Last month, for our sixth annual mensch list, we once again invited all of you to submit your nominations of extraordinary volunteers, and once again the outpouring of suggestions of amazing people was overwhelming. We faced this enormous response only to wonder, once more, how to choose from, among others, an 18-year-old who is living his dream as a volunteer cadet for the Los Angeles Fire Department, a pediatric resident who spends the remainder of his waking hours promoting breastfeeding for babies and a woman so generous toward the homeless that she offered a young man shelter in her own home. (And those are just three who made the cut.)
This list could have been much longer — what we offer here is just a sampling of the extraordinary people who give so much to our community. If your nominees did not get included this time, please remember, we’d love to see those names, and more, again next year. We are inspired by all these stories, and highlight this list of mensches each year to motivate us all to live up to their example.
Photos by Dan Kacvinski
The Mensch List
LAFD cadet fired up about helping the community
Feeding the hungry, keeping It ‘light’
‘We’re here to make other people’s lives easier’
Cooking for AIDS patients Is chicken soup for grieving mom’s soul
Secret to his happiness? Happy Minyan
Latching on to a healthy solution
Giving hope and help to L.A.’s Iranian Jews
Remember Us project means they’ll never be forgotten
