welcome to the beautiful u.s. biotannic garden here in washington, d.c. where each year volunteers offer so much of their time to help with things like the lovely holiday displays and that makes it a fitting place for our program, "giving in focus." i'm tom foreman and once again the fine photo journalists here at cnn have spread out across the country to capture stories

of generosity not just during the holidays but throughout the year. let's start with this story about a young boy with a terrible illness, a wish upon the stars and the folks who made it come true. >> where we are right now is in goldvein, virginia. population about 200. we'll double that population today. >> we are making magic. >> today is all about lane. >> lane is 11 years old. he has muscular dystrophy. >> my son made a wish with the make-a-wish foundation. they approved to build him a star wars fort. >> attention to detail is

incredible. >> and they are making that happen today. >> just flip it. it will be fine. >> we will all scream at the appropriate time. >> what do you think, scout? >> pretty cool. i mean there's a lot of people, storm troopers scouting. i don't know many kids that have a bunker in their backyard. >> he has no idea. it's super exciting that so many people came together to do something for someone they don't know. >> am i in heaven? aim dead? aim dead? >> great. >> this is going to be only house on the block with stars. [ applause ] >> heart warming. everybody is like an angel to us. it's just so much goodwill. >> sometimes what people need in the way of help is not so extraordinary they just need an opportunity. that's what d.c. central kitchen

is all about. photojournalist jeremy moorhead has that story. >> i hall return. this should be enough. >> born and raised in washington, d.c. early on in my life, again, i watched too many gangster movies. robbing banks. that was a thrill. who is running from the feds. we just rob whatever bank we could. finally they caught up with us. they gave me 20 years. when i did get out things were different. i just didn't feel as though i was a part of society. thanks to d.c. central kitchen and the opportunities that they gave me. they actually changed my life. so began my transformation. >> the thing that's unique about d.c. central kitchen, it is a community kitchen. >> we make 5,000 meals every day

and they go out to breakfast meals on the street. all the city shelters. >> all right, we're in business. >> and with that meal goes the message that back at home in our kitchen is a 14 week program that will get men and women back on their feet with a culinary job training program and they leave with jobs. >> i come in. i get my route sheet. >> got two, four, six. >> healthy corn serious an interesting program. i think since the last five years have been a big focus on healthier meals for us -- >> i'm making a significant difference in the community by providing these items. >> there's been an interest in getting this healthy product into the corner stores that are in the food deserts all around d.c. food desert is an area where they do not have access to good local product. >> instead of being able to go into the store and getting chips and cookies and things of nature

we're trying to provide them with alternative ways of eating. >> he's been a friends of mine for a long time. i remember him coming through as a student. he's been through every aspect of the kitchen. we thought he was the perfect candidate to take on healthy corners because he knows the community. >> it was all about fresh product. >> when you know around someone long enough changing their life and they become a better person it makes you want to do the same in your life. >> when we return, gifts that reach far beyond the lives of the gives. kindness that flows like wine and a dog's life, how it has filled the air with hope. when "giving in focus" continues.

many families with a loved one facing the end of life come to learn about hospice care, people specializing in dealing with the hard realities of dying and the emotional struggles along the way. it's difficult, delicate work but many hospice volunteers say they can think of no better way of giving.

as photojournalist barry found when he traveled with a hospice worker in maryland. >> it's me. hi. >> i do more inpatient care where you go into people's homes and usually give the caregiver a break. it's too early for your pills. >> with each patient it's different. you just have to find out what they are comfortable with. >> what do you want to do today? how about your nails? >> with joyce, she's not alone in this journey that she's on. >> give me your hand. which one should we start on. >> people are there for her. and care about her. and want to make her life easier. >> good afternoon, montgomery hospice, can i help you. >> i'm looking for volunteers who don't look for fame, who don't look for being important, who don't look for being wanting

to be loved. we're looking for somebody who truly is wanting to give back and understand that the person will die. >> need oxygen. >> up need oxygen. >> for many patients it's the last friend they make in their life. >> people like bonnie that will bend over backwards and do things for them. >> i now look at death differently as being a part of the whole life process. and i don't think i understood that until i started doing hospice work. >> yes. wonderful relationship. >> life is a journey and death is the end of that journey. >> what we're doing is trying to, as we say in hospice gentle the journey. >> when the holidays are upon us many people swear by the quality of wine to warm the body as well as the heart.

but one winery in northern california has a unique claim on that front. it's helping fund heart research, saving lives one glass at a time and how that came to be is quite a story from photojournalist jeff king. >> california is a special state because of the land first and foremost. this is in the heart of napa valley. in some of the best primo aaa cabernet land anywhere. john le duc was an impressive businessman. his father and grandfather both died in their 50s from heart disease. and he had a little problem with his own ticker. and had, what was at the time very cutting-edge heart bypass surgery at the mayo clinic.

so he wanted to give something back. so he created the foundation. the le duc foundation funds international cardiovascular and neurovascular research. when i was hired here my marching orders were to make great wine, take care of the property, take care of the brand, take care of the personnel and send a check back to the foundation. the money is substantial. it really allows significant amount of research to be performed. the ultimate goal is to treat newborns that are born with the most devastating type of congenital heart disease and improve their lives dramatically. the goal ultimately is that these children 20 years ago had absolutely no prognosis go on to live long fruitful lives. >> i didn't come here to be a do

gooder. i came here because i knew i could make world class wine from this land on top of all that to be owned by this foundation and return all of our profits to support international cardiovascular research is just astounding. if you look carefully and turn that sideways you'll see there's a little heart in the e. it's first and foremost about the wine but we love that little heart. >> in just a moment we'll be back with one high school student who is teaching his own lesson about changing lives. "giving in focus" continues. ca. what's in your wallet?

