Everyday Hero Stories

Where did your values come from?

We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.

Tell Us Your Story
HELPING OTHERS
A HELPING HAND She had been bleeding all day. She was my good friend and closest professional colleague at the time —back in the 70's. It had been her first day back at work after some surgery and I guess she should have taken a few more days to recover. As soon as work was over, she and I headed to the emergency room and...
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AMBITION
MY PARENTS & FAMILY My parents and family because they helped me to be a better person and to always do what I love best.
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AMBITION
JOHN H My brother John is a hero to me. Though he is younger by three years, he set an example of unselfishness at a time in my life when I felt hopeless. It totally changed my perspective in life and I realized that it is the kindness that we show others that brings us a sense of worthiness. In the many years that...
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AMBITION
BEN P I am writing to you about one of the most amazing people I have ever met. He's saved my life (in a different way). For the last few months I have been suffering from a horrible anxiety disorder, was given the wrong medication and was hospitalized. Through that time I had horrible suicidal thoughts caused by the...
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AMBITION
ANAND R My hero is my husband. He has been a constant motivator who has encouraged me to study further after having two sons and still continues to encourage me; today I am a successful secondary teacher in an International school, thanks to him. I owe all my success to this great man who has tolerated me for all the...
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AMBITION
MARDA S My young mom is my hero. She started from scratch. My father did not treat us right and left. She raised me alone since I was 2. No one else in the family helped us. We came to the USA but did not know enough to make a living. She prayed, continuously learned, worked very hard, never lost focus and was able to...
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AMBITION
JAREM F At 14 yrs. old Jarem lost his leg above the knee to cancer. Since then he has been a Super Hero. An avid outdoorsman, Jarem grew up hiking, skiing & biking with his family and friends. When he lost his leg many doctors told him he would most likely never be able to telemark (free heel) ski again. The...
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AMBITION
MARK E On Labor Day Sunday, 1996, I was on a go-cart and had a terrible accident. I was scalped. I prayed that I would live. After all, I was only 8 years old. I met Dr. Mark E. He operated on me that day for 17 hours, and two more times. It took a long time to realize that what happened to me on that day was not an...
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AMBITION
NSUBAGU R I am a Sudan national working with African Union Mission in the Sudan. I would like to recommend to you Mr. R., Seniour Humanitarian Affairs Officer. He has displayed courage, determination, compassion and character towards local staff. R. came to the mission in October 2004 and was deployed in Darfur from...
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AMBITION
ANDREW M My son Andrew nearly cut off 3 fingers in May 2005 and has had to endure months of physical therapy, surgery and doctors. He has never complained nor given up in all that he has been asked to do. He was in cast and splints all summer, thus he could not keep his summer job as a lifeguard and swimming instructor....
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AMBITION
KEZIA P Kezia is my mother. I nominate her because of the hard work she did in bringing up the ten of us. Neither she nor my dad had formal employment. She did manual work and subsistence business to ensure that we had clothing, food and school levies. She is an exceptional mother who deserves recognition. --...
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AMBITION
LENA M Have you ever had a notion to lie down and give up, no matter how much you wanted to achieve? Well, that's how I felt until I met Mrs. M. Mrs. M is a teacher at my high school. She is viewed as our mom. She not only educates, she inspires, and is admired and adored. No matter how dogmatic the world is, Mrs. M....
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GRATITUDE
SHARING When I heard the doorbell ring, I went promptly to the door. As I opened it I saw a young man, about 24 years of age, standing there quietly. His first words were 'Good evening ma'am. All I'm asking for is bread.' As I reached for my purse, he insisted he truly did want food. It was then I knew he was...
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GENEROSITY
THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE OUT THERE! I work for a bus company in where I am an aide on a school van with two disabled teen boys. One of my guys, Tyrell is almost completely blind and has some other physical and mental issues as well. Tyrell was all smiles for about a week at this point. He's normally a quite happy kid but I could tell this was...
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AMBITION
BRYANT L Born and raised in Cabrini Green, Chicago's most notorious housing project, Bryant beat the odds and became a person that everyone can look up to. Raised in an extremely impoverished community where he shared a one-bedroom apartment with four others and where friends and family were continually being lost to the...
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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
TEACH THEM IN THE WAY TO GO I grew up in a very proper Catholic family. Five brothers and me, with just enough of all the right ingredients to make it a childhood well remembered. It was a very strict upbringing, and, in those days, more the norm than not. My father used some unusual techniques to teach us and rarely spared us from the...
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OPPORTUNITY
