Back on My Feet
At 5 a.m. on any given day, Anne Mahlum could be found running the dark streets of Philadelphia -- with homeless men cheering her on as she passed their shelter. But one morning last spring, she stopped in her tracks."Why am I running past these guys?" recalls Mahlum, 27. "I'm moving my life forward every day -- and these guys are standing in the same spot." In July 2007 the "Back On My Feet" runn... posted on Apr 11 2008, 2,265 reads

A Miraculous Turn
Doctors have no explanation for why Zack Dunlap is alive. He had been riding his souped-up ATV with some friends on that fateful Saturday, less than a week before Thanksgiving. They had participated in a parade that morning, popping wheelies and impressing the crowd, and then they had gone out riding on their machines. At one point in his ride, things went awry and he flipped his bike and smashed... posted on Apr 05 2008, 3,917 reads

The Day So Far
"It's a grey, blustery Wednesday morning here on the west of Scotland. A nothing much kind of day. The plan was, I would take the "weans" to school, walk out to the supermarket, pick up a few things, and then my day could begin.Well the walk to the supermarket takes you, literally, across the forecourt of a Fire Station. As I came up to it I heard sirens. Not fire sirens though." So begins this si... posted on Apr 04 2008, 4,113 reads

A Victim Treats His Mugger Right
He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife. "He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Julio Diaz says. As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm." Rather stu... posted on Mar 29 2008, 6,516 reads

A Small Dose of Hope 30 Years Ago
"When I was in my first year of college, I hit a stretch where every area of my life was a disaster, I felt hopeless and alone, and more depressed than I knew was possible.On one such day, I was walking from class across campus to catch my bus home, head down, fighting tears of total despair, when a guy came down the sidewalk toward me. I had never seen him before. Embarrassed at being seen in su... posted on Mar 19 2008, 1,705 reads

Shy Librarian Turned Prize-winning Author
The school bus honked and pulled over, startling Laura Schlitz as she was taking a walk in her residential neighborhood here. The bus driver leaned out and called to Ms. Schlitz: "Aren't you the lady who won that big book award? I recognize you!" It is at such moments that Laura Amy Schlitz, whose book recently won the 2008 Newbery Medal, the most prestigious prize in children's literature, realiz... posted on Mar 18 2008, 3,365 reads

A Book Club for the Homeless
At a time when book-reading is declining and is especially low among poorer people, the book club at 2100 Lakeside seems ill-fated. But, while 1 in 4 people polled admitted to having read no books in 2006, homeless men here are reading two a month. The books are supplied by the Cleveland Public Library in partnership with Care Alliance, a health care provider for the homeless. Donna Kelly, an outr... posted on Mar 15 2008, 2,059 reads

Donor Match Over Coffee
Annamarie Ausnes is known for holding up the line at her favorite coffee shop, carefully counting out her coins to pay for her "short drip, double-cupped" daily jolt. Over the years, Sandie Andersen, a friendly barista behind the counter, has taken these morning moments to make conversation, to make friends. And then there was the small talk that day last fall. "She reached over the counter and sa... posted on Mar 07 2008, 2,922 reads

An Orphan at a Time -- in 62 Countries
Take a pin, stick it in a map of the world and chances are Simin Marefat has been there. Marefat, a San Francisco nurse, has volunteered to take her health care skills to 62 countries -- mostly in the developing world -- and she's only 33. When asked why she volunteers she says: "When I see someone without basic health and education, without a supportive family, I feel a connection ... You see the... posted on Mar 03 2008, 2,069 reads

The Law of Garbage Trucks
"We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded,and missed the other car by mere inches! The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I me... posted on Mar 02 2008, 6,277 reads