Tony Tolbert, a Harvard-educated lawyer in Los Angeles, decided to move into his mother's home so he could offer his own fully-furnished house to a homeless family of five, and give it to them rent-free for a year.
The Dearborn, Mo., couple who won a share of the largest jackpot in Powerball history plan to use their money to help a nearby community. Mark and Cindy Hill said they are helping Camden Point with new ball fields, firehouse and treatment plant.
Named an everyday Hero, Don Hanlon achieves that with a simple, but generous gesture. He walks in the doors and says, What do you need? Once each month for ten years Don has been talking trips to Sam's Club with people who are dealing with domestic violence and homelessness.
A 25-year-old dynamo who has been feeding hot meals to hundreds of families every day since Staten Island, NY was hit by Hurricane Sandy was named a Holiday Hero for her extraordinary service. Food is not the only thing that Cat Guarnieri has been supplying to Sandy victims.
Matthew Petronis sat in his dorm room on Oct. 29, watching TV in horror as his childhood home burned down. He felt helpless that night -- but not for long. Only a few hours later, Petronis set up the first fundraiser to help the neighborhood.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, New Yorkers are flocking to Rockaway Park to help one another out. The low-income Brooklyn housing project is still without power but a bakery and dairy truck are bringing free deliveries for the families.
300 veterans, some trained in crisis management, have been donating their time and skills in the hard hit Rockaway neighborhood in Queens, New York, removing debris and making life easier and safer for storm weary residents. Their organization, Team Rubicon, helps others but also helps ex-soldiers from around the country to gain a new mission in life, something to become passionate about. They've joined together to tackle the seemingly endless task of rehabilitating the homes for an entire neighborhood.
In the past year a group of cyclists in Boulder, Colorado have rescued 170,000 pounds of food that would otherwise been thrown out, transporting it directly to groups who feed the hungry.
An 80-year-old Utah man arrived on the East Coast Monday to help feed evacuees from Hurricane Sandy. Vern Gillmore, who says his hobby is volunteering, joins other Good Samaritans from around the country and Canada leaving their warm homes and heading into the eye of the storm to help neighbors they've never met.
Hundreds of doctors, firefighters, emergency personnel and volunteers are converging on the East Coast to help devastated areas with recovery efforts. Trent Smith, from Indiana expects to spend the coming days working long hours with little sleep, but he said the work will have its own rewards.
Elkhart, Indiana was hit pretty hard by the recession of 2008. But now, things will run a lot smoother, after Hollywood producer David Gundlach bequeathed his entire personal fortune to the Elkhart community foundation, which supports the county. Museums, parks and senior care facilities will all benefit from the $125 million dollar gift.
For their extraordinary efforts to help change the world and better the lives of others, 10 everyday people will receive $50,000 and a chance for much more.
A needle-in-a-haystack search by a New York City Parks Department worker willing to go the extra mile turned up a diamond ring lost in Battery Park. On the verge of giving up hope, a married couple searching the grounds spotted a city trash truck on the edge of the park and decided to leave a note asking that day's driver to help.
Kennedy Kibe lost $1,000 when the RoomStore filed for bankruptcy, but a woman who learned of his story wanted to make it right. Sue Hill contacted friends at Rolesville Furniture and paid $1,000 toward furniture for Kennedy and his family.
A $30-million philanthropic gift from an anonymous wealthy couple is allowing the City of Vancouver to reopen Taylor Manor as a home for street people with complex mental health issues.
A business owner realized, It's time to give back, after years of seeing needy people selling their stuff in his jewelry-exchange business. Rankin Paynter was shopping at a Kmart that was closing its doors in Winchester, Kentucky and decided on-the-spot to buy the rest of its contents and give it away to charity -- $200,000 worth of clothing, shoes, pharmacy items and supplies.
Before she died last September, Lelia Boroughs, 84, told her attorney she had no family to whom to leave her estate. So she crafted her will to leave her $400,000 condo to the city to turn into a homeless shelter.
A Secret Santa went to Reading, Pennsylvania, reportedly because it was the poorest city in America. His goal was to hand out $20,000 in cash to random people in thrift stores, laundromats and bus stops who look like they could use a helping hand. He chose to remain anonymous but allowed TV cameras to trail him, providing a rare glimpse into the joy that can be spread by one generous man in red tee shirt and beret.
After being fortunate enough to receive a scholarship that allowed him to get a college education, Gilbert Cisneros said he and his wife are donating some of their lottery millions to give college scholarships to Latino students in Pico Rivera who need them.
The holiday season is a time when we're inspired to give back. One way is to donate money to a good cause. Here are some great ideas that require no money.
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