Finally Sorting Out the Holidays!

Growing up in a BLUR household can be challenging on many levels. Marrying across cultural lines on top of that can either add to the confusion, or lend itself to gaining clarity. For the Gittlemans, a Seattle family, the latter has been the case. Matt Gittleman shares his holiday reflections with BLUR.Read More »

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Cross Cultural Solutions

Volunteering and helping people in need often fosters the most lasting legacy towards a life of giving back. Whether volunteering in one's own back yard, or in places of dire need in lesser developed countries, the lasting impact of making a real and structured difference is immense. Cross Cultural Solutions is an international organization which has been widely recognized for its quality and enduring programs, and the connections that people make for life.Read More »

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Mixing It Up

Cynthia Paniagua expresses her culture, her mixed roots through movement. Dance is her medium of expression. This New Yorker defines herself through her own rich cultural mix and experiences, but is quick to point out that her life is a work in progress.Read More »

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Operation USO Care Package

Giving to operation USO Care Package is one way to give back to those that are serving our country. Help make the holidays warmer for those who are stationed abroad and apart from their families.Read More »

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Can There Be Beauty in Tragedy?

Sometimes movies force us into places that we don't feel comfortable with. And many times that's their strength. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas reminds us in unsettling ways of the consequences of intolerance and hate.Read More »

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Personal Reflections on Building a Family

Members of the BLUR community, Art & Laura Dague, like a growing number of Americans, adopted their two beautiful children from outside of the United States. And like a growing number of Americans, (some estimates place the number at over 500,000 families who have adopted across ethnic and cultural lines) they have begun a multicultural family of their own.Read More »

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KIVA

Kiva's mission to stimulate person-to-person micro-lending as a means of alleviating worldwide poverty is really making a difference. The web-driven model has been replicated by others, but this site has done so much to empower regular individuals like us to lend directly to hard-working and focused entrepreneurs in the developing world.Read More »

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Feeding America

Food Banks are a godsend for many people who are challenged by simply putting meals on the table. In our own communities there are people who are having trouble feeding their families for myriad different reasons and many times due to no fault of their own. Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest) is an organization that aims to alleviate this problem through over 200 food banks in all 50 states and through supporting many more charitable agencies. This is an organization that delivers on its promise!Read More »

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Free The Children

Who can argue with the premise that if you give kids the opportunity to learn in a safe, non-exploitative environment (no matter where they are in the world) that there is a better chance that they will grow up to resolve the issues that plague many under-developed countries.Read More »

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The ALAS Foundation

This foundation is championed by some of the most respected musicians and artists in the Spanish-speaking world. They recently partnered up with The Earth Institute at Columbia University to address opportunities for early childhood development throughout Latin America to create a sustainable model for alleviating poverty in the region. We believe strongly that they are focusing on taking the right actions at a critical time.Read More »