cnn heroes, they're everyday people changing the world. we've honored more than 30 of them from across the globe. this year they've helped in vaccination efforts, supported families juggling remote learning, provided aid to the people of afghanistan, and helped young women express themselves. ultimately, all cnn heroes share the same mission, to make the world a better place. tonight we're honored to catch up with many of our past cnn heroes including those who have received the ultimate recognition. >> cnn hero of the year is -- ♪ >> this is cnn heroes: 15 years of changing the world. hey, i'm anderson cooler. what better way to persevere through an ongoing pandemic than to celebrate the people out there making the world a better kinder safer place every day. it's been 15 years since we started cnn heroes campaign. we've recognized hundreds of extraordinary individuals, each making a difference in their own way. tonight we celebrate this milestone by catching up with some of our past honorees and it's amazing to see how they've responded to challenges, healing and helping so many people during these difficult times. as we check in with some of your fave reorite cnn heroes, kelly will join me as co-host as we honor this year's top ten cnn heroes live from the american museum of nachl ral history. the world turned its focus to the promise of saving lives with the rollout of the covid-19 vaccine and three cnn heroes had a shared mission in that effort breaking down barriers to vaccination for those who might otherwise be overlooked. these cnn heroes have seamlessly folded vaccinating into their essential work helping to ensure that all americans have access to these life saving injections. jake wood helped start team rubicon, which deploys military veterans to assist after natural disasters. when covid hit, the group immediately responded delivering groceries, running testing sites and now assisting with vaccinations. >> can i get your appointment time and last name? >> we've supported hundreds of sites across the country doing the simple things like site set up and tear down, patient registration, optimizing patient flow to help ensure that their doctors could just focus on what they do best. >> reporter: their volunteers organized huge sites in cities. >> we're getting close to 1,000 people coming through today. >> helped students get vaccinated at schools. >> do you have any questions? >> and traveled to rural areas setting up clinics in small towns. >> we wanted to make sure that zip code didn't determine the ease with which they had access to a covid-19 vaccine. >> the navajo nation has endured devastating losses during the pandemic, and team rubicon provided medical support for nearly 300 days. >> good morning, how many are getting their shot today? >> two. >> both of you? >> yes. >> okay. >> now we've supported over 12,000 vaccinations in the navajo nation which has one of the highest vaccine uptake rates across the country. >> reporter: they also joined with other veterans fwrups to encourage vaccinations issuing a call to arms. >> it was really this harkening back to world war ii asking all of america to rise up to support this modern day medical wartime effort to get doses into the arms of americans. >> i think everybody should get vaccinated to stop this thing. >> we were really proud to be able to support nearly 2 million doses across the country. >> anybody home? >> dr. jim withers has spent nearly 30 years bringing medical care to people experiencing homelessness in pittsburgh. for this very vulnerable population, covid-19 posed yet another threat. >> can i take a listen? >> at the beginning of the pandemic, we really didn't know what to expect. we knew that people on the street die at ten times the rate of the average population, and so they have a lot of risk factors. >> reporter: in the spring of 2020, his team responded by bringing testing and other supplies to the streets. >> it turned out over time that those sleeping outside actually had a low rate of covid, and so we've tried to prevent the it has from coming to them. >> reporter: amongst this fragile population, the one dose johnson & johnson vaccine has been a game changer. >> one shot you're done, very portable, very appropriate for our population where you just may have a lot of trouble finding someone later on. all right, let's roll. the motto of street medicine is go to the people. you really have to go to where someone is and cut down those barriers. it's totally about trust and connection. >> thank you. >> when you provide something that can save a life and the lives of people that they come in contact with, it's a really unique and powerful feeling. >> thank you for the ride. >> we were able to both get her a covid vaccination and housing all within 45 minutes. so it's kind of like baseball, when it happens you got to be able to react. so that's good. we're in this together, and so i think it behooves us to try to protect the most vulnerable people. >> hi, how are you today? >> reporter: dr. wendy ross has spent her career advocating