KNX Hero of the Week

At just 21 years-old, Shant is a rising star within the medical profession! A long-time volunteer, the Glendale native is quickly moving up the ranks in the field of healthcare administration, brushing shoulders with some of the best community leaders and healthcare professionals in Southern California! Photo: Courtesy of Shant Kevorkian

Sheri Waldstein is the founder of Happy Hats for Kids in Hospitals, a non-profit based in LA County. Her team of volunteers have gifted more than 1.3 million hats to families around the world! Photo: Sheri Waldstein, courtesy of Happy Hats for Kids in Hospitals.

Volunteers with "Bee A Little Better" meet EVERY Thursday on Skid Row, to hand out fresh, hot food and much-needed hygiene supplies, spreading hope and cheer as they do it! Photo: Byron Takeuchi (second from right), helping feed a group of people in Downtown Los Angeles.

American Red Cross Volunteers Vesta Sung and her daughter, Nathalie Sung, stepped-up when a deadly wildfire erupted during their vacation in Hawaii. Working as leaders while volunteering, they helped feed and shelter around 1,200 evacuees! Vesta later used her emergency response experience to help when Los Angeles County was hit with similar fires in January of 2025. Photo: Vesta Sung (left) and Nathalie Sung (right), courtesy of the Sung family.

If you need some motivation or a dose of inspiration, meet Dr. Cynthia West! She’s helping entrepreneurs excel in SoCal! Photo: Dr Cynthia West, courtesy of Chapman University and the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics. https://www.chapman.edu/research/institutes-and-centers/leatherby-center/

Tara Collins-Felix and Monica Harden signed up three years ago to volunteer with Make-A-Wish of Orange County and the Inland Empire. They say the experience has been life changing! Photo courtesy of Tara Collins-Felix and Monica Harden https://wish.org/ocie

From hurricane relief in Hawaii and St Croix, to the recent wildfires in Los Angeles - Carmela Burke is making a big difference in our community and around the world! Photo: Carmela Burke helping at an emergency shelter in Westwood, courtesy of Carmela Burke and the American Red Cross. https://www.redcross.org/

April is National Volunteer Month, and we are recognizing one of the best! Josh Carranco has been mentoring his "Little Brother" Bryan for about three years now, and together they are enhancing each other's lives! Photo: Josh and Bryan, courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters OC. The waitlist for kids is long, connect and learn more at https://www.ocbigs.org

Compassion Prison Project is changing the lives of thousands of incarcerated people by bringing awareness to childhood trauma, and providing hope for a better future! Photo: Fritzi Horstman, Founder and Executive Director of Compassion Prison Project.

Avid cyclists Mark Scotch (left) and Donor Coordinator Ernie Villalon (right) are cycling April 4th from Santa Monica to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, then to Keck Medicine of USC, to raise awareness for living organ donation! Photo courtesy of Keck Medicine of USC, Mark Scotch and Ernie Villalon.

Angel City Sports is a non-profit based in LA that provides year-round adaptive sports opportunities for kids, adults and veterans with physical disabilities or visual impairments! Photo: 2-time Paralympic Gold Medalist Ezra Frech and a fellow athlete at last year’s inaugural Youth Weekend! Photo courtesy of Clayton Frech and Angel City Sports. Connect at https://angelcitysports.org

#inspiration He’s re-learning how to walk and swim, but through persistence and hard-work, Andrew is already adaptive-surfing those same waters where he suffered the life-changing stroke. Photo: Andrew poses with a physical therapist, after taking part in an adaptive surfing lesson in the ocean with the non-profit, Life Rolls On. https://liferollson.org/

Both born and raised in Southern California, Cheryl and Craig Matheny are helping build stable foundations for people all over their community and the world, through their charitable donations. Photo: Cheryl and Craig, courtesy of the Matheny Family. Connect at https://thesolidmount.com/

In honor of National Donor Day, we hear the story of a loving husband and father of four, who tragically died after an accident. His family was able to donate four of his organs to people who desperately needed them! His wife also shifted her nursing career afterwards, so she could make a bigger impact to her community. Photo: Genesis Clark-Singh, holding a floragraph of her late husband, Aaron, at the 136th Rose Parade in Pasadena. Courtesy of Genesis Clark-Singh.

Meet Girl Scouts of Orange County Junior, Devon Noonan of Troop 7370, who’s helping lead the way towards a better, safer world! Photo: Devon Noonan, helping package holiday gift boxes filled with toys and supplies for the non-profit, Waymakers OC. Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of Orange County. See more pictures at the KNX Hero story page.

