All People Making a Difference
In Switzerland, a 161-year-old organization that champions animalsThe Zurich Animal Protection Association lobbies to keep animals safe and manages its own shelter, which last year alone found homes for more than 400 furry friends.
Five ways to give this holiday seasonAre you going to do the same thing this year? Here鈥檚 a lens on giving more broadly 鈥� beyond presents under the tree.
Difference MakerPet grooming: how one woman thinks it can help people exit the poverty cycleNatasha Kirsch, trying to assist those whose past was a barrier to employment, looked for jobs in high demand and that offer good pay. The result of her search is a job training program 鈥� The Grooming Project.
Difference MakerMeet Mr. Bicycle, who鈥檚 helped fix thousands of bikes in PennsylvaniaRoss Willard鈥檚 all-volunteer nonprofit in Harrisburg, Pa., took shape after he noticed that children were riding bicycles with brakes that didn鈥檛 work.
Difference MakerThe man and fellow retirees behind a science lab for students in rural IndiaMany rural students in India are behind in science. So Sharad Godse and other volunteers have visited more than 2,600 schools to make science concepts fun and comprehensible for high-schoolers.
Difference MakerHe鈥檚 working to close the digital divide in Kansas CityRick Deane, cofounder of Connecting for Good, wants to ensure that low-income people and others can tap into the vast potential offered by computers and the internet.
Difference MakerWhen buildings crumble, these rescue 'moles' tunnel in to survivorsPola D铆az Moffitt first pitched in to search-and-rescue efforts after Mexico City's 1985 earthquake, 32 years to the day before last month's temblor. She's been helping 'topos' groups find people trapped by disasters ever since.
A train station run entirely by volunteers 鈥� many well over 60 years oldKen Lyons, in his 90s, has been one of the volunteers at Centennial Station in Washington State. He鈥檚 an example of how many seniors keep making a difference in their communities after their official retirement date.
One woman who鈥檚 easing the language barrier for immigrantsAnh Nguyet Tranh, herself an immigrant from South Vietnam, founded a business in Michigan that employs some 250 interpreters and translators and can translate documents in 30 different languages.
Difference MakerIn Milwaukee, an effort to link inner-city workers with jobs outside the cityPastor Jerome Smith Sr. runs the Joseph Project, which not only helps urban residents find work but also operates a van service to get them there. The initiative has become a conservative favorite.
Difference MakerThe story behind DC Diaper Bank, a resource for parentsEight years ago, when Corinne Cannon had her first child, she was surprised at just how hard parenting can be.
After she returned to her Ethiopian hometown, she had to help the girlsLily Yoseph was struck by the poverty in the village, as well as the fact that often girls don鈥檛 have the opportunity to attend school. So she established a nonprofit that gives girls everything from medical care to school uniforms.
Volunteering on company time: five reasons to do itSome employees may think that giving back during the workday doesn鈥檛 make sense. But a substantial percentage of companies offer volunteer benefits.
Difference MakerShe鈥檚 giving job opportunities to other women in Senegal 鈥� with peanutsWhen Fatou Sall Ndiaye Mback茅 got married, she didn鈥檛 spend her dowry on a wedding dress, but rather on peanuts. This young entrepreneur is only motivated by the fact that she lives in a country where traditional gender roles persist.
Difference MakerMost Grenadians don鈥檛 know how to swim. But one woman is changing that.Deb Eastwood left behind a six-figure salary at Xerox to work with a youth organization. She now leads a campaign in Grenada to teach islanders 鈥� especially children 鈥� how to swim.
How a couple's gift to a university benefits more than just college studentsThe McVay Youth Partnership at Hamline University offers paid leadership opportunities for students, who mentor middle- and high-schoolers. The program was endowed by Pete and Mary McVay.
A onetime prison warden shares her first love with youths: the artsAlexandreena Dixon founded an organization that uses African storytelling traditions to teach long-forgotten African values and rituals. The aim is to broaden horizons for black children.
Difference MakerNever mind he鈥檚 only in his mid-20s. He鈥檚 already conducted 22,000 performers.Rasmus Puur was one of the chief conductors last month for Laulupidu, a big choral event in Estonia. His message for its young participants goes beyond music.
Difference MakerShe arrived in Senegal 43 years ago 鈥� and is still there working on social issuesMolly Melching founded the nonprofit Tostan, which operates in a number of African countries. It鈥檚 known globally for alleviating poverty, as well as for helping to reduce child marriage and female genital cutting in Senegal.
Difference MakerUsing a taro patch in Hawaii, this couple teaches the islands鈥� values to youthsDean and Michele Wilhelm mentor young people facing challenging circumstances. Taro farming provides an opportunity for the couple to weave regional culture into the lessons.