Who Is Your Hero?

Do you have a personal hero? Tell us about them. It doesn’t have to be perfect to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Your Everyday Hero: Elva M.

My hero is my Mom. She has always been a steady, motivating influence in my life. After she retired, she and my Dad decided to travel around, but ended up living in a very small community in deep South Texas. When they moved here, they realized that this community has a terrible frequency of poverty, hopelessness, and despair.

So, Mom and Dad began a nonprofit organization here to identify the root causes of poverty in our community, and to create systemic solutions. My Dad has remained a steadfast volunteer, but my Mom has really been the person who has shaped the vision and the services that are offered in this organization. After my divorce, I moved to the same small town that Mom and Dad lived in, and now I am the CEO of the same organization. My Mom is 75 years old, and spends (on average) about 100 hours a week volunteering in the very organization she began.

In the 6 years the organization has been in existence, we have helped to transform the lives of countless people who have traditionally been undervalued and who would otherwise have been unable to achieve the goals that they dreamed of. My Mom is the definition of true hero.

Submitted by Kelly