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When Sandra Pady relocated to the Guelph countryside from Toronto with her husband Dave more than 20 years ago, the last thing they imagined or expected was to establish a donkey sanctuary. But due to their generosity, The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada (DSC) is thriving as a not-for-profit 100-acre refuge serving as home for more than 60 equines.

“When we take in any animals, we offer them lifelong care,” says Pady, 67.  “Our donkeys have the opportunity for all the exercise they need because we have very large fields and they graze in them.

“Equines whether they’re horses or donkeys are animals that like to move around a lot. And the ideal situation for them is if they graze and move around. The animals go in and out of their barns as they wish, so long as it’s warmer than -7 degrees Centigrade, they’d really rather be outside. A donkey can live well beyond 30 years in an adequate climate.”

More importantly, the animal can live in a safe and sound environment; unlike many of the situations Pady’s pace found themselves in prior to arriving at the DSC.

“At any given time, we have at least 12 animals waiting to get into the sanctuary,” she explains. “Most people that get equines, whether it’s donkeys or horses, find that if they don’t want to care for them or can’t care for them, they just want to get rid of them as fast as they can. So they offer them for sale or they offer them to friends, and if they aren’t successful that way, the only option is for the donkeys are auctions.

“At the equine auctions, if there isn’t a buyer when the animals come up for sale, they are sold for meat. So we are here to step into that vicious circle in our own way. We’re not anxious to see that happen.”

Avril Lavigne, who has her own clothing line Abbey Dawn, has designed a charity T-shirt with heart to aid in the recovery efforts that continue as a result of the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The shirts are black with a big red heart and simply include the brand name at the top and Japan at the bottom, which ends up reading  Abbey Dawn ♥ Japan.

100 percent of the net proceeds go to The Avril Lavigne Foundation, which will distribute it to Mercy Corps’ Comfort for Kids program in Japan, which is working alongside local partner Peace Winds.

Comfort for Kids trains caregivers to help children through the trauma of disaster. The goal is to bring help and hope to the children and youth of Japan who have been affected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, it says in the press release issued by Sony Music on behalf of Lavigne’s Foundation.

The Abbey Dawn ♥ Japan t-shirt sells internationally on www.abbeydawn.com for $24.99.  It comes in two styles, oversized as well as crop jersey tee. All are available in five sizes, from extra small to extra large.  Anyone who purchases it will get 50 percent off their next order.

The Avril Lavigne Foundation R.O.C.K.S. Respect, Opportunity, Choices, Knowledge, and Strength in support of children and youth living with serious illnesses and disabilities. The foundation partners with leading charitable organizations to design and deliver programs, raise awareness and mobilize support for children and youth living with a serious illness or a disability.

About 12 hours ago, 17-year-old Jonathan Korman was at his high school graduation ceremony, and a long after-party ensured that he wouldn’t head to sleep until 3 a.m. But, while his friend snoozes away in the basement, Jonathan is up just after 8 a.m. and is ready to pick through his well-to-do neighbourhood’s trash for a worthwhile cause.

Last September, Jonathan began a community service initiative, Bottles for Bread, where he and his family would go around their Richmond Hill neighbourhood, a suburb of Toronto, to collect empty liquor bottles and beer cans lying in recycling bins. He returns the bottles to The Beer Store in exchange for money and later this month, Jonathan will be writing a cheque to a local food bank. He estimates the total will be close to $400.

The project began when Jonathan says he felt unmotivated by the community service hours he was required to do for school, and wanted to feel more invigorated to help out. “I was just bored and didn’t really get the whole purpose of crappy community service,” Jonathan tells Samaritanmag. “We have to do 18 hours a year. I just didn’t feel that any of the community service stuff [my school was] offering was substantial and actually helping out the community.”

On this warm Friday morning, Jonathan heads out with his mother Susan; younger sister Jennifer, 12; and his Jack Russell terrier, Hershey. Wearing rubber work gloves and armed with two grocery carts packed with garbage bags, the family is on the hunt to obtain as many empty liquor bottles as they can find. The Kormans typically head out early in the morning, in a rush to beat the garbage trucks. They want to help out the environment, but disapprove of how the city’s garbage system handles recycled goods. “Not all of [the bottles] are recycled,” Jonathan says. “Some of them are dumped in landfills.”