An unmarked, rural back road in poverty-plagued Appalachia is an unlikely spot to find a spirited, 19-year-old, college freshman bearing gifts. Unless, of course, that 19-year-old is Emily Douglas.

Douglas is the heart, soul and tireless proponent of Grandma's Gifts, her own homemade social service organization dedicated to helping the people of Appalachia. From her suburban Columbus, Ohio home, Douglas delivers everything from clothing and books to toys and Thanksgiving turkeys to areas where as much as 60 percent of the population lives at or below the poverty level. Her inspiration is her Appalachian-born grandmother.

"You have to understand that my grandma is really one of my heroes," says Douglas. "When she was little, she'd wear the same dress to church for a year. She simply didn't have another one. Years and years later, when I was a little girl, she would take me with her to buy jackets and gloves and shoes out of her own pocket for the people in town who didn't have anything."

When her grandmother died, Douglas was only 10 but created Grandma's Gifts to take up her grandmother's work. Today, Grandma's Gifts has distributed over half a million dollars worth of goods and services, including free vision screenings, scholarships to summer camp, a Valentine's Day presentation at area veterans' hospitals and hands-on science lessons in rural classrooms.

As Douglas rallies donations from individuals and corporations; marshals volunteers; organizes food, clothing and book dives; or delivers Christmas gifts door-to-door, she exudes what her mother calls a "great spirit."

"Emily's fervor for the work she is doing is contagious. she exemplifies altruism on a daily basis," says Terri Douglas. "I not only love her as my child, but I admire her as a human being. She is a special soul."

Though college life now takes a large bite of her time, Douglas is planning to do even more programs. She particularly wants to bring more art and music to Appalachian schools.

"I want them to experience the way their feet will tap when they hear a Scott Joplin rag. I want them to be swept into the beauty of a Monet painting," she says. "I have every faith that I can make this happen."

Update:

Now an MBA, Douglas is an executive at Battelle for Kids and blogs at Education Week. Grandma's Gifts has given $12 million in gifts to kids and everyone involved is still a volunteer, including Douglas. You can track her work at her website below.