for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities like autism. now she's making it easier for people with these challenges to get vaccinated. >> a lot of them get easily overwhelmed in crowds. they have a lot of sensory issues. they tend to be very anxious in new experiences and new environments. >> it was so nice to meet you guys, and thank you for coming in. >> it's better for him to not be around a whole lot of people. he already doesn't like it. >> anthony, i just want to say hi. t do you want to come check out our seat. >> reporter: for people with autism, ross's low stress, sensory clinic is welcome. >> we provide tools like fidgets so overall we just sort of slow down the pace and make it more relaxed. >> you ready? we're going to go right this way. >> reporter: these accommodations are about more than just comfort. they can help saves lives. >> what we stofrd is those with intellectual disabilities are at high risk for getting and dying from covid. >> you want to touch this a little bit? it's cold and wet. there you go. that's what i'm going to clean your arm with, okay? >> re all of our vaccinators are educated for vaccinating this population. >> it's okay. >> reporter: even with all of the support, it can still be a challenge. >> it's going to hurt. >> no, no, mommy's right here. i promise. >> i don't want you to worry. we have all the time in the world. we're going to get it, i mean, and that's why we're here. >> thank you. >> good job. >> oh, who is that? i forgot his name. good job. >> you're done. >> awesome, awesome. >> we've been in so many situations where sometimes people say they can and they can't or they're not willing. i didn't feel that here. i appreciate it. >> you did an amazing job. did it hurt like you thought? >> it was okay. >> all right, so next time can you remember that it was okay? >> yeah. i'll remember. >> oh, my gosh. i feel so much better. so much better. that's my baby, so anytime we have the opportunity to be included is good. >> oh, yay. you're proud of me. >> i'm so proud of you. you did awesome, buddy. >> thank you for coming. bye. >> getting the vaccine to this population absolutely is saving lives. >> i just feel that everyone matters and has value, and that everyone should be included. coming up, find out how one chicago police officer went the extra mile to support families during the pandemic. >> announcer: "cnn heroes: 15 years of changing the world" is brought to you by rocket mortgage. go to cnnheroes.com to give your support and help celebrate 15 years of inspiring stories. >> who touches veteran or choc chr chronic homelessness. here in the city of detroit, we've seen a 44% decrease in veteran homelessness. >> all the agencies, all of them working together to make this happen is proof this is a great team. >> and what about you mr. coleman? >> here in 1972. >> thank you for your service. >> if you need mental health services, i can definitely connect you. >> what's been your favorite part residing here? >> the food. >> i'm really proud of our community and how we all were able to keep moving forward with our veterans. >> when you get that phone call from that vet, and they tell you, hey, i appreciate what you guys have done for me, you know, that's what keeps me going. >> every caseworker has said it here today, you see somebody get a house. that's how we know we can end this thing, even if it's one person at a time. we can do it. >> we just have something here to share with everybody, so thank you. >> this time last year i was sleeping on the floor. now me and my daughter are in our home. i just want to say thank you to all of you that decided to see me. >> i got an apartment. i got a job. i ain't go no worries no more. thank you very much for everything. >> the work of ending veteran homelessness will be here until every veteran is housed. that's when we rest. until then it's work, and with partners like rocket mortgage, it's making it a whole lot easier. welcome back, the pandemic upended everyone's lives. for families that were already struggling, particularly those with young children life became even more of a challenge. when americans began to return to work, many parents were left in a really difficult position, who would take care of their kids who were attending school remotely. that's where cnn hero jennifer maddox stepped in. during the last school year from september to june, she turned her after school center into a remote learning hub providing students essential support and g giving families much needed peace of mind. >> amid the violence on chicago's south side, police officer jennifer maddox gives young people a safe haven to learn, grow, and succeed. >> let me see. >> since 2011, her nonprofit has provided after school mentoring and tutoring for more than 100 children living in the parkway gardens apartments. she was honored as a top ten cnn hero in 2017 for her efforts. during the pandemic, jennifer and her team transformed their center into a hub where students doing remote learning received the support and technology they need. >> many