Recognizing the Need.
How a neighbor took a disaffected young man under his wing and taught him how to be a man
In a quiet Northern California neighborhood, Michael seemed like a typical 11-year-old boy. His family made use of the California sunshine to grow citrus trees and roses. All seemed well from the outside, but Michael was troubled. Read Story
LOVE
Taking Care.
How one woman turned a life of neglect into a lifetime of taking care of people.
Life never really turns out the way we expect it to. We have dreams and expectations. And dream-come-true stories are everywhere — except, it may seem, in our own lives. Read Story
FAMILY
Playtime is for Everybody.
A dad sells off his business and builds a theme park for disabled kids.
Gordon Hartman just might be the leading candidate for “Dad of the Decade.” When his daughter Morgan was growing up, Gordon was heartbroken after watching her on the playground. Other children refused to play with her, mostly because her disabilities meant she couldn’t access the places where they were playing. The family tried other places but were never satisfied. Read Story
INCLUSION
For Soccer Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, Every Day is Mother’s Day.
Fortune and fame have allowed the soccer great to take care of his mother after all she has done for him.
At his peak, Cristiano Ronaldo was considered the best professional footballer in the world. He has made over 1,100 professional appearances and scored more than 800 goals. To see him play, you would say he was born for the game. But that would discount all the struggles and hard work he has gone through to become the player that he is. Read Story
LOVE ALWAYS
Going Deep to Deliver Kindness.
Free-dive record holder Enzo Maiorca rescues a trapped dolphin, then watches as it gives birth.
For most of us, opportunities are just around the corner — perhaps the chance to help a neighbor. For Enzo Maiorca, his neighborhood is the sea, and the community he cares about inhabits the vastness below the surface. Read Story
BE PRESENT
A Hero for Accessibility.
How an 8-year-old girl captured the attention of the nation and motivated Congress.
This is the story of Jennifer Keelan, a young girl who had dreams of one day attending college and living a fulfilling life. She did graduate from Arizona State University with a degree in family and human development. But her life has been anything but typical. Read Story
ACCEPTANCE
No Strings Attached.
How a 7-year-old girl brings joy to neighbors with her violin.
On a Saturday afternoon, you find most kids outside playing made-up games or dangling from monkey bars. Kids were made for the outdoors, with their boundless energy and the ease in which they make friends. It’s no different for Kameron, a normal, fun-loving 7-year-old girl who loves to draw out the world’s longest hopscotch on the sidewalk. Read Story
HAPPINESS
How to Honor Your Mother.
Warrick Dunn played in the NFL for 12 seasons. His most impressive stat: He’s built 200 homes for single mothers. And he’s not done.
When Warrick Dunn was a sophomore, he led his team to the state championship. When he was a senior, his mother, who worked in law enforcement, was shot and killed, leaving Warrick to care for his five brothers and sisters. Read Story
BE GREAT
Bringing the Moon to your Living Room.
How 14-year-old Philo Farnsworth tinkered his way to the technology that broadcast the moon landing.
14-year-old Philo Farnsworth wasn’t looking up at the sky while plowing the field at his father’s farm in Rigby, Idaho. He was looking down at the straight furrows that coursed over the earth. Read Story
DREAM BIG
Education is for Everyone.
Reading and writing are the basics of an education. See why a 90-year-old Kenyan great-grandmother went back to primary school.
Priscilla Sitienei is not your typical grade-schooler. She’s a little taller. She knows a thing or two about life — she was a midwife for 65 years — and she’s a little slower on the playground than the other students. But Priscilla, known affectionately as Gogo, does know the value of an education. Read Story
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE
Using the Write Words
How an African American Woman Wrote her Way to Freedom.
The story of Phillis Wheatley and how she overcame the scrutiny of 18 men deemed “the most respectable characters in Boston” to publish a book of poetry that lives on today Read Story
EXPRESS YOURSELF
The History of Us.
How a football coach develops young men by teaching them their own history.
Football brings kids from all different backgrounds together and requires them to sacrifice for each other, be selfless and do the job they are asked to do. Creating a team from players with disparate racial, socioeconomic, religious and geographical backgrounds and different styles of upbringing can be quite challenging. Read Story
UNITY
Give Peace a Chance.
How a Mexican-American Marine negotiated peace speaking Japanese during WWll.
We don’t always realize it, but our upbringing can be our biggest advantage later on in life. What we learn from parents, friends and the community we grow up in can teach us things that make a difference at the right time. Read Story
PEACE
Our Local Heroes in Scrubs.
How health care workers saved the day.
Before the pandemic, most of us took nurses for granted. After all, we only saw them when we were about to experience some kind of pain. They were kind, reassuring, and prepped us for what was about to come. Still, many of us were too self-focused to appreciate them fully. Read Story
GRATITUDE
Everybody Can Be a Hero.
How window cleaners brightened the day at a children’s hospital.
Children need heroes. They help kids cope with the world around them, providing a little bit of hope and a lot of entertainment. Read Story
