Thanks to a tenacious CASA volunteer, supervisor and foster mom, five siblings are now reunited for the holidays after all being adopted under the same roof.

This article touches on the first licensed Korean American foster family in Los Angeles. By opening their hearts and their homes, this story is a reminder that separation from familiar foods and languages can further mental weight among some children in the foster system.

In the face of deteriorating LGBT rights in Russia, "The House of Equality," a safe house from homophobic slurs and assault, is going up against funding cuts, information bans and vandals.

Mayor Menino is commemorated for his steadfast will to promote community change by addressing issues such as housing policy, gun safety, innovation in urban mechanics, promotion of healthy and local food, and much, much more.

President Barack Obama addresses the stigma that exists in the African-American community in relation to the HIV/AIDS disease. Activists are pushing for federal dollars to fund education, outreach, testing campaigns and to link those who are sick with necessary care.

This NYT article hones in of the grass-roots efforts in helping each girl scout grow into a strong young woman, who carve their own path to get there. Adding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) has initiated this organization to rethink its priorities and assure that every child is focused on building their own individual strengths in relevent institutions.

Demonstrations and rallying continue in St. Louis in co-ordinance with police brutality in the wake of the death of an unarmed teenager. Tensions continue to rise between law enforcement and those protesting.

This article addresses the vitality of connecting with volunteer projects not just for the community but for yourself, too. Giving back can boost mental stability & increase well-being by engaging in personally fulfilling activities. Following the steps for advocacy practice from this weeks reading can kickstart a plan to give back.

In correspondence with chapter 2 of Better Together, this article sheds light on a young advocate, who strikes controversy in an attempt to connect with his community and promote literacy by setting up a handmade structure in his front yard with the idea that if you take a book, you leave a book.

Emma Watson is speaking out about feminism in an attempt to breakdown the "boy-bashing" claims related to the movement. Now a spokesperson for UN Women, Watson is encouraging a firm stance by both men and women in the fight for gender equality- a trend that will only move forward with help from both genders

In the wake of the death of Robin Williams, The Boston Globe's article "Parity in mental health care a must," encompasses society's strains when trying to access care for mental health and addiction-- a problem that traverses the United States yet continues to be swept under the carpet. Cullen notes that "One of the symptoms of a sick society is the difficulty so many people face trying to access and pay for good mental health care," bringing into perspective the hoops patients are forced to jump through just to get some medical attention. The lack of funding as well as the issue of stigma is raised. In many cases, mental health is not viewed as physically impairing and therefore does not need to be treated as such. Despite the probability of a devastating outcome, this article raises the very real issue of mental health services that low income and possibly even middle income families find themselves up against. Mental illness and addiction are cases of medical disorders very much like diabetes or heart disease. The burden of mental illnesses in the United States can be laid to blame on the politicians who refuse to enforce parity laws. The article mentions the high rates of practitioners who refuse to accept many insurance plans and the low reimbursement rates, which dissuade young people from entering the field. The mental health field continues to be thinly stretched and is only worsening in terms of practitioner availability and reimbursement. Untreated behavioral health is becoming an epidemic-- Stigma associated with behavioral health conditions stands in the way of families and individuals attempting to access sufficient care, leaving people to suffer in silence because of the destructive value system so much of society has adopted.