tv AM Wake Up Call CNN November 25, 2011 2:00am-3:00am PST
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they're cnn heroes. everyday people changing the world. these men and women never sought the spotlight. each year the interment stars come out to salute them. tonight, catch up with some past honoraries to see how they're still making a difference. come along with celebrities who left the fwlam mour of hollywood behind to see our heroes to action. folks like demi moore, gerard butler, george lopez, holly robinson-peete and j.r. martinez. meet a new group of individuals. join us as we celebrate people made giving their way of life. hey, i'm anderson cooper. to all of viewers, welcome. tonight, we're celebrating the spirit of giving by looking at
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people who give back all year round. our cnn heroes. in the past, this is the night that we brought cnn heroes an all-star tribute. this year, that broadcast will be live from los angeles on sunday, december 11th, at 8:00 p.m. join us for a remarkable night. if you're a fan of that show, you'll love tonight's show. for the past five years, we asked you to tell us about people in your communities who are making a difference. your nominations led us to cnn heroes. shining a spotlight on people who are rarely in the public eye. the result has been inspiring. since 2007, cnn viewers have helped us find these rare individuals cementing more than 40,000 nominations from 100 count countries. there all determined, resourceful, passionate and their missions run the gamut. sustaining life. preserving dignity.
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protecting the powpowerless. defending the planet. and nurturing the soul. >> we'll be here for you. >> they helped hundreds of thousands of people in 75 countries creating a legacy of change around the world. tonight, we gather to honor the best that top ten of the year. the celebrities-studded gala salutes their selfless work. >> they have been doing everything from the goodness of their heart. it's great to give people their attention. >> to help others, these are true heroes. >> that night we announced the hero of the year, the person with the most online votes who receives an additional $250,000. the spotlight benefits all of
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our heroes the best. our honoraries have raised more than $6 million in grants. >> to be showcased internationally is tremendous. >> with their courage and humanity, our cnn heroes are still lighting the way. as you have just seen, our cnn heroes live and give back all across the globes. ultimately, their stories have the save message -- that one person can make a difference. when this texas home builder realized how many hopes injured solders had to endure when they returned home, he decided to help. he decided to build homes. >> congratulations. >> being honored last year, dan's program has expanded from 1 to 5 states. he's now given 30 injured
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warriors a place to call home. we caught up with him. >> it's great to be back in l.a. again. 12 months ago, we were here at the cnn hero tribute show. and it's just been an incredible year. >> it's my honor to present cnn hero -- >> being a top ten cnn hero was just very humbling. the true heroes are the service men and women who answer the call. after the show aired, things just took off for us. we were contacted by abc extreme makeover, we did a home in ft. hood for a family there. they called us again. our story is getting out there just every day, we're building houses all over the united states now. we're out here in l.a. to visit a real good friend of ours.
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>> hey, twinkle toe. >> i have known j.r. martinez for about three years now. he's our national spokesperson. he was involved with "dancing with the stars." >> i have been watching you on tv and you have been amazing. i know it's hard to work with him. >> it's a pleasure to kick his butt. i do enjoy it. >> j.r. was a soldier in iraq. one of our wounded heroes. >> a tire went oh over a land mine. i was burned over 40% of my body. >> i want to see you dance. >> you don't know this but you're actually going to dance, too. >> i made a decision every single day to be positive, smile and just try to make the best of it. as i did that, more opportunities came to me. all my children and now "dancing with the stars." i just want to inspire. no matter war you face in life,
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you can win it. you can win the battle. >> good stuff. >> man, i'm so glad that you came out, you made it out to l.a. to come catch a show. >> we're proud of you. >> thank you. >> j.r. is bringing a lot of attention to these young men and women who have to deal with these incredible injuries. you being here just helps our cause. >> we wanted to honor those men and women who have given hair liv lives. ♪ >> that just -- i cried. >> it's amazing to think how far, you know, we have come. >> last year at this time, we were four, five homes. we're 32 homes now. it's unbelievable. we're changing lives. our goal is to build every one of the injured a new home.
