The Third Wave

Alison Thompson, a filmmaker living in New York City, was enjoying Christmas with her boyfriend in 2004 when she saw the news online: a 9.3-magnitude earthquake had struck near Indonesia, triggering a massive tsunami that hit much of southern Asia. As she watched the death toll climb, Thompson had one thought: she had to help. A few years earlier, she had spent eight months volunteering at Ground Zero after 9/11. She'd learned then that when disaster strikes, it's not just the firemen and Red Cross who are needed — every single person can make a difference.

With $300 in cash and some basic medical supplies, Thompson headed to Sri Lanka. Along with a small team of volunteers, she settled in a coastal town that had been hit especially hard and set to work — tending to injuries, giving out food and water, collecting dead bodies, and helping to rebuild the local school and homes that had been destroyed. Thompson had intended to stay for two weeks; she ended up staying for fourteen months. She and her team helped to set up the first tsunami early-warning centre in Sri Lanka, which continues to save lives today.