Best of Humankind Awards: Vote now for Person of the Year finalists Heather Boone and Rene LaBerge
This story was written by the USA TODAY Ventures Events team and features a USA TODAY-sponsored event.
Voting is now open for USA TODAY's Best of Humankind Awards.
The Best of Humankind Awards honor everyday people who have showcased the highest level of kindness, compassion and perseverance in 2021. Each Humankind award recognizes and celebrates an everyday person who is making a difference in their community.
When Pastor Heather Boone established the Oaks of Righteousness Church in her town of Monroe, Michigan, she knew that creating a new place of worship wasn't going to be the end of her mission.
Soon she had opened a homeless shelter, where she lived herself for two years, and opened a food pantry and program that provides more than 10,000 meals a year. Soon she had also added a clothing closet, a furniture donation center, a community center, a free daycare and tutoring program.
"I started out just trying to be a good person and I never knew others would be so touched that they would want to follow my example," she said.
For her efforts, Boone is a finalist for Person of the Year in the USA TODAY Best of Humankind Awards.
The other finalist for Person of the Year is Rene LaBerge, of South Burlington, Vermont.
La Berge has been the South Burlington Dolphins Youth Football coach for 55 years. In that time, he's even provided a temporary home for some players who were struggling.
"I learned that I could handle more than I thought and I was stronger and tougher than I thought," one of his players wrote about his time with LaBerge.
And his kindness and understanding have reaped rich rewards, as several former Dolphin players have gone on to become coaches in colleges and high schools.
"I believe that football as a team sport has a very positive influence teaching discipline and to believe in their abilities, with an understanding of teamwork in relationships throughout their life," LaBerge wrote on his Humankind submission form.
Through a public nomination process, Humankind received hundreds of inspirational stories from the public. The finalists are in and can be found at humankindawards.com. You can vote up to once a day through the month of October.
The winners will be announced on December 9, during a streaming broadcast across the USA TODAY Network and Humankind channels and social platforms. Winners in each category will receive $1,000 and one person will be selected at random to win $1,000 just for voting. The person who nominated each winner will receive $250.
Categories include:
- Best of Animalkind Award
- Best of Militarykind Award
- Best of Womankind Award
- Best of Sportskind Award
- Best of Earthkind Award
- Humankind Educator of the Year
- Humankind Healthcare Worker of the Year
- Humankind Triumph Award
- Humankind Act of Kindness Caught on Video
- Humankind Person of the Year
- Humankind Viewer’s Choice Award
See videos from the finalists and vote here today. Find out more about Humankind at usatoday.com/humankind.