All People Making a Difference
How a city girl came to oversee a community gardenDawn Blackman Sr. saw a need for fresh food in her urban community. The Randolph Street Community Garden in Champaign, Ill., now has 72 beds, and more than 3,000 people received fresh produce last year.
Difference MakerShe re-created a medieval trail in Germany, drawing thousands of hikersEsther Zeiher launched the endeavor after she came across an old map. She calls the trail an 鈥榓dventure in humanity鈥� that is enabling meaningful exchanges between people.
Volunteering together: how families can plan a vacation that gives backAhead of the big summer vacation season, here are some ideas for trying something different 鈥� service.
Teen siblings raise nearly $110,000 to fight hunger in Washington StateAidan Ryan started volunteering abroad, but when he realized the challenges much closer to home, he adjusted his focus. His sister, Erin Ryan, has gotten involved, too.
India's rescued bonded laborers rebuild lives in 'dream homes'Students from a college in Chennai, India, are working with the rescued individuals as part of a project to help them get back on their feet. Without homes, among other things, it is easy for them to slip back into debt bondage, campaigners say.
鈥楽tar Wars鈥�-style desert moisture farming: New tech brings it a step closerResearchers are working to take the process from science fiction to reality. A new study is demonstrating how one device could work even in dry desert conditions using only the power of the sun.
Difference MakerRescued chimpanzees and orangutans: This woman鈥檚 lifework is caring for themPatti Ragan founded the Center for Great Apes near Wauchula, Fla., which has become a model for ape sanctuaries across the US.
From waste to energy: Danish plant maximizes the power of wastewaterMost water treatment plants are energy hogs, but investment in new technologies helped the Marselisborg plant reduce its power consumption by 33 percent. Engineers from other countries have been lining up to learn about the process.
This chef loves cooking for homeless peopleRob Cox has a culinary degree and has managed other kitchens, but what makes him happy is cooking every day at the Shalom Community Center in Bloomington, Ind.
Afghan activist wins award for work on job creation, women's participationSeema Ghani fled Afghanistan with her family in the 1990s during the country's civil war. She decided to return in 2002 to help rebuild her country. Last month, she earned the Bond Outstanding Individual Award.
One way to keep businesses (and small towns) alive when their owners retireIn Kansas, a matchmaking service that鈥檚 based at a university is helping transition small businesses to new hands. Could it be a model for the rest of rural America?
Difference MakerShe鈥檚 leading efforts to restore an iconic castle in TransylvaniaT铆mea Berki first visited B谩nffy Castle in 2005 and has since focused on saving the complex. Resources are often scarce for such projects in the region.
She did something to help make her state healthierWest Virginia ranks as one of the states with the least-healthy people. Kate Long and the network she co-directs, Try This West Virginia, highlight affordable, practical projects that help address this challenge.
Former Burundi street child helps heal civil war divisionsDieudonne Nahimana founded a charity trying to break the cycle of retribution among children orphaned by Burundi's civil war. To foster reconciliation, the charity also works with children whose parents were the killers.
A teen and her dog make weekly visits to assisted living home, earning awardAlex Burnham started the visits as part of a project to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award. But even after earning the award, the weekly visits have continued, and she's now the聽recipient of a Prudential Spirit of Community Award.
An up-and-coming pianist shares his love of music with childrenJan Lisiecki, age 22, has already performed at Carnegie Hall and recorded several albums. He鈥檚 also made humanitarian work a priority, spending time with young Syrian refugees and other children.
Difference MakerShe found a way to make plastic waste usefulMedha Tadpatrikar helped design a machine in Pune, India, that heats up plastic to convert it to fuel. The process is eco-friendly in more ways than one.
This 鈥榮uperhero鈥� shows kids how to solve problems with positivity and kindnessNicholas Domingo was the target of bullies at school. Drawing on his experiences as an adult, he created an alter ego, Captain Encouragement, and he鈥檚 crafted a message that he hopes to take across the US.
College athletes mentor kids at domestic violence shelterThe athletes聽鈥� football players at St. John's University in Minnesota聽鈥� offer the children a different example for how men behave. The kids look forward to the athletes' visits聽鈥� as do the players themselves.
Yazidi 'superhero' earns award for helping survivors of ISIS atrocitiesThe Bond Humanitarian Award has been given to aid worker Bassam Hawas Quru, who is helping people displaced by violence in northern Iraq.