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>> we just keep doing it, man. lot of more homes to be built. but right now, i bot to get to dance zblg all right, man. >> i'm going to teach you a little step, too. >> congratulations to j.r. martinez who won the "dancing with the stars" competition just a couple of days ago. if you're a fan of j.r. tune in december 11th he'll be co-hosting a red carpet preshow live at 7:00 right before cnn heroes an all-star tribute. it's a live show. coming up -- find out which of our past honoraries left in tears. >> so wonderful to be here. >> thank you so much no. i already called it. [ dad ] nobody's playing anything until after we get our homework done. thank you. hello? test drive's not over yet. [ male announcer ] it's practically yours. [ louder ] hello?
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people that are nominated at cnn heroes were people trying to find a solution to a problem that they thought needed fixed. >> all cnn heroes share a common bond when faced with a problem that many of us believe is too big to tackle. they take action. agnes is just one example. a salmon farmer from scotland, he found his mission in a pub when he wasn't able to forget the images of impoverished refugees that he had seen on the nightly news. he decided to do something. he started mary's meals. it feeds 580,000 kids every day.
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since being recognized as a cnn hero he's done more to help others. when he learned about the devastating famine in somalia, he once again decided it was a crisis he couldn't ignore. it's the most severe drought to hit east africa in 60 years. the u.n. refugee agency has called it the worst disaster in the world. tens of thousands have already died, more than half of them children. the united nations says three-quarter of a million somalians could starve to death in a couple of months. >> it's overwhelming to see the scale of the need here. most people when you see children on the brink of starvation, the first desire of all of us is to give the children something to eat. >> that's exactly what magnus has been doing since september when he brought 20 tons of food to mogadishu, somalia's capital. delivering the aid was a daunting challenge since a terrorist group has blocked them from entering the country. mary's meals used its regional partners to do what others couldn't. >> so often you hear it's not
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possible to get the food to the people that need it in somalia. we have seen today that it certainly is possible. this work is about people. it's really important for the people we're working for. how long has she lived here? >> three months. three months. >> why did she leave? >> they lost everything. >> everyone i've talked to here has walked long distances from their homes. they all talk about how their cattle have died, how they have no farms to go back to. the meal that we provide is a porridge mixture. very, very cheap but very nutritious. that's good. one meal costs six cents. >> mary's meals plans to ship a total of 200 tons of food by the end of the year. that's more than 2 million meals. it's been a life-changing journey for this one-time salmon farmer, who feels more at home helping others -- >> everybody look right here. >> -- than he does in the spotlight.
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>> the cnn heroes thing was a bit weird for me, because this isn't about me. there are thousands of people all over the world involved, but at the same time, it was most wonderful opportunity to tell people about mary's meals. thank you. >> this is an all-star tribute that turns the tables on the traditional awards show, bringing out celebrities to salute our everyday heroes. last year magnus was honored by his countryman, gerard butler, known for playing pretty tough roles on the big screen, but he found himself surprisingly moved by magnus' story. piers morgan recently spoke to him about it. here's what he had to say. >> last year you were a presenter on cnn heroes all-star heroes. you introduced magnus. tell me about that experience. >> i found myself reading this, about this incredible man and what he achieved. i was just very, very moved. please join me in honoring cnn hero and i'm proud that he's a fellow scotsman, magnus mcfarland battle.
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>> i was just completely choked up. it was the total pride that we were scottish and just the complete humility with which you felt everything about his story and the work he did. >> you actually went and saw magnus at his home, didn't you? tell me about that. >> i chased him down. we swapped a couple of phone calls. i went and spent the day with him and his family and saw his charity and all the people that work for him. that is such a worthy cause because they feed now more than half a million children every day all over the world. >> he's a remarkable man, isn't he? >> a remarkable man and a beautiful soul. really, i learned a lot from him just in the times that i've spent with him. coming up, demi moore travels across the world to fight sex trafficking alongside our 2010 cnn hero of the year. and later in the show george lopez pays a surprise visit to a hero. >> is that the door right there? >> yeah, that's the door. >> it smells delicious. who ate my cookies and milk?
