LUCKY SEVERSON, guest anchor: The governors of New Mexico and Arizona both declared states of emergency this week in counties bordering Mexico. They said it was because of rampant crime and drug running, among other things, and they blamed Mexico and the U.S. Congress and federal government for not doing enough.

Border stories are almost always associated with tragedy and hopelessness, but we found one that actually offers hope for people on both sides of the border.

This is Gil Gillenwater's part of the world, a place called Paradise Valley. It's near Scottsdale, Arizona, near where he made his money selling land that became posh neighborhoods like this, usually manicured by Mexicans from a place like this -- Agua Prieta, Mexico is only 200 miles south of Scottsdale, but a universe away. The only neighborhood park is a trash-filled gully. There is no indoor plumbing, no electricity, and little hope of breaking away. But it's in this world that Gil Gillenwater found himself.

GIL GILLENWATER (Developer, DMB Associates and Founder, Rancho Feliz): You come to Agua Prieta, you spend three days, and you smell the smells and see the sights and touch and feel, and it becomes visceral. Then it becomes a part of who you are. It's not intellectual anymore. You understand, and you understand also that by the grace of God you were born over there and that you can make a difference.

SEVERSON: Usually he drives, but this day he arrives on a private jet owned by DMB Associates, a philanthropic developer of upscale communities. The young people on board are interns the company wants to expose to life on the other side of the tracks or, in this case, the border.

Mr. GILLENWATER: So once we understand really what this is about, what this wall, what this border is, then we can understand our responsibility to helping the people here -- not get over the wall, helping them with opportunity.

SEVERSON: Gillenwater set up a charitable foundation called Rancho Feliz, which means "happy ranch." He works closely with local churches and civic organizations, providing them support and money for shelters, computer schools, housing, child care, soup kitchens -- the list goes on. He says he leans toward Buddhism, but his religion is service. Jesus Teran is director of Patronato, which means "patron" and is affiliated with the Catholic Church.

JESUS TERAN (Director, Patronato): We are very joyful because of Rancho Feliz's contribution, mainly with Gil Gillenwater's leadership.

SEVERSON: Jesus runs a Catholic shelter for little girls, many of them orphans, and senior citizens whose families have disappeared, usually across the border.

Mr. GILLENWATER: The social security system for Mexico has always been the family. And the husband gets across and maybe the wife will get across. Well, here's the "abuelo." Here's the grandfather out on the streets. To me, being an orphan senior would be a lot worse than being an orphan child.

(Speaking to Interns at Rancho Feliz): And one thing we insisted on is that they're clean and comfortable and you can take a hot shower today.

SEVERSON: This is a Rancho Feliz dorm. Over 1,000 volunteers pass through here each year. Volunteering is an important part of Gillenwater's mission, which he sees as a way to address poverty on both sides of the border -- the physical poverty in Mexico and what he calls the spiritual poverty in the U.S. This is John Falkner, a volunteer from the University of Colorado.

JOHN FALKNER (Student, University of Colorado): Growing up in the United States, it's just, material is everything. But you don't get a sense of purpose, you know, from buying new things, buying new clothes. But helping other people, helping change lives is a different type of happiness, and it's much more fulfilling.