It never ceases to amaze one how small the world can be. We all walk different paths, all journeying back to the same source. That difference can often be the cause for people to feel separate from one another, leading to the inability to even try to understand each other. When we take the time and really listen, we often find that we are not that different from each other. Ways of practice, culture, and even language sometimes share commonalities that one would have never thought. Read more about Oglala Lakota Nursing and Therapeutic Touch

My name is Joanne Thompson and I am in my last semester of the nursing program at the Oglala Lakota College. I am from a federally recognized Ojibway tribe, Pine Creek. I am one of 14 siblings and I come from a generation that lived by the old traditions. I will become the third person [in my family] to become a Registered Nurse, I have two sisters who became nurses in the 2004. Upon graduation, I plan to work on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation as a nurse. Read more about Meet Our Latest Scholarship Recipient: Joanne Thompson

Please join in the TOS Campaign for Kindness taking place throughout October, 2017. 

Here’s how it works

The entire month of October, 2017 becomes a canvas for your acts of kindness, large or small.  You can structure it any way you like. 

• Perhaps you join in a community project on one day in October.  Find one by clicking here.
• Perhaps you devote a week to carrying a bag on your daily walk, picking up at least one piece of litter per day.  Or maybe it's seven pieces per day--whatever is comfortable for you. 
• Maybe you commit to one act of kindness each day during October, even if it's just making eye contact and smiling at someone, holding the elevator, letting a driver into your lane, sending a comforting thought, etc.
• Maybe some of your family members or co-workers would like to join you in performing acts of kindness.

For the last five years, the Theosophical Order of Service has awarded scholarships to six nursing students from the Oglala Lakota College Nursing Program. The college serves the Pine Ridge Reservation which is situated in one of the poorest counties in the US. Many of the students awarded scholarships in the past have driven over 100 miles to be able to attend classes while working a full time job and having to care for a family.  This year's recipient is Kristina Iron Cloud. Here is Kristina's letter of thanks. Read more about Meet Kristina Iron Cloud