In a country blessed with an abundance of extraordinary educators, what does it take to stand out as the Teacher of the Year? According to President Obama, who honored Rebecca Mieliwocki, a 7th grade English teacher from Los Angeles County, it is passion that makes great teachers go above and beyond.
A New Zealand neighbor who crawled into a burning house to rescue a baby was terrified at the time, but said he could not ignore the screams and pleas of family members, when another man had already failed to find her.
Before she died last September, Lelia Boroughs, 84, told her attorney she had no family to whom to leave her estate. So she crafted her will to leave her $400,000 condo to the city to turn into a homeless shelter.
After being the target of terrible racial violence as a young black girl in Oklahoma, Dr. Olivia Hooker went on to fight prejudice throughout her distinguished career as the first African American woman to be accepted into the US Coast Guard (in 1945) and as a psychologist who taught respect for all people.
Twice a year since 2002, local dentists donate free treatment to young folks through their Give Kids A Smile clinic. The organization said more than 8,900 dental professionals and lay volunteers donate time and talent through the clinic, and have provided 10,632 children with $4.6 million in free dental service.
Once again the creative genius of the Washington DC community is on display in the Easter candy parade of homemade art that is the annual -- and always humorous -- Peep diorama contest. Each spring the sticky critter-confections are decorated and transformed by readers of the Washington Post into scenes depicting famous books, paintings, or movies.
A heartwarming update to a story that aired on NBC in September about a family in Florida down on their luck and facing foreclosure: A Texas businessman and his family, after being moved by the tears of the teenage daughter, decided to help.
CNN's Top 10 Heroes of the Year will walk down the same red carpet as the celebrities for the 5th annual CNN Heroes awards show broadcast LIVE on CNN. Televised award shows normally hail athletes and entertainers for their latest career accomplishments. But tonight in Los Angeles, the celebrities will honor inspiring citizens working to make the world a better place.
Christmas came early for three people in West Michigan when a stranger picked up the tab on some presents. It happened Monday night at the Big Kmart in Plainfield Township. A woman, described only as being in her 30s, walked up to the layaway desk and asked, Can I, you know, pay off some people's layaway?
Knowing that even if a foster child is placed with a family, it doesn't guarantee a Christmas gift under the tree, Frances Smith for 15 years has used her annual vacation to amass new dolls, clothes, bikes, and games for every child in the foster care system of Coweta County, Georgia.
A businessman has taken charge of local slum children in New Delhi -- kids as young as two years old, whose impoverished parents sent them out begging on the streets. He envisioned a brighter future for the youngsters outside his door and agreed to be a daily caretaker, hiring tutors to teach them to read. Over the past decade, Arora and his wife have brought about 150 children under their wing.
Over the past three decades, gold and silver coins have turned up during the holidays in the Salvation Army's red kettles in at least 10 states, including Illinois, Colorado, Texas and Florida. While some people drop a few dollars into The Salvation Army's iconic red kettles at this time of year, others emerge and discreetly share diamond rings, real silver and rare gold coins — and many choose to do so anonymously.
It's never too late to be recognized for bravery. 67 years after the US Army assumed she was killed when a bomb destroyed the hospital where she worked, a Belgian nurse who saved the lives of hundreds of soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge was given an American award for valor on Monday.
Now working for NBC, Chelsea Clinton files her first good news report from her home state of Arkansas about a woman in rural Pine Bluff who is making a difference for her community in such a profound way that she's known as a real life miracle worker.
A Secret Santa went to Reading, Pennsylvania, reportedly because it was the poorest city in America. His goal was to hand out $20,000 in cash to random people in thrift stores, laundromats and bus stops who look like they could use a helping hand. He chose to remain anonymous but allowed TV cameras to trail him, providing a rare glimpse into the joy that can be spread by one generous man in red tee shirt and beret.
A retired Menlo Park math teacher completed her seventh summer volunteering to teach math at a high school for girls in Africa -- a school that she raised more than $1 million to build.
A retired Navy mechanic has been refurbishing bicycles for needy children in Fayettesville, NC. for nearly 20 years. The workshop has been especially busy preparing 1100 bikes for kids who lined up to choose new wheels for Christmas.
The holidays are upon us and the spirit of giving is already in full swing in Minnesota. An anonymous good Samaritan paid it forward Thursday giving free fares to every bus rider for the day.
Inspector James Guida has been in the NYPD for 30 years. He was assigned to command troubled precincts, and for the last four years logged an increase in arrests and hundreds of successful search warrants. While battling the drug scourge, he has been fighting cancer.
Every Thursday morning around 10:30 Dan walks into a Starbucks in Metro Detroit, takes out a list and proceeds to order dozens of drinks. The number depends on who is in the Michigan Cancer Center getting chemotherapy treatments. In 2007 he accompanied his father for Thursday chemo treatments. Since his father's death, he keeps the tradition going. Now, Starbucks fans are donating to the cause.
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