We asked, you answered: Who’s your everyday hero?

We asked readers to write about their “everyday Philly heroes” — the people in our communities who don’t make the cover of Time magazine but have had a positive impact in the region.

If you’d like to write about an everyday hero in your life, send an email to dlockwood@inquirer.com.

Joe and Lisabeth Marziello are co-CEOs of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. Since coming to Philadelphia from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland, Ore., in 2012, they have expanded the number of clubs that provide a safe environment and vital services in the neediest sections of the city from 12 to 22.

Upon arrival, Joe and Lisabeth were met with clubs in a state of disrepair, with dwindling memberships and limited programming. Without immediate attention, some of these clubs would need to close. During their decade in Philadelphia, they have raised more than $110 million, which has been used to improve programming and repair buildings in Frankford, Nicetown, Wissahickon, and Germantown. These clubs have become safe havens for the youth of those neighborhoods.

I first met Joe and Lisabeth shortly after they arrived in Philadelphia, when I was a member of the board of directors of the Northeast Frankford Club. As a result of their leadership, the Portland Clubs were in excellent shape. When I asked why they would travel cross-country to come to an extremely challenging situation, their answer was, without hesitation, “For the kids.” Ten years later, I can say confidently that they are indeed champions of the youth of Philadelphia.

Joe and Lisabeth are tireless and selfless. Meeting them leaves you with the impression that the most important part of their professional lives revolves around doing good for underserved young men and women.

Not only have they molded an organization that has sports and recreational activities, but there is also an emphasis on feeding food-insecure members of the community; the clubs served over 350,000 meals during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. They have put together after-school programs that include tutoring, as well as a STEM program and robotics. They have also implemented leadership programs that emphasize respect for self and others. These two leaders are committed to developing the potential of all.

Joe Parisi is a former club member and board member of the Northeast Frankford Boys Club. He has spent the past 41 years as a teacher, coach, and administrator at La Salle College High School. jp2548770@gmail.com

Thirty years ago, after watching a segment on the newsmagazine TV show 20/20 about the plight of children in Romanian orphanages, my wife and I knew that even though we could not help all the children, we could help at least one. After much research, we realized that Romania was the only country in the world that would let a couple as old as we were (47 and 48) with as many children as we already had (five) adopt another child.

Working with the Welcome House adoption program, we traveled to Romania and adopted a 5-year-old girl from an orphanage. We decided to keep the name she had been given, Laura, so there would be one less thing for her to get used to. However, in Romania, they pronounced her name Lah-u-rah, which was very different than the English pronunciation.

When she arrived in the U.S., Laura weighed only 26 pounds, had virtually no language, and it quickly became apparent that she had been severely abused and neglected in the orphanage. She has had many physical ailments, ADHD, and dyslexia. Laura had great difficulties in school. When we enrolled her in high school at the Academy of the New Church, she found out she was on track to just get a certificate of attendance and she would not get a diploma. She was incensed. With a lot of support from staff and really hard work on her part, Laura did earn a diploma. She also received a faculty award for “Grit and Determination.”

Since then, Laura has worked for various families as a nanny while also taking college courses online from Arizona State University, one or two at a time. Laura has earned certification as a birth and postpartum doula and as a lactation counselor, and she has helped many new mothers. She is currently enrolled at Drexel University to become a certified international lactation consultant so she can be hired by hospitals. She probably will graduate with a bachelor’s degree and be certified in about a year, but she wishes to continue her education and become a registered nurse.

Laura is one of the most amazing people we have ever known. She works hard and is so determined to reach her goals. Never would my wife and I have guessed so many years ago that we would have such a caring, hardworking, determined, and loving daughter. She is truly amazing.

Ned and Valerie Rogers are the retired parents of five birth children, ages 46 to 55, and Laura, age 36. They feel blessed that all of these children have grown into loving adults who contribute greatly to making this world a better place.