Andy Moore, a 61-year-old plastic surgeon in Lexington, Kentucky, started "Surgery on Sunday". The program provides free outpatient surgical care to uninsured Kentuckians. Hospital space is donated; surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists and receptionists volunteer; and donations and private foundations cover the cost. With approximately 1,500 patients on the waiting list, patients are seen based on the urgency of their conditions - with gall bladder, hernia and colonoscopies being the most frequent procedures. On the third Sunday of every month since 2005, more than 3,100 of the working poor have been treated - making Surgery on Sunday's abbreviation very appropriate - SOS.
Allen Whittamore, a resident of Dover, England, died at the age of 85 from emphysema. Because he attributed his lung disease to smoking as a youth, his dying wish was to warn young people about the dangers of smoking. To do this Whittamore had signs made that looked like the health warning on a pack of cigarettes. The signs read, "Smoking Killed Me". The signs were placed in the windows of his hearse and on his grave. Although the signs were only temporary, Whittamore succeeded in making it clear that the consequences of smoking can be permanent.
Luis Soriano is a 38-year-old primary school teacher in Columbia. At the beginning of his 17-year career, he realized children from rural villages couldn't do their homework because they didn't have access to books. That's when the teacher started "biblioburro" - a mobile library carried on 2 donkeys. Soriano rides to 15 villages on a rotating basis. Twice a week he leaves his family and travels up to 4 hours both ways to bring approximately 120 books to waiting children. Since its conception in 1990 more than 4,000 children have benefited from biblioburro by "burroing" books.
Tim King founded Urban Prep Charter Academy in 2006. Four years later all 107 seniors were accepted to 4-year colleges. UPCA is a public high school in one of Chicago's toughest neighborhoods and open to all by lottery. Each freshman receives a watch to eliminate lateness as an excuse, it's all-male to eliminate female distractions and jackets and ties are required. There's an 8-hour school day and a curriculum including 4 years of math, 4 of science, 4 of social studies, 3 of foreign languages and 2 English classes daily. In 2006 only 4% of the class read at grade level. Now they all "made the grade".
Allen Whittamore, a resident of Dover, England, died at the age of 85 from emphysema. Because he attributed his lung disease to smoking as a youth, his dying wish was to warn young people about the dangers of smoking. To do this Whittamore had signs made that looked like the health warning on a pack of cigarettes. The signs read, "Smoking Killed Me". The signs were placed in the windows of his hearse and on his grave. Although the signs were only temporary, Whittamore succeeded in making it clear that the consequences of smoking can be permanent.
Luis Soriano is a 38-year-old primary school teacher in Columbia. At the beginning of his 17-year career, he realized children from rural villages couldn't do their homework because they didn't have access to books. That's when the teacher started "biblioburro" - a mobile library carried on 2 donkeys. Soriano rides to 15 villages on a rotating basis. Twice a week he leaves his family and travels up to 4 hours both ways to bring approximately 120 books to waiting children. Since its conception in 1990 more than 4,000 children have benefited from biblioburro by "burroing" books.
Tim King founded Urban Prep Charter Academy in 2006. Four years later all 107 seniors were accepted to 4-year colleges. UPCA is a public high school in one of Chicago's toughest neighborhoods and open to all by lottery. Each freshman receives a watch to eliminate lateness as an excuse, it's all-male to eliminate female distractions and jackets and ties are required. There's an 8-hour school day and a curriculum including 4 years of math, 4 of science, 4 of social studies, 3 of foreign languages and 2 English classes daily. In 2006 only 4% of the class read at grade level. Now they all "made the grade".
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