Over the past few years, the trans* agenda has really made its way to the fore. Of all the LGBT+ communities it has historically been the least discussed and understood, and even as recently as 5 years ago, references to binary and non-binary gender identities were unheard of. However the rise in inclusion within popular culture has really helped increase awareness of the trans* community and the challenges it can face.
From a young age, Mariela Shaker was a gifted violinist. At the age of 10, she joined the Arabic Institute of Music in Aleppo, Syria, graduating in 2004 with distinction. She then began traveling across Syria to perform in various festivals and concerts, eventually returning to the institute to teach music to a new generation of students.
Americans toss out, on average, 72 billion pounds of safe, edible food each year. Around 52 billion of those pounds flow from manufacturers, restaurants, and grocery stores into landfill. Feeding America, a nationwide network of over 200 food banks, has developed a new tech platform called MealConnect to intercept some of that trash-destined food and divert it toward the one in eight food-insecure people in the United States.