Founder and Culinary Director, Chef Bill Bracken (left), and a few of his volunteers, going above and beyond to help during the recent fire crisis. https://www.brackenskitchen.org/ Photo: Courtesy of Bracken’s Kitchen, based in Orange County.

Klover King Agency mobilized their team of all-star food vendors, did live-streaming on TikTok, and assembled thousands of volunteers in a massive relief effort at the Rose Bowl and Santa Anita Race Track! Photo: "Klover King" Christopher Bailey and Holt Williams. https://linktr.ee/kloverkinglosangeles

Jennifer Alden and her family of four had to evacuate from the Palisades Fire. She also helped a neighbor evacuate, and helped a car crash victim the day before! You can assist the family here: https://gofund.me/3eb1027e #KNXHero (Photo: Jennifer, her husband Bobby, and her kids Asher and Jordan. Courtesy of Jennifer Alden)

Family, friends and volunteers help pack and distribute hundreds of suitcases for kids in foster care in Orange County. Photo courtesy of Debby Thrailkill. Connect at https://www.sco-oc.org/debby-thrailkill-a-case-for-kids/

From swimming around islands... to running over two dozen marathons! Some of our KNX Heroes from 2024 accomplished incredible feats, all in the name of helping others! Heroes include Edie Markovich, Summer Willis, Saara Dang & Rohan Soni, and WWII Vet Joe "Peppy" Sciarra. (Photo: Edie Markovich, courtesy of Glenn Zucman)

Heroic. Compassionate. Giving. So many words describe our incredible KNX heroes who went above and beyond to save a person in need this past year! Photo: Chris Goetze (left) and Larry Brown (right), courtesy of C. Goetze.

Photo: Addie Matthews (far left), at her 5K/Fundraiser for RAD. Photo courtesy of Clara DeLain @claradelainphoto

Dr. Damon Clark is a trauma surgeon with Keck Medicine of USC. He's also making a big impact with several outreach programs, including free tattoo removal for people wanting a new start on life after a negative or traumatic experience. Photo: Dr. Damon Clark, Courtesy of Keck Medicine of USC.

In the right place at the right time, with the right training! Meet Jeremy Aldridge and Daniel Maciel, with Lanark Recreation Center in Canoga Park! [Photo: Recreation Assistant Daniel Maciel (left) and Senior Director Jeremy Aldridge (right), courtesy of Jeremy Aldridge.]

Linda Chiu, Program Chair Pam Hadfield, and members of the Surfside Quilters Guild donate around 400 hand-made quilts a year, all across SoCal! They go to our veterans, patients at Children’s Hospital, and more! Linda Chiu (left) and Pam Hadfield (right) in front of a quilt at a recent meeting.

Dave Drulias runs the horse rescue organization, Because We Can, Because We Care. Healing through connection with the animals, BWC2 helps kids with special needs, first responders and veterans dealing with PTSD. Photo: Dave Drulias at the ranch, courtesy of Dave Drulias Connect: https://www.bwc2.org

Listen as "Peppy" shares more about his time in the Army Infantry, and the decades he spent with the love of the life! Photo: 99 year-old Joe "Peppy" Sciarra of Arcadia, courtesy of Rae Kearney

He's an American treasure! Our KNX Hero of the Week, the courageous, witty and compassionate Joe "Peppy" Sciarra of Arcadia! Photo: Joe Sciarra, recently speaking at the Field of Glory ceremony, captured by Steven Castro of Eagle Photography.

She's giving kids equitable opportunities to learn and grow through the art of music and theatre! And, she's inspiring people of all ages to be great. Meet Debora Wondercheck of Arts and Learning Conservatory in Orange County! (Photo: Debora Wondercheck, conducting a live performance, courtesy of ALC.) https://www.artsandlearning.org

She’s dedicated her life to protecting our oceans, and the animals and people who rely on it to live. Meet Valarie Van Cleave of Orange County, who’s spearheading efforts to preserve our planet’s largest resource! Photo: Valarie Van Cleave with Oceana's Sea Change Summer Party (courtesy of Valarie Van Cleave)

Meet Boxing Coach and Sports Performance Specialist, Aldair Perez! He reached out to an OC mother after hearing about how her son was getting bullied at school. It started with a free class to teach him some self-defense skills, but the teenager is now in regular training, gaining his power and confidence back! Photo: Aldair Perez and 14 year-old Thomas Smith, courtesy of Tamme Smith

From fashion to friendship - Melanie Lewis is a person you want on your side! Her positivity radiates in everything she does, especially in her work with The Pink Journey Foundation!

