Author: sHq_LoGiNz

With the launch of a brand new website, it’s an exciting moment for TriplePundit, 3BL’s media division. Entering its 20th year, TriplePundit brings solutions journalism to sustainability news — reporting the under-told stories of how business, environmental conservation and social good connect.

Their work is more important now than ever. As the sustainability and social impact space comes under political scrutiny, solutions journalism offers a different and essential perspective.

By elevating and interrogating the evidence-based interventions proven to be effective at addressing problems, solutions journalists not only prove progress is possible, but also create awareness that can help good ideas scale.

As environmental policies shift, funding is cut, and “bad news” about the sustainability and social impact space fills our feeds, solutions journalism isn’t just a welcome alternative. It’s a crucial lifeline for those who still believe in the promise of positive change and are seeking out examples that inspire them to take action.

TriplePundit’s readers surely notice. In audience surveys, more than 80% used positive terms like “informed” and “hopeful” to describe how they feel after reading 3p’s solutions coverage, compared to over half who used negative words like “angry” and “overwhelmed” in association with the news at large.

With the same commitment to inform and empower readers, TriplePundit is welcoming a new look for a new era. Find more ways to discover solutions stories that spark new ways of thinking about sustainability on the new TriplePundit.

About 3BL 
3BL is the leading sustainability and social impact communications partner, connecting organizations’ stories of purpose and progress with the audiences who matter most.

3BL partners with over 1,500 companies – from global corporations and mid-sized enterprises to NGOs and nonprofits – to elevate their reputations as players in the world of responsible business. We do this through unrivaled news and content distribution, bespoke storytelling support, and our digital media division, TriplePundit.

About TriplePundit

TriplePundit covers environmental sustainability and social impact through the lens of solutions journalism. TriplePundit brings visibility to the people and organizations who see and do things differently, with in-depth reporting and analysis.

A $400,000 gift from KeyBank Foundation to Hartford Promise will help support Hartford public school students find success from high school to college to career.

Research shows 73% of college graduates who start their careers underemployed remain underemployed a decade later. This issue is especially critical for Promise Scholars—all Hartford Public School graduates—many of whom face limited access to the professional networks, internships and career experiences that lead to strong job outcomes.

The expansion of Hartford Promise’s College to Career Pipeline, made possible by KeyBank’s gift, addresses this by integrating intensive, early career development into a successful cohort coaching model. Highlights include:

• Financial resources, in the form of college scholarships.
• Coaching services, ranging from college applications to financial aid planning, academic mentoring and career support.
• Networking, to establish meaningful relationships that promote stronger job placement after college and better internships during college.

KeyBank’s gift will allow the College to Career Pipeline to support an average of 500 students annually, beginning with the incoming class of 2025.

“KeyBank is celebrating our bicentennial and foundational commitment to support organizations and programs that prepare individuals for thriving futures,” said Matt Hummel, Connecticut Market President, KeyBank. “Hartford Promise’s College to Career Pipeline does just this. It is a transformative workforce development program that changes lives and aligns perfectly with our philanthropic priorities of neighbors, education and workforce.”

“Over 70 percent of Hartford Promise Scholars are first-generation students, often navigating higher-ed and career planning without the advantages others may take for granted. Coaching is at the heart of our model and is critical to ensuring their success. With KeyBank’s support, we are able to expand this individualized coaching, strengthen our programming, and provide the guidance Scholars need to persist through college, graduate, and launch meaningful careers. This investment directly helps break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and build lasting generational wealth,” said Hartford Promise President Sivan Hines.

To become a Hartford Promise Scholar students must:

• Attend a Hartford public high school continuously since 9th grade
• Be a Hartford resident throughout high school
• Have a 93% or better cumulative attendance record during high school
• Have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better on a 4.0 scale in high school.

For more information, visit the Hartford Promise website at hartfordpromise.org or call 860-956-5310.

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COME MEET CAST & CREW – This is a FREE EVENT, open to the public and media, complete with Live Q/A, Step and Repeat, and photo opportunities.

When: Wednesday, August 27 @ 1 PM

Where: West Edge Factory
1040 Vernon St Suite 1
Huntington, WV 25704

Who and What:

As part of its Youth Transition Project (YTP), Stepping Stones, Inc. – a premier Child Welfare Agency – will provide a special screening of the award-winning documentary Generation Growth – www.generationgrowthfilm.com – a powerful documentary featuring internationally acclaimed educator and Green Bronx Machine founder Stephen Ritz on Wednesday, August 26, 2025, at 1 PM. This screening is courtesy of Quest Diagnostics. ✨ Stepping Stones, Inc., in Wayne County — a provider of residential treatment and independent living for foster youth — is featured prominently in this film. Learn how our journey into growing hope with the power of a plant began!

