Active Projects

HELPING THE USPS “STAMP OUT HUNGER!”

May 25, 2023

On Saturday, May 13, 2023, nine TOS volunteers from the Wheaton-Olcott TOS helped the US Postal Service in Willowbrook, IL, with its annual “Stamp Out Hunger” initiative.  Postal workers have participated since 1993 by gathering donations from their customers.  For about 20 years, theosophist Floyd Kettering’s nonprofit, Humanitarian Service Project (HSP), has been the recipient of food items gathered from the area’s post office customers, since HSP has a well-established network in place to distribute groceries to food-insecure families and seniors in the area.

Teamwork between organizations, and teamwork among friends, wins the day and gets the job done! Read more about HELPING THE USPS “STAMP OUT HUNGER!”

Denver TS/TOS Helps Community Understand How to Help the Dying

May 17, 2023

On May 7, 2023, members and friends of the Denver TS/TOS, along with several community members, gathered for a presentation by Dr. Nelda Samarel on “How to Help Someone Who is Dying.” Nelda’s presentation covered topics such as why there is such a fear of dying, and her questions to the audience helped everyone realize that what one person considers a “good death” may be entirely different from what another person thinks. Read more about Denver TS/TOS Helps Community Understand How to Help the Dying

TOS Endorses Back from the Brink

October 19, 2021

The Theosophical Order of Service has taken a major step through its endorsement of the Back From The Brink campaign. Back from the Brink: The Call to Prevent Nuclear War is “a national grassroots campaign seeking the abolition of nuclear weapons and fundamental change in U.S. nuclear weapons policy.” The organization was conceived and initiated by the Union of Concerned Scientists and Physicians for Social Responsibility in the fall of 2017. It is a collaborative effort, designed to not be owned by any single individual or organization, but is partnered with many other like-minded organizations of which the Theosophical Order of Service is now among.  Read more about TOS Endorses Back from the Brink

What Is Alive in You?

August 23, 2021

A free presentation on Non-Violent Communication

With Dianne Duran
September 18, 2021
11:00 am-12:20pm CDT

As part of the Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha advises us to have right mindfulness, right view, right intentions, and right relationships.  He also asks us to cultivate right speech. But what if, despite our best efforts, our speech actually worked against our values? What if our speech reflected domination, competition, scarcity, even violence? Then how effective would be our intentions? And how effective would be our service in the world?  Read more about What Is Alive in You?

Our Sacred Unity with Nature: A Webinar Series

May 20, 2021

June 12, 2021 at 11 am CDT

Part III brings our series to a close with an interactive session on the extraordinary life of trees, the “standing beings” of our planet.

Come join us as we explore teachings from the Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben as well as other associated material that delves into the secret life that many indigenous people have long known and science is beginning to discover.
To register for this free interactive event, please email us at info@theoservice.org. Read more about Our Sacred Unity with Nature: A Webinar Series

Our Sacred Unity with Nature

Image by Gennaro Leonardi @pixabay.com
April 1, 2021

Our Sacred Unity with Nature
A Webinar Series

Join us on May 1, 2021 at 11 am CDT as we continue our discussion about the Native lands we live on and our sacred relationship with Mother Earth. Part II of our series will explore teachings from the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

On June 12, 2021 at 11 am CDT we will present part III of our series with an interactive session on the extraordinary life of trees, the “standing beings” of our planet. Come join us as we explore teachings from the Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben.

To register for these free interactive events, please email us at info@theoservice.org Read more about Our Sacred Unity with Nature

A Man and His Passion

January 18, 2021

The weekend before Thanksgiving found me reorganizing my small library of literature. I came across a folder from the 2017 Summer National Convention on Ecosprituality and found a piece of paper that I had folded in half and stuck in it. The information on that piece of paper was instrumental in helping me reinforce a change I wanted to make in my life. But I was also feeling alone in making that change. All of this was occurring during my first year of membership in the Theosophical Society. Unfolding the paper was like the unfolding of renewed life in the spring. It brought back memories. Read more about A Man and His Passion

Those in Need of Healing

September 29, 2020

The Theosophical Order of Service (TOS) Healing Network was started in 1990. Originally started in Houston Texas, the first director of the network was Virginia Sylvester and it was called the “Houston Branch Healing Network.” It allowed people from all over the nation to leave messages of those in need of healing.

The healing ceremony followed was the “Ritual Invoking the Healing Angels” from Geoffrey Hodson’s book The Brotherhood of Angels and Men. As many people know, Geoffrey Hodson was a clairvoyant, a healer, and worked with the angelic realm. His books are still available online after more than thirty years since his passing and the ritual remains popular with many different healing groups. Read more about Those in Need of Healing

COVID-19 AND A CALL TO ACTION

March 30, 2020

Providing Meals to Emergency Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has confined many of us to our homes, but emergency rooms are filled with people suffering from this disease. While staying home is crucial to decrease the spread of this virus, the TOS has found another way to help. To aid the emergency room workers and the local restaurants, the TOS is implementing a new program to provide vegetarian meals from local restaurants to the emergency rooms. Deliveries will be handled by the restaurants themselves. We have already contacted our first hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago, and they were overwhelmed that such a service was offered. Our goal is to make this a national program. But WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We are looking for people who can coordinate with a hospital and a restaurant in their local area. It is just a matter of finding a hospital in need of such a service and a local restaurant in the same area willing to help. All of this can be done from your own home! Read more about COVID-19 AND A CALL TO ACTION

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TOS on the Road

The Theosophical Order of Service is taking the show on the road.  All members of the Theosophical Society in America are automatically also members of the Theosophical Order of Service, BUT don’t necessarily know it, and those who do know it may not know what the TOS is currently doing or how they can help.  So, we decided to do something to increase the awareness of our members, and others, about who we are, what we do and why we’re doing it.