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( laughing ) it's actually a pretty good day when you consider. that's great. sometimes even in the holiday season things don't go quite as we planned. but before you get frustrated with that think about this next story. the tale of a young man, a high school student facing a severe disability which many of us could not even cope, yet he's not only coping, he's also helping others in a very positive way to deal with their challenges. it's a story from photojournalist eddie gross.

>> it's not my fault. i was born this way. >> he was 9. he was diagnosed with epilepsy. when he was 10 he was diagnosed with intellectual disability called asperger's syndrome. >> very few kids in my school that know my disability because as you may know my disabilities are hidden. since i'm slightly autistic, i find myself slightly challenged when i have conversations with my peers. they just say he's a normal weird guy. he doesn't have any disabilities. my nonprofit organization is called hip kids. it gives back to kids in many ways. one of the main ways is a scholarship that me and mom have been funding from our nonprofit

organization. we give to people that normally won't get scholarships. those people that don't have the highest gpas and yet they go through this with disabilities. i really want to go to engineering school and become a biomedical engineer that specializes in prosthetics. when i got something in the mail from the university of pittsburgh what could they want? i opened it up. they are giving me a full tuition scholarship and that shows me there are some schools that really value what i do. >> the more we found out that he was different the more he's been able to bridge a gap in so many people's lives and especially my life. >> it makes me feel like all that work and all that struggling in kind alone at home finally equals success. >> there may be no gift that anyone can give to another more meaningful than the gift of life itself. that is the thought that drives millions of organ donors and yet most of us never get to see the

direct impact of such selfless giving. that's what makes the story from california so moving from photojournalist john torigoe. >> my son was a very happy boy. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: he died on february 14th in an accident while sledding in the snow. >> the snow was too hard. there was ice. the doctor told me my son was brain dead. somebody come to ask me about organ donation. >> they saw the opportunity to leave a legacy of life where they could see his gift grow into other people. >> translator: he donated four organs, his heart, liver and

both kidneys. >> in the case of megan, it was wonderful that they were actually able to meet her face to face. >> so good to see you all here this morning. >> today we're very happy to meet the liver recipient, megan and to know my son is still living in her. >> this is our ninth year in the rose parade. >> back in 2008 his portrait was on our float. this year arnold will be a float rider. >> i see especially in megan ice something that gives her a boost and a spark in life. >> means the world to me. i'm grateful to have my donor family in my life. >> translator: weapon met megan seven years after he died. she brought a light into our life. she was living proof what organ donation actually brings.

ing? >> thank you. i love you. >> take care of my little -- thank you for taking care of my son. >> don't go away. we have one last tale to tell and it is full of tails. wagging tails. when "giving in focus" comes back. deer. fish. fantastic. ♪ this holiday, chevy's giving more. now qualified buyers can get 0% apr for 72 months on a 2011 chevy silverado. or 0% apr financing for 60 months plus no monthly payments until spring. ♪ gives you a 50 percent annual bonus. so you earn 50 percent more cash. if you're not satisfied with 50% more cash, send it back! i'll be right here, waiting for it.

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our final story comes from, well the air up there. where one man who lost his dog found countless others and a way to give that few would imagine. it comes from photojournalist burke buckhorn and cassie spodak. >> my dog's name was conan. he was a german shepherd. we paid good known have the cancer treated. he responded well to the chemo and his kidneys failed. that's why we had to put him to sleep. now i'm on pilot and paws which is a website that people have dogs that have to be transported, these are rescuers who pull them from high kill

shelters, post on this website they have dogs to move from point a to point b. pilots like me get emails another has been posted. i scan through them to see if there's any rescue flights within my area that i could do. >> how are you doing? >> safe some more dogs. >> it's okay, beau. >> they look like they know they are about to be saved. this is different. there's people loving people this there's other dogs around them. they almost know they are going to their forever home. >> he wants to be in the back seat. he managed to get to the front. >> transporting dogs is one of the most important steps in saving dogs. you have to move them from rural areas typically to more urban areas where there's a higher probability that they are is going to get rescued.

>> come on, girl. >> here you go. >> she's beautiful. >> what do you guys think? >> she's absolutely beautiful. we love her. >> when you look into the new owner's eyes for the first time they are going to get to hold their dog. >> you want to hold him? >> and they just hold their dog like they just had it forever and they were waiting forever for this dog. you know that dog is going to have a good life. >> thank you, sir. have a merry christmas and happy new year and thank you. you actually made our christmas. >> so how i could not spend my time and money giving to these dogs? giving the owners of these new dogs the opportunity to have the love that i have for these dogs? really that's what it's all about. our thanks to the u.s. biotannic garden and to all of you for watching on behalf of

the excellent photojournalists at cnn who give their gifts all year long i'm tom foreman. we leave you with one final piece of the beauty of the season from effie nidam up in new york. ♪