Community Services

Annapolis – October 31, 2026 -- Race for Life Rescue, a nonprofit that flies at-risk dogs and cats out of overcrowded shelters and disaster zones, completed its 200th mission on Oct. 14, carrying 112 animals from Louisiana to the Northeast. The milestone comes four years after its first flight. The group has since flown more than 12,000 animals and worked with shelters in more than 30 states.

Through Dec. 31, founder Jim DeFrancesco is matching every donation to the organization.

The first flight carried hurricane relief supplies

On Oct. 2, 2022, the group flew its first mission, taking relief supplies from Nashville, Tennessee, to Naples, Florida, after Hurricane Ian. The plane came back with nearly 40 displaced cats bound for adoption.

JONESBORO, Ark. – October 31, 2026 -- More than 13,500 free "Pink Bag" care packages are going to women and men facing breast cancer diagnosis and recovery through the 2026 UBCF-Brookfield Pink Bag Event Initiative, a national campaign from the United Breast Cancer Foundation (UBCF) and GGP, formerly Brookfield Properties.

The events run from the end of September through early November, timed to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each bag holds name-brand personal care products, beauty tools, accessories, and practical essentials. The organizers value the full set of gifts at more than $8,576,742.40, all made possible by in-kind contributions from retail donors.

Kuala Lumpur – October 31, 2026 -- Zoo Negara Malaysia, the national zoo in Hulu Kelang, Ampang, has hosted 331 group events for 30,390 participants and has an air-conditioned multipurpose hall and a 12,000-square-foot picnic field for gatherings. The tally earned the zoo an ASEAN Records title.

The record covers 331 events in under four years

ASEAN Records recognised the zoo for the "Highest Number of Participants in Group Events Hosted by a Zoo's Founding Zoological Society." The count runs from 1 January 2023 to 30 September 2026. The zoo is managed by the Malaysian Zoological Society.

Open-air areas and an indoor hall host the groups

Beyond its wildlife exhibits, the zoo offers facilities for organised gatherings, corporate family days and recreational events. Open-air recreational areas, the 12,000-square-foot picnic field and the air-conditioned multipurpose hall provide the space for them.

LOS ANGELES – October 31, 2026 -- Filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld will host the Children's Institute (CII) 120th Anniversary Cape & Gown Gala on Sunday, November 8, in Beverly Hills, with John Mayer performing and Jamie Lee Curtis receiving a new award.

Jamie Lee Curtis receives the inaugural Reiner award

Curtis will accept the first Michele & Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award, presented by Jake Reiner. Seven-time Grammy winner John Mayer will perform, and comedian and author Chelsea Handler will also appear.

Sonnenfeld introduced Rob Reiner to Michele in 1988

CII president and CEO Martine Singer, Michele Reiner's sister, said Sonnenfeld introduced Rob to Michele in 1988 and stayed close to the couple with his wife Susan. Her pitch for him as host was short: "Also, he's hilarious."

Deerfield Beach – October 30, 2026 -- The youth charity Be Strong has named 16 students and alumni to its first National Student Advisory Board, a group that will help steer the organization's Never Alone campaign on youth mental health and peer support.

The board includes middle school students, high school students, and young adults. Some are current Be Strong Student Representatives and others are alumni. Members come from Colorado, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Iowa, Connecticut, Mississippi, New York, Texas, Ohio, and Virginia.

Never Alone aims to make help easier to find

Be Strong launched Never Alone in 2025 to close the gap between people who need help and the support available to them. The campaign combines awareness, peer leadership, immediate assistance, and pathways to ongoing care, with the goal of reaching people before struggles become crises.

NEW YORK – October 29, 2026 -- Four runners with personal ties to autism will line up among more than 55,000 participants at the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon on November 1 to raise funds for services for autistic adults. The race marks the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course.

Team NEXT makes its marathon debut

NEXT for AUTISM, a nonprofit focused on transforming services for autistic adults, is an Official Charity Partner of the marathon for the first time. Its inaugural Team NEXT consists of Eric Caldwell, Holly Fowler, Elizabeth Fox and Michael Mutino. Together they will cover 104.8 miles.

Their goal is to draw attention to a gap: an estimated 5.4 million autistic adults live in the United States, yet inclusive opportunities, services and resources for adults remain significantly limited.

SAN ANTONIO – October 29, 2026 -- Shoppers on Walmart.com and the Walmart app can round up purchases from November 2-30 to support military and veteran families, and Walmart will match those donations 2:1, up to $1 million.

It is the fourth consecutive year that Walmart has named Operation Homefront a beneficiary of its Spark Good Round Up program. The nonprofit is also running its annual 11 Days of Impact campaign from November 1-12, with a goal of raising $500,000 to help families keep housing, food and utilities covered during hardship.

Requests for financial help are up 48.8% this year

Operation Homefront reports a 48.8% increase in requests through its Critical Financial Assistance Program this year. More than 28% of military families have experienced some level of food insecurity, nearly double the rate of U.S. households overall.

NEW YORK – October 29, 2026 -- Town & Country's November 2026 Philanthropy issue, with four different covers, is available on townandcountrymag.com now and everywhere by November 3. It arrives alongside the magazine's 13th annual Philanthropy Summit, held at Hearst Tower in New York City.

Four honorees take the first Philanthropists of the Year Awards

For the first time, Town & Country presented "Philanthropists of the Year" awards to individuals and institutions working toward the greater good. The honorees were Tory Burch; Ciara and Russell Wilson; Andrew Shue; and Aerin Lauder with The Met Visionaries. That group includes the Lauder Family, Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, and Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield.

United States – October 29, 2026 -- Veterans with a federal VA rating can often add state property tax exemptions, income tax breaks, tuition waivers for dependents and housing help, but almost none of it is automatic. Most state benefits require a separate application, and the rules differ widely from state to state.

Federal compensation is only the floor

According to VetsForever, a veteran-founded organization, each state runs its own rules and deadlines on top of the federal baseline. Depending on where you live, that can include:

ORLANDO – October 29, 2026 -- Florida families facing food insecurity can get help with Thanksgiving dinner through The JOY FM's T-Shirts for Turkeys food drive, which Del-Air Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric is sponsoring as presenting sponsor again this year.

Listeners, businesses and community groups collect turkeys and gift cards

The drive brings together The JOY FM listeners, community organizations and business partners. They collect turkeys, along with monetary or grocery gift card donations, so local families can enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. The radio station's Florida footprint includes Orlando, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Sarasota.

Del-Air became the drive's first presenting sponsor in 2025

In 2025, Del-Air became the first presenting sponsor in the drive's 21-year history. Employees across the company are taking part this year.