of the families here was hit very hard with covid, and it really just turned their lives upside down. a lot of people lost their jobs and now they're gradually starting to go back to work. many of the parents can't really afford to stay at home to supervise their kids while they're on remote learning. >> good morning. >> the kids normally arrive one by one. we take their temperature. if they don't have a mask, we provide a mask for them. they'll get a squirt of hand sanitizer in their hand, and then they'll go to their assigned desk. we were able to step in like being a surrogate parent. we were there on site for them so the kids didn't really have to travel far. they knew our staff, our team. they were comfortable with their kids coming here, so it was kind of like a win-win, you know, for everybody. >> many of the students didn't have laptops, and they didn't know how to navigate through the remote learning system. we were able to provide the laptops that they needed. >> come on in. we'd provide them with a safe space. we go around making sure the kids are online, on track, on task and able to complete their assignments and progress. >> okay. very good. good job. we'll take them outside to the play ground, and we'll let them just run around and just jump and just get some of that energy, you know, moving around with them because they've bit sitting down for so long. >> the kids in the community have been struggling with socialization. they are social beings. they want to be with their friends. >> you all good? >> they look to us for support and guidance, and sometimes they just may need a listening ear, so we're all of that. >> you want breakfast? >> it's difficult, trying tho han handle all my assignments over the computer, so i'm down here every day. >> they help me with math. they help me with reading, and they make sure i'm always on top of my stuff. they treat you like your family. >> she's been like my second momma, if i need anything, you can call her. >> reporter: jennifer and her group have also expanded to provide additional support for families. >> we were able to hire an outreach team to go out and just give out resources to people. >> thank you. >> assist them with how to fill out for unemployment, how to fill out a job application or substance abuse, domestic violence. if they need these services, we want to make sure that they get them. >> you on target, you're on point. we want to make sure that they are getting the support that they need so that they continue to grow and move forward. >> coming up, three cnn heroes who continue to hstep up to hel the people of afghanistan. >> what does it feel like to be a cnn hero? i can tell you it feels great. >> it was amazing because i knew we had an opportunity to change the world with being on a global stage. >> it changed my life, quite honestly, but for the organization it gave us the greatest booster that we needed. >> i was completely floored, and to be honest, i still feel that way today even seven years later. >> the support that came to planting peace, it still comes today 15 years later. cnn heroes: 15 years of changing the world is brought to you by subaru, love, it's what makes subaru subsubaru, go to cnnheroes.com to give your support and help celebrate 15 years of inspiring stories. subaru and our retailers believe in giving back. that's why in difficult times we provided 150 million meals to feeding america, and now through the subaru share the love event, we're helping even more. by the end of this year, subaru will have donated over $225 million to charity. this is what it means to be more than a car company. this is what it means to be subaru. ah, thank you. have a good one. you too. 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[sound of heartbeat on ultrasound] ♪ [upbeat music] ♪ i am what i live my way the new eau de parfum intense giorgio armani 1, 2, 3... yay! ♪ “i got you babe” by etta james ♪ ♪ wait hold up, here it comes! alright, everybody stand up straight. okay now let me flip it. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ this season, give from the heart, with 25 to 50% off everything. don't miss the last big sale of the year. and celebrate every kiss... ...with kay. it's another day. and anything could happen. it could be the day you welcome 1,200 guests and all their devices. or it could be the day there's a cyberthreat. only comcast business' secure network solutions give you the power of sd-wan and advanced security integrated on our activecore platform so you can control your network from anywhere, anytime. it's network management redefined. every day in business is a big day. we'll keep you ready for what's next. comcast business powering possibilities. welcome back to "cnn heroes: 15 years of changing the world." last august the world was transfixed by the dramatic events in afghanistan when the u.s.