Technology

Catholic Charities USA to launch nationwide storytelling exhibit thanks to grant from Lilly Endowment

Published

2 years ago

April 23, 2025

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) announced this month to the Catholic Charities network that it will launch a nationwide storytelling exhibit, People of Hope: Faith-Filled Stories of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, in 2026. Designed to amplify the profound impact of Christian service, the ambitious project is made possible thanks to a 2024 grant of nearly $5 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. through an invitational round of its National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life.

The cornerstone of People of Hope will be an immersive experience that will tour the United States for two-and-a-half years, highlighting sacred stories of service — moments that reveal the power of volunteering, the awe of encountering others at their most vulnerable and the transformation that occurs when we live out our faith through service. The exhibit, housed in a retrofitted tractor trailer, will share professionally produced, first-person accounts from staff and volunteers of Catholic Charities agencies across the country about meaningful and memorable encounters with families and individuals in need. Visitors will be invited to record their own inspirational stories of service, and a national advertising campaign will supplement the traveling exhibit.

“We are incredibly grateful to Lilly Endowment for offering us the opportunity to shine a light on the transcendent power that springs from the simple but profound act of helping another human being in need,” CCUSA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson said. “Through this exhibit, we hope to inspire more people of hope all around the United States to seek out opportunities to love and serve our neighbors, to be Christ-like in response to human suffering, deprivation or injustice.”

In a national survey conducted earlier this year by Campos, a market research and strategy firm based in Pittsburgh, on behalf of CCUSA, only 11 percent of respondents reported that they volunteer their time at a local organization or event. But 67 percent of those surveyed said they were “very open” or “somewhat open” to volunteering. Among those who are open to volunteering, three motivations were rated as the most likely to inspire them to do so: “to help others,” “to express empathy for those who need help” and “to feel more connected to my community.”

“Generosity is humankind’s birthright, and volunteer work allows us to be generous with our most valuable assets: our time and attention,” Robinson said. “As I travel around the country visiting our local Catholic Charities agencies, all the volunteers I encounter tell me some version of the same message: that, paradoxically, they are the true beneficiaries of their encounters with those they serve.”

Through People of Hope, CCUSA aims to highlight not only the profound impact Christian service has on the people involved and their communities but the myriad opportunities to engage in service across the country through Catholic Charities agencies and other mission-aligned organizations. The Catholic Charities network, which includes 168 independent local Catholic Charities agencies, served more than 16 million people last year thanks in part to the efforts of more than 200,000 volunteers.

In November 2024, Lilly Endowment awarded grants to CCUSA and 11 other organizations as part of an invitational round of its National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life. After spending several months further developing People of Hope, CCUSA unveiled the project to the diocesan directors of its member agencies at its annual Spring Gathering this month. Selected stories of service from Catholic Charities staff and volunteers will be professionally recorded this summer at CCUSA’s office in Alexandria, Virginia, and the traveling exhibit will launch in the spring of 2026.

About Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana, it also funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. A principal aim of the Endowment’s religion grantmaking is to deepen and enrich the lives of Christians in the United States, primarily by seeking out and supporting efforts that enhance the vitality of congregations and strengthen the pastoral and lay leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion and lift up in fair, accurate and balanced ways the roles that people of all faiths and diverse religious communities play in the United State and around the globe.

About CCUSA
Founded in 1910, CCUSA is a national membership organization that supports and represents 168 Catholic Charities agencies across the United States. Collectively, the Catholic Charities network each year serves more than 16 million vulnerable people, regardless of their faith or background, through food and nutrition programs, affordable housing, disaster relief and a variety of other humanitarian services.

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SOURCE Catholic Charities USA

Technology

140th Canton Fair: Circular Economy in Products and Practice

Published

27 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As sustainability moves from a corporate commitment to a business imperative, the principles of the circular economy are becoming increasingly visible across both products and industry practices. This shift can also be observed at the 140th Canton Fair.

Designing Longer Lifecycles for Home Products

Among the home and lifestyle products featured at the fair, circular design remains a key theme. Sleep solutions are integrating bio-based and low-carbon materials with durable structures that improve product longevity while reducing resource consumption. Beyond comfort and support, manufacturers focus on repairability, recyclable components and internationally recognized environmental certifications. These features extend product life cycles and minimize waste.

Beyond sleep solutions, furniture exhibitors are also exploring new approaches to material reuse. Seating products made with recycled plastics recovered from discarded appliances and marine waste demonstrate how post-consumer materials can be transformed into high-value consumer goods. Combined with ergonomic design, modular construction and enhanced durability, these products help reduce dependence on virgin resources while maintaining performance and safety standards.

Another approach comes from furniture crafted from reclaimed wood, highlighting another pathway toward circularity. By giving previously used timber a second life, manufacturers preserve material value, reduce waste and create products that carry a distinctive sense of history and craftsmanship.

A Trade Fair Shaped by Circular Principles

The Canton Fair’s commitment to sustainability extends far beyond its exhibition halls. Over the past decade, it has served as a testing ground for greener exhibition practices, helping transform an industry once associated with large volumes of disposable construction materials and post-event waste.

Now the fair has achieved green booth adoption, replacing traditional one-time-use structures with modular, reusable systems. This shift significantly reduces construction waste while improving efficiency and safety. The experience gained through years of implementation later contributed to the development of national standards for green exhibition booths, exhibition operations and venue safety management, providing a framework that has since influenced other major exhibitions and venues across China.

Marking its 70th anniversary, the Canton Fair continues to champion a long-term approach to sustainable growth. Whether through circular product innovation or greener exhibition practices, these commitments remain central to the fair’s vision for the years ahead.

