For the past 10 years Father Richard Conway has been a fixture on the streets of Dorchester, a tough neighborhood south of Boston which has seen its share of gang violence and upheaval. He doesn't wear a bulletproof vest or carry a weapon, but what he does have is much more powerful and meaningful to his community – a warmth and charisma that is building bridges between the residents, local government and the police to bring positive change to his troubled district.

What is universally despised in large, modern, metropolitan areas more than its public transportation, and in particular, the city bus? Slow, crowded, unpleasant – it mostly reminds us of lean times of struggle. However, a creative group of folks from San Francisco have come up with a brilliant idea that repurposes this inner city workhorse, converting it from a people mover to a mobile oasis where unhoused neighbors can seek comfort.

In a small, brightly decorated building only a stone's throw from the border wall between Mexico and the USA, 50 to 100 children a week come to do hands-on art projects, learn a musical instrument, or just socialize with others. In this special place, Director Gretchen Baer's mission is to show kids that anything is possible if you think creatively, no matter who you are or where you came from.

Nonprofit Studio Mariposa is a free transformative art center for kids in Naco, Mexico, along the Arizona border. For the past three years, kids come to the small studio once a week where Gretchen and her volunteers set up art projects and music lessons. The art projects include painting, making bracelets, mosaics and weaving on a loom.