Water is key to survival. We literally can’t live without it. That stark truism is a major contributing factor in the poverty, disease and despair of hundreds of millions of people who lack access to safe drinking water – and billions more who live without adequate sanitation. The water crisis

Simplicity can have surprising power. For 70 years, the humble mission at the heart of Toys for Tots has remained constant. Through decades of dramatic social, cultural and technological changes, this Marine-led non-profit organization has remained focused on one thing and one thing only: Making sure that every disadvantaged child

It’s an open secret. In public schools struggling to provide even the most basic necessities for their students, concerned teachers have long felt compelled to step in to make up the difference. Paying from their own pockets for school/art/wellness supplies for underserved children. Spending their weekends chasing opportunities to supplement

Every morning, in kitchens and community centers across America, an army mobilizes around a lifesaving mission – to prepare and deliver millions of nourishing meals into the hands of seniors in need. Meals on Wheels is a coalition of 5,000 community-based, non-profit programs which together form a nationwide safety net

In the aftermath of a disaster, chaos and confusion reign. The familiar landscapes and routines of daily life are often altered beyond recognition, leaving victims with no idea what to do next or where to turn for help. This is the world that disaster relief teams and early responders are

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” That wise old adage has gained wide new relevance in the surprising, inspiring, ever-expanding work of Heifer International. Founded during the Spanish Civil War, Heifer International’s mission

This is how you change the world. Brick by brick. Project by project. One practical, purposeful step after another. The all-volunteer nonprofit organization, Comité Salvadoreño El Piche, has a long history of successfully implementing humanitarian projects in impoverished areas of El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras. That experience and

Sometimes a name says it all. The nonprofit organization, Malaria No More, is engaged in an audacious collaborative effort to annihilate one of the wiliest and deadliest diseases on the planet. For thousands of years, malaria has decimated populations and caused immeasurable individual suffering. A global killer, the disease is

A shot at a brighter future for Southern California youth – that’s the goal of the SCGA Junior program. From introducing rambunctious kindergartners to the joys of swinging a golf club, to providing aspiring young champions with affordable access to local links, to awarding striving students with generous scholarships for

An unlikely counter-insurgency force has infiltrated some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones. Bpeace (Business Council for Peace) is fighting the destabilizing effects of chronic poverty and violence by arming local entrepreneurs with the tools they need to boost productivity and profitability. Mobilizing experienced business professionals to mentor and

Early in the 20th century, a grand experiment was conceived, the results of which would profoundly impact the course of human civilization. In the fledgling days of communications technology (think switchboard operators and party lines), American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) threw its monopolistic might behind the audacious goal of universal communication

THOUSANDS OF YEARS AFTER HIS SHORT REIGN IN ANCIENT EGYPT, the boy king known as King Tut still inspires undying fascination across cultures and continents. The young pharaoh’s enduring fame has very little to do with his tragically short life, about which historians still know surprisingly little. It was his

IF POLITICS IS THEATER, political advance teams are the inveterate behind-the-scenes pros responsible for taking the show on the road. From directing the “optics” of events in small town cafes and big city arenas across the country, to sourcing confetti canons and union carpenters for hastily scheduled campaign stops, these

TO WIN THE AMERICA’S CUP. That singular ambition has beguiled and bedeviled a select group of sailors and schemers, boat builders and billionaires, inventors and litigators over a span of generations. Since the trophy was first awarded in 1851, the ornate sterling-silver cup has been passionately coveted and hotly contested

THE OLYMPIC GAMES ARE IN A CATEGORY ALL THEIR OWN. Every four years, thousands of the world’s finest athletes converge in one place to compete in dozens of different sports. Millions of spectators gather to cheer them on, and billions of viewers around the globe temporarily abandon normal routine to

WILDFIRE. IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT. An early-morning lightning strike on a remote ridge deep in an old growth forest. A stray spark in the tinder-dry afternoon in an isolated canyon. A minor late-night traffic accident on the outskirts of a major city. While

WHEN A RACECAR ROARS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE in a blaze of color, speed and ear-splitting sound, the spotlight is on the car and driver. But the achievement doesn’t belong to them alone. They share it with their high performance pit crew, whose training, athleticism, state-of-the-art tools and ingenious techniques

ON MAY 29TH, 1953, Edmund Hillary, a beekeeper from New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal, climbed onto the frozen, windswept summit of the highest mountain on Earth – and straight into the pages of the world’s history books. Standing alone atop Everest, these two intrepid, experienced, physically

IT ONLY TAKES A SPLIT SECOND to go from calm to crisis. On the evening of April 13th 1970, the Apollo 13 spacecraft was approximately 56 hours and 200,000 miles into its journey to the moon. Other than a smattering of people with a vital interest in the progress of this

EVERY TIME A NAVY JET CATAPULTS from the astonishingly abbreviated runway of an aircraft carrier — or snags an arresting wire at full throttle to land on a pitching deck in rough seas — it’s a soaring testament to the power of collaboration. Even among elite pilots, the act of

FINE RESTAURANTS ARE STRANGELY PARADOXICAL PLACES. The “front of the house” is all about the elegant, flawless choreography of a perfectly presented meal. Discreetly calibrated lighting, sound and setting. Seamlessly coordinated service. Brilliantly conceived and exquisitely prepared food. In a world where excellence is elusive, this is a place meant

EVERY MEMBER OF AN ACTION MOVIE CREW shares the same ultimate goal: the collective gasp of astonishment and awe from the audience in a packed movie theater. From stunt doubles to set medics, storyboard artists to cinematographers, these highly trained experts from a dizzying array of specialties join forces in