2021 Heroes Hub

The 2021 class of heroes is a reminder that acts of everyday heroism can be close to home or international, a full-time job or an afternoon giving back. Each person’s thoughtful actions beget more thoughtful actions — whether they’re a high schooler helping staff understand gender and pronouns, or a chef providing meals for those facing food insecurity. Thank you to all the everyday heroes out there for making New England better. Read more about this year’s section.

HEROES

2021 EVERYDAY

In September, Cristo Rey Boston High School wanted to raise awareness about COVID-19 vaccines. Boston College nursing students, taught by Donna Cullinan and Catherine Conahan, volunteered to conduct a vaccine education program. As a result, COVID-19 vaccination rates among CRB students soared from 50% to more than 80%.

Boston College

Nursing students

As a volunteer for the Prison Book Program in Quincy, Mass., Mike Wood reads prisoner book requests, picks out books, writes caring notes to prisoners, and packages books for mailing. His goal? To give unconditional kindness to incarcerated men and women who may have no one else to help them.

Prison Book Program

Mike Wood

While giving birth in 2018, New Hampshire resident Joanna Suprock experienced a hemorrhage that required transfusions of two gallons of blood. After recuperating, Suprock donated two gallons of her own blood, a pint at a time, to make sure blood would be available for others who need it. She continues to donate regularly.

Blood donor

Joanna Suprock

In addition to providing a home to many foster children during the past 14 years, Holliston, Mass. resident Deborah Sweet also founded and runs We've Got Your BACKpack, which has collected new backpacks and school supplies for thousands of children in northeastern Massachusetts.

We've Got Your BACKpack

Deborah Sweet

When Oregon's Bootleg Fire blazed this summer, American Red Cross volunteer Phyllis Arnold Rand stepped up to help. Rand, of Lewiston, Maine, has deployed to 14 statewide and national Red Cross disaster relief operations, including the Bootleg Fire, where she spent two weeks working at incident command posts and giving daily operations briefings to first responders.

American Red Cross

Phyllis Arnold Rand

One of the newest police recruits in Newton, Mass. is Leo, an English cream golden retriever from Golden Opportunities for Independence. Leo works with community outreach officer Justin Lau to reduce tension in sensitive situations and provide comfort to adults and children in crisis. Leo will also train in search and rescue.

Newton Police Department

Justin & Leo Lau

Between leading drama club auditions, coaching soccer, helping students compile the yearbook, and cheering at the sidelines of basketball games, Connecticut teacher Katie Wood’s schedule is packed. She does all that on top of teaching multiple English literature classes, and still never fails to go the extra mile for her students. READ MORE >

Katie Wood

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought loss, pain, and confusion. That just made Portland, Maine’s Charles Mugabe double down on his work. He manages coordination between Catholic Charities of Maine and other community-based organizations to ensure support for a variety of communities during the pandemic, including immigrant communities.

Catholic Charities of Maine

Charles Mugabe

Anh Vu Sawyer understands the challenges refugees face: She and her family evacuated from the roof of the American Embassy in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1975. Today, Sawyer is executive director of the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts. Each year, SEACMA assists thousands of refugees and immigrants from around the world.

Southeast Asian Coalition

Anh Vu Sawyer

From their position on the front lines of patient safety, Joe Bobbitt and his team have seen the toll of the pediatric behavioral health crisis firsthand. Their goal: to diffuse and deescalate tense situations while preventing patients from harming themselves or others. “It can be stressful,” he admits. “But overall, families are grateful for the support.”

Boston Children’s Hospital

Joe Bobbitt

As manager of the Behavioral Response Team, Doug Crook’s title is a bit of a misnomer. In addition to responding to behavioral health emergencies, his team takes a proactive approach, checking in with patients and educating staff. It’s a crucial need: “Where adult hospitals are focused on COVID, pediatric hospitals are overflowing with patients with behavioral health needs,” he says. “It truly is a crisis.”

Boston Children’s Hospital

Doug Crook

When the pandemic hit, Sandy Habashy and her team sprang into action, continuing to provide interpreters for in-person visits, while adding them to telehealth visits and translating critical information. They’ve also played an essential role in helping calm stressed and agitated families. “We can see them begin to relax when we speak their language and understand their culture,” she says.

Boston Children’s Hospital

Sandy Habashy

More than 200 educators were nominated for this year’s Wasabi Fenway Bowl Honor Roll — and second-grade teacher Joshua Curhan got the most nods. He has moderate-to-severe hearing loss and, while the pandemic posed unique challenges for him in the classroom, he never wavered from creating a welcoming environment for his students. READ MORE >

Bowman Elementary School

Joshua Curhan

The desire to help others can be driven by very personal needs. When healing from sexual and domestic assault, Shabranae Patton found a feeling of calm from soothing wellness products. Now, as founder of Anchor’d Inc, a home décor boutique in Newton, Mass., she’s helping others by providing post-trauma care packages for survivors and safe homes across America.

