Connecting people in need.

Wish Upon A Hero is a very special site which was conceived by a very special man, Dave Girgenti.

Shortly after the September 11th attacks on New York City and from his home in NJ, Girgenti watched as thousands of people posted pictures of missing loved ones throughout the city.

He thought there had to be a faster, more organized way to connect people in need. That was the moment in which the idea was born.

Less than five years later, Hurricane Katrina created a similar catastrophic event in New Orleans where hundreds of thousands of people needed immediate help.

This time it wasn’t just about locating loved ones. Hurricane victims needed everything from health care services, food, fresh water, clothing and shelter.

It became clear that Wish Upon a Hero needed to become more than an idea. Over the next two years, Girgenti exhausted every resource at his disposal to create an online community that offered a platform for people to help people.

The site has grown from helping to reunite families to granting wishes big and small ? so far, more than 34,000 requests have been granted.

Cast a Wish

Wish Upon A Hero is completely free to its users, allowing everyone who registers the opportunity to cast up to three wishes at a time.

Because Wish Upon A Hero is designed to help everyone, wishes can be big or small, elaborate or simple, based on financial need or just asking for a simple favor.

Be a Hero

Wish Upon A Hero is a unique venue for any individual, organization, or company looking to make a difference in someone?s life, or the lives of countless people.

Heroes come in all ages and from all walks of life. All of us, from our nation?s most powerful corporations to individual philanthropists, and those with limited financial means, can be someone?s hero:

• A man who buys uniforms for his town?s little league team.
• A plastic surgeon brings his skill to the aid of an uninsured breast cancer survivor.
• A national appliance retailer that donates a refrigerator to a single mom with a newborn.
• A groundskeeper at Yankee stadium who helps a woman fulfill her father?s lifelong dream of throwing a single pitch across home plate.
• A group of 8th graders that rally behind a fellow student whose home was lost in a fire.

Once a wish is granted, the hero can choose to remain anonymous, or be formally recognized on the Wish Upon A Hero website.

To become a hero, you can visit Dave?s website, www.WishUponAHero.com

Anne Mahlum - CNN Hero

I was first drawn to Ann’s story by way of the CNN Heroes initiative. This is a brilliant program which focuses on ordinary people making extraordinary contributions. They search the globe for people whose selflessness, dedication and achievement are making a difference and positively impacting the world.

Ann’s story goes like this at 5 a.m. on any given day, she could be found running the dark streets of Philadelphia — with homeless men cheering her on as she passed their shelter. But one morning during the spring of 2007, she stopped in her tracks.

It’s a day that changed her life and, in the time since, has changed hundreds of others. Her decision has even saved a few lives, like that of James Singletary – a man who thought he lost it all until he found Anne and the group she founded, Back on My Feet.

Ann Mahlum had learned long ago that running brought her confidence, strength and self-esteem. Believing that it could also promote self-sufficiency in the homeless population, Mahlum did not go at the problem in the traditional manner.

No direct goal to provide anyone food – no move to provide anyone shelter. Just an addict who understood addiction and how to channel it.

A young lady who had in mind the idea to provide these homeless men a community, a place that could foster some respect while teaching discipline and teamwork. A place where they could feel a sense of support.

And then, once that community was in place, Mahlum provided, through her own example, the motivation needed for these men to move towards self-sufficiency.

For Mahlum, it wasn’t just about running; it was about creating a community that helped each of these individuals regain their dignity; it was about a process that was complete only when each of them has a stable job and a place to live.

But make no mistake about it, for Mahlum, running was the catalyst.

From the “Back on My Feet” web site:

“Running is one of the most empowering activities there is because there is no end. There is always another mile, another road, another right turn. There is no buzzer and there is no referee. It has taught me so much about life, especially the simple notion that to get anywhere, you have to take it one step at a time.”

If you have any doubts about this young lady and her motives, you must watch her acceptance speech from November of last year when she was honored with a CNN Heroes award.