Celebrating The Stories Of Everyday Heroes
Among these heroes is Opal Lee, the ninety-four-year-old activist and retired educator who became the driving force behind Juneteenth becoming a national holiday.
LOS ANGELES, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Everyday heroes are all around us - those that selflessly help their friends, neighbors and families or lend a hand within their local communities - and these acts of kindness were as prevalent as ever over this past year.
To commemorate these heroes who were able to find strength during some of the most difficult times, leading global biographer StoryTerrace launched its inaugural "Unsung Heroes" campaign in 2020 which has culminated in a hard-cover book featuring the final selection of 25 stories from the hundreds of nominees. Among these heroes is Opal Lee, the ninety-four-year-old activist and retired educator who became the driving force behind Juneteenth becoming a national holiday.
According to Rutger Bruining, CEO and Founder of StoryTerrace, "Stories that have come out of the pandemic have inspired us to give back and shed light on some of the incredible people in our communities. Having completed the inaugural Unsung Heroes book, it was moving to witness so many inspiring nominations. We're looking forward to continuing this legacy and celebrating the hard-working and deserving educators who sacrificed so much during a difficult time."
Following the campaign's early success, StoryTerrace has also announced today a second Unsung Heroes campaign, this time honoring the remarkable educators and teachers who have made an impact on our lives, especially during such difficult times. The call for nominations and additional information will become available on the StoryTerrace website later this summer.
Everyday Heroes During the Pandemic
StoryTerrace has published its first ever 'Unsung Heroes' book that showcases 25 inspiring individuals and commemorates their acts of selflessness during a difficult period in our lives. StoryTerrace asked people around the globe to nominate a hero in their own life. The book showcases these heroes in a year like no other, with the aim of shedding light on the individuals in our communities who gave up their time and resources for the benefit of others.
The Unsung Heroes book is currently available to purchase on Amazon, with prices listed for hardcopy $32.99, paperback $16.99 and e-book $5.99. Additionally will be available within 39,000+ retailers, libraries, distributors, and educational institutions in over 195 countries, such as Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, and most local bookstores.
All profits generated from the sale of the book will go towards StoryTerrace's charity partner Maggie's - an organization that provides free cancer support - as well as Leading Hero Opal Lee's chosen charity, Unity Unlimited - a non-profit dedicated to providing educational activities and resources to people to foster unity and harmony within local communities.
Inaugural Book Snapshot
Below is a snapshot of some of the individuals from the U.S. who are featured in the inaugural Unsung Heroes biography:
Opal Lee (Fort Worth, TX) - Leading Hero, "Grandmother of Juneteenth" and activist delivering food for those in need
Our oldest nominee at 93 years of age has been providing food to those in need for over 40 years after starting her own food bank and farm in Fort Worth, TX. And this didn't stop during Covid-19. She put others' health before her own and continued to hand deliver food boxes to the sick and shut in throughout her community. In addition, Opal Lee has been a Juneteenth advocate for more than 40 years and was the driving force behind it being recognized as a national holiday.
Dr. Brenda Bauer (Manhattan, NY) - the psychologist battling mental health efforts
This New York licensed clinical psychologist who was instrumental with mental health efforts during and post 911 and now here again, she continues to go above and beyond the call of duty to make sure New Yorkers are emotionally and physically healthy. Since COVID-19, she has traveled to her office every day to meet with clients via video conferencing and has prioritized the mental health of her clients.
Lindsay Sherman (Bronx, NY) - a fearless leader for her patients
Lindsay is the director of a COVID-19 affected burdening home in the Bronx, NY. After the majority of her staff quit due to their own health fears, Lindsay took on her whole team's workload. She helped families cope with deaths, provided support to dying patients, made hospice referrals, coordinated skype video calls for residents to communicate with family and more. She never talked about her fears of going into work, despite suffering from asthma and chronic bronchitis. Lindsay continues to dedicate her entire life to her patients, and continues to go to work with a smile on her face for her patients.
Eric Moseley (Los Angeles, CA) - the selfless educator
Eric took it upon himself to educate the homeless about COVID-19, walking the streets of San Francisco amid the pandemic. Research showed 5 out of 10 unhoused individuals living on the streets were unaware of the fact that the virus existed. Eric went from block to block educating people about the virus, and handed out virus-combating tools such as hand sanitizing soap.
Farhan, Salik & Samee Himmati (Bay Area, CA) - the faces behind the "Himmati Foundation"
Farhan, a 4th year medical student, along with his two brothers started a medical non-profit 'Himmati Foundation' to provide cloth masks to homeless shelters across the US. In 2020 the organization has donated 3,400 masks, 6,200 gloves and dry food to shelters hit hard during COVID-19.
Tom Bagamane (San Francisco, CA) - the hero for the homeless
Tom's work with the homeless on Skidrow began long before COVID-19, precisely 25 years ago. But since the pandemic, his work has become more important than ever. He continues to visit Skidrow and hand deliver food, clothing and hygiene items for the homeless.
Robertino Rodriguez (San Diego, CA) - the smile behind the #ShareYourSmile movement
This respiratory therapist is the smiling face behind the viral social movement #ShareYourSmile. At the forefront of this pandemic, after seeing so many patients scared and lonely, Robertino took it upon himself to laminate a picture of himself smiling and attached it to the outside of his PPE. Patients felt at ease because they could actually see the smile behind his mask. This act of kindness inspired many frontline workers during the pandemic.
About StoryTerrace
Founded in 2014, the company has offices in Los Angeles and London. Not only was the company featured on Good Morning America, they have been featured in the likes of The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, NPR, Forbes and BBC News in the last year alone. www.storyterrace.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/celebrating-the-stories-of-everyday-heroes-301334583.html
SOURCE StoryTerrace