Anchor’d Inc

Shabranae Patton

When wildlife on Cape Cod are orphaned, sickened, or injured, executive director Stephanie Ellis and the wildlife rehabilitators and volunteers at Wild Care in Eastham, Mass. are ready to help. Each year, Wild Care gives 1,800 birds, amphibians, reptiles, and small animals — from tiny frogs to majestic bald eagles — a second chance. READ MORE >

Wild Care, Inc.

Stephanie Ellis

Barbara initially started her career as an EMT back in 1983, before becoming a paramedic in 1987. She then joined American Medical Response (AMR), working as a staff paramedic, educator, preceptor and supervisor over the next 33 years, serving the communities of Haverhill, Newburyport, and Nashua. She also had a brief stint working at Merrimack Valley Hospital as an ER-based paramedic. In 2018, Barbara took a position with Cataldo Ambulance Service’s SmartCare division and was trained as a community paramedic. Then in April of 2020, at the height of the pandemic, she joined the newly formed Lowell General Hospital Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) program, and is now the program’s lead paramedic. By bringing healthcare into the community, Barbara has made a tremendous impact on the Lowell region’s pandemic response and has been a key contributor to the development and evolution of the LGH MIH program.

Lowell General Hospital

Barbara Vaillant

“Mobile Integrated Health provides a solution for treating these patients in their homes and provides continuity of care in a health care system that has become increasingly episodic.”

- Dr. Wendy Mitchell, Medical Director, Lowell General Hospital

A guiding principle for Alia is that anyone can make a difference. As a 16-year-old student in Mattapoisett, Mass., they’ve helped to start the junior high’s Gender & Sexuality Alliance club. They’ve gathered inclusive curriculum materials, developed and presented professional development on gender and pronouns for school staff, and worked to help schools understand how to better support queer students.

Old Rochester Regional High School

Alia Cusolito

Both food and community are important to chef Gary Samuel Arthur. So, he founded Village Table, a program through which about 50 volunteers create restaurant-quality meals for people experiencing food insecurity. The program distributes over 1,000 meals a month to food banks, community fridges, recovery centers, and more.

Village Table | Wellesley Village Church

Gary Samuel Arthur

As a mixed-race, multiethnic child of immigrants, Ramin Ganeshram longed to see stories like hers in her education. Now, as executive director of the Westport Museum, she’s helping others to see themselves in local history by including African-Americans, immigrants, and indigenous people on town history plaques, and is launching an oral history program to facilitate community dialogue.

Westport Museum

Ramin Ganeshram

Terry Crawley takes his custodial duties at Barnstable Intermediate seriously — but his impact is bigger than his job. As a mentor for students and ally for teachers and staff at the school, he’s an essential part of his school’s community, and a friendly, helpful person who everyone can (and does!) lean on. READ MORE >

Barnstable Intermediate School

Terry Crawley

Because books can change perceptions, Kirsten Cappy says she sees children’s books as “the software for reprogramming racism.” As executive director of I’m Your Neighbor Books in Portland, Maine, Cappy and her immigrant-led organization build “Welcoming Libraries,” traveling collections of picture books that celebrate the diverse stories of modern immigrants and New Americans.

I’m Your Neighbor Books

Kirsten Cappy

For lawyer Kira Kelley of Hartland, Vt., success is when interactions among people are transformational rather than transactional. In addition to providing pro bono legal support and online trainings for legal observers, Kelley co-founded the Hartland Mutual Aid Society, through which 120 people (out of about 3,000 in the town) signed up to volunteer and share resources during the pandemic.

Hartland Mutual Aid Society

Kira Kelley

Boston Children’s Hospital

David Walsh

Julia Gallogly teaches ELL (English Language Learners) at Beachmont Veterans Memorial School. Inspired by fellow teachers who were delivering supplies to families in need, she organized to support local families in Revere during COVID-19. She created a GoFundMe page that raised over $23,000.

Beachmont Veterans Memorial School

Julia Gallogly

Melmark operates special education schools, professional development, and research centers. They are committed to enhancing the lives of individuals with autism and other intellectual disabilities through evidence-based services. COVID-19 may have altered how they deliver their mission, but that mission never wavered.

Melmark New England

Dee Oberlin & Anthony Cadet

Nicole Mcclain is a librarian, veteran, and founder of the North Shore Juneteenth Association, an organization that highlights the contribution of Black Americans. In addition to their usual work giving back and improving community relations, NSJA donated food to families in need during COVID-19.

North Shore Juneteenth Association

Nicole Mcclain

- Nicole Mcclain

As long as people keep pushing and organizations keep working hard, there will be a difference. We just can't let up.

Diana Caperello, a companion at The Village at Willow Crossings, is among 5,000+ associates who embody Benchmark Senior Living’s caring culture. Winner of the 2019 Compassionate Caregiver Award, her positivity has helped residents rediscover passions, nurture connections, and improve the lives of 59 foster children.

