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Gael Greene, Concerned Citizen

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.