Meet Arden Pala of Sports4Kids! Our KNX Hero of the Week is making a big impact with his non-profit, which provides free sports clinics for schools that can't afford sports programs! Photo: Arden Pala, courtesy of Sports4Kids Connect at http://www.sports4.org

Anne Minder is inspiring kids through the science of flight! She’s a leader with years of corporate training experience, a tireless volunteer, and she’s very passionate about STEM! Click the link above to hear Anne chat with KNX Heroes Host Heather Jordan, about a special STEM Day program hosted by the Torrance Airport, for local high school students! Photo: A recent STEM Day at the Torrance Airport, involving volunteer engineers and pilots, and students within the Torrance Unified School District. Courtesy of Anne Minder. See more pictures at the heroes page at http://www.KNXNews.com.

Meet our incredibly talented KNX Heroes of the Week! 17 year-old Saara Dang and 16 year-old Rohan Soni have created a special space for kids dealing with chronic and mental illness. Inspired by Saara’s younger brother, who was diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease, the Orange County high school students created a documentary film that highlights the challenges kids with illness may face. Then they built a cell phone app that creates a community for kids to share their feelings and meet new friends with similar situations! Click the link to hear Saara and Rohan chat with KNX Heroes host, Heather Jordan! Connect with Dear Me at https://www.dearmementalhealth.com/ Photo: Saara Dang and Rohan Soni Photo courtesy of Saara Dang and Rohan Soni

Jenna Grabow and her soon to be sister-in-law, Anna Lundmark, are changing the landscape when it comes to employment for people with autism! After struggling to find a job post-graduation, Jenna teamed up with Anna to create their own company. It’s called “Beauty by Jenna” and one of their missions is to hire dozens of skilled and talented people who are also differently-abled. Hear Jenna and Anna chat with Heroes host Heather Jordan about their mission and products, by clicking the link! Photo: Jenna Grabow (left) and Anna Lundmark (right), courtesy of Anna Lundmark Connect with "Beauty by Jenna" here: https://shopbeautybyjenna.com/collections/all

This summer, 18 year-old Kai Yamamoto of Long Beach was named a recipient of the nationwide 2024 Girl Scout Gold Award, for her incredible educational project! It's aimed at at building an anti-racist future and developing more respect and empathy for those of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. The project was so impressive, California State University-Long Beach now offers it as a free, college credit course! Click the link to hear Kai chat about her AAPI project and what she plans for her future with KNX Heroes Host, Heather Jordan! Photo: Kai Yamamoto (center) receiving her GSUSA Gold Award Scholarship check. Courtesy of the Girl Scouts of Orange County. Also in the picture, GSOC's CEO Dr. Vikki Shepp and GSOC's Board of Directors' Chair Christine Scheuneman. https://www.girlscouts.org

Mike Learakos is a former restaurateur with over 30 years in the food industry, and a long-time volunteer supporting thousands of people across SoCal. Mike is also the CEO of Abound Food Care based in Orange County, and his team works hard to eliminate food waste! September is Hunger Action Month, so Mike tells KNX Heroes Host Heather Jordan that now is the time to lend a hand! Photo: Mike Learakos, courtesy of Mike Learakos and Abound Food Care Connect at https://www.aboundfoodcare.org/

Leading her community with leaps and bounds, Chloe Gruenberg is not your typical high school student! She’s an accomplished ballerina, she teaches technique to young students in Orange County, and she’s also a dedicated volunteer with over 300 hundred of hours of service! She's involved with RAD, Special Camp and so much more... click the link to hear Chloe chat with KNX Heroes Host, Heather Jordan! Photo: Chloe Gruenberg, courtesy of Ulrika Molin Photography

It's one of the toughest things in life - transitioning onto a new path. For many members of the military, it can be extremely overwhelming when searching for the right career after years of service. So, this is where Adam Van Dyke steps in to help. And it's not just simple guidance - he volunteers his time, making sure his clients are set on the right path that's fulfilling and respectful of their incredible skills. Click on the link to hear a special "extended interview" with KNX Heroes Host Heather Jordan and Adam Van Dyke of Orange County. Photo: Adam Van Dyke (right) and his family; wife Karen and daughter Kayten, and Kali. Photo courtesy of the Van Dyke family. Connect with Adam at Veterati: https://www.veterati.com Connect with Adam at Rising Tides Coaching & Consulting Int'l: https://rtcci.com

https://www.beyondblindness.org/ Photo: Angie Rowe, CEO of Beyond Blindness (center) Photo Courtesy of Noel Besuzzi

