Truck and Barter

Independence Day greetings to our American readers. The world needs you more than ever. Newsweek celebrates a few of those Americans who’re trying to make the world a better place; "Giving Back Awards" in recognition of people who, through bravery or generosity, genius or passion, devote themselves to helping others (via World Resources Institute blog);

Benita Singh and Ruth Degolia- Mercado Global
Their company will raise $600,000 this year to send Guatemalan kids to school.

Pierre Omidyar
He's using his $10 billion fortune to help people 'tap into their own power.'
"Business can be a force for good," he says. "You can make the world a better place and make money at the same time."

Randy Rusk - A conservative rancher stands up for his land by forging an unlikely alliance.
"People are starting to realize that open space is valuable—no matter what developers think,"

Brad Pitt
He lured the paparazzi to Africa, where people really needed the attention.
"Industrialized nations cost Africa three times what we give it in aid," he says. "We buy their coffee beans, but we don't let them process the beans, which is where the real money is. So what we're doing is digging a hole for them that they can't get out of, and then throwing a little money in the hole. The odds are just stacked against them."

Rick Warren
Mobilizing Christians worldwide to heal the sick and feed the hungry It starts as an ordinary success story.

Aaron Dworkin, Sphinx Organization
A violinist whose life is introducing the music he loves to inner-city children.
"You can't complain about something," he says, "unless you're doing something about it."

Boys & Girls Clubs
On its 100th birthday, this group stays relevant by caring for new groups of poor kids.
"They reach young people everywhere," says Frances Hesselbein of the Leader to Leader Institute, a former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. "They're one of the most outstanding and successful social-sector organizations in the country."

Ruby Jones
As Katrina raged, this nurse whispered comfort to her dying patients.
"We are like a family at the end," she says. "You don't just abandon them."

Soledad O'Brien
In a drowning city, who spoke out for those in despair? She did.
"When something happens, say your kid has a temper tantrum, you say, 'OK, this doesn't rise to the level of disaster.' Nothing is going to upset me in my personal life."

Target
When it comes to giving time, talent and cash, this stylish retailer hits the bull's-eye.
In good years and bad, Target donates 5 percent of its pretax profits—more than twice the average of corporate America. That equals about $2 million a week, or $101 million last year. "Other companies wonder how Target does it," says Ian Wilhelm, who covers corporate giving for the Chronicle of Philanthropy. "They ask me to ask them how they get that much money out the door."