COME MEET CAST & CREW – This is a FREE EVENT, open to the public and media, complete with Live Q/A, Step and Repeat, and photo opportunities.

Film Synopsis: Poor health, diet-related diseases, food insecurity, and underperforming education continue to plague low-income and marginalized communities across the United States. Stephen Ritz, a Bronx educator who believes teachers change lives, is on a mission to change all that. He developed an incredibly successful whole-school curriculum, aligned to a data-driven indoor academic gardening program that allows children to grow vegetables in school, improving academic performance, changing eating habits, increasing classroom engagement, and providing pathways for 21st century employment. “Generation Growth” follows Ritz as he expands his low-cost, easily replicable program throughout the country, bringing passion, purpose, and hope to the communities, students, and teachers who need it most.

Says Susan Fry, Executive Director of Stepping Stones, Inc.: “To think, eight years later, that we are hosting a live screening here in Huntington, is proof positive that we are growing something greater. In partnership with Green Bronx Machine and Newman’s Own Foundation, we have gone from seed to harvest, with one of the most innovative and successful approaches in the history of residential care in all of Appalachia, including the first successful commercial greenhouse maintained by foster-care children in America along the construction of a tiny home eco-village for graduates, and we are just getting started. We are so grateful to Quest Diagnostics for bringing our story to the forefront of national attention and so excited to host Green Bronx Machine and to continue to take this work to a whole new level.”

Adds Stephen Ritz: “We are excited to get back to our roots, right here in Appalachia, where passion, purpose, hope, committed people, and vision are the special ingredients that help change outcomes for young people in ways that benefit all. This film and this moment represent an affirmation and celebration that the greatest resource in the world is the untapped potential residing in marginalized communities across our nation. Eight years ago, nobody thought this was possible, nobody thought this could work, yet here we are, with some of the most cost-effective and irrefutable data and impact ever. What started off as “impossible” has grown into a movement of “I’m possible” and the best is yet to come.”

Ritz goes on to add: “To be very clear, we are here to celebrate AND to grow something greater – to continue to ideate, iterate, and plan – we are determined to continue to change lives for the better, to change narratives, and to create new paradigms and solutions together. This film and this moment are not about giving people fish nor about teaching people to fish, it’s about collectively creating new oceans and sustainable ecosystems that nurture all of us.” Ritz goes on to express his appreciation by stating: “We are forever grateful to the folks at Newman’s Own Foundation, for seeing us, hearing us, believing in us, trusting us, supporting us, guiding us, and for helping us to facilitate our own replicable and virtuous solution – thanks to Newman’s Own Foundation, these children, and children to come, have a forever place, space, and home. We come together today with bold ideas, determined and ever mindful that we can and we will forever pay this forward. We are the folks we are waiting for! I also want to thank Quest Diagnostics for funding the distribution of our film Generation Growth, for helping us build out a website with incredible resources – www.generationgrowthfilm.com – forever empowering and enabling us and others to share our stories of success – a place where often-forgotten children from the South Bronx, Appalachia, and similar communities can become the power of example and shining lights for the world, validating that our lives matter and deserve happy endings!”

This is more than a film — it’s a movement. Come see how healthy food, education, and community can transform lives. Bring a friend and be part of this conversation of hope, healing, and growth. Generation Growth is a compelling documentary showcasing Ritz’s journey as a Bronx educator tackling food insecurity, poor health and education challenges across the country. Learn how together, we will continue to change lives for the better and HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Susan Fry – Executive Director

Stepping Stones, Inc.
Stepupsusan@gmail.com
1.304.634.1982

About Stepping Stones, Inc.:

Established in 1975, Stepping Stones, Inc. is a fully licensed child welfare and behavioral health provider with fifty years’ experience in working with West Virginia’s foster youth and their families. The therapeutic milieu is family centered, and youth focused and provides youth with an opportunity to enhance cognitive competence, internalize coping skills and develop an “I Can” attitude. Through restructuring, reeducation and reintegration, Stepping Stones, Inc., seeks to strengthen the youth’s relationship with family and community. The Program passionately believes that discovering and uncovering the connectedness of the youth and his family with the community is paramount in treatment delivery. To date, Stepping Stones has generated some of the most successful outcomes in foster care treatment and been at the national forefront of child-focused, innovative, therapeutic, and healing therapeutic approaches, interventions, and treatment. For more information, visit https://steppingstonesinc.org.