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you like our heroes? >> i do. i love the heroes. that's beautiful. >> it's nice to see everyday people. >> that's the classiest thing on cnn. i love it. don't you think? that's really classy. >> do it every thanksgiving, i think, around thanksgiving. >> that's great. >> becoming a cnn hero has helped many of our honorees attract celebrity supporters allowing them to raise awareness
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and much-needed money for the important work. that's what happened to 2010 hero of the year. since 1993 she's been fighting sex trafficking in her native nepal. with her relentless determination, this tiny woman has rescued more than 12,000 girls. >> just imagine what would happen if your daughter was standing there, and if your daughter was there, what would you do? how would you fight? >> actress demi moore shares her passion about ending the sex trade. when they met at last year's tribute show, the bond was immediate and it led to a remarkable journey. from the first moment, demi's passion for anuradah's cause was clear. >> i admire our next hero because of the brave and serious work she does. she says stop. stop selling our girls. it is my honor to present cnn hero anarada carata. >> i asked everyone to join me to create a society free of
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trafficking. >> as they walked offstage, the personal connection was unmistakable. >> i'm thrilled. i feel so moved and inspired to continue the fight. >> just moments later her night got even more memorable. 2010 cnn hero of the year is anarada. >> thank you, thank you so much. >> demi was so inspired that months later she partnered with cnn's freedom project for the documentary "nepal's stolen children," heading to that country to see her work firsthand. >> so wonderful to be here. >> thank you so much for coming. >> i wanted to come to learn what you're doing that's working. >> demi was stunned by the stories she heard from the women and girls who had been saved by
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her. >> translator: at a brothel i was forced to have sex with men, and if i refused, they would burn cigarettes on my body. >> the border between nepal and india isn't very secure, making it a haven for sex traffickers. >> can you explain to me how it exactly works? >> every girl they watch. >> her team constantly monitor the area to save girls before they're taken out of the country. this is tuli from a small town. she was taken at a busy bus stop while traveling to the city and spent six months in a brothel in calcutta leaving behind a young daughter. her organization mighty nepal helped her escape and is bringing her back home for the first time. >> tuli, how do you feel to be home? >> translator: i feel very happy. >> if there's something that you would like me to say on behalf of you, i can pass that on. >> translator: nobody should be
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left like that. everybody should be punished. >> demi took their messages and her questions to nepal's former prime minister. >> what's happening here with trafficking? >> we have to develop more modern check points. >> she was impressed with demi's knowledge, commitment and genuine connection to the girls. >> translator: thank you for coming all the way and taking my story and sharing with everybody. >> i promise to do a really good job of sharing this so we can end this. >> what has it meant to her to be cnn hero of the year? >> becoming a hero of the year was really very prestigious thing for me because of cnn, because of money, because of demi moore. everybody is so aware of this issue. we were single-handed but now there are lots of people around
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the world and in nepal itself joining hands to fight this crime. we need to do this for all. thank you. >> you can see demi moore's visit later tonight in the freedom project documentary "nepal's stolen children." tonight you have heard about the impressive work being done by previous honorees. this year we are honoring a new group of upstanding individuals, the top ten heroes of 2011. each remarkable men and women receive $50,000 and will be honored at cnn heroes an all-star tribute, it's live from los angeles on december 11th at 8:00 p.m. eastern. each one has a shot to be named cnn hero of the year. that comes with global recognition and it brings an additional $250,000 to his or her organization. you can decide who that deserving person will be by voting right now online, on your tablet or mobile phone. just go to cnnheroes.com. the person with the most votes will be announced live on december 11th.
