All People Making a Difference
Want to volunteer? Three things to ask.The answers will help you use your time well and get the most out of your experience.
With laundry service, a group for disabled people benefits the communityThe Marion County Disability Action Center in West Virginia has launched the Feel Good Laundry service, which also gives opportunities to the group's clients.
Girls in Africa: one way that more of them are attending schoolAfter learning that family poverty was the reason many girls didn鈥檛 go to school, Ann Cotton founded Camfed, which has supported the education of 1.6 million girls.
Difference MakerHe devised a business plan that鈥檚 improved livelihoods in his native SenegalBagor茅 Bathily opened Senegal鈥檚 only fresh milk production company in 2007, capitalizing on the fact that 30 percent of the population lives off cattle rearing. Hundreds of cowherds have earned more income.
In new book, Vermont woman shares how the arts can help abuse victimsThe author, Tracy Penfield, is the founder of SafeArt in Chelsea, Vt., which recognizes how聽nonverbal communication, including in the performing and visual arts, can aid people who have endured abuse.
Afghan girls fight prejudice with martial artsGirls of the Shaolin Wushu club practice the flowing movements of Wushu. A 20-year-old trainer for the sport says it teaches self-defense聽鈥� and is 'really effective for body and soul.'
How farmers in Africa are finding ways to sustainably use wetlandsA range of organizations in Africa have recognized the way in which wetlands can be important for poverty reduction, improved livelihoods, and resilience in the face of climate change.
In Rome, a pensioner feeds 250 people in need four days a weekDino Impagliazzo's charity uses ingredients that are close to their expiration dates, supplied by grocery stores and wholesalers that would otherwise throw them away.
Difference MakerThis man won鈥檛 sleep in a bed. Not until everyone is able to have a mattress.After learning that many poor people lack basic furniture in their homes, Mark Bergel founded the nonprofit A Wider Circle in Maryland to tackle poverty.
An author troubled by war invites veterans to 鈥榃rite Peace鈥�Maxine Hong Kingston came up with the idea for The Veteran Writers Group after she had a devastating month herself in 1991. More than 800 people have answered her call.
Amid a tough winter for refugees, charity turns old blankets into coatsA Greek-German charity called Naomi has collected blankets from a refugee and migrant encampment that's now closed. Volunteers in a northern Greek city are using sewing machines to repurpose the items.
How we discovered the world鈥檚 largest tropical peatland, deep in CongoA team of three scientists and five assistants found 33 billion tons of carbon locked up in a Congo ecosystem 鈥� the equivalent of 20 years of current US fossil fuel emissions. The discovery is a key step in ensuring this carbon-storing area is protected.
For seniors fighting grief or depression, Friendship Line is a listening earPatrick Arbore saw a need to give older people an alternative to traditional suicide prevention hotlines 鈥� one that offers a conversation rather than potentially a confrontation.
Difference MakerDogs need this South African woman. People need her even more.Cora Bailey is the founder of an animal shelter in Johannesburg, South Africa. Many of its neighbors are undocumented migrants who rely on the shelter for services they cannot 鈥� or are too afraid to 鈥� seek out from the government.
In India, low-caste Dalit women take up journalism, have different focusAn all-women, all-Dalit team works for Khabar Lahariya (News Wave), a regional-language weekly that reports from disadvantaged areas that do not generally make the news.
A high school junior in Indiana takes the initiative to hold prom dress driveClare Mangin says it would be 'awesome' to simply make one girl happy by giving her a prom dress. Clare's enthusiasm and attention to detail have impressed the school employee she's partnered with.
In Latin America, women code a better futureLaboratoria is a web development and coding academy for underprivileged women in Peru, Mexico, and Chile. Once they graduate, the women can be considered for jobs at Laboratoria鈥檚 tech partners, which include Google and Microsoft.
Difference MakerAlmost all girls were cut in her Ethiopian village. Not anymore, thanks to her.Bogaletch Gebre cofounded an organization that鈥檚 credited with virtually eliminating female genital mutilation in the part of southern Ethiopia where she grew up. A key reason for the organization鈥檚 success has been its focus on 鈥榗ommunity conversations.鈥�
In Brazil, a new tool to cut illegal wood from supply chainsA digital platform analyzes data to make sure companies have the correct permits and aims to follow the timber from forests to sawmills and export markets.
During repairs, this restaurant kept employees and encouraged them to volunteerPart of El Moro Spirits & Tavern in Durango, Colo., was damaged by a fire in October. The restaurant's management urged its workers to give back to a community that has supported the business since its opening 3-1/2 years ago.