We’re just two days away from Mother’s Day. A holiday that is observed across the world, and can be traced back to ancient Greeks and Romans who held festivals in honor of their mother goddesses. While in America we tend to shower our moms with flowers, cards and gifts, other countries host feasts and sing songs in multi-day celebrations to honor their mothers. In Japan, children draw pictures of their mothers and oftentimes submit them to art contests. In Serbia, children tie up their moms until they are presented with delicious treats and small gifts. The celebrations may vary, but the sentiment is the same—moms deserve a day for all they do for us. But before you dart out to call the florist, check out these five nonprofit and social enterprise headlines from the news this week.

1.  Chocolate Can Be Good for Both Body and Soul

At this very moment, slaves (many of whom are children) are working on West African cocoa farms. Teun (Tony) van de Keuken, a Dutch journalist, has been working to change that. Without even the slightest bit of experience making chocolate, but a powerful commitment to ending child slavery, Tony’s Chocolonely was created. Tony’s model is helping to address and diminish the problem of child slavery through livable wages and traceability within the supply chain. Tony’s continues its efforts to make 100% slave free chocolate the norm by creating awareness, leading by example and inspiring others to act. Who knew doing ‘good’ could taste so sweet? Listen to the complete CauseTalkRadio interview with Tony’s by clicking on the above link.

2.  San Francisco’s Tipping Point

After a $100 million pledge by Tipping Point Community, San Francisco will attempt to reduce its chronically homeless population in half over the course of five years. This chronic population, estimated to be close to 2,000 people, is comprised of those who have lived outside for a period of at least one year and suffer from mental illness, substance abuse or other difficulties. The charitable organization’s donation, the largest of its kind, will be utilized to construct permanent housing, provide aid for various causes of homelessness, and assist the city in its efforts to gain more state and federal funding. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, Tipping Point has raised $60 million of its goal in six months. Discover more about the project by following the link above.

 3.  Museum Leadership Lacks Diversity

While many museum directors and board members believe diversity and inclusivity are vital to the advancement of their missions, a new report by the American Alliance of Museums has found a severe lack of ethnic and age diversity in museum boards themselves. The study reports that 93 percent of museum directors are white, as well as 92.6 percent of board chairs and 89.3 of board members. These findings have led to a call for museum leadership to review their commitment to and strategies for deploying more gender, ethnic and age diversity within leadership roles. Learn more about the report’s findings by checking out the link above.

 4.  Queen Latifah's Movie on a Mission

When celebrities use their influence to shine light on important social issues, amazing things can happen. Queen Latifah is doing just that to bring knowledge to the masses with her newest movie project, Flint. The film, a Lifetime original, will focus on the real events surrounding the Flint water crisis, the three women who inspired a national movement for safe drinking water, and the negligence of the government officials involved. The project is currently being filmed in Toronto, and will air this coming fall. In its portrayal of “one of the great American tragedies of the century,” Flint will forsake any and all clichés to offer an accurate, informative and heart wrenching film that goes beyond pure entertainment. Click the link above to read more about the true story behind the film.

 5.  Active Kids Help the Economy

Wait! That headline doesn’t seem right. Keep reading, friends. According to a new study published in Health Affairs, increasing the physical activity of children could immensely impact the economy. Today, inactive (and consequently obese) 8- to 11-year-olds cost an estimated $3 trillion in medical expenses. If children were to live more active and productive lives, the United States has the potential to save more than $120 billion each year in healthcare and related costs. Programs like the Global Obesity Prevention Program at Johns Hopkins are conducting studies to address this very issue. By crafting research models in order to develop and implement strategies, knowledge becomes power as well as a valuable tool for policy change. Interested in reading more about this study? Take a look at the article linked above.

That’s it for this week’s Friday Five. Now we’ve got to scramble to pick up a few last-minute Mother’s Day gifts! See you next week!

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