Photo: Bill Bracken, courtesy of Bracken's Kitchen Connect at https://www.brackenskitchen.org

FixNation is a non-profit clinic in LA County that offers free spay and neuter services to the thousands of homeless, stray, and community cats across the metro. They also provide additional services, community support and low-cost options for people with pets. Founded by local cat-lovers Karn Myers and her late husband Mark Dodge. Click the link to hear Karn share some of their incredible story! Connect at https://fixnation.org Photo: Karn Myers at FixNation. Courtesy of FixNation

Addie Matthews of Mission Viejo is impacting lives in a big way! A year ago, she volunteered as a camp counselor for https://radcamp.org, a SoCal non-profit that offers camps for kids and adults who are differently-abled, or have special needs. This year, Addie decided that she would not only volunteer again, but she would fundraise and help pay the way for as many campers as possible! Click the link above to hear Addie chat with KNX Hero's Host Heather Jordan about her fundraiser, and other outreach! Photo: Addie Matthews (middle) at her Walking Through The RAD Decades 5K event https://fundraise.radcamp.org/event/walking-through-the-decades-5k/e574621 Photo courtesy of Clara DeLain / @claradelainphoto

Spreading kindness and compassion, while nurturing a community! Through the non-profit https://www.cropswapla.org, founder Jamiah Hargins is helping fight food insecurity across SoCal and the world! He's inspiring urban gardeners, creating access for affordable, nutrient-rich food... and motivating our youth through leadership! Hear Jamiah talk about Crop Swap LA with KNX Heroes host Heather Jordan, by clicking the link! Photo: Jamiah Hargins, courtesy of Crop Swap LA

CPR training in a class at school helped Downey High School senior, Isaac Delgadillo save the life of a collapsed umpire during a recent baseball game! Isaac knew just what to do, when the man fell to the ground behind home plate. His quick action made all the difference! Hear Isaac share his story with KNX Hero's host Heather Jordan, by clicking the link above. Photo: Isaac Delgadillo, courtesy of David Carrillo @Carrillo4k

Nicki Clark knows how tough it can be to attend school while homeless. When she was a teenager, unexpected circumstances forced her and her mother out of their home and into the streets, starting a new life and with new struggles. School was always super important, so now as an adult, Nicki is giving back to kids in a similar situation. She's an award-winning volunteer tutor with School on Wheels, and she shares part of her inspiring story with KNX Heroes host, Heather Jordan! Photo: Nicki Clark receiving her 2024 Volunteer Award from the non-profit, School on Wheels. Photo courtesy of School on Wheels https://schoolonwheels.org

Carol Gibson is making a difference in the lives of low-income seniors all across Southern California! Medical experts and health professionals have documented that music and art can benefit an aging person in many ways, but not all facilities or senior living centers can afford programs that provide these activities. So, Carol and her team of volunteers at Compassionate Artists step in! From live music to arts and crafts, Carol shares with Heroes host Heather Jordan all that they provide, and the impact they are making! Connect at http://compassionateartists.org/ Photo: Carol Gibson, courtesy of Paul Gibson

Every year, the Kevin Armstrong M.D. Memorial Sports Foundation distributes hundreds of pairs of shoes to deserving kids in Santa Ana, to help keep them active for the spring and summer. There's nothing better than a new pair of kicks to build confidence in a young person! KAMSF Vice President Karen Armstrong checks in with Heroes Host Heather Jordan about their recent distribution! Photo: Courtesy of Kevin Armstrong M.D. Memorial Sports Foundation Connect at https://www.armstrongmdfoundation.org

For nearly two decades, Chef Bruno Serato has been feeding our SoCal community, and communities around the world. Reaching an incredible milestone, Chef Bruno speaks with Heroes Host Heather Jordan about serving his 10-millionth meal with his non-profit, Caterina's Club. Chef Bruno also reveals how he felt getting chosen as a recipient for the 2024 President's Lifetime Achievement Award! https://caterinasclub.org https://www.chefbrunoserato.com/ https://anaheimwhitehouse.com/ Photo: Chef Bruno Serato, in his kitchen preparing hot pasta meals for distribution. Photo Courtesy of Caterina's Club.