-led coalition forces rapidly pulled out after nearly two decades in the country. the taliban gained control of the government in days throwing millions of lives into turmoil. among those impacted were three cnn heroes we've recognized during the past 15 years. while the new situation in afghanistan presents them with really tough challenges they've all continued to do whatever they can to help. >> afghanistan now under taliban control. >> after the taliban takeover, tens of thousands of desperate afghans try to flee kabul. those who'd worked with coalition forces were in imminent danger. >> if we leave these people behind, the taliban are going to kill them. >> afghan war veteran and 2018 cnn hero matt zeller has worked for years to bring them to the u.s. >> i wouldn't be alive today right now had it not been for my after began interpreter. he saved my life in a battle 13 years ago. >> it took more than four years to get his interpreter janis to the u.s. soon after they decided to do the same for others. >> i wanted to be their voice here. >> since 2013, their organization no one left behind has helped more than 15,000 people leave afghanistan and build new lives. >> welcome home. welcome. >> thanks for everything. >> thank you. welcome to your new country. >> since august, their mission has become exponentially harder and the consequences dire. >> whoever worked with the u.s. military, they're all in hiding. not only them but their family members. >> matt, janis and other veterans have tried to guide them to safety using online tools. >> if an afghan overseas said i need help, we would arrange to get them to a safe house, then to an airport, ideally onto a plane. >> matt recorded his calls with one man he referred to as saki who was in hiding more than 250 miles from kabul. >> yesterday i came here i heard your voice, not only for me, for my kids, for my wife. i will let you know when i reach kabul. >> i wish i could come get you myself. >> i have to take chance. >> he ended up disguising himself as a woman. he got on a bus, and for ten hours had to endure taliban check point after taliban check point. we got him into one of our safe houses. i called up the connection i had at the gate and had given him a pass phrase, i like orange juice. will you please send someone out to get him, and so an american soldier went out into the crowd and met him, and in the next thing i know they put him on a plane to qatar. >> they're now helping other evacuees. >> the afghans who arrived to the united states came wearing nothing more than the clothes that were on their backs. >> you can see we got a truck full of stuff here to drop off when we get there at the warehouse. >> in late october, the white house announced a new program that will let veterans and others sponsor evacuees and help them resettle. >> my interpreter was my cultural ambassador. now here in america, that's what we get to do for them. they stood shoulder to shoulder with us for over 20 years. we need to bring them home. >> englishman pen farthing served in afghanistan where the stress of his deployment was eased by his friendship with a stray dog he named nowzad. he worked for months to bring nowzad to the uk. since then his nonprofit named for his dog has done the same for thousands of soldiers while also caring for stray animals in kabul. in 2014, he was honored as a top ten cnn hero and. >> the 2014 cnn hero of the year is pen farthing. >> i never for one moment thought i'd actually win it. being named cnn hero for 2014 was absolutely crucial. we were then able to expand our work. we were, you know, the first animal welfare charity that was actually out there on the streets with an open clinic, all of our vaccinations for afghan nationals was free for their pets. we also tackled rabies. >> he also cared for working animals and created a sanctuary for donkeys that had been abandoned or abused. nowzad grew to have a staff of 25 men and women. >> we're really, really proud that we are able to employ the first female afghan nationals as fully qualified veterinarians. >> they gave me a job offer and i was the happiest girl ever on that day. i love to work there. >> but last august all that changed. >> the taliban are now on the outskirts of kabul. it's game over. >> pen felt he and his staff and their work were all in danger. >> the taliban, you know, are not great fans of women working. fought the taliban in heldman province. we had dogs and cats that have been adopted. i realized we need to get both our people and our animals out. so the obvious thing to call the whole thing was operation arc. >> so he launched a social media campaign. >> i'm not leaving. >> can you please message again for our social media. >> his pleas drew lots of attention but amid the country's chaos, some criticized his efforts to evacuate animals. >> i always knew that we had the capability to rescue both if we brought our own cargo plane in. >> this rescue aircraft that's coming in is paid for by donations. we're going to fill that aircraft with people. we can't part people in the cargo hold, but we can part dogs. >> finally. >> operation arc is a go. >> but it didn't go according to plan. >> the taliban refused to let us into the airport proper. as we turned around sadly that's when the two