Coffee shop run by homeless youth, fighting isolation in seniors, saving the world’s smallest pig

Photo: Nafinia Putra/Unsplash (CC0)

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we’re talking about a coffee shop in Minneapolis providing stable employment and skills training for young people experiencing homelessness, a Brooklyn coalition addressing loneliness in senior citizens through low-tech conference calls, and a conservation programme that has brought the pygmy hog back from the brink of extinction.

A Minneapolis coffee shop is supporting homeless youth through employment

Wildflyer Coffee acts not only as a source of stable income for the city’s vulnerable young people, but is also a hub for mental health support and skills training.

Source: Civil Eats

The Sharing Network is tackling loneliness in Brooklyn’s elderly communities

Easy-access moderator-led discussion groups allow the district’s senior citizens to connect with one another and talk about a wide variety of topics.

Source: Next City

How the world’s smallest wild hog was saved from extinction

The pygmy hog is still endangered but a successful reintroduction programme in Assam, India, has given it a greater chance of survival.

Source: The Guardian

Safe toilets are improving sanitation in rural areas of Kenya

With only 24% of villages certified as open defecation-free areas, SaTos has created three lavatory designs intended to create a safe and hygienic place to relieve yourself.

Source: Science Africa

Bookshop.org raises £1m for UK’s indie booksellers amid lockdown

The profit-sharing platform, billed as an alternative to Amazon, has been used by more than 200,000 UK customers since its November launch.

Source: The Guardian

A Californian city has banned the construction of all new petrol stations

The governing body of Petaluma has also announced their intention to repurpose existing stations into electric-vehicle charging points in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

Source: Fast Company

The San Francisco New Deal is saving the city’s restaurants

The agreement provides monthly contracts to restaurant partners, who then cook meals for underserved communities whilst keeping their businesses afloat.

Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful

Yorkshire firm cleans up donated laptops for pupils at home

Pudsey Computers aims to level the playing field so every student has access to an individual device.

Source: The Guardian

Inventors are using mycelium to create compostable versions of everyday products

By using the roots of fungi as a base for building insulation, coffins and parcel packaging, these designers aim to reduce the environmental impact of traditional materials.

Source: BBC

Japan’s tsunami survivors are using an unconnected phone to call lost loved ones

The phone booth has become an unlikely refuge for those dealing with grief, and allows those experiencing survivor’s guilt to make peace with their past.

Source: Thomson Reuters News Foundation

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