Thomas Betar

The homeless have faced increased violence in the past decade, evident in so-called "bum fight" videos that show attacks on homeless victims, exacerbating negative stereotypes and precipitating more violence.

Hate crimes against the homeless remain a problem

Their exploitation is viewed by millions of Web users. Communities unite against them. Their abuse, even their deaths, are often undocumented.

By Thomas Betar

BYU Head Coach Dave Rose during the second half. The BYU Basketball team defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State 103-57 on Friday October 26, 2012 in the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.

Utah

Coaches raise money, awareness for charities amidst madness

The Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge, back for its third year, is a way coaches can make a difference in their communities and use their notoriety to help those in need.

By Thomas Betar

New York City restaurant workers sing and dance to the tune of "Money" in a new video aimed at increasing the minimum wage and bringing attention to this sector of the workforce.

Red Box Roundup

NYC restaurant workers advocate minimum wage increase in new ‘Money’ music video

New York City restaurant workers sing and dance to the tune of “Money” in a new video aimed at increasing the minimum wage and bringing attention to this sector of the workforce.

By Thomas Betar

Villagers from Ouelessebougou, a poor and remote region of Mali, came to Hillcrest High School to express their thanks for the efforts of the school's student government. The students decided to try something different and partnered with the Ouelessebougo

Faith

Kits made by LDS missionaries at MTC arrive today in Mali

The Utah-based Ouelessebougou Alliance, which is dedicated to improving conditions in this remote region of Mali, recently partnered with LDS missionaries to prepare health and education kits for the villagers and teachers.

By Thomas Betar

Abused families often turn to domestic violence shelters for help, but because of dwindling resources, some shelters cannot meet all requests.

Family

As domestic violence forces women, children into homelessness, shelters work to help

There is a direct link between domestic violence and homelessness for many people, experts and studies say, and the domestic violence shelters designed to help these victims are feeling the pressure as their funding and resources are drying up.

By Thomas Betar

Lisa (right) is the mother of an organ donor with Intermountain Donor Services. After her son Adam died, his liver was donated to Steve (left). Organ procurement organizations play an important role in helping families through the donation process.

Utah

Organ donation process subject to influence of family members

By talking with their loved ones beforehand and understanding all the implications of donation, family members can have an easier time with the donation process that saves lives every day.

By Thomas Betar

Utah

Youths have different motives, needs, and are a secret weapon of volunteering

Youths have great potential when they volunteer, which they do for social reasons, according to a new survey by dosomething.org.

By Thomas Betar

Tanna Orullian hugs her daughter Sage Mortensen in their room at the Road Home shelter in Salt Lake City Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Around the country families are turning to homeless shelters for their long-term housing needs, as availability and affordabili

Utah

Lack of affordable housing has forced many low-income families to turn to shelters

Tanna Orullian, 25, and her 4-year-old daughter, Sage, are busy putting up decorations and getting ready for Christmas in their room at the Road Home shelter in downtown Salt Lake City — not in their own apartment or home. A small Christmas tree decorated with a jet plane and a miniature frog sits in the corner and draws the attention of the extroverted child.

By Thomas Betar

An AmeriCorps member (left) and CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer look at a 150-year-old home in Union Beach, N.J. that was cut in half by Hurricane Sandy. High levels of volunteerism and civic engagement can lead to lower unemployment rates and stronger economic co

U.S. & World

New report highlights increase in national volunteering

A third, 34.4 percent, of these volunteered through religious organizations last year, the highest percentage in any sector, according to the report.

By Thomas Betar

Volunteers for The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance come together to refurbish a park. High levels of volunteerism and civic engagement can lead to lower unemployment rates and stronger economic communities, CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer sa

U.S. & World

New report highlights increase in national volunteering

A new report report released by the Corporation for National & Community Service found that national volunteering was at its highest in five years. Faith-based organizations also play a key role in how and why people volunteer.

By Thomas Betar

Utah

Christmas for refugee children made possible through donations, volunteers

Volunteers, including students from the University of Utah, spent Friday afternoon wrapping Christmas presents for more than 200 local refugee children.

By Thomas Betar

After her sister died, Tino Borantu was married off to her sister's husband when she was 9 years old, and she was forced to assume the role of wife and mother. The issue of child marriage is being addressed by organizations like CARE Ethiopia, which start

Family

Child marriage perpetuates cycle of poverty for young people

Child marriage affects young girls in many ways, including their education, employment, life expectancy and and poverty levels. Organizations such as CARE and the Ford Foundation are working to end what is thought to be a preventable practice.

By Thomas Betar

Inmates who are visited frequently through programs such as Children's Justice Alliance often change their thinking and ultimately their behavior. Inmates who were visited were 13 less likely to get reconvicted for a felony, according to a Minnesota Depar

U.S. & World

Visitation critical for inmates during, after incarceration

Inmates visited in prison do a better job of staying out of prison once they are released, according to a 2011 Minnesota Department of Corrections study.

By Thomas Betar

Henry James, who was exonerated from a rape conviction for which he served thirty years in prison, walks to speak to reporters after being released from the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, inside the offices of the Innocence Project, which worked

U.S. & World

Wrongly convicted inmates struggle to rebuild lives, require more government assistance

Many wrongly convicted inmates receive little more than transportation fare upon release, according to reports, and struggle to integrate themselves back into society without government help.

