Margaret Van Duyne of Brighton MA has put in years of round-the-clock days getting new immigrants up and running on productive new lives. Her non-profit, One with One, matches newcomers with citizen mentors who coach them on US language, work and customs.
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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Environmental scientist Jeffrey van Ee of Las Vegas NV was threatened with dismissal by the EPA for speaking out against a waste of taxpayers' money by the Department of the Interior. Van Ee responded with a legal challenge to his Agency's gag rule on what employees say on their own time, as citizens. Van Ee won.
Home when commended: North America, US, Nevada Home now: North America, US, Nevada Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Scientist Ivor van Heerden had warned New Orleans and the Army Corps of Engineers about the disaster that a major storm would bring, but nothing was done. After Hurricane Katrina proved van Heerden right he pressed for rebuilding that would solve the original problems. His reward was being fired from the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center along with his entire team.
Home when commended: North America, US, Louisiana Home now: North America, US, Louisiana Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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John Van Hengel lived a high and fast youth in Beverly Hills, but in 1967 chose a life of cast-off clothes, rattletrap cars and small, shabby apartments. Van Hengel started St. Mary's, the world's first food bank, gleaning surpluses from grocery stores. He went on to organize the national Second Harvest programs, and an information clearinghouse for food banks around the world.
Home when commended: North America, US, Arizona Home now: North America, US, Arizona Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Maya van Rossum combined her legal training and her knowledge of the environment and came up with a way to be one of the most unpopular people in the Delaware River flood plain. As head of Delaware Riverkeeper, van Rossum has worked against a proposed plan to stop floods in the area by telling its proponents that it’ll never worked. She’s also protected the river from the Army Corps of Engineers, new dams and expanded airports.
Home when commended: North America, US, Pennsylvania Home now: North America, US, Pennsylvania Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Whitney Van White of Atlanta GA leads Black Teen Advancement, a program that greatly reduced violence in Atlanta schools. Van White and BTA members mediate interschool rivalries, putting themselves on the line to prevent violence.
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.
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Ernest Vande Zande of Vancouver WA risked his financial security and his place in competitive shooting to conduct a successful campaign that made the US Olympic shooting team independent from the National Rifle Association.
Home when commended: North America, US, Washington Home now: North America, US, Arizona Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Bruce Vantine of Saint Louis MO formed and funds a professional vocal and brass ensemble called the Cornerstone Chorale. Its performances are all tied to the theme of social justice, and have received rave reviews for both their musical quality and their social impact--ticket sales go to nonprofit causes.
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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Mordechai Vanunu of Jerusalem, Israel, was imprisoned for treason after blowing the whistle on his government's illegal production of nuclear weapons. Held in solitary confinement, he became the subject of an international campaign to secure his release.
Home when commended: Asia, Israel Home now: Asia, Israel Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Philip Vargas of Arlington VA was a respected government official until he wrote a report on government secrecy that ruffled too many feathers. When the report was suppressed, Vargas went public, saying the citizens have the right to know how their government is functioning, or failing to do so. Fired and blackballed, Vargas has not changed his opinion of the rights of citizens.
Home when commended: North America, US, Virginia Home now: North America, US, Virginia Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Biologist Janos Vargha of Budapest, Hungary lost his job as a science writer when the Danube Circle, an environmental group he founded, tried to stop the building of a huge dam on the Danube. The dam proposal was shelved, and Vargha began working to protect his country's wetlands, soil fertility and drinking water.
Home when commended: Europe, Hungary Home now: Europe, Hungary Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Mechanic Charles Varnadore reported dangerous practices to managers at the Oak Ridge nuclear weapons facility. When they failed to end the threats to workers and to public safety, he talked to the media about suspiciously high cancer rates in and around the plant. Management's response was to move Varnadore, a recovering cancer patient himself, into 'work spaces' filled with radioactive wastes, asbestos, mercury and over 700 chemicals. Varnadore sued; a judge ordered the company to stop and to pay him damages.
Home when commended: North America, US, Tennesse Home now: North America, US, Tennesse Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Alejandro Velasquez, Angie Camacho, Paloma Camacho, Sarah Cardona, Fernando Becerra, Annette Martinez, Dana Page, Horacio Romero, Rosalinda Ugalde and Raul 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.
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Raul Velasquez, Angie Camacho, Paloma Camacho, Sarah Cardona, Fernando Becerra, Annette Martinez, Dana Page, Horacio Romero, Rosalinda Ugalde 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.
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Govindappa Venkataswamy of Madurai, India, a skilled eye surgeon, gave up a comfortable retirement to open a 20-bed hospital offering eye care to the poor. His innovations and dedication have served literally millions of people.
Home when commended: Asia, India Home now: Asia, India 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.