Giraffe Heroes Database
Letter "N"
Entries beginning with "N"
Michele Nappi of Milton VT founded Vermont Incest Survivors, Enlightened and Empowered (VTISEE) after going public with her own story. Nappi has worked long hours for no pay and used her own limited resources to publish a newsletter, run an information clearinghouse, and organize support groups for fellow incest survivors.
Home when commended: North America, US, Vermont Home now: North America, US, Vermont Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Beyers Naude, of Braamfontein, South Africa, a Dutch Reformed minister, sacrificed his career, his friends, and his place in the community by leaving the clergy to speak out against apartheid.
Home when commended: Africa, South Africa Home now: Africa, South Africa Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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In Burundi, a country devastated by ethnic conflict, Prosper Ndabashuriye brought Hutus and Tutsis together to build new houses for those who had lost everything. Despite threats, financial nightmares and even imprisonment, Ndabashuriye and his multi-ethnic team built hundreds of houses for their fellow Burundians.
Home when commended: Africa, Burundi Home now: Africa, Burundi Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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The people of Neve Shalom/Wahat Al-Salam (Oasis of Peace) in Israel are Muslims, Jews and Christians living together by choice. Denounced by friends and family members as traitors, the residents speak both Hebrew and Arabic, their children attending Israel's only bilingual school. They run workshops for visiting Muslim and Jewish high school students, showing them how it can be done.
Home when commended: Middle East, Israel Home now: Middle East, Israel Gender: G (group) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Karen Nevins of Boston MA is a member of the National AIDS Brigade. This legal secretary and her fellow Brigaders defy Massachusetts law to distribute clean needles and AIDS prevention kits to drug addicts, spending their own money to fund the program, and returning to the work after each arrest. (See also Joe McGrath and Jon Parker.)
Home when commended: North America, US, Massachusetts Home now: North America, US, Massachusetts Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Doris and Nick Nickelson of Manhattan Beach CA were shocked by his son’s untimely death, but they turned their grief into a continuation of the young man’s work with the homeless. The foundation they named for him provides goods and services to thousands of homeless people and takes all of the Nickelsons’ time and resources.
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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Nick and Doris Nickelson of Manhattan Beach CA were shocked by his son’s untimely death; they turned their grief into a continuation of the young man’s work with the homeless. The foundation they named for him provides goods and services to thousands of homeless people and takes all of the Nickelsons’ time and resources.
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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Nick and Doris Nickelson of Manhattan Beach CA were shocked by his son’s untimely death; they turned their grief into a continuation of the young man’s work with the homeless. The foundation they named for him provides goods and services to thousands of homeless people and takes all of the Nickelsons’ time and resources.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: C (couple) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Wendell Nickerson MD of Edina MO set up his medical practice there despite the poor financial prospects of serving such a small town. Nickerson’s office runs at a personal loss to provide the town with quality medical care.
Home when commended: North America, US, Missouri Home now: North America, US, Missouri Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Ann Niehaus and Duane Elgin of Menlo Part CA put all their time and savings into forming “Choosing Our Future,” a nonprofit that worked to get more programs on our TV screens that inform and enlighten rather than just entertain.
Home when commended: North America, US, California Home now: North America, US, California Gender: C (couple) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Frank Noe of Stoughton MA is a member of Vietnam Revisited, a crew of veterans intent on rebuilding the country they once fought in. They began by removing land mines they laid 25 years ago, and went on to help supply medical facilities in Vietnam. (See also Robert Dalton, Bill Johnson, Nate Genna and Mike Wallace.)
Home when commended: North America, US, Massachusetts Home now: North America, US, Massachusetts Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Jack Noel, Sue Ellen White-Hansen, Steve Shapiro, Debora Valis, Neil Colburn, Candace Culver, Jerry Sanders, Sylvia Sanders, Harry Wilbert, Myrl Wilbert andPat Goff were members of Save the Trees, a group that worked fifteen years to save the last old-growth trees on Whidbey Island in Washington. These islanders began by standing in front of the ancient trees as heavy machinery moved toward them. They went on to lobby public officials and go through the courts, winning a long battle to protect not only their island’s last giant trees, but also other old-growth throughout the state.
Home when commended: North America, US, New Mexico Home now: North America, US, New Mexico Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Irene Ntintili of Soweto, South Africa, gave up a well-paying job to care for 152 aged people abandoned by their families. In an innovative program, she is matching orphans with abandoned elders, forming new family bonds. Ntintili was cast out of her own church for speaking out about its lack of concern for its elderly members.
Home when commended: Africa, South Africa Home now: Africa, South Africa Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Kirsten Nunery of South Freeport ME led a group of elementary students who convinced the town council to ban styrofoam after the local McDonald's failed to switch from styrofoam to paper containers.
Home when commended: North America, US, Maine Home now: North America, US, Maine Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Jens Nygaard of New York City integrated the Cape Town Symphony's audiences when he was there as a guest conductor, using his conducting fee to buy concert tickets for people in the black townships and to bus them to the concerts. Founder of the Jupiter Symphony in New York, Nygaard insisted that his group play a third of its concerts for the homeless, the blind or the mentally ill, and gave away at least 100 tickets to every concert. Homeless himself as a young man, Nygaard once lived in a park near Lincoln Center where he later conducted concerts.
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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