By Thomas Betar

Warren Buffett, left, Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates stand together, Sunday, June 25, 2006, in New York, shortly after Buffett's announcement that he would be starting to make an annual donation of about $1.5 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Found

Family

Women establish themselves as players in the philanthropy field

Innovative marketing campaigns “can change communities and whole nations.” She might as well have been talking about the thousands of women who are transforming the philanthropic sector. Billionaires like Warren Buffett and Gates’ husband, Bill Gates, are taking notice.

By Thomas Betar

FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2009 file photo, Special Master for Executive Compensation Ken Feinberg speaks during a discussion at Georgetown Law Center in Washington. Feinberg was appointed by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper Friday to oversee the Aurora Vict

U.S. & World

New experienced manager set to oversee Aurora Victim Relief Fund

Kenneth Feinberg was appointed by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper Friday to oversee the Aurora Victim Relief Fund. Victim family members recently voiced their concerns about how money from the relief fund was being managed and distributed.

By Thomas Betar

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is introduced by former President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, in New York.

U.S. & World

Annual Clinton summit advocates practical approach to curb poverty

Bill Clinton’s annual philanthropic summit opened on Sunday with a focus on cooperation and practical solutions to combating poverty and improving world conditions. The theme this year was Designing for Impact.

By Thomas Betar

Cancer has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death for U.S. Hispanics.

Family

Cancer deadlier now than heart disease for U.S. hispanics

Cancer has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death for U.S. Hispanics, and experts estimate cancer could overtake heart disease as the top U.S. killer overall as early as this year.

By Thomas Betar

Aside from the change in the Latino population, the poverty statistics overall remained relatively the same, but they did show a decline in household income and the number of people without health insurance.

Utah

Latinos see slight reduction in otherwise stagnant poverty numbers, Census Bureau finds

Latino poverty numbers declined slightly, according to the latest data from the US Census Bureau. Their report also finds that overall poverty numbers remained virtually the same from a year ago.

By Thomas Betar

In April 2012, there were an all-time record 43,000 homeless people, including 10,000 homeless families with 17,200 homeless children, sleeping each night in the New York City municipal shelter system.

Family

Close to 20,000 children living in New York City shelters

Not since the Great Depression has New York City seen this many homeless children living in shelters.

By Thomas Betar

Military physicians wrote nearly 3.8 million prescriptions for pain medication in 2009.

Family

Substance abuse among military personnel a growing problem, study finds

Military physicians wrote nearly 3.8 million prescriptions for pain medication in 2009, according to a recent report by the Institute of Medicine, which called substance abuse in the U.S. armed forces a “public health crisis.”

By Thomas Betar

Surgeon General Regina Benjamin announced an updated suicide prevention plan on Monday.

Family

Updated suicide prevention plan integrates social media, increased awareness

The surgeon general announced an updated suicide prevention plan on Monday, which will incorporate Facebook and make suicide prevention a part of routine health care. Preventing suicides among military personel will be a large facet of the plan.

By Thomas Betar

An empty bottle of Tetanus, Diphthera and Pertussis, (whooping cough) vaccine is seen at Inderkum High School in Sacramento. Calif.

Family

Private school parents increasingly opting-out of vaccines for children

Parents sending their children to private schools in California are more likely than public school parents to opt-out of immunizations for their children, according to recent analysis by the Associated Press.

By Thomas Betar

Sunday, Sept. 9, is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day.

Family

FASD day serves as warning about pregnant mothers consuming alcohol

Sunday, Sept. 9, is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day and will serve as a reminder to pregnant women of the potential harm of drinking while pregnant. According to the CDC, FASDs include a wide range of physical and mental disabilities.

By Thomas Betar

Tom Teves, at podium, group spokesman of the families of the victims of the Colorado theatre shooting, speaks during a press conference in Aurora, Colo., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Families of some of the 12 people killed in the Colorado theater shooting

U.S. & World

Families of Aurora shooting victims feel neglected by relief charity

Many relatives of the Colorado theater shooting victims are vocally expressing their concerns about the Aurora Victims Relief Fund, claiming that their concerns and suggestions are not being adequately met or acknowledged by the charity.

By Thomas Betar

U.S. & World

Billionaire John Arnold creates new website to help philanthropists

Giving Library, a new website launched by The Laura and John Arnold Foundation, aims to help philanthropists easily investigate and donate to multiple charities in a more efficient and productive manner.

By Thomas Betar

World & Nation

Mobile medical apps gaining ground in health care industry

Medical apps that do everything from helping to manage diabetes to tracking fitness goals are emerging as viable tools for physicians and health care professionals to treat patients more effectively.

By Thomas Betar

Utah

Deportation has wide-reaching impacts, research indicates

Deportation impacts more than just the immigrant being deported. Families and communities are all strongly affected by deportation, studies say, and deportation has risen in recent years under the Obama administration.

By Thomas Betar

U.S. & World

Texas, California among states seeing a reduction in incarceration rates

Texas is at its lowest incarceration rate in five years, and with other states like California posting lower rates, the increased implementation of rehabilitation programs in lieu of prison time appears to be paying off.

By Thomas Betar

Family

Urban gardens provide outlet for cultural expression for refugees

Urban gardens, part of the International Rescue Committee’s New Roots initiative, help refugees reconnect with their cultural rituals of growing and cultivating crops at several designated farms across the country.

By Thomas Betar