suicide bombers detonated at the abbey gate. it became absolute chaos. the staff decided that it was time for me to leave because i could leave because i had a british passport, and then i would figure out another way of getting them out. literally two weeks after i left afghanistan, we managed to get our team smuggled across into pakistan and then flown into london. i think it's the biggest achievement that nowzad as a charity has ever done. >> everyone was crying as we left afghanistan. it was very hard for all of us. when we came to uk, we feel that we get our freedom now. there's no one to tell us you should get married, you should not go to work. >> we're supporting them with resettlement training, so getting them welcomed into the uk society. we've actually got a shortage of veterinarians here in the uk, so they're all going to basically go straight into jobs once they've been requalified. >> i feel good for my future. i can work in my field. i can support my family, so i am happy for this, and i know everyone will have a bright future here. >> as the future of nowzad, sadly there's always going to be a need for animal welfare somewhere in the world. so once our staff happily resettle, then we're going to look at where we can go next. >> the need of afghanistan razia john wanted to build a better future for girls in her homeland. in 2008 she opened a girls school in a rural area outside of kabul. refusing to bow to threats of violence. four years later, she was honored as a top ten cnn hero. >> my organization was very small, and for me to be recognized was such a great help at that time. >> afterwards her school flourished. by 2021 it had grown from 350 students to nearly 800. >> there is so much demand. i have about 300 girls from kindergarten on the waiting list. >> she even expanded her work training women to be mid wives at the razia john institute. in the spring of 2021 when 24 students graduated, their futures seemed bright. but months later, that changed when the taliban swept across afghanistan. razia was back in the u.s. >> that was terrible for me because i was very far away, and i wished i was there so i could help my students. >> she knew all she'd bill was at risk. >> it took 20 years for women to stand and be recognized, and to see that, it was awful. >> under the taliban's new all male government, women lost ground right away. the ministry of women's affairs was closed, while women were still permitted at some universities in segregated classes, in many schools including razia's older girls were barred until so-called security concerns could be resolved. but in september, girls up to grade six were allowed to head back to their classrooms. >> i can't tell you how wonderful it is to see these girls in the courtyard playing and also in the classroom and trying to learn. it's just amazing. >> eventually, razia got permission from authorities for her older children to use the school's library and enabling them to continue their studies at home. she's hopeful they can return to school next year. >> i have a great support of the community, and the girls, they want to learn. that gives me hope. >> 77-year-old razia is eager to return to afghanistan as soon as she can. >> i'm not fearful at all. if i'm there, i can negotiate with them. the taliban, they have mothers, sisters, wives, and if you don't educate them, that is such a loss. maybe it won't be the same, but we can do something to educate these girls because i'm not going to give in. coming up, her poetry captured the world's attention in the biden harris inauguration. find out she was helped by a cnn hero when we return. >> announcer: "cnn heroes: 15 years of changing the world" is brought to you by fidelity wealth management, and by cisco, the bridge to possible. go to cnnheroes.com to give your support and help celebrate 15 years of inspiring stories. ♪ this... is the planning effect. this is how it feels to know you have a wealth plan that covers everything that's important to you. this is what it's like to have a dedicated fidelity advisor looking at your full financial picture. making sure you have the right balance of risk and reward. and helping you plan for future generations. this is "the planning effect" from fidelity. . welcome back. we've all seen how words have the power to move and inspire. back in january we certainly saw an example of this when 22-year-old amanda gorman recited her poem. on the global stage her vivid language and expressive voice captured the world's attention. one of those watching was karen, for her nonprofit right girl. for more than two decades her program has been empowering teens to find their voice. amanda arguably one of the most famous poets in the world joined right girl as a high school freshman. she's one of thousands who benefitted from karen's support and guidance. >> being american is more than a pride we inherit. it's the past we step into. >> when we saw her perform at the inauguration, we could see the same things that we really embody at right girl, represented in her, confidence, being willing to