|
Desiray Bartak wanted all kids who've been sexually abused to know they could stand up for themselves, so she went public about being abused by her godfather, convincing a high-profile attorney to bring a suit for damages against the abuser. She won. Despite harassment from her classmates, Desiray continued to speak out and founded a support network for abused kids.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Mabel Barth of Denver CO had a simple idea to help college students--a small table in a busy student lounge, simple snacks, and an older person like herself sitting there, to listen. Despite the skepticism of experts, Barth set up the first Listening Post. Soon, every week more than 4,000 students were talking to 400 trained grandparent-stand-ins on 85 campuses across the US and Canada. The program then expanded to elementary and high schools.
Home when commended: North America, US, Colorado Home now: North America, US, Colorado Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Dan Bassill volunteered to tutor kids in Chicago and became concerned about the shortage of tutors. He left his job in advertising to create a full-service program for Chicago's kids, providing not only tutors but also mentors, motivational programs, field trips to colleges and businesses, and a wealth of other assets.
Home when commended: North America, US, Illinois Home now: North America, US, Illinois Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Bessie Baughn of San Bruno CA is a one-woman social service agency. She organizes charity fairs, anti-drug programs, and outings for seniors. She delivers free movies to terminal patients and toys to kids in chemotherapy. She mortgaged her house to pay for it all, and forged onward despite two strokes, back surgery and injuries from a car accident.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Vietnam Vet John Beal of Seattle WA rescued a heavily polluted urban stream with years of back-breaking work that was mostly solitary and often ridiculed. Beal hauled away trash and replanted the stream banks, despite taunts from skeptics, using his disability check to support himself and the stream. Clean-testing water, returning salmon and now-respectful observers attest to his success.
Home when commended: North America, US, Washington Home now: North America, US, Washington Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Liz Beal is one of a group of teenaged single mothers who give speeches to their peers, urging them not to make "untimely choices" about sex. Describing their own lives to show how difficult it is to be a teen raising a child, the girls of the School-Age Parent Speakers Bureau remind their peers that sex can have serious consequences.
Home when commended: North America, US, Wisconsin Home now: North America, US, Wisconsin Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Dolores Beall is devoting her life to helping kids in South Dallas gain the skills and self-esteem they need to succeed in life. A counselor by training, Beall founded a center that offers free courses in remedial reading, survival skills and career preparation.
Home when commended: North America, US, Texas Home now: North America, US, Texas Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Paul Beals of La Conner WA, a Vietnam vet, risked his financial livelihood and invested endless hours of his time to get good prosthetics to Soviet vets who lost limbs during their war in Afghanistan.
Home when commended: North America, US, Washington Home now: North America, US, Washington Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
|
Anita and Jim Beaty of Atlanta GA adopted a homeless street child and became so concerned about the plight of the homeless that they quit their well-paying jobs to direct the Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless.
Home when commended: North America, US, Georgia Home now: North America, US, Georgia Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Jim and Anita Beaty of Atlanta GA adopted a homeless street child and became so concerned about the plight of the homeless that they quit their well-paying jobs to direct the Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless.
Home when commended: North America, US, Georgia Home now: North America, US, Georgia Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
|
Jim and Anita Beaty of Atlanta GA adopted a homeless street child and became so concerned about the plight of the homeless that they quit their well-paying jobs to direct the Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless.
Home when commended: North America, US, Georgia Home now: North America, US, Georgia Gender: C (couple) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Fernando Becerra, Angie Camacho, Paloma Camacho, Sarah Cardona, Annette Martinez, Dana Page, Horacio Romero, Rosalinda Ugalde, Raul Velasquez and Alejandro Velasquez are leaders of Earth Niños at the Humphreys School in East Los Angeles. Giving up endless hours of their own time and braving the ridicule of other kids, these 6th-graders planted more than 100 trees at their school and at Occidental College, beautified their neighborhood by planting flowers, picked up tons of litter on their school grounds and around the neighborhood, and led Los Angeles' Unified School District in starting an aluminum recycling project.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
|
Kristen Belanger of Woodbury CT began organizing drives to help the needy when she was 11 years old. Writing dozens of letters and making hundreds of phone calls for support, she supplied food, clothing, toys and books to shelters, reservations and individuals.
Home when commended: North America, US, Connecticut Home now: North America, US, Connecticut Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
During the Cold War years, Dixie Belcher of Juneau AK founded Alaska Performing Artists for Peace and mortgaged her house in order to take Yupik performers on a tour of Siberia. Her successful campaign to melt the political “ice wall” between these related peoples opened the Bering Strait for travel, allowing Yupik people in Siberia and Alaska to reunite their families.
Home when commended: North America, US, Alaska Home now: North America, US, Alaska Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
|
Alton Bennett of Encinas CA repeatedly refused his company’s illegal orders to frame and fire a whistleblower they had assigned to his department. Bennett came under heavy fire himself for sticking to his ethics and was passed over for promotion three times. (See also Marie Ramirez and Tim Reid.)
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
Psychiatrist Peter Bennett risked his life and livelihood to peacefully protest the US military build-up and the country’s involvement in Central America. Bennett withheld his income taxes to protest US support of terrorist activities in Nicaragua, and has been arrested for sitting on the tracks in front of a train that carries nuclear warheads to a submarine base.
Home when commended: North America, US, Washington Home now: North America, US, Washington Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
|
| Powered by Sigsiu.NET |  |
1 Way 2 Help
FIND GIRAFFES
Please note
We're adding stories and photos to the Giraffe Heroes database everyday. If information isn't visible yet, know that we're working on it.
YOU & THE FOUNDER
From time to time, Ann Medlock, this Project's founder, does a brief but inspiring email called Heads Up. You can check out past copies here. They're so good (and so free) we bet you'll join the Heads Up circle and send them on to friends & family.
For further wit & wisdom from Ann, check out her speeches, radio commentaries and OpEds.