The human spirit is a force to be reckoned with — for generations, people have been coming together to combat hunger, poverty, war and the many hardships humanity has seen since the very beginning. Countless people have given everything they have to good causes, and some have even gone to great lengths to develop charities and non-profit organizations with the sole intent of helping others. These people are known as philanthropists, and industry leaders like Charles Phillips make a point to recognize those who would do right by their fellow man. Here are three philanthropists and philanthropy groups that have worked tirelessly to make the world a better place.
Paul Walker – Reach Out Worldwide
While famously known for his roles in movies such as the Fast & Furious series, the late Paul Walker was the founder of Reach Out Worldwide. This nonprofit is dedicated to bringing first responders and emergency relief to areas that have been ravaged by natural disasters the moment the disaster is broadcasted; starting with the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Paul Walker and fellow volunteer doctors, nurses, firefighters, paramedics and construction workers have responded to over 30 major natural disasters worldwide. Alongside clearing out debris, distributing emergency supplies, rescuing and providing victims with medical care, ROWW has raised over $230,000 to provide disaster victims with relief.
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore – Thorn
Two celebrity names that have been popular for years, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher founded Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children together in 2009. The major goal of this anti-human trafficking organization is to identify and remove child sexual abuse material from the Internet while making the online world safer for children and more difficult to exploit for predators. Thorn’s own Technology Task Force has partnered with Google, Facebook, Microsoft and many other major corporations to identify and remove over 100,000 depictions of child pornography from the web.
Brian May, Roger Taylor and Jim Beach – Mercury Phoenix Trust
Legendary rock singer Freddie Mercury inspired fans everywhere in spite of his difficult battle with AIDS — he also inspired fellow Queen band members Brian May, Roger Taylor and band manager Jim Beach to establish the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting HIV/AIDS research across the globe. The MPT, founded in 1992 with the proceeds from a tribute concert in Freddie’s memory, has raised over $22 million for more than 100,000 research organizations in 57 countries. For every pound sterling (1.32 USD) donated, the Trust ensures that over 93% is specifically allocated to fund medical research for a cure.
The world can be a dark and difficult place, but some have taken it upon themselves to help find a silver lining. These and many other philanthropy groups have dedicated years of time, effort and hard work to bring aid to those in need, and each of these organizations are still battling for their respective causes today. If you are interested in donating or otherwise supporting the cause, visit the organization’s website to learn more about how you can do your part.