Changing Lives with Inspiration, Hope: The Stories of Two Modern-Day Heroes

By Katie Norwood

The ThinkTank has always been the kind to root for the underdog – and having worked with nonprofit organizations for numerous years, we’ve seen our fair share of individuals who are in need of support and assistance. It’s just the way of the world, it seems – some people are very lucky while others are decidedly less so. So when we heard the stories below, our hearts were warmed and we found ourselves to be truly inspired both by the spirit of human perseverance and seemingly endless ability to have hope.

We’re sharing them with you now so that perhaps you too may be inspired to help someone in need, and make a difference to a life.

Global Medical Relief Fund: One child at a time

Kenan was 11 years old when he was playing soccer in his home country of Iraq, and unknowingly stepped on a landmine. The horrific explosion shattered his face, tore out his eye, and removed his right arm and left leg entirely. Seventeen years later, his life has changed immensely with the help of the Global Medical Relief Fund, which helps provide essential reconstructive surgery and prosthetic limbs to children who have been the victim of wartime violence. Kenan, now 28 is inspired to provide support to other children who have fallen victim to the horrible violence of war.

Global Medical Relief Fund founder Elissa Montanti was inspired to take action when she heard a child's plea for help asking for "God and all merciful people to help me getting prosthetics." Today, Elissa helps direct a network of volunteers around the world, and the organization has helped more than 100 injured children – one child at a time.

Read the entire article or watch the video.

Coach Bob Hurley: The Sage of St. Anthony

St. Anthony’s basketball team has had a long history of success under Coach Bob Hurley, having won 23 state championships and three national titles – despite the fact that the school’s facilities are far from state of the art. Housed in an old building in a rundown neighborhood in Jersey City, NJ, the small Catholic school doesn’t even have a proper gym for its students. But that fact has never stopped Coach Hurley, who has over the years has passed up lucrative jobs coaching college basketball in order to change lives of students in the inner city. Known for running the most physically intense high school basketball practices in the country, Coach Hurley has managed to inspire his players to be the best for years.

And against all odds, it seems that the schools’ excellence extends beyond sports and into the classroom: for the past 17 years, 100 % of the school’s seniors have been accepted into college – a tremendous success rate, especially considering that many of the schools’ 240 students come from families living at or below the poverty level.

Read the entire article or watch the video.