About Green Bronx Machine:

Green Bronx Machine is an award-winning, nationally acclaimed non-profit that builds healthy, equitable, and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development. Dedicated to cultivating minds and harvesting hope, their school-based

model incorporates urban agriculture and Tower Garden technology supported by their whole-school curriculum aligned to key school performance indicators to grow high performing schools and happy, healthy children. Green Bronx Machine transforms once marginalized communities into neighborhoods that are inclusive and thriving. For more information, visit www.greenbronxmachine.org.

Reaching over 1,000 schools nationally and serving over 325,000 students daily, Green Bronx Machine was named a 2024 Fast Company Most Innovative Company and also offers an online educational platform, complete with instructional videos, free lesson plans, downloadable teacher resources, and an educational YouTube Channel: Green Bronx Machine KIDS! Learn more at www.greenbronxmachine.org/resources.

The organization is presently featured in an award-winning documentary, Generation Growth, which highlights their expansion and success in communities across the nation. Individuals or groups interested in hosting a “Generation Growth” in-person or virtual screening or learning about additional ways to partner with Green Bronx Machine’s mission can contact Stephen Ritz at stephen.ritz@greenbronxmachine.org or 917.873.6449.

#documentary #schoolgarden #fostercare #leadership #pedagogy #education #health #wellness #nutrition #Appalachia #WestVirginia #recovery #Huntington #community #towergarden #greenbronxmachine #stephenritz #bronx #nyc

This year marks the 20th anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Katrina, one of the worst, deadliest and most costly natural disasters to ever hit our service area, slammed into the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005. Much of the Gulf Coast lay ravaged by wind and water, and New Orleans was largely submerged.

Twenty-six days after Katrina, with the state of Louisiana still reeling, Hurricane Rita made landfall near the mouth of the Sabine River at the Louisiana-Texas border. These storms left 1.9 million of our 2.7 million customers without power, with Katrina affecting 37,000 square miles, roughly one-third of our service area.

For the last 20 years following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we’ve powered a more resilient future and remained steadfast in our commitment to you — our customers and communities. We’re stronger today because of where we’ve been. And we’ll continue to invest in our shared communities, our people and our grid. We couldn’t be prouder to call this home.

Honoring the 20-year anniversary through service

Over the last two decades, our employees have dedicated 1.6 million hours of volunteer service across our four-state service area.

In remembrance of the 2005 hurricane season, Entergy is holding a day of service on Aug. 29 in partnership with Rebuilding Together. Employee volunteers will focus on home repairs and energy efficiency upgrades to five homes in the New Orleans area. This initiative not only honors our commitment to the community but also revitalizes homes that represent the heart of our neighborhoods.

This week, our New Orleans-area employees will also join Green Light New Orleans to commemorate the anniversary. Volunteers will be delivering and installing approximately 20 rain barrels to local homeowners in flood-prone neighborhoods.

Watch Episode 1 (above): During the storm

In the month ahead, we’ll share some of these stories of reflection, resilience, preparation and perseverance through a series of videos. Watch our first video release that captures Entergy team members recounting their experiences from 2005.

Find more at entergy.com/Katrina20.

About Entergy

Entergy produces, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing for growth and improved reliability and resilience of our energy system while working to keep energy rates affordable for our customers. We’re also investing in cleaner energy generation like modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy. A nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, we deliver more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to the communities we serve through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media.

Corporate Social Responsibility at Entergy

For more than 100 years, Entergy has powered life in our communities through strategic philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy’s corporate social responsibility initiatives help create and sustain thriving communities, position the company for sustainable growth and are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Our top CSR priorities are education/workforce development, poverty solutions/social services and environmental programs. Entergy annually contributes $16-$18 million in shareholder-funded grants to approximately 2,000 nonprofit organizations in the communities where we operate. In addition, our employees volunteer more than 100,000 hours in those communities’ values at more than $3 million.

View original content here.

Cascale has wrapped Season 2 of its Source of Good podcast, a ten-episode series amplifying industry voices driving decarbonization across the consumer goods sector. Accelerating supply chain transformation and empowering collective action to combat climate change is critical to Cascale’s mission, targeting a 45 percent reduction by 2030, in line with the 1.5°C pathway.

This season explored renewable energy, supplier engagement, material innovation, and manufacturer practices – showcasing experts from manufacturers, brands, and service providers, including the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), Tapestry, Cotton Incorporated, Hanesbrands, Elevate Textiles, Avery Dennison, ITL, Primaloft, Hirdaramani, and Ren Energy.

