Giraffe Heroes Database
Letter "L"
Entries beginning with "L"
Judith Ladinsky MD of Madison WI, a medical professor, has been called both a CIA agent and a Communist by people who can't understand her dedication to improved relations with Vietnam, including helping Amerasian children there get to their fathers' country, the USA.
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.
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George Lakey of Philadelphia PA stages non-violent direct actions in troubled places around the globe. He's been arrested for civil disobedience, and has risked death on many occasions. He has taught non-violent tactics to Sri Lankan Buddhist monks, Norwegian pacifists, New Zealand whites and Maoris, Mohawk community leaders, Michigan farm workers, and maximum security prisoners.
Home when commended: North America, US, Pennsylvania Home now: North America, US, Pennsylvania Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Eugene Lang of New York NY, attending a commencement at his old elementary school, told the graduating sixth-graders that if they stayed in school, he would pay their college tuition. The son of poor parents himself, the multi-millionaire inspired hundreds of other people of means to follow his lead, guaranteeing kids' tuition and meeting with them regularly to monitor their progress and give them encouragement.
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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Dora Larson of Orion IL started PACT, Protecting All Children Together, after her 10-year old daughter was raped and murdered. Through PACT she has helped pass a dozen laws, including the Children's Bill of Rights. Larson supports and protects young victims during the trials of their abusers. Sometimes threatened with violence herself, Larson is on call 24 hours a day for victims of abuse and their heartbroken families.
Home when commended: North America, US, Illinois Home now: North America, US, Illinois Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Doug Lasdon of New York NY founded the Legal Action Center for the Homeless, working alone in an unheated, burnt-out building, instead of the posh office he could have commanded as the top student in his law class. He set up five soup kitchen/legal clinics, an outreach and referral service, trained a staff of six, and won string of legal and administrative victories for the homeless.
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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Sharon Lawrence of Roswell NM risks her fragile health to volunteer more than 30 stressful hours a week as a court-appointed advocate for abused and neglected children. Lawrence takes on the toughest cases, recommending to the court actions that are in the best interests of the children.
Home when commended: North America, US, New Mexico Home now: North America, US, New Mexico Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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When he was five years old Jeff Lazar of Oak Park MI began spending his summers and afterschool hours raising funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. As a teenager, Jeff organized summer carnivals that became a major annual event in Oak Park, raising thousands of dollars for the cause.
Home when commended: North America, US, Michigan Home now: North America, US, Michigan Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Martin Lazar, a neurosurgeon, makes it a practice to look up other physicians when he travels. He was so concerned about the sub-standard equipment many of them were using that he used his own time and money to create Medisend, a nonprofit that collects medical equipment in the US and ships it to doctors in Nepal, Mexico, Tanzania, China and the Phillipines.
Home when commended: North America, US, Texas Home now: North America, US, Texas Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Michael Lazerev is a doctor in Russia who has sacrificed advancement and suffered a great deal of suspicion and criticism for devoting his free time to helping asthmatic children.
Home when commended: Asia, Russia Home now: Asia, Russia Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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William Lazo of Haddonfield NJ gave up a successful real estate career to help victims of crime, assist the police, and rehabilitate offenders. Lazo has run his organization, VPO (Victims, Police, Offenders), without pay for decades.
Home when commended: North America, US, New Jersey Home now: North America, US, New York Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Justin Lebo of Saddlebrook NJ refurbished dozens of bikes for kids who couldn’t afford them, donating them to boys' homes and to local families. When he was 10 Justin started working summers and weekends, using his earnings to purchase old bikes and buy new parts to refurbish them, so other boys' dreams of having their own bikes could come true.
Home when commended: North America, US, New Jersey Home now: North America, US, New Jersey Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Sister Jennie Lechtenberg of Los Angeles CA abandoned the security of her religious order's traditional teaching role to pioneer an educational service for East Los Angeles. Free educational programs for students from toddlers to elders include English as a second language, adult literacy, computer skills and job training, plus latchkey and tutoring programs for the largely Hispanic community.
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.
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Fran Lee of New York NY, an indomitable consumer advocate, has led crusades against cyclamates, leaky microwaves, asbestos and, perhaps, most notoriously, against the rising tide of dog droppings on the city's streets. Despite harassment and even death threats, "Granny Franny" lobbied city officials to make dog-owners clean up after their pets, and eventually the city passed a "scoop-the-poop law".
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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Heather Lee 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. (See also Liz Beal, Tara Boomsma, Debbie Brewer, Amy Conrad, Sherry Gradel, Heather Lee, June Loomis, Joell Pick, Kim Posthuma, Amanda Pritchard, and Becky Winker)
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.
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Glen and Mildred Leet of New York NY devoted their retirement years to running their own foreign aid program, "Trickle Up," which provides small but critical grants to desperately poor people in the Third World. Trickle Up grants go to the real roots of poverty, giving hard-working, enterprising people the capital they need to nurture micro businesses.
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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Mildred and Glen Leet of New York NY devoted their retirement years to running their own foreign aid program, "Trickle Up," which provides small but critical grants to desperately poor people in the Third World. Trickle Up grants go to the real roots of poverty, giving hard-working, enterprising people the capital they need to nurture micro businesses.
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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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.
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