Like a quietly efficient operating system whirring away in the innards of a supercomputer, a vast array of Americans — mostly unseen and unsung — spend hours and hours of every week working together to find ways to make their communities — and the whole country — better.

This is Participation Nation.

In a monthlong blog that ended Aug. 31, NPR collected stories of people actively helping other people, animals and the planet. Here is an executive summary of what we discovered.

Caring Enough To Act

Through steady volunteerism and sheer volition, Participation Nation cares enough to take action — clothing, feeding, housing, protecting, healing other people; planting, restoring, conserving the Earth; rescuing pets; painting murals; teaching skills; sharing art; and finding new and creative ways to bat, bike, quilt, race and skate for a brighter tomorrow.

We participate in times of birth and death. In sickness and in health.

We are altruistic in Alaska and caring in California. We distribute food in Florida and diapers in Missouri. We help blind people ride bikes in California and homeless people find homes in North Carolina.

From the Mountain Care, to the Prairie Kitchen, to the ocean shore, white with Foam Fest — this is some kind of country.

We met gung-ho participants like Kathy Plaisance of Boise, who bakes cakes for the cakeless; Darryl Burnette of New York City, who teaches kids about urban gardening; and Catherine Goldwyn of Los Angeles, who takes music to the streets. We were introduced to cancer camp nurse Tammy Jenkins in Virginia, holistic health care provider Sharon Elliott-Bynum in North Carolina and the late Jamie Lynn Garcia, whose legacy includes a free medical clinic for the needy.

There are recurring themes in Participation Nation. For example, participants:

• Turn their vocations (and vacations) into avocations. Medical specialists provide health care at no cost; teachers tutor after hours; professional chefs cook for the hungry; artists give of their time and talent.

• Sense a need and take creative action — providing children's books for incarcerated mothers to give to their kids; using a basketball camp to help young people in other ways; taking along a trash bag when jogging.

• Lead by example. They often find that others want to join in their efforts to run in a race, save a landmark, commit a planned act of thoughtfulness.

Hundreds Of Stories

Every day, the Americans of Participation Nation prove that Many Hands Make Little Work, All Of Us Are Better Than One Of Us and we must Be The Change. Bumper sticker boosterism, however, doesn't do justice to all of the people who are trying to do justice for all of the people.

During our August exploration, we heard stories from all 50 states and a couple of U.S. territories. We met Sophia Greenwalt, 13, who gets people to wear hats for charity in Reeds Spring, Mo. And Cashion Callaway, 72, who invites everybody in Silver City, Nev., to share a big pot of soup.

We had hundreds of tales come in — so many, in fact, that we ran out of time and resources to publish them all. For all of the stories we featured, there are many more we left out. Like the ones about Natividad Mendoza who works to help people transition from gangs to jobs in Phoenix and Domonique Clark who works to help young women succeed in Baltimore.

Bob Powell in Pennsylvania praised his daughter, Emily, for her community service. Gail Bernacki in Virginia spoke highly of her teenage son, Dakota, who looks after older people in the neighborhood.

In a world where evil abounds and darkness lurks around every turn, good deeds — and the people who do them — are often overlooked. Or even derided.

And no good deed — or good-deeds compendium — goes unpunished. We were criticized by commenters for making one reader "feel dumber than I was before" and for practicing the "shabbiest journalism around."

But mostly, we heard from people all over the country who are grateful that in this rancorous and cantankerous world, some people are working together to make the world a better, safer, greener, greater place to live.

Thank you to all who participated in Participation Nation — the writers and photographers and editors and producers and, especially, the doers. Together we told a big story. Of a big country. With a big heart.