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so now meet five of this year's top ten cnn heroes. amy stokes from yonkers, new york. she's using the internet to redefine the word family. matching hundreds of teens lacking role models with caring adults from around the world. from anaheim, california, bruno serato. when he learned just how many motel kids in his area go to bed hungry, this chef began serving up a solution, one plate of pasta at a time. >> those are clean. that's very good. >> from lawrenceville, georgia derreck kayongo, turning trash into treasure. he gets tons of discarded hotel soap and reprocesses it to save lives in impoverished communities in nine countries. diane latiker from chicago, illinois, surrounded by neighborhood violence, she opened her home and invited gang members in. today she's turning the building next door into a safe haven for hundreds of teens. eddie canales from shirts, texas, after his son was paralyzed playing high school
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football, he devoted his life to supporting other young players sidelined by spinal cord injury. see the rest of this extraordinary group later in the hour, and you can find out more about all of our top ten cnn heroes on cnnheroes.com. in the spirit of giving, we made it easy to donate to these amazing individuals. just go to our website. all transaction fees are waived so 100% of your donation goes to their work. coming up, go inside one of california's maximum security prisons with actress holly robinson peete. find out which hero inspired actor rainn wilson to travel to the poorest country in the western hemisphere. >> all right. nice, huh? yeah. you know what else is nice is all the savings you can get on cruze and traverse over there. oh! that's my beard. [ chuckles ] it's amazing. ♪ [ male announcer ] this holiday, chevy's giving more. now very well qualified lessees
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can sign and drive a 2012 cruze ls for around $199 a month. ♪ it's good. honey, i love you... oh my gosh, oh my gosh.. look at these big pieces of potato. ♪ what's that? big piece of potato. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. [ man #1 ] i was fascinated by balsa wood airplanes ever since i was a kid. [ man #2 ] i always wondered how did an airplane get in the air. to design and create the next greatest thing, takes a lot of imagination and a lot of courage. [ man #3 ] i always wanted to be one of those guys that had that kind of responsibility and that kind of technical expertise. at ge aviation, we build jet engines.
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we lift people up off the ground to 35 thousand feet. these engines are built by hand with very precise assembly techniques. [ man #3 ] i definitely feel responsible to these customers. can't pull over on the side of the road and see what's going on underneath the hood. these have to be perfect every time. we make jet engines and i think the inner nerd in me is really excited about that. [ man #4 ] you build one up, and out the door it goes. and you know that out there somewhere it's serving an even bigger purpose. [ man #2 ] genx is the latest and greatest, it's the edge of technology. it's gonna fly people around the world, better than it's ever done before. [ woman #1 ] we are building engines that are literally making the world smaller. we build this engine up but never get to experience its glory. [ man #5 ] i would love to see this thing fly. ♪ [ man #6 ] been 8 years since i stood on a runway. [ man #1 ] it's a dream, honestly. [ man #6 ] here it is today. we're going to go out and see it. the fruits of all of our labor. [ woman #2 ] i think a lot of people, when they look at a jet engine, they see a big hunk of metal.
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but when i look at it, i see seth, mark, tom, and people like that who work on engines every day. [ man #7 ] people say there is no such thing as perfect. they don't make jet engines. [ man #8 ] to see that thing on an airplane, if you work at ge aviation, it doesn't get any better. ♪ there it is. awesome. that's what we do! that's so cool! now, that's sweet! yeah, that was awesome! [ cheering ] i wanna see that again. ♪ we build jet engines. ♪ premier of the packed bag. you know organization is key... and so is having a trusted assistant. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above and still pay the mid-size price.
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here we are... [ male announcer ] and there you go, business pro. there you go. go national. go like a pro. the best part about the cnn heroes is that none of them were seeking recognition. they were all just entranced in the work that means so much to them. >> actress holly robinson peete was deeply moved by the work of 2008 top ten heroes who helps incarcerated parents stay connected to kids through videotaped messages. >> the messages project is to help children of incarcerated parents know they're loved. >> holly recently joined carolyn as she expanded her program into its fifth state, california. they visited a maximum security prison, and holly recently told
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me it was an experience she will never forget. back in 2008 you really got to know all the top 10 heroes first. >> yeah. i'm totally star-struck and show up every year. i'm constantly walking up to people, i know exactly what they have done and i'm just proud to be among them on that evening. >> you also ran the social suite at the last heroes, the tribute show. >> hosting the social suite was a thrill. what i loved was the fact that you had this mixture of the cnn heroes, and then you had celebrities. for instance, i remember tweeting with ll cool j and talking about some of the people that he was getting a chance to meet. >> that's what's so interesting about the show. the people that we're star-struck by are folks whose names aren't well-known, and you have to love carolyn la croix. what about her sparked your interest? >> of course, anderson, all the heroes blew me away. there was something about carolyn's story that i especially connected to. i just found myself intrigued and had to help her out. we kept talking about california, california. it's the most incarcerated state in the country.
