Heroes Are Just Like You

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Some people may think that you have to be a certain age to be a hero. These three stories will prove that to be wrong. In fact, a hero can be any age. You will meet an eleven-year-old girl helping kids who've had to leave their homes; a teenager who started a magazine to inspire her friends; and a group of boys who fix up computers to give to others. Together these five kids are working to make the world a better place.

Care Bags Foundation When Annie Wignall was growing up, her mother worked with many families who had to leave their homes quickly. Often the kids in these families were not able to take anything with them. Annie thought about what it would mean to leave behind all of those things that she loved. She also thought about what it would be like to leave home without simple things, such as a toothbrush. She wanted to help.

With her mother's help, Annie thought about what to do. She decided that she would make "Care Bags." These bags would have personal items, like toothbrushes and soap. They would also carry books and toys. She contacted several local agencies that helped these families. Together with friends and other volunteers, she started sewing and filling the cloth bags.

Annie started by sewing and filling 20 bags a month for the agencies. So many people heard about this project, however, that that number started to grow. More people started helping Annie make the bags. She also got businesses where she lived to donate items. The project that had started in Annie's home was getting very big.

Annie talked to the mayor of her town, Newton, Iowa. Together, they found a place where the bags could be made. Annie also decided to make her project a charitable organization. The organization is called Care Bags Foundation. As the organization got bigger, more and more people from all over the country were sending her items. From her new building, Annie could send her bags out to many different agencies, not just those in her hometown.

As more and more people wanted to help, Annie made starter kits. These kits, along with information from her Web site, let people all over the country help make bags for kids. The bags, made in the United States, have made their way all over the world. Annie works with different organizations that fly her bags to different places, like Africa.

Some bags end up closer to home. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi. Many children had to leave their homes. Many people helped Annie send those kids thousands of bags. Annie hopes that each bag gives the kid who receives it a smile.

Blackgirl Magazine
In 2002, 12-year-old Kenya Jordana James was living in Atlanta, Georgia. She liked to read, but she had a hard time finding something to read about young African Americans. She wanted to make something that African American girls could read, which could have good stories about African American women. Where were the stories to inspire young African Americans?

Kenya decided to start a magazine. She would need money. She needed to come up with a plan. In order to start her magazine, she used her other love-baking. She baked for school bake sales. She made and sold cakes. Soon she had enough money to start the magazine.

The magazine, called Blackgirl Magazine , is published once every two months. The magazine includes interviews with many important African Americans. The magazine has articles about rap stars, singers, sports stars, and writers. The magazine is sold in stores that carry many other African American books.

Kenya is the publisher and editorial director. She makes sure that the magazine is written well. The magazine has an advisory committee. Kenya's mother is in that group. Kenya, however, makes most of the decisions about the magazine. A group of volunteers helps, too. There are fifteen people in that group. They are between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. Kenya wants the stories to be written by the people who might read them.

The magazine tries to give teenagers positive messages. Kenya was asked what the goal of the magazine is. She said it is to provide good reading material that reflects herself and her friends.

Free Bytes, Inc.
Thirteen-year old Charlie Shufeldt had an idea. He was good with computers. He knew that many places needed computers. Some places that needed computers were schools and non-profit organizations. These places cannot sell things to make money, and they don't always have enough money to buy what they need. He thought he could help. He talked to his two friends, Owen Boger and Josh Silfen. They wanted to find old computers for these places.

They found them. Some people gave them their old computers. The friends even got some from companies. The computers needed to be fixed, and some even needed new parts. The friends asked people to help them fix the computers. High school students and youth groups were happy to help. Together, they fixed the old computers. Then they gave the "new" computers to the places that needed them. The friends found and fixed many computers. Soon, the friends started their own organization. They called it Free Bytes, Inc.

People kept giving the boys their old computers. They were fixed and given away. The friends knew that they needed more help. They merged with other groups. These groups still do what Charlie, Owen, and Josh started. They fix up computers and then give them to places that need them. The group has fixed and donated more than 4,000 computers.

Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. Each of the kids in these stories saw a problem and decided to change it. Each kid found a different problem to solve. They used their strengths. They also got help from friends, neighbors, and parents. As a result, many people are helped each year. You can do things to help others too. It could be as simple as watching your baby brother for free. You might also join a volunteer group in your community. If you do that, you will be doing your part to change the world just like the kids in these stories. You may even become someone's hero.

1.	ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Who do you consider a hero? Why?
2.	PREDICT What do you think Annie will do to help the children?
3.	CLARIFY What is a "Care Bag"?
4.	ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE What happened during Hurricane Katrina? Why did many families have to leave their homes?
5.	PREDICT What do you think Kenya will do now that she can't find something good to read?
6.	CLARIFY What jobs does Kenya do on the magazine?
7.	COMPARE AND CONTRAST Both Annie and Kenya help kids. What do they do that is different?
8.	CLARIFY Why might a school or non-profit organization not be able to afford to buy a computer?
9.	COMPARE AND CONTRAST How are the heroes described different? How are they the same?
10.	CONNECT What do you think you could do to be a hero?