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 Mary Sciglimpaglia
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This Community Comes Together In A Beautiful Way To Honor Fallen Soldiers

Every two years Greenfield Hill Congregational Church in Fairfield, Connecticut displays thousands of flags in honor and remembrance of the American men and women who've fallen in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The site is truly amazing!

The Church, utilizing the Town Green adjacent to the church, started the "Fields of Flags" exhibit in 2009, but prior to this exhibit, the community posted the 1,000 names of those who've lost their lives in battle on the walls of the church. Wanting to do more for the soldiers, they started doing the Field of Flags exhibit every two years.

Now, the exhibit "Field of Flags" displays nearly 7,000 flags - one dedicated to each soldier. The flags represent gratitude, sorrow, peace, and hope. The flags were originally left out for July 4th weekend to revitalize the community's patriotic spirit, but now they're left out for 3 weeks and anybody is welcome to visit and pay their respects. "It is our way to mourn and never forget those who have given so much," says Pastor Alida Ward.

You may recognize Alida Ward and her husband David Rowe from the HooplaHa series – " Clergy Chronicles." This spiritual power couple of Greenfield Hill Congregational Church in Fairfield, CT, lead their congregation using the eternal wisdom of contemporary music, their passion for sports, and emphatic desire to serve their community. Take a look at their inspiring story.

Bruce Springsteen as a spiritual guide? Yup!


Greenfield Hill Congressional Church is not stuck in the past! They use the music of Bruce Springsteen and Green Day to tell the stories of their religion and inspire others to commit themselves to faith

Want to follow David and Alida on their spiritual path through life? Visit the Greenfield Hill Congregational Church website, or follow them on Facebook.

This HooplaHa original video was shot by Johnny Perez, and edited by Kellie Sieban. To see more good news, follow us on Facebook and sign up for our Only Good News Newsletter.

Community & Causes
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Rescue, Transform, Share: How an Ohio Soup Shack Is Saving Lives

"It really does take a village to help people," says Sandra Lettie, a volunteer with La Soupe in Cincinnati, Ohio. La Soupe is helping to build and activate just such a "village" of compassionate people from the local area around the goal of producing food from discarded produce and providing it to families in need.

According to La Soupe's CEO, Suzy DeYoung, the organization's central mission is to "rescue, transform, and share." First, volunteers with La Soupe visit grocery stores and farms to pick up produce that was going to be discarded and "rescue" it for use in the soups that the team creates. That produce is then "transformed" into healthy, delicious food by the chefs at La Soupe. Finally, the food is "shared" with those in the local community who need it.

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Community & Causes
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Sweepstakes Winner Gets Unforgettable NASCAR Experience!

Stacy Comilang from Preston, CT., likes to think of herself as a "need for speed" kind of girl. She is a fan of NASCAR and had been to a few races while growing up in California. Even though she has never driven in a car much faster than the speed limit, or been in a race car, she would love to do both. Little did she know that when she casually entered a sweepstakes on the Coke website this past spring, that both of these dreams would soon come true!

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Community & Causes
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Man Goes on Cross-Country Hugging Tour To Spread Love

Hugging is considered to be a rather intimate form of affection across the US. Everyone hugs, but rarely do we ever hug strangers. Arie Moyal is willing to do just that. He is the founder and creator of the Hug Train, a national tour of free hugs to promote mental health awareness. Arie travels across the country giving hugs to strangers who are willing to give him an embrace.

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Community & Causes
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Dan's Coffee Runs Bring Warmth To Chemo Patients and Staff

Coffee and a smile are sometimes the best medicine. When Dan Dewey's father was being treated for cancer, Dan found himself following a routine in a situation which needed a little perking up.

Thus began what has become known as "Dan's Coffee Run". Every Thursday morning, Dan does a special coffee run for the staff and patients at the Michigan Cancer Institute in Bloomfield Hills, bringing Starbucks Coffee and a lot of smiles to the patients and providers at the cancer treatment center.

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Community & Causes
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This Organization Feeds Their Entire Community

If you are a kid and your bed is a lumpy, old couch or a cold, hard floor and you leave home for school without a regular breakfast, you will not excel in your classes. This daily struggle is shockingly common in many areas of the country and it sets many children on a downward spiral at an early age that is difficult to recover from. This is where Meals By Grace is making a difference.

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Community & Causes
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Anonymous Authors of Love Letters Uplift The Lonely

While it is exciting to see the bold type of a newly arrived email from an old friend or the pulsing dots of a long awaited text, there is still something special about the arrival of a hand written, stamped envelope in your home mailbox.

For those who are facing personal difficulties, adjusting to new circumstances, or just feeling isolated, the physical experience of handling a letter, opening the sealed side of the envelope, and sliding out a beautiful card brings the thrill and anticipation of contact with another person, something they may been missing for long time. Fulfilling this need is at the heart of an inspiring organization called "The World Needs More Love letters".

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Community & Causes
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A Father, A Son, And A Hockey Fan’s Dream Come True!

Coca-Cola, Shaw's Supermarkets, and the Boston Bruins have teamed up to make one lucky Bruins fan's dream come true. After purchasing a Coke from Shaw's in the New England area, contestants were encouraged to enter for a chance to win a "Player for a Day Experience" with the Boston Bruins.

The lucky winner's name is Mark Karolkiewicz. Mark has been a Bruins fan his whole life and even though he had the opportunity to be a Bruins Player for a Day, he selflessly gave the prize to his son Eric Karolkiewicz, also a die-hard Bruins fan!

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Fitness, Health & Wellness
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Dancing Away From Illness And Onto The Stage

The hall lights dim…..a hush comes over the audience … the command "places everyone" is given… there is a palpable stillness in the air as the first notes of the opening piece float out of the speakers and hover above the stage…. the curtain rises with a whir … the lights come up… its time …

These are the moments a performer lives for. The hours of solitary sweat and toil practicing their craft in sparse, small rooms, are the dues required for the joy of putting their skill and craft out there for an audience hungering for something special and moving.

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