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that's where i live. so i said, we got to get in there, and we finally made it in. i was impacted by it for the rest of the day and still am. when i was involved with heroes in 2008, i became a cnn heroes groupie. carolyn's messages project just touched my heart. when you think about the people in this world that need help, the last people on that list are children of incarcerated parents. that, to me, is why i'm coming out here today. >> approaching destination on the left. >> that's it, huh? i think this is where we check in. >> we finally did it. >> i know. >> you're my superhero. i love you. >> i love you, too. >> since i met you in 2008, how many institutions have you been able to bring the messages project to? >> when we received the award, we were doing six prisons just in virginia. we have institutions now doing
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it in nebraska, in oklahoma, and missouri. >> so what are the total number of messages delivered by the messages project now? >> we're right at 9,000. >> wow. that's a lot of children that have this opportunity. gate, please. so tell me about this facility. >> this is a maximum security prison. it is the pilot for california. >> uh-huh. no pressure. >> girl, here we come. >> holly, just so you know, for each window you see, there's two in there. my understanding is there's about 4,300 inmates. these are guys with big sentences, a lot of life sentences. >> thanks. >> good morning. how are you? i'm carolyn. >> i'm holly robinson peete. >> all right. how many children you got? >> i have four. >> you have four. where are they? >> they're in arkansas. >> okay, this is really
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important. >> very important. >> talk from your heart. you have 15 minutes. we're going to give you a signal. just a little security blanket for you. good luck. you look great. are we ready to roll? here we go. >> hi, kids. i know that you're angry with me, and you should be angry with me. the difficulties that you've faced over the years, that's my fault. hold on a second. >> what really impressed me with these dads is that they were all so crystal clear on how important this project was. >> i want you to have something so that whatever time you feel like seeing me, you can have me there. >> everybody just got it. they were nervous. it's hard for men, period, to talk about their feelings. >> when she ask will you give us a kiss, i love you, okay? i'm going to put this down real quick. >> i loved your eye contact. it's the little things, you know.
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i don't know how they go where you have to have a little bravado and swagger to get through your day to come in here and just unleash. >> i always have your picture right here with me. that feeling that i feel, i can't really -- >> and most of them did, you know, weep. you could see that pain. you could see that sadness, that guilt that they had for whatever decision they made ten years ago, 15 years ago that has impacted their children their entire lives. >> when you set these fathers down in front of the camera, they're dad. >> i felt like i was in a room with some men that were desperate to convey to their children that they love them. >> just keep doing good and keep listening to grandma. remember, i always love you. when you were a baby, katherine, i used to sing you a song. katherine, let's sing the song. it says -- ♪ i swear by the moon and the stars in the sky ♪
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♪ i'll be there i swear ♪ >> i'm sorry i'm not. >> it was your singing. your singing was great. can i see your pictures? >> she just had her first dance. she said i'm going to be going to my first dance, and it just killed me. >> do you want to send a shout-out for her dance? >> yeah, i do. >> then let's do it. we got time. >> i appreciate it. i appreciate it. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> these are the envelopes that these disks are going to go in. make sure the right disk goes to the right family, right? i'm so enamored with the messages project. i can't imagine with all the things going on in these children's lives what this means to them. on behalf of all of them, thank you so much. up next, comedian george lopez visits the man he calls his hero in queens, new york. >> when i was growing up, my grandma's kitchen was like this,
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actor rainn wilson best known as dwight on "the office" was one of the first to be so inspired. in 2007 he heard about cnn hero aaron jackson's work helping deworm malnourished children in haiti. he was so impressed that, he got involved. and so far his commitment to jackson began to grow. take a look. >> i was literally sitting in my trailer at "the office," and i was looking at the cnn website. they had cnn heroes in the first year, and i saw this story on this guy, aaron jackson. this is a young kid from florida that grew up on a golf course and really didn't have much direction in his life. and then he went traveling in the third world and he saw poverty, and he decided to devote his life to making the world a better place. >> today we dewormed an estimated a little over 100 people. >> it's been great to be able to help out aaron jackson and planting peace by doing fund raisers. i've gotten to introduce him to people and help raise money and just help his organization really get moving. he's the amazing guy who's doing all the really hard work, and you know, give him the cash and
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just let him go do what he does best. they have four or five orphanages in haiti, and i also went out when they distributed the deworming medication out in the rural villages and towns. you're distributing food, aid all around the country. so many kids can be, you know, eating their fill, but because there's so filled with worms, they're unable to digest and process the food. so it's really just kind of a waste. >> you deworm a kid and the worms shoot out in 24 to 48 hours. it's amazing. you see a kid highly anemic and not alert at all, and once you rid them of worms, they come back to life. you see an immediate impact. since the heroes segment in 2007 we raised enough money to deworm every child in haiti. all 2.3 million kids. >> anyone can be a hero. it just takes a little bit of work. >> okay, all right.