July 26, 2014

THE THEOSOPHICAL ORDER OF SERVICE SIGNS THE CHARTER FOR COMPASSION

                      

The Theosophical Order of Service has joined the International TOS and other TOS sections around the world in signing the CHARTER FOR COMPASSION. Signers of The Charter For Compassion encourage a world where everyone is committed to living by the principle of compassion. Signers pledge to work toward building a more compassionate world. The TOS joins with many other individuals, organizations and cities that have been inspired by the Charter For Compassion to work in diverse ways to create cultures of compassion locally and globally. 

July 1, 2013

TOS Grants and Local Group Seed Money

TOS GRANTS TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

The Theosophical Order of Service (TOS) is a charitable organization actively involved in the alleviation of suffering in the world. The TOS motto is “A union of those who love in the service of all that suffers”.

One of the ways the TOS in the USA serves is by drawing attention via our website and our magazine, For The Love of Life, to the efforts of others who are actively working in one of our areas of service: Family, Social Services, Animals, Ecology, Peace, Healing and Arts & Music. 

January 30, 2013

TOS Action Group Wheaton - Silent Auction

The Theosophical Order of Service will be holding its third annual Silent Auction at Theosofest on September 11, 2010 at the Theosophical Society in Wheaton, IL. All proceeds from the auction go to benefit the homeless at the various local shelters that the TOS Action Group has been serving.
As part of our Silent Auction, two handmade donations, which are valued at over $200.00 are raffled off at the end of the day and this year is no different.

Our warm gratitude goes to Ben Furman and Pam King for their generosity.

 

August 28, 2010

TOS Action Group Wheaton - Calendar

We at the T.O.S. action group in Wheaton have been experimenting with different methods of service, and everybody involved has had very positive and useful insights into how to make things more effective and efficient. One such insight, which is the subject of this posting, is the forming of a yearly calendar, which will make it easier to serve all of the 7 branches of the T.O.S., as outlined by Mrs. Besant:

January 21, 2010

Welcome!

The goal of the TOS is service to our fellow humans and all of life on our planet.  We encourage participation on this website through comments by both TOS members and non-members.  For more detail on the TOS, please see About Us.

Submitted by Miles on Sun, 01/17/2010 - 10:09pm

TOS Action Group –Wheaton, IL

Meet the TOS Action Group –Wheaton, IL

The TOS Action group was formed in September 2008 by a group of individuals who share a desire to get actively involved in service work. Meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month to discuss ideas; plan how we can increase and participate in service opportunities and take the necessary action to complete the project. All meetings and activities are open to TS/TOS members, nonmembers, families with young adults, and retirees who just want to help. Participants are encouraged to get involved at their own pace in whichever project appeals to them most.

Left to Right: Jon Knebel, Joe Maiello, Jade Maestras, Paula Finnegan, Pam King, Jon Johansen
Kneeling in Front: Lois Tomaskovic  Photographer: Jeanne Proulx
 

January 16, 2010

ROSEBUD INDIAN RESERVATION PROJECT

The TOS has been supplying survival assistance in the form of blankets and winter clothes, as well as Christmas presents for the children, to Rosebud Indian Reservation for several years. Our desire now is to escalate that assistance in ways that will be self-perpetuating and will encourage internal development to improve the quality of life on the Reservation. For the reader to have an appreciation of the magnitude of the problem, please review this link to an article in the Rapid City Journal of September 12, 2006.  Read the story.

In April of this year we began to support the publishing of the tribal newspaper Sicangu Sun Times. The newspaper was in dire need of more modern computers to replace old and failing equipment.  As of early June the publisher has received two Apple PowerMac computers – G4 and G5 - for the work of graphics design and page layout, and more equipment is on the way. We consider the newspaper to be a major player in spreading ideas and encouragement for building businesses and farming projects to improve the quality of life. 

June 11, 2008

TOS International Centenary Gathering, January 2 & 3, 2008, Adyar

by C.V.K. Maithreya, Adyar, India

The International Centenary Gathering was held at Adyar on January 2nd & 3rd, 2008. Mrs. Radha Burnier, the International President, addressed the gathering. Mrs. Diana Dunningham Chapotin gave a report of the activities of the TOS across the globe. Mr.B.L.Bhattacharya added a word of welcome, on behalf of the Indian TOS, while Mr.P.S.Mital gave a brief report of the activities of the TOS in India. Greetings were received from many parts of India and the world. A tribute to Dr. Annie Besant was delivered by Ms. Dorothy Bell.

February 2, 2008

New TOS Chapter in Singapore

(Reported by Diana Dunningham-Chapotin, TOS International Secretary):
"... let us welcome a brand new group into our ranks: the TS in Singapore has just received approval from Radha to start a chapter of the TOS, with Danny Giron as its coordinator.  They will have their inaugural meeting on February 23 in the very month that Annie Besant started the TOS one hundred years ago – an auspicious time, if there ever was one.  Welcome, Danny, Sanne, Lily and the rest of you!"

February 2, 2008

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