Peggy Ivie, Libbie Johnson, Elaine Sir, Ann Perri, Douglas James, Nancy Allinger, Nettie Greenwalt, Joseph Dewson III, Eric Breitung, Jake Bouma, Michelle Coffey, Melanie Stallings Williams, Deb Beatty Mel, Cathie Buscaglia, and Martie Majoros, Pam Scholtz, Robert Hallett, Nick Vaske, Amy Jobst , Jeanie Croope, Elizabeth Jane Handel, Amie Logan, Heather Brucker, Lynette Whiteman, Sean Kristl, Tess Koppelman, Carly Bilby, Allison Muotka, Bill D'Anza, Midhun M. Joseph, Helen Anderson, Sheilagh Polk, Amanda Hatton, Jason Winn, Brian Chambers, Jon Rubin, Jill Moe, Malala Elston, Caitlin Harvey, Johanna Roebas, Sammie Suchland, Emma Edelman, Jonathan Trivers, Akshara Vivekananthan, Joyce Claflin and Carol Hasbrouck, Meredith Lowe, Robin Bisha, Zachary Heath, Nathan Rott, Melanie Castillo-Cullather, Fran Gunther Minges, Brian Starner, Jessica Hendricks, David Gibb, Adriana Colindres, Christoph Schorl, Howard R. Feldman, Robin Marks, Patricia Sagastume, Nate Goldman, Robert Gelb, Ed Gruben, Afsi Siahkoohi and Lindsey Cross, Kristen Ghodsee, Loris Mann, Erin Stevens, Christopher Barnett, Mark F. Fischer, Elliott Smith, Ned Scott Laff, Danielle Peterson, Teresa Tomassoni, Caroline Lacey, Ted Yemm, Jean Bolduc, David Trujillo, Emilie Ritter Saunders, Tracy Wahl, David Greene, Sam Sanders, Selena Simmons-Duffin, Wright Bryan, Tanya Ballard Brown and Linton Weeks all contributed to this story.

Years ago, Catherine Goldwyn was director of a music studio at a community center in South Central Los Angeles. There she created a mobile music program.

Since 2002, Sound Art has given thousands of children access to the tools of musical creations — along with instruction by professional musicians. In as few as 10 weeks, novices are performing for friends and family. They learn all genres — jazz, rock, hip hop and R&B.

Catherine works tirelessly — in schools, afterschool programs and community centers in underserved urban neighborhoods — to awaken creativity and a love of music in children.

Elaine Sir is director of Music Licensing at Fox Music. She listens to KCRW and KPCC.

When a coyote is hit by a car or a Canada goose cuts its leg on a fishing line, the folks at Liberty Wildlife — a rescue and research group in Scottsdale — take the creatures in and treat them and try to return them to the wild.

Some 300 volunteers help with the work, says Executive Director Megan Mosby.

"Volunteers are everything to Liberty Wildlife," Megan says. "We have volunteers who have been with us for as long as 25 years... They are respected for their contribution and participate in the mission from start to finish. "

When Dick Hoyt competes in triathlons, he takes his son, Rick — who has cerebral palsy — with him in specially-designed carriers. Inspired by the Hoyts, Dennis Vanderheiden created Athletes in Tandem.

Travis Silvers, who now competes in AiT events, says, "I'm lucky to know Dennis and to be a part of something so special and I enjoy giving back to those who couldn't be out there without us."

Douglas James lives in Greeley, Colo.

Sophia Greenwalt, 13, is the founder of Helping Hats, a fundraising program in the Reeds Spring School District. Once a month, students and staff can wear a hat to school for a dollar donation. The money raised that day goes to a non-profit organization in the community.

In 2012, Sophia has gotten nine local businesses on board to match the money raised by the school. Helping Hats has raised more than $20,000 for organizations such as the Joplin School District (after a devastating tornado), the Humane Society and others.

Nettie Greenwalt is Secretary at Reeds Spring Elementary School and Sophia's mother. Nettie listens to KSMU.

I had always dreamed of learning ballroom dancing. But when I lost most of my sight due to retinitis pigmentosa, the dream seemed over.

However, I joined a dance club in Nashville and began taking lessons. My instructor, Patricia Lefler, had never taught dance to a visually impaired person before, but she rose to the challenge.

One day she suggested that we volunteer to teach dancing at the Tennessee School for the Blind. In January, we taught our first group of six.

Learning merengue, waltz and East Coast swing is great exercise and we hope to train others to teach.

Peggy Ivie is a part-time travel agent. She listens to WPLN. It often serves, she says, as "my eyes to the world."

The Albany Bicycle Coalition started in my backyard in 2003 when a small group of mechanically inclined bike enthusiasts-volunteers gathered to learn bike repair skills and repair bikes that were headed to the dump. The rescued bikes were then donated to local organizations for kids.

Eventually we grew and moved into a community center basement, where the focus is on teaching kids skills while improving community relations.

Nowadays, volunteers spend their evenings reaching out to kids to build bikes, share skills, and create community.