For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:
https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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SOURCE Canton Fair

Technology

Verosoft Launches Verovia to Turn AI into Industrial Value

Published

27 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

New Microsoft-first AI orchestration platform connects industrial systems, enterprise applications, and AI agents to automate operations and accelerate AI adoption.

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Verosoft, a Microsoft-first industrial technology company, today announced the general availability of Verovia, its AI orchestration and automation platform designed to help industrial organizations move beyond AI experimentation and put artificial intelligence to work across their operations.

Verovia connects industrial equipment, enterprise applications, and AI agents to automate processes across systems and departments. Built around the Microsoft ecosystem, the platform enables organizations to deploy AI without replacing their existing technology infrastructure.

“After more than 20 years developing enterprise asset management solutions within Microsoft Dynamics, we’re extending our expertise with The Asset Guardian (TAG) into AI orchestration and automation,” said Martin Turgeon, President of Verosoft. “We can now connect industrial data directly to AI, put information into business context, and automate processes across entire operations.”

Industrial AI Built for Results

Building on its IoT capabilities introduced in spring 2026, Verosoft brings together equipment monitoring, asset management, and AI-powered automation to help industrial organizations operate more efficiently.

In pilot projects across transportation, energy, construction, and manufacturing, Verosoft’s technologies are showing promising early results, particularly in reducing equipment downtime, accelerating data analysis, and eliminating manual data entry in specific workflows.

“AI’s real value isn’t measured by the number of agents deployed, but by the work they accomplish,” said Alexis Turgeon, Director of Innovation at Verosoft. “We’re seeing dramatic improvements in operational efficiency by connecting AI directly to business processes. Verovia makes these capabilities accessible and scalable across the industrial enterprise.”

Enterprise AI with Governance Built In

Verovia enables IT teams to manage how AI agents access information, interact with applications, and execute actions.

With Microsoft Entra ID integration, role-based permissions, approval workflows, and auditable activity records, organizations can expand automation while maintaining visibility and human oversight of critical decisions.

New Growth Opportunities for Microsoft Partners

Verovia creates opportunities for Microsoft partners to expand into industrial AI orchestration and automation.

By providing the infrastructure for connectivity, AI agents, application development, and governance, Verovia allows partners to focus on solving customer challenges rather than building an entire AI technology stack.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Azure partners can develop industry-specific solutions, accelerate implementations, and introduce recurring AI consulting and managed services.

See Industrial AI in Action at Convergence 2026

Verosoft will showcase real-world industrial AI use cases and measurable results at Convergence 2026, taking place December 8–11 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Availability

Verovia is available beginning October 26, 2026, with a free version that enables organizations and Microsoft partners to explore AI orchestration and automation.

About Verosoft: Propelling Industries

Verosoft is a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Business Applications and a Microsoft-first operational technology company that builds software to help industrial enterprises prevent unplanned downtime and orchestrate governed AI across their sites and systems. Its two main product lines are TAG Mobi, an enterprise asset management platform deployed in more than 150 countries, and Verovia, an AI orchestration and automation platform. Both are built on Microsoft Dynamics 365. Verosoft serves organizations ranging from single-site operators to 2,000-user enterprise deployments through a global network of more than 60 certified Microsoft partners.

Media Contact: Louis-Philippe Tremblay, Verosoft, marketing@verosoftdesign.com; www.verosoftdesign.com

SOURCE Verosoft

Technology

WCA and uReport Partner to Expand High School Sports Coverage Across Wyoming

Published

27 minutes ago

October 26, 2026

Customized Platform to Strengthen Association Communications and Help Wyoming Schools Access uReport at No Cost for 2026–27

CLEVELAND, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Wyoming Coaches Association (WCA) and DistrictWON’s uReport are partnering to help coaches and schools share the stories that make Wyoming communities proud. Under a one-year agreement dated October 5, 2026, DistrictWON is providing WCA with a customized platform for WCA communications and member engagement.

WCA will share association news, coach and school stories, and member updates through its communications, events, newsletters, and social channels. DistrictWON is working with the association to shape a digital home that reflects WCA’s identity and supports ongoing communication with coaches and member schools.

The partnership also opens a no-cost opportunity for Wyoming schools. Every U.S. high school can use the full uReport platform at no cost for the 2026–27 academic year, giving Wyoming schools a way to bring more visibility to their students, teams, and programs.

A Customized Platform for the Wyoming Coaches Association

The WCA platform will be tailored to the association’s communications and member-engagement needs. It will include WCA branding, integration with the association’s website and social channels, unlimited users, security controls, and an online content library.

WCA can publish stories with photos and video, featuring coaches, teams, students, and association updates. The association can use the platform to share timely information, highlight member achievements, and keep its communications accessible through the channels coaches already follow.

“Our coaches and schools create meaningful stories every day, and many deserve a wider audience,” said Allen J. Von Eye, WCA President. “This partnership helps WCA engage members and schools showcase what makes Wyoming activities special.”

Expanding Coverage: Wyoming High Schools Have the Same Opportunity

For the 2026–27 academic year, Wyoming high schools can use the uReport custom Athletic Coverage Platform at no cost. Schools can use uReport to bring more attention to their students, teams, and programs and strengthen connections with their communities without needing added personnel.

Coaches, staff, and authorized student contributors can publish through uReport, giving students hands-on experience in journalism, media, and technology while helping schools share their programs with families and fans.

ACTIVATE ACCOUNT HERE.

For more information or help getting started, contact Dan McGrath, DistrictWON Customer Success, at 216-647-3857 or dmcgrath@districtwon.com

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SOURCE DistrictWON