In one of those dizzying urban disparities that characterize life in Gotham, longtime New York magazine restaurant critic Gael Greene awoke one morning in 1981 after "a horrible $200 meal" to read how homebound seniors on government-funded food programs regularly go hungry on weekends and holidays. "It was not bearable," Greene remembers. After a round of calls, she'd netted "$30,000 and 700 chickens"—Christmas dinner for several thousand. That effort evolved into Citymeals-on-Wheels, a nonprofit that served 2 million home-delivered meals in 2003. "I've turned from that obnoxious person who thought she knew everything into a quasi saint," Greene laughs. "And I never feel guilty about not finishing everything on my plate."

*The name of this award was originally the Impact Award. In 2008, the awards were renamed as the Inspire Awards.