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>> there's one thing i could take away from my experience with cnn heroes, is these stories are incredibly inspiring. they inspire me to step up my game and try and do more to help the world. >> as you have just seen, the exposure, being honored as a cnn hero can be transforming. it allows our honorees to expand their work in ways you never imagine possible. here's how past heroes have found new ways of helping others. >> marie desilvio's life and work have changed dramatically in a few short years. they helped her leave her job as a nanny and devote herself to her organization which provide education, food to orphans in malawi. within six months of being honored by cnn, she fulfilled her dream to build a new high school for her students. ♪ join together >> the new facility includes a
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library, staff, classrooms, and health clinics. it has doubled the student body, now supporting 400 kids, 25 of them in college, and remains the only free secondary school. in malawi. army veteran roy foster was recognized for starting a transitional living facility for his brothers in arms who are struggling with homelessness. >> there will be no man left behind as long as we are this nation. >> the exposure helped expand his program to include veteran women and families in need and to open a one-stop resource center where vets can access various support services under one roof. this month this once-homeless veteran's journey comes full circle as he helps to launch a program that gives home mortgage free to qualifying vets living on the streets. since doc hendley was honored he
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expanded his work to eight more countries, 12 in all reaching 100,000 people in need with free, life-saving water. after the haiti earthquake, his organization reached 10,000 survivors with lifesaving filters to provide safe drinking water for five years. what's more, in less than one year and against incredible odds, he helped open a factory in haiti that distributed another 4,000 filters and employed haitians and answering a desperate call from the drought-ravaged horn of africa, his group is at work with local partners drilling 27 wells that will help sustain 57,000 lives. in the philippines the 2009 hero of the year's remarkable story continues to unfold. this once-bullied kid from the slums returned home from the 2009 all-star tribute, his first trip to the u.s., a national hero. he can now be seen weekly in his own search for heroes on
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philippine television. meanwhile, his company has reached 2500 poor filipino children with mobile push cart classrooms, which have been replicated nearly 60 times across the country. this year the group opened an education center in efron's hometown. from all walks of life, cnn heroes continue to reach for their dreams. >> we are the change that this world needs to be. >> the work being done by our past honorees is impressive. but, as you know, this year we're celebrating a new group of amazing individuals. you met five earlier in the show. now here are the rest of this year's top ten cnn heroes. from port-au-prince, haiti, patrice was diagnosed win incurable cancer, he sold his
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business and started to live his dream providing free coaching, food and live lessons to these kids from slums. from mexico, richard st. denis, after severing his spinal cord in a skiing accident, he gave the gift of mobility and a brighter future to hundreds in rural mexico. robin lim from bali, indonesia. since her sister's death from pregnancy complications she's helped thousands of low income women have healthy pregnancies and safe deliveries. lake geneva, wisconsin, sal dimiceli. >> i know it's tough for everybody. >> call him the dear abby for the down and out. each year he keeps hundreds of working poor afloat providing foot, rent and basic necessities. >> there's no judgment on how to do this. >> and from texas, taryn davis devastated by her husband's death, she's built a sisterhood for war heroes celebrating love, survival and sacrifice together.
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all these men and women have dedicated their lives to helping others, but now you can help them. vote for the hero that inspires tablet, on your cell phone. any mobile device. just go to cnnheroes.com. the person with the most votes will be named cnn hero of the year, and they're going to receive $250,000. so vote now. it's your chance to help a hero. the results will be announced live on december 11th. up next, funnyman george lopez dishes it out to the hungry on the streets of new york city. >> you're welcome. let's go to vegas. alright, let's do it. let's do it, let's go to vegas. vegas baby! maybe we should head back to the dealership first?
