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The Hero’s Call | Champions of Safety and Justice

the hero's call - champions of safety and justice
We recognize that times are difficult. Many of our friends and neighbors are hurting. We made this web series, The Hero’s Call, to profile positivity in our community. We hope the extraordinary actions of ordinary people will help inspire others.

Do You Know Who Our Next Hero Is?

If you know an ordinary person who has done extraordinary things – a hero living amongst us – please share the name with us so we can reach out to have them as a guest on our web series, The Hero’s Call.

Recommend Guest
The Hero’s Call | Episode 24 | Professor David Yamada | Bullying in the Workplace.

In this episode of The Hero’s Call hosts Marc Diller and Dr. John Naranja, MD. JD., speak with our guest, Professor David Yamada, about a very important topic, bullying in the workplace. David previously practiced law and is now a professor at Suffolk University Law School. David’s long-term work has [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 23 | Kim Dougherty | Justice Law Collaborative

On this episode of The Hero’s Call our co-hosts Marc Diller and John Naranja speak with our guest Kim Dougherty. Kim is co-owner and attorney from Justice Law Collaborative in Easton, MA. She recently represented clients that were a part of the sexual assault cases against the Olympics and US [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 22 | Sharon Martens | Household Goods

On this episode of The Hero’s Call we speak with our guest Sharon Martens from Household Goods. Sharon is the Executive Director of Household Goods which provides furniture and household items, free of charge, to help people in need make a home. Watch this episode to learn more about how [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 21 | John Reed | Sticky Lawyer Podcast

In this episode of the Hero’s Call, we highlight John Reed, the founder of Rain BDM and the Sticky Lawyers podcast. One of John Reed’s main focuses is to humanize lawyers by telling their stories to help change the negative stigma surrounding lawyers. Through his agency, John created the Sticky [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 20 | Kristie Dean | The Soul Project

Kristie Dean created The Soul Project out of her desire to use her professional passion of photography with her personal passion of helping women. With The Soul Project, Kristie has created a safe space and community where women can come together to bond over similar experiences. The organization works to [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 19 | Debbie Amaral | Mystic Valley YMCA

With the rise of food insecurity due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, more individuals and families are relying on the help of food pantries to get the food they need. Unfortunately, there is a stigma surrounding the use of food pantries. Our guest Debbie Amaral, CEO of the Mystic Valley YMCA, [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 17 | Mahsa Khanbabai Immigration Attorney mk-immigration.com

Lawyers can be heroes too! For 20 years Mahsa Khanbabai dedicated her career to represent immigrants. Her amazing work got the Trump Administration to reverse course on a policy that would have deprived lifesaving medical care to countless immigrants here legally. Attorney Khanbabai regularly appears on news outlets including MSNBC’s [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 16 | Michael Kaplan | Milford Area Humanitarian Coalition

When schools shut down and many kids in Milford were struggling to secure meals, Michael Kaplan from the Milford Area Humanitarian Coalition stepped in to expedite planning and to deliver meals to those in need. Between March and September, the coalition served over 105,000 meals. Click on the video above [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 15 | Chris Nikic | Ironman

Early in November, Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to ever attempt and complete the grueling Ironman triathlon (2.4 miles open-water swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run). With help from his dad and coach Dan Grieb, Chris started preparing more than a year in advance [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 14 | Noelle Lambert | The Born To Run Foundation

We all face adversity in our lives. The challenge is deciding how to deal with such adversity. On this episode of The Hero’s Call, we spoke with Noelle Lambert, a Division 1 athlete in women’s lacrosse, who lost her leg in a tragic accident. After receiving a running prosthetic as [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 13 | Leonard Lee | Masking the Community

The coronavirus can affect anyone, but for various reasons the virus has disproportionately affected the Black and Latino communities. We sat down with Leonard Lee, a member of the Boston Parks and Recreation Commission, who is helping to slow the spread by “masking the community.” To date, his initiative has [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 12 | John Kinney | Gloria’s Gladiators

Our elders fear going outside these days. But, what happens when it’s unsafe for elders to stay in their homes? A Woburn electrician came to the rescue for one such elder, Gloria. He started a fundraiser “Old Lady Needs Help” and raised more than $100,000 to make Gloria’s house safe. [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 11 | Annie’s Kindness Blankets

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. We sat down with three members from the Annie’s Kindness Blankets team to discuss the work their organization has done to stop the stigma around depression & suicide and promote kindness. Annie’s Kindness Blankets sends handmade blankets to those in need as an [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 10.2 | Susan Velardi | Elementary School Teacher

Massachusetts teachers and students are getting ready to go back to school. Whether in-person, remote or hybrid, school this year will be different. This summer, one school in Connecticut resumed in-person classes before others. We interviewed one of those teachers – Susan Velardi – a 2nd grade teacher, who resumed [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 10 | Susan Velardi | Elementary School Teacher

In the upcoming weeks, teachers and students will go back to school. Whether in-person, remote or hybrid, school this year will be different. In MA, we are all navigating these uncharted waters together. This summer, one school in Connecticut resumed in-person classes before others. This week on The Hero’s Call, [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 9 | Declan Houton | Devri Boston

When the bars and restaurants shut down, the annual fundraiser hosted by local band @DevriBoston was cancelled. Learn how a local musician, Declan Houton turned his basement into an Irish pub and hosted a live concert for charity every Sunday night to raise money for @Lucy’slovebus. Houton raised more than [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 8 | Philjay Solar | Asian American Commission

Have you heard the term “China Virus”? Since the pandemic, Asian Americans have faced racism. Learn how Philjay Somera Solar and the Asian American Commission have dealt with the negative stigma attached to such intentionally derogatory phrases. [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 7 | Cara Soulia | The Front Steps Project

How does a simple idea go viral and raise more than $1.85 Million for the charities most needy in the midst of a global pandemic? In Episode 7 of The Hero’s Call, learn how Needham photographer, Cara Soulia, took her unexpected free time and founded The Front Steps Project, where [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 6 | Dr. Tonisha Pinckney | Professor | Social Justice Advocate

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the racial justice crisis in our Country, learn how social justice advocate Dr. Tonisha Pinckney (Dr. Toni) is ready to resume mentoring police officers and to tackle race relations’ issues head on in an effort to make “liberty and justice for all” [...]

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The Hero’s Call | Episode 5 | Kerry Miller & Steve Clark | Mass Restaurant Association

Learn how 4 staff members of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) carried the local restaurant industry on their back in an effort to help every restaurant and their employees navigate the pandemic and get to the other side of COVID-19. [...]

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