Everyday Heroes 50 Americans Changing the World One Nonprofit at a Time

In the tradition of The Last Good Warand Gay in America, Welcome Books proudly presents American Heroes: Everyday People Changing the World. This groundbreaking visual book introduces you to the stories and causes of 50 courageous individuals who have made an astonishing difference in the lives of others. From environmental activists who have rallied the support of hundreds of volunteers to bring such necessities as clean drinking water, economic support, and urgent medical care to third world countries, to educational leaders who are using their gifts to elevate the opportunities of the poor and disadvantaged, to crusaders of equal rights and women's advocacy, and many many more. First-person narratives, written by Katrina Fried, share a unique view into the journeys of these heroes and their causes. These are stories of tenacity, passion, innovation, and daring, of regular people who've made an exceptional impact on those in need, often at great personal or financial sacrifice. You will hear the astonishing story of Nancy Lubin, who as a young law student in 1998 inherited $5000 from her grandmother and with it founded Dress for Success, and organization that has grown to help millions of disadvantaged women re-enter the work force, and Susan Roshi who after 15 years in and out of the justice system rehabilitated herself and started A New Way of Life, which provides housing and support services to formerly incarcerated women in South Central Los Angeles, facilitating a successful transition back to community life, to Robert Bullard, often called the "father of environmental justice", Eve Ensler, a playwright and activist to end violence against women, and Scott Harrison, who spent ten years living the lavish life of a party promoter in New York, when he suddenly decided to give it all up to found charity: water, an organization which has now brought clean drinking water to nearly a million people in developing nations around the world. As he did in the award-winning book American Farmer, photographer Paul Mobley brings a grace and epic quality to these portraits of extraordinary "ordinary" heroes. Traveling the country to capture his subjects where they live and work, Mobley has created a body of images that harnesses the universal spirit and energy of giving, yet each individual portrait is as unique as its subject.

Katrina Fried has previously written American Farmer, and as Senior Editor and Associate Publisher of Welcome Books has written, edited or produced numerous award-winning and bestselling titles including: The Oxford Project, Gay in America, The Last Good War, Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town, Cooking with Italian Grandmothers, Primal Cuts, On The Street, and Red Carpet. Creating unique visual narratives that push the boundaries and traditional limitations of illustrated books is her greatest passion. She lives and works in New York City and Northern California.

Paul Mobley's early training as a photographer began at Detroit's Center for Creative Studies, and continued in the New York studios of such leading photographers as Annie Leibovitz and David Langley, where he apprenticed for many years before embarking on his own career. His first book, American Farmer: Portraits from the Heartland, was a multiple-award-winning collection of portraits that captured the soul of our nation's farm communities. Mobley has successfully worked with a broad range of corporate, advertising, and editorial clients, including American Express, Sony, Citigroup, Ford, Compaq, Gourmet, Max Factor, Microsoft, and many others.

8 Foreword Arianna Huffington
10 Introduction Katrina Fried
12 Brahm Ahmadi People’s Grocery
16 Lindsay Avner Bright Pink
20 Charles Best DonorsChoose.org
24 Enid Borden Meals On Wheels Association of America
28 Adam Braun Pencils of Promise
32 Dr. Robert D. Bullard Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, Texas Southern University
36 Susan Burton A New Way of Life Reentry Project
40 Geoffrey Canada Harlem Children’s Zone
44 Eugene Cho One Day’s Wages
48 Taryn Davis American Widow Project
54 Michael Dimock Roots of Change
58 Robert Egger D.C. Central Kitchen
62 Abigail Falik Global Citizen Year
66 Harold P. Freeman, M.D. The Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute
70 Raymond Gant The Ray of Hope Project
74 Mark Goldsmith Getting Out and Staying Out
78 Roshi Joan Halifax Upaya Zen Center
82 Kathryn Hall-Trujillo Birthing Project USA–The Underground Railroad for New Life
86 Darell Hammond KaBOOM!
90 Scott Harrison charity: water
94 Doc Hendley Wine to Water
98 Sarah Elizabeth Ippel Academy for Global Citizenship
102 Jessica Jackley Kiva.org
106 Carolyn Jones 100 People Foundation
110 Dean Kamen FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
114 Patrick Lawler Youth Villages
118 James Lecesne The Trevor Project
122 Dr. Susan Love Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation
126 Adam Lowy Move For Hunger
130 Nancy Lublin DoSomething.org
134 Anne Mahlum Back on My Feet
138 Brother Bob Malloy Capuchin Soup Kitchen
142 Ben Mangan EARN
146 Rebecca Onie Health Leads
150 Catherine Oppenheimer National Dance Institute of New Mexico
154 Roy Prosterman Landesa
158 Linda Rottenberg Endeavor
162 Eric Schwarz Citizen Schools
166 Jay Scott Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
170 Earl Shorris The Clemente Course in the Humanities®
174 Cameron Sinclair Architecture for Humanity
178 Chuck Slaughter Living Goods
182 The Reverend Stan J. Sloan Chicago House and Social Service Agency
186 Gary Slutkin, M.D. CeaseFire
190 Mike Utley The Mike Utley Foundation
194 David Vanderpool, M.D. Mobile Medical Disaster Relief
198 Jill Vialet Playworks
202 Dan Wallrath Operation FINALLY HOME
204 Wynona Ward Have Justice–Will Travel
208 Michael Weinstein AIDS Healthcare Foundation
212 Jim Ziolkowski buildOn
216 Irene Zola Lifeforce in Later Years (LiLY)
220 Afterword Paul Mobley
222 Everyday Heroes Nonprofit Directory
224 Acknowledgments