Purpose Prize winner Tim Will brought broadband to Appalachia and linked local farmers with restaurants seeking gourmet fare.

A former telecommunications systems analyst brings broadband to Appalachia and lures laid-off factory workers back to farming. A retired engineering professor transforms toxic fly ash from coal-fired plants into safe, green bricks. A psychiatrist links soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan – and their families – with unlimited free, confidential therapy.

The 10 recipients of the 2009 Purpose Prize – five $100,000 winners and five $50,000 winners – are using a new stage of life after age 60 to do extraordinary things to improve life for millions of people worldwide. They are tackling some of society’s biggest challenges, from alcoholism to housing discrimination, homelessness to violence in war-torn countries.

Also selected from a record pool of more than 1,200 nominees were 49 Purpose Prize fellows who join a network of 250 social innovators who have been honored since 2006.

The five $100,000 winners are:

• Elizabeth and Stephen Alderman, both 68, of Bedford, N.Y., who are bringing mental health services to countries ravaged by terrorism, violence and war, in honor of their son, Peter, who died on 9/11.
• Judith Broder, 69, of Studio City, Calif., a psychiatrist who created an organization that recruits volunteer therapists to aid troubled veterans and active-duty military personnel and their families;
• Don Coyhis, 66, of Colorado Springs, Colo., who built a nationwide substance abuse recovery program based on his Native American beliefs and traditions;
• Henry Liu, 73, of Columbia, Mo., who creates bricks out of fly ash, the residue of coal-fired power plants; and
• Tim Will, 61, of Rutherfordton, N.C., who applied his telecommunications expertise to wiring Rutherford County and created an online ordering system that encourages restaurant owners to order directly from local farmers.

The five $50,000 winners are:

• Marcy Adelman, 63, of San Francisco, who provides affordable housing and training for service providers to support seniors in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.
• Duncan Campbell, 65, of Portland, Ore., who was brought up by alcoholic parents and now provides disadvantaged children with a caring, paid adult mentor from age 5 until adulthood.
• Ann Higdon, 69, of Dayton, Ohio, who grew up homeless, was inspired by a teacher and now helps dropouts earn diplomas while training for jobs in various sectors.
• Connie Siskowski, 63, of Boca Raton, Fla., who experienced the stress of caring for her grandfather as a preteen, and now facilitates support groups and other resources for youth caregivers.
• James Smallwood, 62, of Camden, N.J., who beat his cocaine dependency and created a nonprofit that trains ex-convicts, addicts and the homeless to work in construction while learning reading, math and job-hunting skills.

The 49 new Purpose Prize fellows, all pursuing extraordinary encore careers, will join the Purpose Prize winners at the Purpose Prize Summit at Stanford University later this month. All of the honorees will receive additional learning, networking and media opportunities.

Here’s how you can learn more:

• Read the press release.
• Watch videos of The Purpose Prize winners and share them with friends.
• Read about The Purpose Prize fellows.
• Nominate someone over 60 – or yourself – for the 2010 Purpose Prize.
• Read about Purpose Prize winners in the news.

This is the fourth year that The Purpose Prize has been awarded by Civic Ventures, a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. It is funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies and the John Templeton Foundation.