HELPING OR HURTING Years ago my husband and I were walking in the city when a man approached us asking for money. He was quite dirty and smelled very bad. The television news had been focusing on the problem of people on the street begging, but not really needing help. They asked that nobody give these people anything. My husband,...
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COMMITMENT
I PROMISE YOU... I strive for the highest ideals. I have outstanding passion, motivation & enthusiasm to constantly improve what I expect from myself. I don't take the easy way out. I don't accept defeat. I pick myself up quicker than anyone else. I learn not only from my mistakes, but also the mistakes of others. I have no space...
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AMBITION
JESSIE S Jessie S. I can't really describe her in a paragraph. She is one of the most influential and wonderful people in my life. Jessie is kind, thoughtful and an all-around pleasure to be with. She has an awesome character and strives to do well in every aspect of what she does. She is always cheerful and full of life....
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APPRECIATION
SAM R Sam R. is a wonderful person. I have only known her for 5 years and she has matured in many ways. Sam grew up on a farm, and for the first 6 years of her life, she was home schooled. Now, at a prestigious private school, Sam still loves the freedom she experiences when she is at home. Being an animal lover, Sam...
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OVERCOMING
FOOD IN THE WORLD OF UNEMPLOYMENT Nearly a year ago now, I had been unemployed for three months. No income, no food! A mother and her 11 year old daughter. My landlady decided to make a commitment to us. She said, "I will not let you go without until you are settled again"! I did not know this woman personally and she had no reason to help...
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VOLUNTEERING
GIFT OF HOPE About 2 years ago, as a sophomore in High School, I volunteered at a thrift store on the weekends. I didn't have any real reason for volunteering there initially; it was just something to do. I've never had many friends, so I figured that this would be a great opportunity to meet and work with people. I would...
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DETERMINATION
MY FRIEND'S DETERMINATION My best friend is Ellice T. Without her determination, she would probably still be studying at a primary school. She's in secondary school this year and it is because of her determination. She used to be a rebel; never listening to her parents and never bothering to finish her homework. Last year as her exam to...
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APPRECIATION
THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR When I was nineteen, I had a job at my local bookstore. Being located in the mall, we usually saw our fair share of characters, many of them teenagers. One night, a fifteen-year-old couple came in looking for a book. They seemed to be the usual type to give mall workers a hard time. When they came to the...
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DEDICATION
WE DID IT Our Management was determined to take off few inches from our waistline. We were encouraged to use the small field in front our our office to play cricket. But the very first season itself was a disaster. We played 19 matches with teams from other organizations and lost 18 consecutive matches though 19th one was...
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SOUL
MY LIFE It only takes a moment to change each and every moment there on after. I took a good look at my life 9 years ago I knew I had had enough of pain and suffering and I knew there was good too and the best of what was good up until then was love; so there in that moment I decided to put my faith in love. I did not...
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COURAGE
TERRANCE S My hero is my dad. He is in the military. He is deployed for the second time. I miss him and love him.
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PERSISTENCE
A STRANGE EXAMPLE Is it strange to tell a story about a cat? I know cats don't have the higher moral capabilities humans are said to posses, but my cat is nothing if not persistent. And he's always pleasant about it. When he's ready to get up, he'll let you know. And if you don't get up, he'll persist in trying to wake you until...
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FORGIVENESS
CHOOSING TO FORGIVE No one likes to talk about forgiveness, because for most people I think it has a religious connotation. But the dictionary definition of "forgive" is "to stop feeling angry or resentful towards something." And I'm sure many people have managed to do that. I know I have, and I know how hard it is. To let go of...
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DEDICATION
THE COWBOY WAY My father is fond of a phrase: "That would be the easy way, but it wouldn't be the cowboy way." And while it sounds a little nonsensical, you have to understand that my dad grew up watching Roy Rogers on TV. And Roy Rogers could always be counted on. Dad is no cowboy - he's lived in the suburbs his whole life -...
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HARD WORK
BOPPA My mother's father (not "Grandpa," but "Boppa")is turning 81 in a month. He's been a farmer his entire life, and thinks nothing of lifting bales, laying irrigation pipe, or rolling under a machine to fix it. Rain or shine, he gets up early, has breakfast, and goes out to do the day's work. He's never thought of...
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GENEROSITY
A SMALL FIRE A friend had invited me to dinner at his new house. Right before I was due to arrive, he tried out the gas fireplace, which caused the insulation in the attic to ignite. When I got there, the roof was in flames, four fire engines were at work, and there were people standing around, watching. My friend found me...
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VISION
JUSTIN F In 1998, at 2-1/2 years old, Justin was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. Justin was an energetic little boy that didn't let his diseases get in his way of having fun. In many ways he was your typical toddler, running around, getting into trouble and testing everybody's limits. On the...
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