The Hero of the Week is brought to you by Kidde Worry-Free Alarms… Be a safety hero for your family. Begin by replacing outdated smoke alarms. Learn other simple steps at Kidde.com. Kidde – Technology that saves lives. Find out how you can nominate a "Hero of the Week" at the bottom of the page.
Our Kidde Hero of the Week spotlights Jeff Balek.
Recently, Kix found this story on People Magazine's website and wanted to share it with you!
Jeff Balek, who's 34, volunteers his time to help kids who are below their reading level; however, Jeff has never seen a book because he is blind. Amazing, huh? Growing up, Jeff was surrounded by supportive teachers and family who helped him learn Braille and computer skills.
When his sister emailed him about the Y Readers program at the YMCA of Greater Charlotte in North Carolina two years ago, Jeff decided to get involved and has become one of the most popular volunteers in the program. You may wonder how a blind man is able to help kids with their reading… well, Jeff uses twin vision books to read along with the children. He'll read a page in Braille and then listen to the kids read the next page in print. Jeff's fellow volunteers praise how he is making an impact beyond reading with lessons of resiliency and pushing through challenges.
For more about Jeff, check out the story here.
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Kix's Response:
That’s awesome, Jeff! Thanks for doing your part to make the third rock from the sun a little better place to live… It makes me want to go out today and do my part! Let’s all go out and do a little good!
Nominate a Hero of the Week
Now, we want to know who has made a difference in your life. Nominate a local firefighter, police officer, EMT or someone who is serving our country in the military. It could even be a neighbor, family member or friend who lent a crucial helping hand. Let us know all about the person who you feel is a real life hero by emailing us here and please feel free to send us a picture!