Five Everyday Changemakers Compete for 2026 Hero of the Year Honor
Goldlaner.com – Five people whose work ranges from fighting hunger in Chicago to protecting wildlife in Uganda are in contention for the 2026 Hero of the Year recognition. Each finalist was nominated by members of the public and selected to receive $10,000 for their efforts.
Public voting is now open at CNN.com/Heroes. The finalist chosen as Hero of the Year will receive an additional $100,000 to help expand their work. The winner will be announced during the 20th annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates, airing Saturday, December 5, at 8 p.m. ET.
All five finalists will also receive a grant and organizational support from The Elevate Prize Foundation. Donations can be made directly to their nonprofit organizations through the voting page, with Pledge providing the fundraising platform.
Dion Dawson: Fresh food delivered across Chicago
Dion Dawson knows personally how exhausting food insecurity can be. Growing up on Chicago’s South Side, he experienced homelessness and hunger, including long waits at food pantries. Since 2020, the US Navy veteran has focused on changing how fresh food reaches people in his hometown.
Through Dion’s Chicago Dream, community members are hired to bring free produce directly to households across the city. The nonprofit distributes more than 80,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables each week to thousands of homes. The delivery approach is intended to make healthy food more accessible while reducing a burden that can consume time and energy for families already under strain.
“We’re the Dream Team. It’s about giving your community the best possible chance to succeed.”
Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka: Protecting gorillas through healthier communities
As Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka has spent her career working to safeguard endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Her conservation work took a broader turn when she recognized that the well-being of gorillas was closely connected to the health and economic conditions of the people living nearby.
She established Conservation Through Public Health in 2003. Its health and economic programs have reached and empowered more than 10,000 households. During that period, the local mountain gorilla population has increased by more than 50 percent. The organization’s work reflects the idea that lasting wildlife protection depends on communities being able to see a future alongside the animals they live near.
“I always get very excited when I hear that a baby mountain gorilla has been born. As long as the communities see the gorillas as their future, the numbers are going to keep growing.”
Andrew Lunetta: A permanent place to call home
Andrew Lunetta began volunteering in homeless shelters and came away with a different understanding of the crisis: the problem was not that people had failed at housing, but that housing had failed to serve them. That realization prompted him to create A Tiny Home for Good in Syracuse, New York.
The organization builds and restores small homes for people who have experienced homelessness, pairing permanent housing with sustained case-management support. It has constructed 23 tiny homes, renovated more than a dozen additional residences, and provided permanent supportive homes for 47 tenants. The goal is not merely a roof, but the stability and relationships that can help someone rebuild a life.
“For my tenants, I want a sense of stability and I want connection. If our tenants are afforded both those things, then I’m doing my job.”
Jaina: Giving Southern California’s community cats a chance
A stray cat and her kittens in Jaina’s backyard became the beginning of a much larger mission. Seeing the scale of need among street cats in Southern California, she co-founded Cats of San Bernardino to support animals that often go without food, veterinary care, or safe shelter.
The group organizes trap-neuter-return work, maintains feeding for established cat colonies, rescues cats with urgent medical needs, and helps place animals in permanent homes. Roughly 2,000 cats and kittens have been adopted through the organization. Its work addresses both immediate care and the long-term challenge of reducing unmanaged cat populations humanely.
“They give me a sense of purpose. I see cats like I see people. They all have different personalities. They all have worth.”
Francisco “Kiko” Trujillo: Building inclusion along the border
Industrial engineer Francisco “Kiko” Trujillo grew up in Nogales, Mexico, and witnessed the obstacles faced by people with disabilities in low-income communities along the US-Mexico border. He later co-founded Arizona Sonora Border Projects for Inclusion, also known as ARSOBO, to make essential mobility and rehabilitation resources more attainable.
ARSOBO works with families who have limited financial means, providing custom wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing devices, and rehabilitation programs. The organization also creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities. By focusing on practical equipment and ongoing support, its work aims to help people take part more fully in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
The five finalists show how direct experience can lead to solutions with far-reaching effects. Whether the challenge is access to food, housing, health care, animal welfare, disability services, or conservation, each has turned a local need into sustained community action.
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