Episodes included:

• Can Consumer Goods Decarbonize? With Lewis Perkins and Aii feat. Lewis Perkins, president of the Apparel Impact Institute
• Insulation with Intention: PrimaLoft and Patagonia Take on the Cold feat. Erika Enquist, senior manager of global quality and sustainability at PrimLoft
• Sustainability in the Bag with Tapestry and Coach feat. Jessie Wasser, manager of sustainability & ESG at Tapestry
• The Secret Power of Product Labels with ITL feat. Hayley Solomon, group brand & marketing director at ITL
• Factories, Footprints, and the Future of Clean Energy with Ren Energy feat. Eric Jen, co-founder & CEO at Ren Energy
• From Tailors to Global Trailblazers: Talking Climate Action with Hirdaramani and ASICS feat. Nikhil Hirdaramani, director, Hirdaramani Group
• Wastewater, Denim, and Doing the Impossible with Elevate Textiles and Wrangler feat. Jimmy Summer, chief sustainability officer at Elevate Textiles
• It All Started with a Sticker: Avery Dennison and Bestseller feat. Kelsey McCabe, sustainability manager at Avery Dennison
• How to Store Carbon in Your Closet with Cotton Incorporated and Ralph Lauren feat. Jesse Daystar, VP and chief sustainability officer at Cotton Incorporated
• Less Carbon, More Collaboration with Hanesbrands feat. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, senior manager of sustainability, facility, and engineering at Hanesbrands

Source of Good is a co-production of award-winning producer Hueman Group Media and Cascale, a global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry.

Source of Good is available on multiple platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and more.

Listen and subscribe today.

Published by Action Against Hunger.

NEW YORK, August 26, 2025 /3BL/ – At least 150,000 people remain without running water across the South of Lebanon after Israeli attacks damaged and destroyed swathes of water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities since the beginning of the conflict in Lebanon in October 2023, according to a report from Action Against Hunger and Insecurity Insight released today.

The report, When Bombs Turn the Taps Off: The Impact of Conflict on Water Infrastructure in Lebanon, found there had been devastating immediate and long-term impacts of repeated attacks by Israeli forces on Lebanese water infrastructure between October 2023 and April 2025. Six months after the fragile ceasefire, more than 30villages remain without any connection to running water.

These attacks have seen long term disruption to supplies of fresh water, dependence on water trucking that many people cannot afford and, according to the world bank, losses estimated at US$171 million across the water, wastewater and irrigation sectors.

In the Nabatieh and South governorates alone, at least 26 water pumping and 28 water pipeline networks have been moderately damaged since October 2023. While the majority of water infrastructure damage occurred in South Lebanon, Baalbeck’s Schmustar town in the Bekaa also remains without running water, with one well completely destroyed and five others partially damaged — leaving thousands of residents dependent on a water tank that fills to just 20% of its capacity.

“The attacks had devastating consequences for farmers, as water shortages impacted irrigation and food production,” said Insecurity Insight Director Christina Wille. “More than 82% of the farmers interviewed in South Lebanon during the research said they couldn’t get enough water to irrigate their crops or to give drinking water to their livestock.”

Action Against Hunger country director Suzanne Takkenberg said, as a scorching summer takes hold across the region, increased risks of an outbreak of waterborne diseases are also heightened. “The dry season, coupled with the lack of access to water caused by the attacks, forces vulnerable communities to resort to utilizing unsafe or contaminated water sources for their daily needs. This brings the very real risk of disease,” said Suzanne.

Dr. Wassim Daher, Director General of the Southern Lebanon Water Establishment said damages sustained by the Israeli attacks on water infrastructure have affected thousands of people closest to the border.

“The experts in our team estimated that 90% of the water services within 5km of the southern Lebanese border are disrupted. A further 92,000 people who used to live in these areas before October 2023 have not returned due to the destruction and lack of essential services,” Dr. Daher said.

The agencies recall that all parties to the conflict have clear obligations under IHL to protect objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, including water installations. The agencies call on urgent action to be taken to restore water connections to communities. The agencies also call for all parties to the conflict to comply with the ceasefire agreement.

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Action Against Hunger supported over 190,000 people in Lebanon in 2023 through health and nutrition, food security, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs. Our WASH initiatives include hygiene kits, awareness programs, and critical infrastructure rehabilitation to address water and sanitation emergencies. Our health and nutrition services include counseling on child feeding, distributing micronutrient powder, and screening for malnutrition. To improve food security, we assist thousands of people through cash-for-work initiatives and cash-based food assistance.