really be present. >> we are striving to forge our union with purpose. >> we are always encouraging our girls to share their own story, what is going on in their world because they are the only one that can write that poem, tell that story, write that song. >> i said in our spot clicking my pen, click clack, click clack. >> i don't know yet who i am or who i want to be. >> fragment of history, beloved piece of the past, my grandma. >> many of our girls come from environments where they're really struggling with unstable family situations, violence in their communities. our goal is to really try and reach the most teens we can that are in the greatest need. >> nice. since receiving the hero award we've expanded to include programs for boys and coed groups. we have really tried to clarify our definition of girls by including nonbinary girls, trans youth. >> it's going really well. we're really pleased. >> we've also developed more programming for youth who are incarcerated or systems impacted on probation, some pregnant and parenting teens. >> hello, welcome, everyone. >> since march of last year we have been adapting our programs to be online. girls have been finding their way to us from kentucky, florida, oregon, mumbai, brussels. >> we live a life so you have stories to tell. >> one of our goals is to introduce girls to all different kinds of writing, journalism, poetry. we have a screen writing workshop, a song writer workshop the singer sock writers will take the lyrics the girls wrote that day and turn them into songs in front of their eyes. >> i just want to love and lose like everyone seems to do. >> that was so cool. >> and there's this feeling of like i wrote that. i can do that. >> it was still hungry, the face of the mask fell down. >> we try to give teens the opportunity to read their work in front of a few people, then in front of 200. >> then in front of 500. before long they become absolutely fearless and unafraid of the microphone. >> we've learned that quiet isn't always peace and the norms and notions of what just is isn't always justice. >> amanda gorman joined right girl when she was 14. >> vibrant speech. >> her and her twin sister were part of right girl for four years. she was always such a positive bright light, soaking up everything. she was sort of unstoppable. >> and a time where a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother. >> amanda's the only one that could put that particular story together. she put herself right in the middle of the poem. she shared it as herself. >> for there was always light if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it. >> we had a watch party when amanda was speaking her poem at the inauguration. what was really exciting to know was that she represents not only every girl that's ever been in right girl, but she also represents every young woman in this country. >> from the moment in which i entered the doors of my first right girl workshop, i felt so loved and so supported. being automobile to have that space as a young black woman with a speech impediment where i could write my work, connect with others was huge. >> say something that nobody else has said before because you have your own way of saying things. >> we've worked with 4 to 5,000 teens. it's a big number. >> they're doctors, they're lawyers. one is just completing her ph.d.. to learn that our alums want to be of service to their communities, that they want to do work of meaning is really the most exciting thing for me. of anything. >> coming up, find out what's happening with those who were given the ultimate recognition, cnn hero of the year. since 2018 and becoming a cnn hero, sleeng in peace has grown to over 270 chapters in 400 countries and we have built 80,000 beds. >> back then we had 31 locations. now we have 60 locations and startups in countries and we're serving families in 55 countries with our free therapeutic programming. >> we've worked in 48 countries around the world. we've reached our million person with clean drinking water. >> it validated our work not just to us but to the world and has enabled us to support over 104,000 homeless children. >> announcer: "cnn heroes: 15 wreers years of changing the world" is brought to you by cosentyx. with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. brought to you by cosentyx. is. an increased risk of infections —some serious— and the lowered 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(music) ♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ (music) ♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ welcome back. 15 years we've celebrated the best humanity has to offer by recognizing people as cnn heroes. we usually honor ten of these amaziing individuals at our annual event. at the end of the night. >> ladies and gentlemen, it is my great privilege to announce the cnn hero of the year. one is revealed as the cnn hero of the year. recognition that comes with a large cash prize to help them continue their important work. >> this is for all the girls. >> that work is as unique as the heroes