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this is the best presenting that i've ever gotten to do. so i'm thrilled. i'm just thrilled that it's not about me today. >> as you see in the annual tribute show, it can be pretty emotional, especially for the celebrities that present awards to honorees. back in 2009 the enthusiasm that comedian george lopez felt when
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he introduced cnn hero jorge munoz, it was pretty clear. >> how many times have you driven by a group of people standing on the corner and you know they need help. you never stop the car and do something. our next hero, jorge munoz -- i got to like that. he did it. >> while lopez got a lot of laughs, it was jorge, a school bus driver from queens who feeds more than 120 people every night who won over the audience and his presenter. the experience made a lasting impression on george who stopped by our studio recently on his way to pay a surprise visit to the man. you're probably one of the most memorable presenters we have on the podium. you called him horhito. >> it's like george and buddy, camaraderie guys. he's impressive to me. >> what was it about jorge munoz
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that really moved you? >> he's sacrificing his own life and time and to include his family every night through rain and through snow and the coldest nights. those people wait for him. the minute i saw the story, anderson, i was all in. i love this guy, seriously. >> to me, it's such a great example of what heroes is all about. they do whatever they can and however they can. >> absolutely. >> i heard you had tried to slip him an envelope with some money. >> i gave him $5,000 the last time. but i asked him to take care of his family, to take them on a trip someplace. i'm not sure what he did. i'm going to ask him. >> you're going to surprise him tonight? >> i am. i'm going to see his face and surprise him. he doesn't know i'm coming. i'm very excited about that. thank you so much. i appreciate it. this is my buddy, horhito. it's great to be able to come and surprise him and see his work and what he does firsthand. it really puts everything into perspective, with everything that's going on in the country. on the rainy nights in new york when it's cold, the weather is
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starting to change, you want to make sure you feed people and they're not hungry. is that the door right there? >> yeah, that's the door. >> it smells delicious. horhito! >> oh. wow. george. whoo-hoo! >> don't worry, man. came to help you. >> wow. >> look. let's get to work. >> wow, wow. >> that's awesome. hey, kids. >> come on in. >> what's going on? >> george lopez. >> hey. >> you make all the food in here, jorge? >> yes, all the food here. >> it smells delicious. >> beans, tomatoes. >> from the driveway it smells. >> oh, yeah.
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>> what time do you start? >> in the morning. 5:15 in the morning. i always say when you hand a meal to those guys and they say thanks so much, that's when i get paid. you impress me. you're here. you're in my home. >> you're my hero, man. >> i have four refrigerators. there's one more in the hallway. >> there is? let me see. >> wow. here's what i'm going to do. remember the last time when i saw you i gave you the envelope? >> yeah. >> what did you do with that? >> i put it in the checking account and the foundation account and i use it for this. >> i'm going to give you another $5,000. >> thanks. i need it now. >> okay. beautiful. >> that's the gift from the person right there. >> oh, that's beautiful. >> not that many people have the honor to be invited by the president of the united states to the white house. >> the united states honors
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jorge munoz. >> it was special to receive that. this is a special medal from his hands. >> beautiful, beautiful. >> that was fun. >> one, two, three. >> got it. >> to think that a guy would be a school bus driver all day and come home tired every night without fail to make sure that these people are fed is inspiring. in my opinion this guy is a star. all right, let's go. what time do you come? like 9:30? >> 9:40. >> jorge. >> want some food? >> thank you. >> you're welcome. the fact that they touch their stomach and they are happy and have a hot meal on a cold night is great. >> george came here and he
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helped me and now knows what i feel inside when i do this. >> you see it and you think every night you do that, man. it's beautiful. >> in seven years i missed one day. >> unbelievable. even though it's freezing, i have such a great glow inside of me. it's more amazing than an hour ago when i was at his house. congratulations on your work. all right. i'll see you again. god bless you. >> you, too, man. >> since he was honored in 2009 his food program has been replicated in 25 other cities around the country. that means a lot of people go to bed with full stomachs tonight because of him. and that's our show. we hope you enjoyed this look at what our past cnn heroes are doing now. we're really proud to salute the work these remarkable individuals continue to do every day of the year.
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