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
COURAGE
BARBARA JEAN V She is my late sister, she was a people person, who worked at the first AIDS Hospice is S.F., she cared for every person regardless of their lifestyle, she never judged but accepted, helped and loved each man and later woman stricken with AIDS back in the 80's (and well into 2006); when gays were being rejected...
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CHARACTER
COURTNEY M My hero is my 17 year old daughter Courtney. She is a swimmer and is very dedicated to her sport. She rarely misses practice and meets. On a Friday in October Courtney came home sick from school with her stomach hurting. She had a swim meet on Saturday and even though she was hurting tried to swim. When she...
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HELPING OTHERS
MIDDLE SCHOOL IS HARD I was at a school dance with my friends dancing and having fun when I saw a guy I didn't know very well getting made fun of by a group of guys because he was at the dance alone and has never had a girlfriend. No one was standing up for him and I felt really bad so I walked over put my arm around him and said,...
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PERSEVERANCE
KEITH C Many people call him an old soul even though he is only 26. He has the wisdom and values that so many have turned from. He knows that what's inside is much more important than the outside. He is the true "southern gentleman" that I named him. He has had to fight for his education all the way through, from early...
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LOVE
BRUCE K God actually gave me the opportunity to not only meet this person, but, He gave me the privilege to meet, date, fall in love, and marry this person. As life usually is, it has been a roller coaster of deep valleys and high mountains. To all my friends (who thought I would end up marrying a senator or a political...
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LOVE
JOVIAN D My son who has mild Autism, is 6 years old. He is always a happy boy who makes me laugh even if he can't talk. He is always trying to get me to do something with him.I hope one day he can say I love you to me.
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COURAGE
ALUARA & MAKAELA W These two girls are my nieces. Age 2 and 1. These girls are the strongest girls that I'm ever going to meet. I never thought I would really care about my niece Aluara until we had to take care of her because my sister-in-law has mental health issues. She and my eldest brother fought verbally and Alaura was...
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COURAGE
ALFREDO J My hero is my son Alfredo. At age 3 he was diagnosed with a mild form of autism. He barely spoke, did not look straight to your eyes, etc., etc., etc.. Now he will graduate from high school, has a prom date and is looking forward to his next years in college. Through hard work and therapies he has overcome many...
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FRIENDSHIP
MY BEST FRIENDS SAMMY AND RACHEAL My Best Friends are Sammy and Racheal. What I Like about My Best Friends is We Play Together and We Share things with each other. I Love my best friends because, I Love saying nice things about them and sharing good stories with them. We went to school and help out. I always take care of my friends and respect...
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TRUE BEAUTY
MORGIANA W Morgiana is a rare example of true beauty. She has always been a loving person even when it seems hard to be kind. She is beautiful on both her outside and inside with her spectacular fashion style and her radiant heart. She went to Costa Rica on a mission trip and did makeup on refugee womens faces, helping them...
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COMPASSION
NANNY JEAN M My hero has to be my grandmother. For years she has been fighting MS, almost 15 now. For those of who you who don't know, MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When this nerve covering is damaged, nerve impulses are slowed down or stopped. Like cancer,...
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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
GILBERT P He was my AP Calculus AB and BC teacher. He was one of those rare teachers that I've had, that I can truly say loved teaching. He always came to class ready to teach, with a smile on his face. When I took AP Calculus AB, for the first time, I was struggling tremendously. That time frame in my life, I was really...
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COURAGE
MUHAMMAD A Ali is my hero for two reasons: one, he worked extremely hard to become the best at his chosen profession and two, he had the utmost integrity, always doing what he thought was right, regardless of the consequences. He has so many famous quotes but my favorite is this: "I know where I'm going and I know the...
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CARING
WHAT'S YOUR NAME? When I was twelve, I started to notice an isolated kid who usually kept to himself. I always saw either people staring at him and whispering to others about him or purposely ignoring him, not bothering to ask even what his name was. The kids at my school weren't the nicest, but, then again, they weren't the...
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ENCOURAGEMENT
LOTTERY MISHAP When my hyperactive son was six years old, I had to stop at a busy gas station for fuel. I walked in with my son to pay for the $10 in gas and also asked for six Lottery Scratch tickets that cost $2 each. The total should have been $22. The cashier asked for $16. My boy distracted me enough that I didn't...
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HELPING OTHERS
NANCY W My teacher has done many great things, but what she has done for me is amazing! Mrs.Whitehead (as I call her) taught me that I can do anything. She always believed in me, made me feel great, helped me improve everything from good to great, while still being an awesome teacher of 23. I wanted to share that with...
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DEDICATION
NICK S My hero is Nick because he grew up in some hard times, but he found a great wife and had four children and owned different businesses like a laundromat and a lottery both. He also re-built a Model A car. He is still thought of even though he has passed on. I'm proud to be his grandson and that is why he is my hero.