themselves. past honorees have used push guards to educate children in the philippines and started a school in nepal with their baby-sitting money. they've given free housing to families with sick children in peru, and provided health care to ensure babies are born safely in indonesia. they fought sex trafficking and rehabilitated girls in nepal, and destigmatized menstruation and provided sanitary pads to girls in ethiopia. we caught up with some of our past heroes of the year to find out how they have grown and evolved since this life changing moment. >> the cnn hero of the year is l liz mccartney. >> i was authentically shocked when my name was called. i remember thinking, whatever happens do not trip on the stage. liz mccartney became the first cnn hero of the year in 2008, recognition for her work in new orleans rebuilding homes that had been devastated by hurricane katrina. >> i was so really happy for the people of new orleans and louisiana to shine the spotlight on people and problems post-katrina was a really important moment and support came pouring in. a lot of donations, a lot of new volunteers. >> since then her nonprofit known as sbp has expanded its reach far beyond new orleans. >> we were in joplin, missouri, responding to a tornado, to sandy, hurricane harvey in houston, in the bahamas. we are responded to hurricane dorian, and in puerto rico as well. since 2006, sbp has rebuilt more than 3,000 homes in more than 15 communities. >> now liz and her team also work to reduce the impact of storms before they strike. >> we want to make sure that people have the right insurance, and that homes are built resiliently. we want to make sure that people don't have to endure what many families had to after katrina. >> this year on august 29th, exactly 16 years after katrina hit new orleans, another storm barreled towards louisiana. >> a monster named ida. the hurricane is intensifying as a category 4 storm. >> it was a devastating storm. fortunately hurricane ida mostly spared new orleans, but there was extensive damage south of the city. >> in most cases, it don't turn out to be as bad as they predict it. but this one was real bad. by the grace of god somebody come in to help. >> the team's been working hard. put tarps on a couple hundred houses, they've cleaned up piles and piles of debris and were preparing to start rebuilding homes. >> they're going to wash everything down and make sure there's no mold and all that stuff. what they're doing is a big plus coming around and herlping people. we are so glad and thankful. >> we're so grateful for the cnn heroes campaign. that award allowed us to help a lot more folks. so thank you. >> in nepal, one of the poorest countries in asia, when parents are sent to prison their young children sometimes end up going with them. since 2005, push pabasnet has worked to make sure no child grows up behind bars. for years she cared for dozens of youngsters at a rented home in katmandu, providing them food, shelter and schooling. then in 2012 she was named hero of the year, an emotional achievement. >> this is for my children and this is for back to my country, ne nepal. >> pushba used the prize money to buy land to build a permanent butterfly home for her kids. >> people used to look at them in a negative way. but always i have a passion or dream that people looked at butterfly home, whose house is that? is that a resort? >> in april 2015 construction was underway when a severe earthquake struck. more than 8,000 were killed and hundreds of thousands were left homeless including pushpa and her children. her new butterfly dream home was destroyed. >> everything fell down. everything, my dreams were all scattered. they had to live for months outside under a tarp, but pushpa didn't give up. >> i have to be strong for myself and for my 40 kids living with me. >> a german charity gave her money to rebuild and in early 2016 pushpa and her kids moved in. >> this is my dream world for my kids. we have a separate building for boys, for girls, library, computer room, a story room. >> with more funding in 20 she was able to build another home for her older children studying at university. among them was lakschmi one of the first residents of the butterfly homes. this year she graduated from katmandu university with a degree in art alongside pushpa who had earned a masters. pushpa has now helped skpegt cand care for more than 220 children, and she has no plans to stop. >> when someone calls me a cnn hero of the year, my kids are my hero. they are the ones who really inspired me to do this work. for almost 25 years, cnn hero chad prograki has been on a man on a mission cleaning up america's rivers. it's work he began at home in illinois picking up garbage along the mississippi river. >> you guys ready? >> since then his cause has become a crusade, with more than 118,000 volunteers joining him pulling more than 11 million pounds of trash from 23 waterways. >> you know what's gone? garbage. we've made a real difference. >> it's work that in 2013 led to this. >> i was just kind of stunned that i won. went