All of the 2015 CNN Heroes show how one person can truly make a difference. Cathy Heying helps the needy repair their vehicles at low cost so they can continue on the road to success. Heying has provided affordable car repairs to hundreds of low-income individuals, saving them a total of over $170,000. Click through the gallery to meet more 2015 CNN Heroes.
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Undercover doctor treats homeless —
Dr. Jim Withers used to dress like a homeless person. On purpose. Two to three nights a week, he rubbed dirt in his hair and muddied up his jeans and shirt before walking the dark streets of Pittsburgh, searching for homeless people who needed medical care.
Krisanne Johnson/CNN
Showing kids nature, by bike —
For three decades, Marilyn Price has helped at-risk kids use bikes to experience nature. Her nonprofit, Trips for Kids, has 90 chapters worldwide, serving more than 15,000 children a year.
Allie Torgan/CNN
Choosing guitars over guns —
Musician Chad Bernstein's nonprofit, Guitars Over Guns, pairs kids with professional musician mentors in two of Miami's poorest communities. He says his group has seen more than a 90% increase in academic performance and school attendance of students in the program.
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Growing food for his community —
Richard Joyner's nonprofit, Conetoe Family Life Center, grows food which feeds nearby residents for free and helps students raise scholarship money.
CNN
Transforming waste into acts of heroism —
An estimated 40% of food in the U.S. goes to waste, while one in six Americans struggles with food insecurity. Robert Lee's nonprofit picks up fresh food that would otherwise go to waste and gets it to people in need.
Diane Beasley/CNN
'Walking off' the war —
Iraq War veteran Sean Gobin's nonprofit, Warrior Hike, helps combat vets -- some with PTSD -- by offering them equipment for hikes so they can connect with nature and work through their issues while enjoying the camaraderie and support of fellow war veterans.
John Nowak/CNN
Healing Chicago's 'mean streets' —
Dr. Daniel Ivankovich co-founded OnePatient Global Health Initiative to help those with little or no insurance. "I thought to myself, this is happening in America?" he said. He has treated more than 200 victims of gun violence in Chicago and today runs three clinics and performs more than 600 surgeries a year.
JESSICA A. KOSCIELNIAK/Getty Images for CNN
Meet the 'Sloth Lady of Suriname' —
In Suriname, Monique Pool has been a passionate sloth protector since 2005. She also takes in anteaters, armadillos and porcupines. Her volunteer group has rescued, rehabilitated and released more than 600 animals.
John Nowak/CNN
Teaching city kids Hollywood skills —
Fred Heinrich's nonprofit provides free hands-on job training and placement for low-income minority youth, giving them increased access to the film and television industry.
Marissa Calhoun/CNN
He turns poachers into protectors —
Edwin Sabuhoro's nonprofit, Iby'lwacu Cultural Village, turns gorilla poachers into protectors by offering income opportunities near a habitat for endangered gorillas.
CNN
No one should die alone —
More than 11 million senior citizens live alone in the United States. To help this frail and vulnerable population, Inez Russell started Friends for Life. The nonprofit enlists advocates and friends for seniors in Texas who need a helping hand. Since 1986, Russell and her group have helped 22,000 people navigate a variety of difficulties.
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Jersey babysitter-turned-hero —
In 2006, New Jersey native Maggie Doyne used $5,000 she had earned for babysitting to purchase land in Surkhet, a district in western Nepal. She worked with the local community to build the Kopila Valley Children's Home, which today is home to nearly 50 children.
Allie Torgan/CNN
Keeping people and pets together —
Lori Weise runs Downtown Dog Rescue, a nonprofit that provides resources to help low-income families keep and care for their pets near Skid Row in Los Angeles.
Allie Torgan/CNN
Hero was once expelled —
Artist Adarsh Alphons' nonprofit, ProjectArt, provides free arts classes for New York City public school children. Once expelled from school for doodling, Alphons eventually presented his work to the late world leaders Nelson Mandela and Pope John Paul II.
Saving 'throwaway kids' —
Teacher Richard Bienvenue helps troubled teens learn trade skills from professionals and offers them high school education. Many graduates of the Our House program have earned trade licenses and are working full-time.
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Helping the Lakota people —
Rochelle Ripley's nonprofit has delivered an estimated $9 million in services and goods to the Lakota people. She and volunteers run a food bank and provide free health services, home renovations and educational opportunities.
Tomás Alvarez started a hip-hop therapy program aimed at troubled youth. Participants join peer-mentorship activities and are encouraged to write and rap about their feelings. Since 2009, Alvarez says more than 1,000 young people have found hope through the program.
CNN
'River from the Sky' —
Bhagwati Agrawal's nonprofit, Sustainable Innovations, created a network of rooftops, gutters, pipes and underground reservoirs that collect and store water from monsoon rains. The time-saving system frees adults to pursue valuable activities and children to attend school.
Harsha Vadlamani/Getty Images for CNN
Helping single parents with cancer —
Jody Farley-Berens helped start Singleton Moms to support single moms battling cancer. Since 2006, the nonprofit has provided assistance to more than 300 parents in the Phoenix area.
Kathleen Toner/CNN
Helping kids 'see' their future —
Eight U.S. states don't require vision and hearing screenings in schools. After going partially blind and deaf as a child, Chelsea Elliott created a solution. Her nonprofit -- the Half-Helen Foundation -- offers free hearing and vision screenings for thousands of children, particularly in lower income communities.
Marissa Calhoun/CNN
Helping inmates become 'better people' —
Kim Carroll's nonprofit aims to teach life skills to inmates so they can successfully move from prison to society.
Marissa Calhoun/CNN
Breaking a cycle of homelessness —
Kim Carter helps provide housing, counseling and job training to help women reunite with their children.
