GRANITE BAY, Calif. -- Prepare Stay Defend (PSD), a California non-profit organization, has launched a web site that empowers homeowners against wildfires; they are the first organization of its kind to support homeowners, nationwide, through their educational web site and on-line fire training.

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Today was a perfect Southern California day for students at Prince of Peace Christian School: warm, sunny, with a 100% chance of learning. Students from pre-school to sixth grade observed and tended their seedling crop. The young plants are three to four inches high and ready to be harvested and transplanted to a field where food is farmed specifically for the benefit of local families in need.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- For its 72nd year, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival has added Friends of Dogwood Events that will allow festival goers to enjoy a private restaurant tasting, beverage samples and even access to private restrooms during the festival. The perks continue throughout the year with a variety of Friends of Dogwood events and partnerships with other organizations.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- An unprecedented move to gather worldwide commentary on a new "global commons" was announced this week in Berlin by an international coalition including the Philadelphia nonprofit organization, Centre for Global Negotiations. The proposal calls for wide-ranging discussions on a common action plan, authored by the world's people, to address transnational problems and create checks and balances on the world's governmental and corporate sectors.

AKRON, Pa. -- Every year on March 8, millions gather in rallies and parades around the world to honor the achievements of women on International Women's Day, an occasion relatively unknown in the United States. Fair trade retailer Ten Thousand Villages will join forces with a national domestic violence prevention organization to celebrate the event in March.

ELY, Minn. -- Preparations are underway for the ten-day Ely Winter Festival being held February 1-10, 2008 in Ely, Minnesota. The cornerstone of the festival is the International Snow Sculpting Symposium in Whiteside Park with 20 "amateur" blocks and 20 large "expert" blocks each carved by a three-person team.

IRVING, Texas -- A balanced approach to fire protection that includes the installation of both fire detection and suppression systems will save lives according to the National Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA), and for that reason, NBFAA urges that consumers support two legislative initiatives now pending in Congress.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Entries for the Rotary Club of Jacksonville - Oceanside's TALENT EXPLOSION should be created and uploaded immediately. Voting ends December 15, 2007. Top 10 finalists perform live January 11, 2008 at Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts at Florida Community College in Jacksonville. First, second and third prizes of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000 will be awarded.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Got talent? Then the Rotary Club of Jacksonville - Oceanside is looking for you! Participate in the Club's first Talent Explosion, a competition featuring on-line voting for your favorite performance on YouTube.com. Oceanside Rotary Charities is a 501c (3) not for profit organization.

BOSTON, Mass. -- Alice Domar, PhD, an expert on women's health issues, will be the featured speaker at the October Breast Cancer Awareness Month lecture sponsored by Thrive, The Wellness Community and The Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Domar will conduct a workshop entitled The Healing Art of Self Nurturance on Monday, October 22nd from 7:15-9:00 p.m. at The Wellness Community in Newton, Mass.