up there and i was just like there's nine other wonderful people doing wonderful things for the world, and that's why i just decided i'm just going to give 10 grand to each of them because they're awesome. so yeah. everybody wins. the world wins. >> he used the rest of his award money to help make the country greener. >> i put it into expanding our tree nursery, and with that we have now either given away or planted over 1.6 million trees. and i just think it's a great sort of legacy to leave, you know? >> now chad has his eyes on a new project, the i-80 bridge that spans the mississippi river connecting illinois to iowa. >> in the next several years they're going to build a new bridge, and i want to keep the old bridge and turn it into the longest wildlife crossing in the world. it's called bison bridge. >> that's right. instead of tearing down the old bridge, chad hopes the highway's eastbound lanes can allow bison so range freely. >> it's a wild idea but i'm kind of going with that. >> the westbound lanes would be for people, recreation paths and places to safely view and learn about the animals. >> bison are one of the toughest animals out there. they roam probably from canada down to florida. there were 60 million at one time. we basically decimated them down to a few thousand. >> repopulating wild bison and restoring prairie habitat are just two ways chad says the bridge will benefit the area. he established a new foundation to support the project, but it's still closely tied to chad's lifelong passion. >> the real focus, though, is the mississippi river. it gives you a great vantage point to overlook the river. my ultimate goal just to make it a national monument similar to the st. louis arch. it will be the only thing like it in the world. >> growing up with cerebral palsy, jason aristesibal pushed himself to defy society's expectations. he dedicated his life to bringing therapy and support to other young people with disabilities so they could also realize their potential. then in 2016. >> jason. >> as the first hero of the year from latin america, he'd broken yet another boundary. >> i want to tell you that, yes, you can. u you can dream and you can achieve your dreams. >> jason used his award money to build a much larger rehabilitation center. now he's helping more than 1,000 children and young people every day. and along specialized therapies his center provides students with free education and a host of other opportunities including dancing. sports. and music. ♪ his program also helps older students learn job skills, and he's already purchased land for a new project. now a lawyer, jason is also working for the legal system. ultimately, he wants to show the world what anybody can achieve if they're given the chance. amy wright created an innovative k coffee shop that employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a mission inspired by two of her children who have down syndrome. and in 2017. >> amy wright. >> i was flabber gasted, honesty i was thinking about how biddy and beau were at home watching the show live. >> i wanted you to know biddy and beau that i would not change you for the world, but i will change the world for you. >> thank you for coming out. >> over the next two years, amy opened five more coffee shops around the country. >> we want to welcome you to the biddy and beau's coffee family. >> every time we hire someone new, we surprise them with an ap apron. for most of them, they've never been offered a job before, and so we make a big deal out of it. >> oh, my god. but when the pandemic hit, everything came to a halt. >> it was never an option that we weren't going to reopen. >> they got a ppp loan and were even invited to the white house. when their stores reopened, amy soon embraced a new approach. >> what made the most sense for us was to teach people what we had done so that they could open shops, provide jobs in their community, and run viable businesses. >> this year she opened five more shops, including one in charlotte, north carolina. >> three, two, one. >> we have a son ryan who's 19 years old. he has autism and tou tour residresident. >> that number is just multiplying. >> are you proud of all these workers that work here? >> yes. >> with 13 more stores opening next year, amy's impact continues to grow. >> these shops, they're changing every life that walks through the door. hopefully people come in our shops and see what's possible. >> for advice for the next hero of the year. >> buckle your seat belt. it is going to be a wild ride. >> such an incredible inspiring group. so there's our look at how many of our past honorees are continuing to make the world a better place. to learn more about them and all of the people we've recognized over the last 15 years, go to cnnheroes.com. and tomorrow night tune in for the 15th annual cnn all star tribute to see how this year's top ten honorees are changing the world i'm co-hosting again with my friend kelly ripa. it's going to be a very fun night and incredibly inspiring. hope you join us. thanks for watching. good night. ♪