Jo Ann Cayce of Thornton AR has been a one-woman agency for the poor for over 35 years. Whether the need is for food, clothing, home repair or dental surgery, Cayce finds help, or pays the bill herself. Cayce also puts together field trips for kids who have never seen an airport, gone to a zoo, or seen a city skyline.
Home when commended: North America, US, Arkansas Home now: North America, US, Arkansas Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Vicki Ceja of Denver CO was a shy housewife when she began pushing the city to pave her street. Now a successful community organizer, she's gone on to larger issues such as lowering utility rates and reducing hazardous wastes.
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.
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April Chacon of Salt Lake City UT was a leader in a class of fifth-graders who alerted their neighborhood to a toxic-waste dump, lobbied the city to have it cleaned up, and then pushed for state legislation to help pay for future clean-ups.
Home when commended: North America, US, Utah Home now: North America, US, Utah Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Teresa Chambers, the first woman to head the National Park Police, was in charge of security at some of the nation’s most important monuments and parks. When she asked for the increased staffing the Service needed post-9/11, she was ignored; when she reported that the Service couldn’t do its job properly, she was escorted out of her office by armed special agents. Chambers continues to speak out about the security lapses she’s witnessed.
Home when commended: North America, US, North Carolina Home now: North America, US, Maryland Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Fredy Champagne of Garberville CA is helping rebuild Vietnam, the country he once fought in. Champagne organized a team of fellow vets (see VVRP) to help build and supply medical clinics in Vung Tau and Da Nang. He also led a peace walk in Vietnam to call world attention to the need to normalize relations with that country.
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.
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Barry Champney of Massapequa NY jeopardized his own career to found and organize People Against Chlordane and lead a long battle against the chemical industry that ended with the banning of the pesticide in New York State.
Home when commended: North America, US, New York Home now: North America, US, New York Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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When engineer David Charvat took over operation of an Ohio wastewater plant, he found that records had been falsified, staff was ill-trained and raw sewage was flowing into the Ohio River. Charvat began spending time and money to fix the problems, and telling the truth about them. He was praised by environmental experts and fired by officials who didn't want the truth known about their carelessness.
Home when commended: North America, US, Ohio Home now: North America, US, Ohio Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Audrey Chase of West Jordan UT led her fifth-grade class in getting a state bill passed to provide matching funds for children's tree-planting projects. Audrey lobbied and helped write legislation for the bill. On her own, she then set out to do the same thing nationally, testifying before Congress on the benefits of the idea.
Home when commended: North America, US, Utah Home now: North America, US, Utah Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Heather Chase is a model citizen as well as a fashion model. Her international organization, Models with Conscience, handles only modeling professionals who refuse to represent clothing made with animal fur or cosmetics and fragrances that have been tested on animals.
Home when commended: North America, US, Arizona Home now: North America, US, Arizona Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Andy & Phyllis Chelsea of Alkali Lake BC are Shuswap Indians who fought community norms to stop a cycle of drinking and violence. Elected as chief, Andy Chelsea took drastic, successful measures to promote sobriety. As a result, Alkai Lake experienced an economic recovery and became a model for other communities with alcohol problems.
Home when commended: North America, Canada, British Columbia Home now: North America, Canada, British Columbia Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Phyllis & Andy Chelsea of Alkali Lake BC are Shuswap Indians who fought community norms to stop a cycle of drinking and violence. Elected as chief, Andy Chelsea took drastic, successful measures to promote sobriety. As a result, Alkai Lake experienced an economic recovery and became a model for other communities with alcohol problems.
Home when commended: North America, Canada, British Columbia Home now: North America, Canada, British Columbia Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Phyllis & Andy Chelsea of Alkali Lake BC are Shuswap Indians who fought community norms to stop a cycle of drinking and violence. Elected as chief, Andy Chelsea took drastic, successful measures to promote sobriety. As a result, Alkai Lake experienced an economic recovery and became a model for other communities with alcohol problems.
Home when commended: North America, Canada, British Columbia Home now: North America, Canada, British Columbia Gender: C (couple) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Lynne Cherry of Thurmont MD puts her love of the earth, plants and creatures into both words and actions. Her books and school lectures educate the young about the environment, her activism takes on corporations and even churches if they threaten the environment, her personal actions model living lightly on the earth.
Home when commended: North America, US, Maryland Home now: North America, US, Maryland Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Marcia Clark, Tina Dierkes and Sue Lewallen are conscientious Oregon teachers who insisted on getting toxic substances out of their school building despite administrative resistance to their efforts. They asked that dangerous, leaking light fixtures be replaced and the school decontaminated. When they were ignored, they alerted the EPA and the press. The entire district’s schools have now been cleared of PCBs and asbestos.
Home when commended: North America, US, Oregon Home now: North America, US, Oregon Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Muriel Clark of New York NY became the city's oldest undercover agent at the age of 78, helping to expose payoffs that were being demanded to place the elderly in nursing homes. Due to her sleuthing, nursing home officials were indicted, the first such indictments for a long-known abuse.
Home when commended: North America, US, New York Home now: North America, US, New York Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Reverend Warren Clark of Tampa FL not only lobbies for the poor and directs a Hunger Action Program, he also lives among them himself. Working tirelessly as their advocate, Clark helped get millons of dollars for Florida's homeless by organizing a Tent City on the lawn of the State House of Representatives.
Home when commended: North America, US, Florida Home now: North America, US, Florida Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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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.