Benchmark Senior Living

Diana Caperello

Conner Curran, age 10, battles Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare genetic disease, with courage and grace. His constant smile is a source of joy and inspiration to all who know him. Despite the pandemic, his parents have lobbied for Duchenne awareness and raised more than $800,000 for Duchenne research.

Kindness Over Muscular Dystrophy

Conner Curran

Recognized as an exceptional educational leader, Mike Davis is a principal that goes above and beyond to make students and staff feel appreciated. He traveled over three hundred miles to deliver plants, whoopie pies, cards, and more to 54 staffers’ homes during Teacher Appreciation Week this year.

Walton Elementary School

Michael Davis

Kristen Collins and Cara Soulia kicked off #thefrontstepsproject in Needham, Mass. The concept was simple: donate $50 to a local food pantry in exchange for a casual portrait on your front steps. The idea went viral. Thanks to many photographers, the effort has now raised more than $3.35 million worldwide.

The Front Steps Project

Kristin Collins & Cara Soulia

Suzanne Lee has long been a community leader, helping immigrant mothers start the first Chinese Parents Association and unemployed garment workers secure Boston’s first bilingual training programs. This year, Suzanne organized the distribution of PPE to 8,000+ senior residents and essential workers.

Chinese Progressive Association

Suzanne Lee

Brandon Montella is a veteran, boxer, business-owner, and founder of Mission Ready, helping veterans and at-risk students find purpose through fitness. During COVID-19 lockdowns he organized a camping trip for beneficiaries and offered socially distanced boxing — via punching bag mounted to his Jeep.

Mission Ready

Brandon Montella

Beni Noci owns Seaside Pizza in Nahant. For three months during COVID-19, he and his team delivered free food to the town's senior citizens every day. Noci, who grew up in Albania with his mother struggling to provide for eight children, still offers half-priced meals twice a week through the Council on Aging.

Seaside Pizza

Beni Noci

During the pandemic, Barry has shown a unique ability to get through to the most difficult-to-reach students — former gang members. He is a community-based mentor with the shared experience of students pursuing college degrees despite being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and other challenges.

Boston Uncornered

Barry Pritchard

Magnolia New Beginnings is a support group for anyone suffering from a loved one’s addiction. Maureen Cavanagh started it as she grappled with her daughter’s opioid addiction. COVID-19 increased demand for the non-profit while reducing donations. She works tirelessly so fewer people have to face this disease alone.

Magnolia New Beginnings

Maureen Cavanagh

Before the pandemic, Clive Wright was an apprentice in a thriving plumbing business. When the pandemic began, he put his career on hold and began driving two hours every day to take care of several senior clients. “When I am giving care, it gives me an inner peace,” he says. “I am very proud to be a caregiver.”

Bayada Home Health Care

Clive Wright

Because people have been ordering more packages, letter carrier Charles Meyers has been working late hours, often six days a week. It was tough in the beginning. His two young children wanted to know why he had to work while everyone else stayed home. But he says knowing he’s helping people make it worthwhile.

U.S. Postal Service

Charles Meyers

William Murrell, III created AboutBlackBoston.org Getaways in 2019. COVID-19 forced him to cancel heritage tours, leading to revenue loss, but Murrell still offered free ads on his site for community activities and grants. He also developed an app to help low-income residents obtain affordable housing.

Aboutblackboston.org

William Murrell

When Rhiannon Menn felt helpless during COVID-19, she started to make meals for families in need with her daughter. “I was watching moms around me lose jobs, lose childcare...It was stressful,” she says. Now she runs Lasagna Love, a national movement with 4,000 volunteers who have delivered meals to 8,000 families.

Lasagna Love

Rhiannon Menn

In April, Caroline Forrest left the home she shared with her fiancé and dog to move in with the Menards, a family she used to nanny for. Linley Menard, age 10, was battling a rare pediatric brain cancer. While working full time remotely, Caroline helped care for Linley and her siblings until the very end.

Caroline Forrest

Tyler H.,14, and brothers Aarkash P., 13, and Aarav P., 17, are doing their part to help their community. Tyler and Aarkash have been playing instruments to raise money for a local food bank. Aarav recycles bottles and cans to raise funds for community members in need. The friends have raised $2,000 so far.

Tyler H. Aarkash P. Aarvav P.

Amid COVID-19, Charles Swenson, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Northampton and professor at University of Massachusetts School of Medicine, pivoted to Zoom to support his patients, many of whom are mentally ill or facing serious loss. His podcast, “To Hell and Back,” offers free, valuable coping skills to anyone facing hard times.

Charles Swenson

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- Dr. Wendy Mitchell, Medical Director, Lowell General Hospital

Mobile Integrated Health provides a solution for treating these patients in their homes and provides continuity of care in a health care system that has become increasingly episodic.

Southeast Asian Coalition

Catholic Charities of Maine

The Gilbert School