How He Crossed the Finish Line
In 1992, Derek Redmond was running the race of his life -- the 400-meter dash at the Summer Olympics. In the previous Olympics, he was forced to withdraw 10 minutes before the race due to an Achilles injury but now he was he was ready and heavily favored to medal. His father was in the stands cheering. The race began and 175 meters into it, he pulled his hamstring muscle and collapsed on the groun... posted on Jul 19 2011, 7,308 reads

High Schooler Pays Forward $40,000
They wanted to show kids in Compton, CA, one of the most dangerous cities in America, how to create community spirit, and so organizers put on a basketball contest for top academic students. But following a tear-jerking gesture from the winner -- it appears the true lessons learned were by the adults. Senior Allen Guei won in front of a packed house. And three months after winning the $40,000 top ... posted on Jul 08 2011, 14,390 reads

A Love Affair With Questions
In this beautiful black-and-white vignette, filmmaker Nic Askew interviews a man named Julio Olalla. Julio candidly speaks about an encounter with his father that changed his life, and what he learned: "Gratitude in so many ways is so dramatically missing in the world today. Without gratitude nothing is enough." Over this 10-minute video, he reflects on his own experiences, ranging from exploring ... posted on Jul 03 2011, 5,318 reads

I Heart Strangers
"Every single day, I went out into the world to seek out someone I had never before met. I introduced myself and asked them if I could photograph them. I took something valuable away from every encounter and did my best to pass that along." Artist Joshua Langlais started the "I Heart Strangers" project as an attempt to love his neighbors. Starting it in 2008 with the intention of doing it for a ye... posted on Jun 28 2011, 4,710 reads

Soap That Saves Lives
Perhaps he noticed because his father was a soapmaker in Uganda. When Derreck Kayongo learned how much soap was thrown away by hoteliers in the US, and that 2 million children die each year due to a lack of santitation, he decided to do something about it. He started Global Soap Project. Volunteers across the U.S. collect the hotel soaps and ship them to the group's warehouse in Atlanta. On Saturd... posted on Jun 22 2011, 3,101 reads

A 15-Year-Old's Bucket List Goes Viral
Alice Pyne, 15, has been battling a deadly form of cancer for the last four years that is now spreading throughout her body. Last week at her mother's suggestion the teenager started a blog for friends and family, titled "Alice's Bucket List" and included her life wishes (high on the list were swimming with sharks and having everybody sign up as bone marrow donors). No one anticipated the tidal wa... posted on Jun 13 2011, 13,735 reads

Female Auto Mechanic Breaks Stereotypes
Aside from a thin coat of powder, there's nothing superficial about 32-year-old Sarah "Bogi" Lateiner. Big-hearted and brilliant, Bogi graduated Phi Beta Kappa and did it in three years with a double major in pre-law and women's studies. Her plan was to go to law school and become a champion for women on a global scale. Although in the end, she decided to go with her plan B, instead. "I had in my ... posted on Jun 10 2011, 5,528 reads

A Teacher's Act of Calm Bravery
Last Friday, Martha Rivera was teaching her kindergarten class in Mexico when a drug shoot-out began outside her school. She immediately asked her 15 kids to place their faces on the floor and repeatedly told them that everything was going to be fine. While gunshots rang out, Rivera led her students in a Spanish-language version of a song from the TV show "Barney and Friends." They sang about choc... posted on Jun 09 2011, 4,802 reads

Cup of Compassion and Grandma's Beautiful Hat
"Suddenly, we heard the sirens of a fire truck and an ambulance parking in front of our house. We are new in this neighborhood, moving in only 3 months ago; opening the door I noticed that some paramedics were running up the stairs of our front neighbor's house. On the side walk, a woman in her thirties was in deep commotion crying on the phone. A scared, desperate 13 year old was half way up the ... posted on Jun 08 2011, 8,415 reads

A Letter to Myself at Land's End
Last year, a CharityFocus co-founder embarked alone on the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage of 900 kilometers traversed on foot. A little over a month later, she finished the journey at Finisterre (Land's End) on the western coast of Spain, where she composed a powerful letter to herself, brimming with quiet, timeless insight. "There's so much that I've learned from walking the thirty-seven days. ... posted on Jun 07 2011, 23,575 reads