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HARD WORK
WES B My hero is my uncle Wes because of his selflessnes. He spends his whole morning and sometimes afternoons and evenings on the tractor or repairing equipment out on the farm. Even at times helping cows give birth, Which at times makes him have to wake up at one in the morning. He also works on my grandpa's farm on...
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INSPIRATION
BILL K My hero is Bill Kjer. I wear a necklace in his memory every day. He made a difference in my life, my past coworkers and the community. He always had a smile on his face, a positive attitude, and the greatest smile. He would ride around in his golf cart always with the greatest big smile on his face and wave to...
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COMMON GROUND
RAMON V My husband of 39 yrs. Who is now in heaven. Gave me the best 39 yrs of my life. No greater Husband, friend, Grand-Poo or Dad. If you met him, he left a smile in your heart. Lived his life to the fullest. This Man really enjoyed life. He is still guiding, through everyday obstacles.
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HARD WORK
KAITLYN C My hero is not someone famous or someone who has made a huge impact on the world. My hero is just a regular person. She won my admiration with hard work and determination. Everyday after Kaitlyn came home from school she would do her homework and study until she couldn't possibly stuff anymore information into...
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HARD WORK
CHRIS V My hero is Chris, he also has a twin brother Ryan. They are the sons of my former baseball coach, they play for the U of C Dino's for baseball. They say that anything is possible if you try hard enough. That's why I take their advice, they worked so hard to get to where they are and I hope someday I can be like...
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DETERMINATION
JULIE L My hero, Julie, was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of nine. Shortly after, her mother died of AIDS. Julie grew up jumping between living with her father and her older half-brother and his girlfriend. Julie also grew up as "the younger sister", always being left out. Seems like a bad life, huh? Nope! Now she...
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
OUT OF A JOB BUT WORKING HARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY The economy has affected us all, foreclosures, unemployment, plummeting property values are only a few problems we are facing but ones we have found a way to address through volunteering. My friend and I are out of work but continue to use our skills to work hard for our community. Many houses in our neighborhood...
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HONESTY
HONESTY VS. JUNIOR OLYMPIC METAL Event: Approximately 10 years ago at a Junior Olympics Fencing Tournament in Colorado. When my son was 15 years old and fencing at the Junior Olympics, he stopped a life changing bout, which he was just about to win to have the director check his competitor’s equipment to see if there was something wrong...
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
BE YOUR WORD Someone wise once told me, "live your word". These are not easy words to live by, but I've learned that once you give your word, it needs to be reliable, no matter what the consequences. A few years ago I founded the Adaptive Surfing Foundation. Our mission is to give those living with disabilities an...
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LOVE
ANTHONY R This man survived the great depression, took care of his parents and older brother (Feini’) then raised his own and finally took on the task of caring for me, his grandson. He saved me from the abuse of my stepfather and welcomed my mother and I into his home where he was my father figure and I couldn’t have...
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PATIENCE
LOTS OF PATIENCE I am currently on a ski trip and I came to improve my skills. Unfortunately, there is a kid in my group with bad manners. I made the mistake of letting him get to me and forgot to focus on my skills as did the other kids in my group including my instructor. Yesterday she told me she she wasn't going to let him...
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TEACHING BY EXAMPLE
JERRY T My daddy was and will always be my hero. My daddy taught me my whole life that ethics, morals, and effort are all you need to succeed. I have learned that those lessons taught to me are true. I learned it best when I realized that not only were the lessons taught verbally, but also from my daddy's example. My...
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COURAGE
KIM M My hero is amazing to me. He has helped me through so much that I have gone through in the past 2 years. He has been there for me, when I least expect it, and even when I ask for it. He gives me advice when I ask for it, and believe it or not, it makes a lot of sense. Without dispelling too much, his care and...
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LOVE
MARY AKA GRANNY H My grandmother Mary, aka Granny, was born in 1906. At 104 she was dedicated to family, friends and living life to its fullest. She taught me how to be honest and how important it was to be selfless and to always care for others. Truth, honesty, love and patience were staples of her every day life. She would tell...
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DETERMINATION
ROB Y My Hero is my son Rob. He has just arrived in Afghanistan, where he will be stationed for possibly a year. He is serving in the Army. Rob has spent his whole adult life, trying to be the "best he can be". With his steadfast determination, he has overcome many obstacles that came before him in his path. He will be...
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CARING
THERE ARE STILL SWEET-HEARTED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD I am in a life group at my church, and my stomach growled. I mentioned that I was hungry & this very nice woman by the name of Mary, called her husband who is also in the life group. He brought me food and I was so appreciative I didn't even know what to say. It blessed me that there are still nice sweet-hearted...
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