Giraffe Heroes Database
Letter "W"
Entries beginning with "W"
In1956 Charleszetta Waddles started providing the poor of Detroit with food, clothing, job hunting skills and other necessities at "Mother Waddles' Perpetual Mission." Mostly, she said, what she does is “love the hell out of folks.”
Home when commended: North America, US, Michigan Home now: North America, US, Michigan Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Barbara Wade of Miami FL was a social worker with the Miami police force gang detail when she asked gang members to draw up their own dream program. The kids came up with bylaws, procedures and a mix of activities including weekly support groups and encounter sessions, GED classes, sports and field trips. Wade quit her job to become fulltime volunteer director of the program the kids designed; she supports herself as a consultant and lecturer.
Home when commended: North America, US, Florida Home now: North America, US, Florida Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Richard Walden of Los Angeles CA left corporate law to start Operation California, a private international emergency relief program that he runs with such dash he's become known as the "Charity Buccaneer." (The program is now called Operation USA.)
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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Gary Waldron of New York NY left his safe corporate job to invest all his time and savings in creating an inner-city herb farm where he hired and trained neighborhood people to raise quality herbs for New York's top restaurants.
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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Founding a 100-member support network and serving as its leader could tire anyone out. For young Sharon Walk of Florham Park NJ, who lives daily with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the effort could be life-threatening. Walk goes on because her regular newsletters, telephone calls, advice and encouragement are so vital to other young people with CFSs.
Home when commended: North America, US, New Jersey Home now: North America, US, New Jersey Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Amye Walker and her family—Morris, Skye and Lynn Walker—created a traveling show of skits and songs about saving the environment. They performed at schools and colleges all over the US.
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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Lynn Walker and her family—Morris, Skye and Amye Walker—created a traveling show of skits and songs about saving the environment. They performed at schools and colleges all over the nation.
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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Morris Walker and his family—Skye, Lynn and Amye Walker—created a traveling show of skits and songs about saving the environment. They performed at schools and colleges all over the nation.
Home when commended: North America, US, Oregon Home now: North America, US, Oregon Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Richard Walker of Marshfield MA gave up his career in business when he learned that an agency was closing that ran programs for over 700 of the area's mentally and physically handicapped adults. Walker took over the program, using his life savings to cover payroll costs, and going unpaid himself until the program was in the black.
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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Skye Walker and his family—Morris, Lynn and Amye Walker—created a traveling show of skits and songs about saving the environment. They performed at schools and colleges all over the nation.
Home when commended: North America, US, Oregon Home now: North America, US, Oregon Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Don and Fran Wallace of Seattle WA campaign to save others from lead poisoning after being nearly killed by the lead glaze on their own coffee mugs. They spent half a million dollars buying and testing pottery for lead, lobbying for tighter federal controls, and developing an inexpensive test kit people can use to test for lead in their homes.
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.
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Fran and Don Wallace of Seattle WA campaign to save others from lead poisoning after being nearly killed by the lead glaze on their own coffee mugs. They spent half a million dollars buying and testing pottery for lead, lobbying for tighter federal controls, and developing an inexpensive test kit people can use to test for lead in their homes.
Home when commended: North America, US, Washington Home now: North America, US, Washington Gender: F (female) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Don and Fran Wallace of Seattle WA campaign to save others from lead poisoning after being nearly killed by the lead glaze on their own coffee mugs. They spent half a million dollars buying and testing pottery for lead, lobbying for tighter federal controls, and developing an inexpensive test kit people can use to test for lead in their homes.
Home when commended: North America, US, Washington Home now: North America, US, Washington Gender: C (couple) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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Mike Wallace of Hutchinson KS 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 earlier, and went on to help supply medical facilities in Vietnam. (See also Nate Genna, Robert Dalton, Bill Johnson and Frank Noe.)
Home when commended: North America, US, Kansas Home now: North America, US, Kansas Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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When Renee Wallace of Houston TX was trying to care for a child with mental retardation, she found there was very little available help for her and for other parents dealing with this challenge. Her response was to design pioneering systems and equipment to help her son and other people like him. She then founded VitaLiving to create group homes where her systems and equipment are part of lifetime care that is truly caring.
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.
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Jim Wallis of Washington DC, a minister and founder of the Sojourners' Community, has withstood strong opposition from fellow fundamentalists who disagree with his views. Wallis' experiences with the Civil Rights/anti-Vietnam war movement led him to live the Christian gospel by working for peace and justice in his inner-city neighborhood and across the country.
Home when commended: North America, US, Washington DC Home now: North America, US, Washington DC Gender: M (male) For more information, click on the Giraffe's name.
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