Eric Breitung is a chemist at the Library of Congress and listens to WAMU and WAMC.

The Tryon area has been known as "Horse Country" for almost a century. People here take their equine economy seriously, it's a major source of jobs. Drought conditions and the economy have forced many horse owners into a predicament of how to feed their families and their horses.

So the Hay Pledge was born. Horse owners and hay growers "pledge" 10 bales of hay if asked — unless their supplies are too low to share. Calls for assistance are confidential. Some 500 bales have been delivered in 2012, but winter is coming and that number will go up significantly.

Libbie Johnson is Director of Economic Development for Polk County. She listens to WNCW.

Read Aloud Delaware — headed by Executive Director Mary Hirschbiel and more than 800 volunteers — is making a noticeable impact in Wilmington.

When you read to the same children time and again, Mary says, "you see changes in their vocabulary, their ability to answer in complete sentences, and gradually the ability to have a conversation."

Quick story: After weeks of waiting for a volunteer to read aloud to her, a young girl got her chance. It was her fourth birthday and the girl said that being read to was her "birthday wish."

Joseph Dewson III is a freelance writer in Newark, Del. He listens to WXPN.

What do you do with city kids running the streets? You help them run better. At least, that's what New Life Presbyterian Church in Rochester does.

With funding from the Greater Rochester Health Foundation, the church operates a running program for 25 to 30 neighborhood young people. After eight weeks of training, participants run a 5K race.

Throughout the program, kids learn how to make a commitment, set goals, and be team members. They connect with their volunteer coaches and they experience success and belonging.

Many of the young runners have gone on to participate on school or YMCA teams and run in local road and trail races.

Nancy Allinger is a tutor. She listens to WXXI.

Folks from Andersen Air Force Base are sprucing up campuses, painting classroom walls and freshening up schoolyards through the government of Guam's Adopt-A-School program during the month of August.

"I've never really painted a school before and it's actually fun," Sr. Airman Javon Shipman, 644th Combat Communication Squadron cyber surety journeyman told States News Service. "It's something different. Everybody on base should get involved."

I'm a volunteer CASA — court-appointed special advocate for children — in Los Angeles.

Part of our job is staying with children when they go to court. One day I was with a 7-year-old boy who had been removed from his mother's care because of her abusive boyfriend.

We sat in a small waiting room and played Etch-A-Sketch. Eventually, the child's attorney came out and announced that the boy could go home with his mother.

He leaped with joy and hugged me. Earlier, someone had given him two pieces of candy. Solemnly, he handed one of the pieces to me.

Melanie Stallings Williams is chairwoman of the Department of Business Law at California State University, Northridge. She listens to KPCC.

The mission of the Youth Garden Project in Moab is to cultivate healthy children, families and communities through educational programs and the profound act of connecting people — from seed to table.

The project works to fulfill this mission by organizing the local Farmers' Market, providing a CSA program, inviting the community to Weed N Feeds, hosting fundraisers like Garden Dinners and organizing large community events like Pumpkin Chuckin'.

All money raised goes directly toward the youth programs they run. Kids learn how their food is grown, help their own families grow food and become healthier stewards of their community.

Ann Perri owns a tech services firm in Moab and listens to KUER.

In the fall of 2008 my friend, TJ Anderson — a member of the University of Iowa's Herky the Hawk mascot squad — took note of an unused space in the southwest corner of Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. And the idea of "Herky's Nest" was born.

TJ envisioned creating Herky's Nest — a home for Herky — that also serves as a premium seating area for children and families from the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. The goodwill gesture brings the community together in a lighthearted and meaningful way.

Jake Bouma is a youth minister in Clive, Iowa. He listens to Iowa Public Radio.

My friend Erica Raggett is one of those rare individuals who, when she heard about something atrocious, didn't forget about it, feel sad about it, or throw money at it.

She did something about it.

The just-opened A 2nd Cup is Erica's vision of a non-profit coffee shop that seeks to raise awareness of human trafficking in the Houston community, partner with other anti-trafficking organizations and fund aftercare solutions for survivors.

We are now open two days a week in the Heights neighborhood and we are looking for permanent space.

Michelle, who met Erica at church, is a Senior Designer at a design and marketing firm. She is on the board of A 2^nd Cup and listens to KUHF.