Doc Hendley

Doc Hendley is the Founder and President of Wine To Water, a global non-profit preserving life and dignity through the power of clean water. Wine To Water is committed to building a holistic, community-based model by supporting the life and dignity of all through the power of clean water.

Their teams around the globe integrate strategies for social, environmental, and economic impacts through access to clean water.

Hendley did not dream of dedicating his life to humanitarian efforts in developing countries. Far from it, in fact. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a communications degree that he wasn’t sure how to use. While bartending to pay the bills, he noticed the men and women sitting on the stools seemed to want to be part of something bigger. The 30-year-old Hendley got inspired behind the bar and traveled to Darfur, Sudan, and with the money raised, began installing water systems for victims of governmentsupported genocide.

In 2004 Hendley launched Wine To Water (W|W) from an idea that started with wine tastings and a humble donation jar. W|W radically transformed the process of bringing clean water to people in need anywhere in the world. To date, Wine To Water has dug, repaired, and sanitized drinking wells for nearly 2 million people in 53 countries. While developing water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions (WASH) in direct partnership with local leaders, WTW creates impact beyond water. This impact includes environmental sustainability, improved education, women’s empowerment, better healthcare, and economic growth.

For his life-saving work, Hendley was named one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes for 2009 chosen from over 9,000 applicants by a panel of judges, including General Colin Powell, Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Turner, and Sir Elton John.

Hendley is the epitome of the individual who has made a difference. Because of Doc and his organization, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have access to clean drinking water. Hendley is proof that anyone, even a “tattooed keg-tapper,” can cure what ails the world.