both compassionate and practical. He sees charitable endeavors as something well worth investing in, because ultimately everyone benefits from an overall better quality of life around the world. He sums it up himself pretty well: “[The] hybrid engine of self-interest and concern for others can serve a much wider circle of people than can be reached by self-interest or caring alone.” I feel like that’s a refreshingly balanced philosophy. Not only that, but as this Infographic shows, there are direct results that speak to just how powerful a well-informed and carefully invested philanthropist can be.

Read on to find out more about the powerful things happening at the hands of Bill Gates, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the legacy of philanthropy started by some of America’s most successful and most innovative figures. It’s nice to remember that success doesn’t always create greed — it can enable a powerful force of giving and problem-solving.


Source: frugaldad.com

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Helping veterans and their families get where they're going

Our nation is tremendously grateful for the sacrifices America’s armed forces and their families are making every day,  and the Obama Administration is committed to giving them the opportunities and support they have certainly earned.

Last week, the Federal Transit Administration launched a new initiative to help ensure that getting a ride to work, day care, or to a medical appointment is no longer an obstacle for veterans or their families.  The Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative will award grants to local transportation providers and other groups around the country so they can better coordinate and deliver important transit information through “one-call” or “one click” centers.

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