Ruthann Richardson, R.N. of Tinley Park, IL is the Disaster Relief Hero. Ruth has a servant’s heart and has volunteered for us since 2017, after a 40-year career as a nurse. Last year, as a nurse volunteer, she worked day and night and gave almost 2,000 hours of her time to the Red Cross. She has responded to numerous disasters, both here in Illinois and elsewhere in the U.S. Hurricane Florence in North Carolina was her first major deployment; more recently, she deployed to Louisiana after Hurricane Ida. When you speak with Ruth, you can tell she truly cares about others, and it shows in her volunteer efforts. “My life is a gift and what I bring to others can be a gift, too. If I can provide a positive experience to someone’s life, particularly if they’ve been through one of the worst experiences, then I have done something right,” she said.

Stephanie Esterland, B.S.N., R.N., O.C.N. of Sandwich, IL is the Healthcare Hero. Stephanie is an oncology nurse at Rush Cancer Center who was driving her son to work on a dark July 2021 morning. On the side of the road, she came upon what she thought might be a yard fire, but instead realized it was a blazing car fire that had just occurred as the driver slammed into a tree near IL 47 in the Sugar Grove area. Stephanie saw someone trying to get out of the vehicle, and then falling to the ground near the flaming car. She jumped out of her car to help. While assessing the individual’s injured condition, Stephanie heard what sounded like fireworks. Concerned the vehicle may be on the verge of exploding, Stephanie cautiously got the individual moved away from the fire to a safer location and continued rendering assistance until emergency response arrived. Stephanie then continued to drop off her son and head to work at the Rush Cancer Center. She has received a DAISY nursing award from the Rush community for this act of bravery and the individual in the crash credits her with helping save his life.

Lynn Cole of Chicago is the Global Citizenship Hero. Lynn Cole of Chicago is the Global Citizenship Hero. During a 1998 trip to Angola with her husband, Andrew, the Coles witnessed the devastating effect of 27 years of civil war in the country and were moved to help. They learned that the after-effects of the civil war in Angola had prevented many children from access to basic education. Believing every child has a right to education, in 2003, the Coles built their first school in Angola, and committed to building five more. Together, the Coles founded RISE International, an organization dedicated to building primary schools in rural Angola to educate children, empower communities, and contribute to the rebuilding of the country. In 2004, Andrew died unexpectedly, and Lynn was left to carry out and expand their mission. Today, Lynn leads RISE International and the organization has built 192 schools and helped more than 138,000 children in Angola receive an education. In Angola, the organization works in partnership with local leaders and provides children with a safe place to learn. In the process of building schools, jobs are created, including construction workers, teachers, principals and more. Lynn is now leading a project along with a team in Angola to build a 10-classroom school in an area where 1,000 children have no access to education.

Officer Jennifer Maddox of Chicago is the Law Enforcement Hero. Officer Maddox is a 26-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. Working on the south side as a police officer, she developed a strong bond with the community and noticed that so many children were fearful to go outside and did not have a safe space where they could be kids. In 2011, Officer Maddox started Future Ties, to provide a welcoming place for children to gather and get off the streets. Future Ties is an eleven-month afterschool and summer camp program that has provided support for more than 1,000 of Chicago’s children. During the pandemic, when parents’ resources were extremely challenged, the Future Ties organization offered e-learning opportunities, meals and other services to young people. Officer Maddox’s organization soon will be moving into a former pharmacy building, providing more space to further support the community’s needs. Officer Maddox continues to work her police beat with a passion for making a difference and serving the people in the community.

Captain Scott Friedland of Chicago is the Military Hero. Captain Friedland is a member of the Indiana Army National Guard and has been in the military for 11 years. He is also the owner of Timeless Toys in Chicago. His military background taught him that life was about more than himself and his surroundings, and so he works to give back to the community in big ways, through his heart for helping others via toy drives and other programs in both the Chicagoland area and beyond. Last year, Captain Friedland organized a massive toy drive for Afghan evacuee children which provided $30,000 worth of toys in just the first couple of weeks. Understanding the impact a receiving new toy has on a child, he substituted new toys when used toys were brought into his store for the children, donating the used toys to a local organization. Captain Friedland continued the generosity, sending numerous toys to children impacted by the Kentucky tornadoes last December. Captain Friedland continues his service to our country in the National Guard and is scheduled to deploy overseas, this year.

Benjamin Kagan of Chicago is the Youth Hero. Benjamin was in 8th grade when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. Like many other students, he found it difficult to adapt to life without being around his classmates and friends. More than that, he felt a need to help other people who were struggling as the pandemic continued, specifically his grandparents. Due to technological challenges, they were unable to sign up for a vaccine, missing out on the online openings when they came up. Benjamin took action. He got his grandparents a vaccine appointment online. He then joined the Chicago Vaccine Hunters Facebook group, and used his technology skills to get vaccine appointments for senior citizens who were in the same position his grandparents had been in. Ultimately, Benjamin started his own group, Chicago Vaccine Angels, and worked around the clock to secure appointments for senior citizens. Leading a team of 50 adult volunteers, his organization helped thousands of senior citizens, even arranging for people on his team to join medical teams for in-home vaccination visits to home-bound citizens. “I got the satisfaction that I helped people who would have had to wait months, living in fear, get back to their lives,” he said.