Beirut designer brings prisoners' handbags to Paris catwalks

By Olivia Sterns for CNN

February 4, 2010 2:17 p.m. EST

London, England (CNN) -- In the prisons of Lebanon, women are turning their attention to fashion and stitching their way to a brighter future.

They're part of a program run by Sarah's Bags, a Beirut-based label that employs convicts and the recently-released to sew and embroider handbags, by hand. Read more

Lebanese fashion label Sarah's Bags has had huge success employing female prisoners to sew and embroider accessories.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Former prisoners stitch their way to a brighter future in Lebanon
• Sarah's Bags gives inmates income and a second chance
• Sarah Beydoun is building her brand abroad, branching out in European markets`

So Who Exactly Benefits from eBay Fee Changes?

By Ina Steiner AuctionBytes.com February 10, 2010

This week AuctionBytes published the results of a survey of 1,100 eBay sellers to see how eBay's changes to the fee structure would impact them. After reading that 75.8% of respondents said that under the new eBay.com fee structure, their monthly eBay fees would go up, an AuctionBytes Blog reader wanted to know who exactly wasbenefiting from eBay's fee changes. We did some filtering of the data to answer that question - and although there were very slight variations across categories, three factors played a major role in impacting how the fee changes would affect sellers. Read more

MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING HUNGRY!

Nick Jonas Visits the North Texas Food Bank

It's the same story, repeated all over the US - hunger is on the rise:

In Boston, Massachusetts: Almost one in ten people in Massachusetts used a food pantry, soup kitchen or shelter over the past four years, a 23 percent increase, according to studies released Tuesday.

"The picture is simply heartbreaking,” Catherine D'Amato, president and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank, said in a statement. "These studies show how families are suffering and struggling to make ends meet during a time of economic distress.

While we are providing more food than ever, it is still not enough. We must all work together to find effective solutions to hunger.”

In Kansas City, Missouri: "As a result of the most severe economic recession since the Great Depression and the highest unemployment rates since World War II, more people than ever are seeking emergency food assistance," said Karen Haren, Harvesters' president and CEO. "In 2009, we distributed 36.6 million pounds of food, which is 30 percent more than at any time in our 30-year history."

In Dallas, Texas: The number of people in North Texas who go to food pantries or soup kitchens each week has risen 80 percent — to 64,600 a week — since 2006, according to the study, “Hunger in America 2010." The study was conducted by Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.


We must all work together to find effective solutions to hunger, as it appears this situation is going to get worse before it gets better!