All People Making a Difference
- The L.A. team helping human-trafficking survivors find justice – and jobs
The Thai Community Development Center provides victims of human trafficking, as well as the city’s broader Thai immigrant community, with tools for long-term economic self-sustainability and growth.
- Rural residents pool cash to save last local gathering places
As population continues to trickle away from rural America, neighbors are trying to save spots – groceries, restaurants, bars, and stores – where people can still get together.
- Difference MakerThanks to this Afghan woman, 6,000 imams have taken gender-sensitivity training
Jamila Afghani, who has battled discrimination since childhood, uses Islam to empower women in Afghanistan. She is committed to continuing the work despite threats and other obstacles.
- He called himself a ‘bad kid.’ But as an adult, he drew on that to do good.
Harry Cummins III says he found his purpose in life when he opened a boxing gym to reach kids on the streets, in gangs, from broken homes. Kids like himself.
- UPS tests electric bikes for deliveries in Portland, Ore.
The trial program is part of the delivery company's efforts to reduce its carbon emissions, ease urban noise levels, and improve air quality. The experiment could also help get around traffic congestion.
- Difference MakerThis woman has helped more than 4,500 disabled people get jobs
When Shanti Raghavan’s brother started losing his sight, she began to learn about ways he could adjust. She then wanted to use that knowledge to assist others.
- This 13-year-old formed a charity that has helped provide 500,000-plus meals
The Jefferson Awards Foundation, which honors volunteerism, recognized Will Lourcey this year for his work fighting hunger and poverty.
- Difference MakerThe woman behind #OscarsSoWhite
The reverberations are still being felt almost two years after April Reign created that hashtag, when Oscar nominations were announced. What will the new awards season bring?
- Five ways to give when you’re short on money
Making a difference doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are some options that are both inexpensive and meaningful.
- How forensics is boosting the battle against wildlife trade
From rapid genetic analysis to spectrography, high-tech tools are being used to track down and prosecute perpetrators of the illegal wildlife trade – offering hope in stopping the trafficking of endangered species.
- Entrepreneur turns plastic waste into a way to save trees in Kenya
In recycling the plastic waste, Aghan Oscar produces poles for use in construction, farming, and road signage. So far he’s sold 96,000.
- St. Louis Zoo's 'Snail Ladies' crucial to saving species
St. Louis Zoo docents Ellen Miller and Donna Mills have been taking care of Partula nodosa snails for 23 years. Last month, 630 of the snails they've cared for were put into the wild in Tahiti.
- Difference MakerWhen a home catches fire, this emergency responder helps care for pets
Franklin Frake works for the Red Paw Emergency Relief Team, a Philadelphia nonprofit that provides assistance to displaced pets, and their owners, during and after a disaster involving their home.
- How this woman became a voice for children in foster care
In her mid-60s, Char Williams found her calling as an advocate in court – and in life – for these youths.
- Two tech companies win first Stop Slavery Award after workforce scrutiny
The award aims to recognize businesses that excel in efforts to investigate human rights abuses and clean up their supply chain. The first recipients are Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NXP Semiconductors.
- Website seeks to match migrants with employers in Germany
Hussein Shaker, cofounder of MigrantHire, has channeled his own experience trying to find work as a migrant into helping others. So far more than 8,000 migrants have registered on the website.
- Rather than discriminating against ex-cons, this food business seeks them out
Lancaster Food Co. searches for job applicants who need help getting back on their feet, providing them with a livable wage. So far, not one has quit.
- Difference MakerAt the soup kitchen this man runs, guests are served restaurant-style
Beau Heyen has brought a fresh outlook on addressing hunger to the Kansas City Community Kitchen and the broader metropolitan area.
- Mobile farm stands, teaching kitchens aim to improve Philly's food access
When parents pick up their kids from after-school programs, they can also snag $40 worth of fresh produce, meat, and poultry for $20, as well as learn how to braise those collards.
- In Asia, students take part in 24-hour relay races to end modern slavery
The initiative seeks to raise awareness about human trafficking, as well as funds. Some say the races help them better understand the conditions of modern slavery.