Upstanders

In the United States, 40 percent of the food supply is wasted. College student Maria Rose Belding created a web-based solution that saves tens of thousands of pounds of food each year.

After spending his teenage years in and out of jail, Robert Clark turned his life around. Now he’s committed himself to helping the at-risk youth of Newark do the same, by leading them in building homes for poor families.

Seventeen-year-old Destiny Watford’s decision to stand up for her community and oppose the construction of an incinerator led to an improbable series of events that would stun her neighbors and everyone connected with the project.

John D’Eri set out to find a job for his autistic son, Andrew. His journey led him to open a car wash where 85 percent of the employees are on the autism spectrum — and business is booming.

Susan Burton, who spent years in prison, is determined to keep other female ex-convicts from returning to prison by giving them a place to live that’s free of drugs, alcohol and abusive relationships. She has helped hundreds of them start new lives.