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Derek Gallegos
Allegan
Hero Story
Derek is hands-down one of the best people I've met. He serves as a recruiter for the Michigan Army National Guard, however, he consistently goes above and beyond for people whether they be friends, family, students, or complete strangers. He has quickly become a well known figure in Allegan County for being an exemplary member of the community. Despite his own personal struggles, he always puts others needs above his own.
In 2017 when Hurricane Harvey hit, he raised money and went down and helped as a civilian. They loaded up a boat and truck and went down to help any way they could. They saved several lives and impacted thousands by bringing supplies and digging people out of the disaster trail that the hurricane had left.
He also helps out in Allegan as the football coach for the high school. This allows him the opportunity to talk to a lot of kids–some who haven't had the easiest time in life. Again, he selflessly goes above and beyond to help those kids whether that's taking them to get their hair cut if they can't afford it or helping them get state IDs so they can obtain a job. As a coach, he instills values like integrity and honesty into his players. While most coaches are paid, and Allegan tried to pay Derek, he politely turned down the money and asked them to donate it towards a program that would help kids.
This past weekend (April 3, 2022), a family in Fennville lost almost everything in a house fire. A single mom of four was working. Her oldest (11 years old) was able to get his siblings and most of their pets out and call 911. When Derek heard about this, he went and utilized his resources from being in the National Guard, and got together a group and created an event at the VFW to raise money, collect food, clothes, and household items for the family, as well as present the children with "Hero Awards" for being so brave during a time of crisis.
He continuously impacts people in a positive way as often as he could. The last 6 months have been a trying time in his life as he was going through a divorce. Regardless of his own personal struggles, he still went out and helped impact his community in a positive light. The amount of resilience and selflessness that Derek holds is rare and should be recognized.
Derek Gallegos
Allegan
Hero Story
Derek is hands-down one of the best people I've met. He serves as a recruiter for the Michigan Army National Guard, however, he consistently goes above and beyond for people whether they be friends, family, students, or complete strangers. He has quickly become a well known figure in Allegan County for being an exemplary member of the community. Despite his own personal struggles, he always puts others needs above his own.
In 2017 when Hurricane Harvey hit, he raised money and went down and helped as a civilian. They loaded up a boat and truck and went down to help any way they could. They saved several lives and impacted thousands by bringing supplies and digging people out of the disaster trail that the hurricane had left.
He also helps out in Allegan as the football coach for the high school. This allows him the opportunity to talk to a lot of kids--some who haven't had the easiest time in life. Again, he selflessly goes above and beyond to help those kids whether that's taking them to get their hair cut if they can't afford it or helping them get state IDs so they can obtain a job. As a coach, he instills values like integrity and honesty into his players. While most coaches are paid, and Allegan tried to pay Derek, he politely turned down the money and asked them to donate it towards a program that would help kids.
This past weekend (April 3, 2022), a family in Fennville lost almost everything in a house fire. A single mom of four was working. Her oldest (11 years old) was able to get his siblings and most of their pets out and call 911. When Derek heard about this, he went and utilized his resources from being in the National Guard, and got together a group and created an event at the VFW to raise money, collect food, clothes, and household items for the family, as well as present the children with "Hero Awards" for being so brave during a time of crisis.
He continuously impacts people in a positive way as often as he could. The last 6 months have been a trying time in his life as he was going through a divorce. Regardless of his own personal struggles, he still went out and helped impact his community in a positive light. The amount of resilience and selflessness that Derek holds is rare and should be recognized.