On Monday we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and if there is one thing that can be said about him it's that he inspired many. He was known for fighting for the civil rights of African American citizens during a turbulent time and always sought to improve society for those persecuted by it. Even though he was died too soon, his efforts weren't in vain and he remains an icon in American History, which is why we honor him every year.
As someone who was known for going the distance to help a group of minorities progress in a time of suppression, Dr. King was known to put others besides himself first. Which is why we wanted to honor some of the other inspiring heroes that we've written about–people we've come across who have done well for society.
There's nothing sweeter than a person willing to do something for others without expecting anything back. Take for instance the way teacher Victoria Soto died during the Sandy Hook shooting while protecting her students, or the former attorney who willingly gave up his home for a homeless family to reside in.
Read more ¿Qué más?: Victoria Soto + 6 other Latino heroes (PHOTOS)
There people all were willing to do something out of the goodness of their heart, whether it ended in death or just left a mark in the world. Check out our list, honoring them, below.
Image via CBS DFW
Millionaire mom who sweeps the streets
Mom Yu Youzhen knows that she had to work hard to get to her high status today. Even though she is a millionaire, she took on a blue collar job as a sanitation worker to teach her kids the meaning of hard work.
Man loans home to homeless family
Tony Tolbert was a former lawyer who came across a woman who was living in a shelter and struggling to make ends meet when he offered his home to her and her family. Tolbert gave up his own home to the woman and her family for a year while he went back home to live with his mother.
Boy donates his allowance to animal shelter
This adorable boy named Evan had gotten a cat from a local cat shelter when he was 7. Since then, he vowed to save up money through his allowance to donate it all to the shelter. This past holiday season, he managed to give $110 in addition to $220 that his parents donated.
Boy donates his birthday gifts to toy charity
This boy, 8-year-old Chase Branscum, decided that for his 8th birthday party he wanted his friends to help donate toys for Toys for Tots. And that's exactly what all of his 100 guests did! Amazingly Chase recieved 500 toys which very well benefited the charity.
Sandy Hook Teacher, Vicki Soto
Vicki Soto was one of the teachers slain during the awful Sandy Hook shooting in December. Soto had tried protecting her students from the school shooter by lying about their whereabouts and was shot dead in her own classroom.
Kindhearted cop gives man money
A generous cop pulled over Hayden Carlo who didn't have the money to pay for a new registration sticker. When Hayden went to look at his ticket, he found that the cop had slipped a $100 bill in it. How's that for thoughtful?
Christmas miracle
A group of strangers led by a man named Ryan Bailey decided to help raise money for a good cause and resulted in giving the money to a couple who couldn't afford to buy their kids Christmas presents. Much to their unexpected surprise, Bailey's friends had given them $450 which should have been more than enough for presents!
Generous boy gives money to his neighbor
Eight-year-old Wyatt Erber is one amazing kid. He recently won $1,000 in a bank-sponsored scavenger hunt, and decided to selflessly donate the money to his next-door neighbor, 2-year-old Cara who is suffering from leukemia and whose family needed the money for her treatment.
