Tutoring gave retired journalist Aaron Epstein an idea that has blossomed into a school newspaper, written by young reporters eager to learn the tricks of the trade.

By sharing a little bit of her own family story, Oasis tutor Betty Dotson gave one little girl a chance to connect the dots of history in a creative way.

“I saw it in the paper,” she said of the item that sparked her interest. “I love kids. (Tutoring) is so different from anything I’ve ever done."

Mail just isn’t what it used to be. Remember the days when people actually sent letters to each other? Now the mailbox is filled with junk mail and bills. Just in the past week, I’ve received dozens of letters from nonprofits. Each is worthy of support and I want to contribute and often do what I can. But how do you decide which organizations to commit to?