How a Colorado family launched a Christmas toy hack-a-thon for children with disabilities that has gone global

Fresh Hub was created by twin high school sisters to address food insecurity and the environmental impact of food waste. Volunteers collect unsold food from grocery stores and bakeries and give it to residents living in “food deserts.” They use a smartphone app and automated messages to alert residents when food is available, which is distributed at community centers. Partnering with Second Servings, a nonprofit already doing similar work, allowed them access to vans, equipment, and important insight. Since 2017, they have led 23 events, kept 15,200 pounds of food out of landfills, and served 1,900 people.

The Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria enrolled 200 children living in Koro Afoju in a primary school near their homes. They covered the families' costs for Parents/Teachers Association levies and they provided the students with uniforms, textbooks, and other learning materials. The children live in a settlement that was established for people who are blind and have largely met their daily subsistence needs by begging on the street. Parents expressed optimism for their children’s opportunity to redefine their futures rather than joining their parents on the street.

A nonprofit in India is offering sex education to blind and visually impaired women who don't receive this instruction in their standard curriculum. The goal is to empower and encourage safe and fulfilling relationships for the young women, who are more likely than their peers to be victims of sexual assault.

Angel Rider Wheelchairs provides free wheelchairs to children across Rwanda. The group constructs and distributes the wheelchairs themselves and coordinates with the National Council of Persons with Disabilities, who provides a list of children nominated to receive one. Access to the wheelchairs have changed the quality of life for many of the children, allowing them to attend school and other social activities for the first time in their lives. The non-profit has donated over 2,000 wheelchairs in the last five years.

Good Grocer, a grocery store in Minneapolis, is a nonprofit run by volunteers who receive an additional discount on groceries for their work. The store’s food outlet offers discounts of up to 70% and provides affordable, healthy foods to combat food insecurity.

Bangladesh has developed a multi-layered early warning system for disasters that includes good weather monitoring equipment, communication systems to broadcast warnings, and importantly, a network of trusted volunteers – half of which are women – who go out into communities to share information and urge people to evacuate to shelters. The opportunity has also empowered women, both as volunteers and with the ability to make the decision to evacuate during a natural disaster.

The volunteer-run Vegan Kitchen of Ukraine project provides vegan meals for displaced people in cities across the country and sends meal packages to soldiers. The volunteers prepare the food in their homes or during donated time at local kitchens.

Yonkers Partners in Education is a nonprofit making college more accessible for low-income students of color through mentorship and tutoring.

Health Care Advocates International’s free breast binder program provides binders to transgender youths by donating them to local clinics or paying to ship them. The binders help prevent body dysphoria triggers by creating a flat-chest appearance.

Community Rebuilds is a nonprofit that builds affordable and efficient housing – suitable for Moab’s very hot summers and very cold winters - while educating natural builders in the process. Anyone who is interested in construction, regardless of their previous experience, is welcome to intern at their sites to learn about natural building processes. The organization has built 52 strawbale homes since they started, a healthy and natural material that costs about half of what other new construction is per square foot. The program requires homeowners to volunteer about 20 hours a week building homes.