Who would you consider to be your hero? Is it a celebrity? A family member? A fictional character? Superman?
CNN is bringing out the Heroes of 2009 to show the world what ordinary people can do in our world and society to help those around them. Reading the stories of these remarkable people shows how anyone can make a difference.
Brad Blauser works in Iraq helping disabled children. He provides Iraqi children and their families with pediatric wheelchairs. Blauser states that “Disabled children – they’re really the forgotten ones in this war.”
Roy Foster, a veteran, works with the sheriff’s homeless unit in Palm Beach, Florida. At the Stand Down House, approximately 900 veterans have found shelter and a safe place to recover.
Doc Hendley is a bartender whose organization, Wine to Water, provides clean water and sanitation systems to people all over the world in developing countries. Funds are raised at wine tasting events.
Andrea Ivory volunteers with the Florida Breast Health Initiative, or FBHI, to educate women about breast cancer and breast health. They have provided more than 500 mammograms to eligible women.
Betty Makoni, founder of the Girl Child Network, has helped rescue at least 35,000 girls from abuse. She has helped those young girls find a new community where they can speak out and share their stories.
Jorge Munoz in Jackson Heights, New York feeds home-cooked meals to many homeless men and women 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Hot food, coffee and hot chocolate make a world of difference for the people who need just one meal for now.
In the Philippines, Efren Penaflorida, uses his pushcart classroom in order to provide an alternative to gang membership. Children and teens are able to learn and find another way through his Dynamic Teen Company.
Budi Soehardi and his wife have founded the West Timor orphanage in Indonesia where they watch over 47 children. They are able to care for the children who don’t have mothers or are abandoned in the very poor areas of the country.
In New Orleans, Derrick Tabb offers free tutoring, instruments and music education to more than 100 students through his program, The Roots of Music. He is able to keep them away from the drug dealers and gangs that are in the area.
Jordan Thomas who lost his legs in a boating accident has founded the Jordan Thomas Foundation. He has raised more than $400,000 in order to pay for life-changing prosthetics for children in need.
All of these people have made such a huge impact on their world and the people around them. I only hope that I can work as hard as they have and make my own difference. What would you do?
As you research and write about those everyday heroes, it truly does make you want to join their ranks, doesn’t it? That is kind of what I was talking about as I wrote my post for this week, about women recognizing the value of what they do. Even though we may not be capable right now of a large scale endeavor to make thousands of lives better, we are all capable of making a difference in some way right in our communities. I encourage you to find time to volunteer at a local agency that provides food and/or shelter to the homeless in your area. It is an eye-opening experience that will probably help you decide how you want to help people throughout your life.
ReplyDeleteEden,
ReplyDeleteDo you ever think about what you can do to make a difference in the world? Sometimes I just sit and think about how insignificant I am in the big picture of things. How can I possibly make a difference? It definitely seems daunting. I think that it’s great that such a well known news outlet recognized these people for what they have contributed to society. I think that anyone can be a hero. It all depends on the values and beliefs each individual has that will determine who they will define as a hero. I too hope to one day achieve something that means something; something that truly makes a difference.