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Unsung Heroes Of Los Angeles

Contributors |
April 23, 2009 | 9:50 a.m. PDT
We rarely hear about people in Los Angeles
who quietly go about making the community a better place. Each of these short
profiles represents an "Unsung Hero" -- someone doing inspirational work in a quiet, uncelebrated way, from filing taxes to filling cavities, rescuing animals to reviving the arts.

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Come along with the Crenshaw High eco-club, as it goes from the wild streets of South Central Los Angeles into the nearby wilderness of La Jolla Canyon, and meet the man who is making it possible.

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The son of an infamous gang member takes his family legacy and turns it around with "OneWay Outreach," a program to help would-be gang members find a path in the right direction.

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A former Catholic nun has landed on Skid Row and turned herself over to the "hippie" life, but she's still living a life of service.

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An award-winning teacher brings real-world science to the classroom, in a search for "electric moments," and at a time when science is getting the short shrift in schools.

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Prom has become a rite of passage for many American girls, but it remains out of reach for many. A retired Hollywood player is working to put the dream--and the dress --in the hands of East L.A. high schoolers.

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When a smile makes the world go 'round,
being toothless--or in pain--is just another hardship in the lives of
many homeless. This L.A. dentist is giving the smile back to some
people who can use it most.

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The founder of Dog's Life Rescue has saved nearly a thousand stray animals--from dogs to pigeons to rats--from living on the streets or in shelters.

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Listen in on adult jazz lessons made possible by a volunteer at the historic World Stage performance gallery.

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Witness how a volunteer's commitment to tutoring has has not only improved a child's reading skills, but has unleashed a lust for learning beneath the boy's shy shell.

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Adams Harbor welcomes the homeless, but it did just as much good for its director when she found herself jobless and in need of a place to invest her time.

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A local painter shares her passion with the young and old alike to give her students a chance to express the inexpressible. 

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For one privileged Loyola Marymount University law student, filing taxes for low-income Inglewood residents is an eye-opening experience. 



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.

 
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