Tim Dempsey's job is to get kids in school, but in the process he sees a lot of families struggling to keep food on the table. “Could you look in a kid’s face that is hungry and tell them no? ... It is impossible," he said.

New Directions Case Manager Joe Ledesma shares how he went from living in the organization's sober living facility to helping those who are in the same position he once was in.

The Very Rev. Paul Carlson told Rauh that if she wanted to feed the hungry, then there’s no place like home to start. Carlson was the pastor at St. Patrick Catholic Church, where Rauh is an active member, and people in need regularly knocked on the door seeking food donations.

Meet Joshua Jahn. His wife and two small children were struck and killed by a drunk driver in 2008. He's spent most of the past two decades speaking to DUI convicts and getting them to rethink their decisions.

If the thousands of animals that have spent time at the Tails Humane Society animal shelter in DeKalb could talk, they’d surely say Nancy Rigler is among their heroes. Rigler, 77, of DeKalb, has been a Tails volunteer for half a century.

The non-profit is a member of Lions International, which aims to help children and adults with hearing and vision impairments. It started in 1936 as a group of downtown Dixon businessmen.

Founded in 1979 officially, Operation St. Nick has been a staple of Grundy County since the early 80s, relying entirely on funding from its annual Christmas radio auction.

Dennis Swinton’s volunteer work has included the Rochelle Kiwanis Golden K Club, the Boy Scouts, the Rochelle Moose Lodge and the Masonic Lodge.