Anne Mahlum, 27
Home base: Philadelphia
Day job: Marketing consultant
Why she's an Action Figure: In July 2007, Mahlum started Back on My Feet (backonmyfeet.org ), a nonprofit running club for residents of local homeless shelters.

Sudden genius: "Every morning, I'd run past this homeless shelter, where the guys sitting outside would wave as I passed. Eventually they would joke with me, 'Do you ever stop?' Then one day I literally stopped in my tracks and thought, 'Why am I just running by these guys? Maybe I can help them.' When I got home, I e-mailed Dick McMillen, the shelter's executive director, and proposed starting a running club to help the men get healthier. When Dick mentioned it to the 35 residents, nine of them [ages 28 to 57] signed up on the spot. I reached out to more shelters soon after."

Goal standard: "People said I was crazy, that these guys would quit after 2 weeks. I let the runners know that I wanted them to smash these stereotypes and accomplish something great. So they all wrote down their goals (like, 'run 5 miles') and signed a 'dedication contract.' Then the owners of Philadelphia Runner, a local athletic shop, donated sneakers."

Making marathoners: "We started in July, running a mile every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:45 a.m. By November, five runners were ready for the Philadelphia Half Marathon and 16 were ready for the event's 8K. The best part is, people don't look at us like, 'That person's homeless and that person's not.' We're just a group of runners."

Human race: "I had no idea what to expect from this running program. When I hear how they used to wake up with a drink, go to bed with a drink, and hope that God would take their lives, it breaks my heart. Now they tell me how good they feel. That's amazing. They have hope again."

Act Now!

1. Women at work
Ever wanted to rock a hard hat, wield a power tool, and whistle at hotties? Here's your chance: Help build a home for a low-income family through Habitat for Humanity's Women Build program (habitat.org/wb).

2. Class action
Tutor homeless kids for an hour a week through the nonprofit School on Wheels (schoolonwheels.org), available in California, Indiana, and Massachusetts. To send bookbags, e-mail donate@schoolonwheels.org.

See other Action Figures.

Do you know someone who is making a difference? Email us at actionfigures@womenshealthmag.com.