“Local Researcher Honored for Life of Activism,” by Katie Meyer, The Daily Californian, December 8, 2008.

Prominent UC Berkeley alumna Arlene Blum was awarded the Purpose Prize Friday by a non-profit group for her lifelong efforts to ban toxins used in household products.

“Rhode Islander Awarded Purpose Prize,” By Andy Smith, The Providence Journal, December 7, 2008

Barbara Cervone had an important job. In 1994, she stepped down from her position as an associate director of the Rhode Island Community Foundation to take a job coordinating a $500-million grant from Walter H. Annenberg to improve American schools, known as The Annenberg Challenge.

“Immigrant Wins Award For Scholarship Work,” by Nancy Mullane, All Things Considered (National Public Radio), December 5, 2008.

A Mexican immigrant gardener in the Bay Area has just been awarded a $100,000 National Purpose Prize for his work raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to send Hispanic kids to college.

Catalino Tapia saved all his money to send his son to college. When his son graduated, he got the idea to create Bay Area Gardeners Foundation to help other Hispanic youth get a college education.

“The Purpose Driven Second Life,” by Steven Waldman, BeliefNet, Friday December 5, 2008.

At Rikers Island, a massive prison in New York City, 66 percent of released prisoners end up coming back after committing a new crime. Jack Goldsmith, a former cosmetic industry executive, heard about this when he was volunteering there.

“Editorial: Little Invention, Big Impact,” Wilmington (N.C.) Star-News, Friday, December 5, 2008.

Think one person can’t change the world? You’re wrong. Wilmington resident Jock Brandis took a simple peanut sheller design, adapted it for cheap, long-term use and delivered it to a friend working in a poor community in Mali. The resulting hand-cranked contraption, according to just about everyone who’s seen it, can feed a village.

“Second Careers, With Purpose: These prize-winning retirees help ex-cons, rural farmers, the environment,” By Andrea Coombes, MarketWatch, December 4, 2008.

Some people give to charitable organizations. Others start their own.

“Couple Receives National Award for Truth Panel Work,” by Sonja Elmquist, Greensboro (N.C.) News-Record, December 4, 2008.

The Rev. Nelson Johnson has been awarded a prize given to people over 60, for work rooted in the events of his youth — and which carries on today. Johnson, 65, and his wife, Joyce, 62, will accept a 2008 Purpose Prize awarded by Civic Ventures, a national think tank on baby boomers, work and social purpose.

“In some sense I’ve been doing this work all of my life,” Nelson Johnson said. “But there is a certain amount of wisdom that can come with years. You learn yourself better. You learn your neighbor better.”

“UA Prof Wins $10K Prize for Positive World Impact,” by Stephanie Innes, Arizona Daily Star, December 3, 2008.

An assistant dean in the University of Arizona’s College of Engineering has won a prestigious Purpose Prize, awarded to Americans over 60 who have made a positive impact on their communities and the world.

Ray Umashankar’s $10,000 honor was announced by Civic Ventures, a national think tank focusing on baby boomers, work and social purpose. The prize is part of the Encore Careers campaign, which aims to engage boomers in second careers that combine social impact and personal meaning.

Arlene Blum Awarded 2008 Purpose Prize,” The Berkeley Daily Planet, December 4, 2008.

Berkeley resident Arlene Blum, founder of the Green Science Policy Institute and leader of the first American expedition, comprised entirely of women, to climb Annapurna, will receive $100,000 for her work mobilizing scientists, government, industry and consumers to protect health by reducing toxins in our homes and the environment, as one of the 15 winners of the 2008 Purpose Prize, according to Civic Ventures, which awards the prize.

The Green Science Policy Institute provides unbiased scientific research information to government, industry and non-governmental organizations to facilitate informed decision-making about chemicals, and works on global scientifically sound chemical policy.

“Professor’s Work Erases Technological Barriers: Projects to help deaf, blind benefit everyone,” By Tom Paulson, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 3, 2008.

For Richard Ladner, it isn’t so much about helping people who are blind or deaf get better use of technology as it is about working with people who have disabilities to help us all get better use out of technology.

“Older Nonprofit Workers Get $100,000 Awards for Their Work,” By Heather Joslyn, Chronicle of Philanthropy, December 3, 2008.

Six nonprofit workers in their 60s and 70s today have been announced as the winners of the third annual Purpose Prizes, given by Civic Ventures, a nonprofit group in San Francisco that promotes projects that use the skills and experience of older Americans.

“Purpose Prize for 3 Working to Change Society,” by Meredith May, San Francisco Chronicle, December 3, 2008.

Three Bay Area Baby Boomers who are changing the world in “encore careers” have been selected for the national Purpose Prize, given to social entrepreneurs over 60.

“Seniors With ‘Purpose’ Win Prizes,” By Janet Kornblum, USA Today, December 3, 2008.

The winners are a diverse lot: a former movie industry worker who used his skill to invent an inexpensive peanut sheller to help the poor in the developing world; a retired professor who’s organized volunteers to help teach English to refugees; and a former New York executive who is helping give life skills and job guidance to ex-prisoners.

“UA Dean Helps Kids Break Away From India’s Sex Trade: Ray Umashankar awarded national prize for his work,” by Renee Schafer Horton, Tucson Citizen, December 2, 2008.

Ray Umashankar doesn’t scour The Wall Street Journal and Fortune magazine for business news. He reads them looking for Indian surnames among the lists of company CEOs.

Those names in hand, Umashankar creates a list of possible e-mail handles for each CEO and sends messages into the Internet ether until he gets what he’s after: funding to break the cycle of poverty and desperation of the children of India’s sex workers.

“Wilmington’s Full Belly Founder Awarded $100,000 Prize,” By Ben Steelman, Wilmington Star News, Decembet 3, 2008.

A Wilmington inventor who came up with “the Holy Grail of sustainable agriculture” has received a $100,000 prize from a nonprofit seeking to encourage seniors and baby boomers to take up “encore careers” in public service.

“Fargo Woman Receives National Award for Work,” by Patrick Springer, The Forum, December 3, 2008.

Michele McRae eagerly anticipated the freedoms of retirement and the flexibility it would provide to travel abroad. She would go to Ireland to visit family and to France and Australia to visit old friends.

But McRae has mostly stayed in Fargo since she retired seven years ago, directing a program called Giving+Learning that matches volunteer mentors with new Americans who need help learning English.