The media bombards us with images of celebrity humanitarians -- Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie and so forth -- but we do not often meet true philanthropists in our walk of life. Recently I enjoyed a chance to talk with one such person.

Marriottsville resident Denny Bilter, a retired Ciena Corp. executive, is the humble and enthusiastic founder of Mephibosheth Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing vocational training and spiritual guidance to impoverished, undereducated "throw-away kids" of the world.

Denny explained that the name Mephibosheth comes from the Biblical figure who had to flee his home at a young age after his father, Jonathan, and grandfather, King Saul, died in battle. In the process, Mephibosheth suffered an injury that caused lameness in both feet and rendered him a helpless burden.

However, King David demonstrated great charity by restoring Mephibosheth's family wealth and he honored the man by inviting him to dine at his table. Similarly, the Mephibosheth Foundation instills a sense of worth in neglected children.

Denny first witnessed the deplorable places some children live -- prisons, orphanages, and garbage dumps -- during a 1999 trip to the Ukraine and then a 2000 trip to Mexico. He felt called to make a difference and learned that many of his business associates also wanted to improve the lives of these disadvantaged children. However, rather than just throw money at a cause, Denny aimed to teach the children and make them self-sufficient.

The Mephibosheth Foundation launched its first vocational training center in Managua, Nicaragua in 2002. Because the area had suffered a civil war, many men had died and the boys often turned to gangs as substitute families. The center provided these boys with carpentry training, as well as life skills like budgeting and how to be a good father.

Now, six years later, the foundation has opened centers in seven more countries -- Guatemala, Cambodia, India, Ghana, Kenya, Russia and Bosnia and Herzegovina-- and has approximately 2,000 young men and women in training.

Students at the vocational centers use their newly acquired skills, such as auto mechanics or sewing, in service to the community. The fees that they earn go towards staff salaries, supplies and small allowances for the students. The Mephibosheth Foundation funds only the setup of the centers and then turns the reins over to the nationals.

As an extension of the foundation, Denny began organizing mission trips at Marriottsville's Chapelgate Academy in 2006. During the last spring break, he took a group of 50 youth and adults to Guatemala City where they performed construction tasks in the morning and then, in the afternoons, offered basketball lessons and a vacation Bible school-type program to the Guatemalan children. The Chapelgate students also provided a hot meal to 300 children each day. In an area where family incomes average $30 per month, hot meals remain a luxury.

Denny devotes most of his time to the foundation and hopes to construct a Web site for it. Thus far, the foundation has sought donations solely through word of mouth.

If you are interested in contributing, write a check to the Mephibosheth Foundation and mail it to Denny Bilter at 1991 Barley Road, Marriottsville, MD 21104. You can e-mail Denny at dbilter@mephibo.org or call 410-552-1424.

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