A life of helping.(THE GOODNESS OF AMERICA)

On October 9, CNN announced their Top 10 Heroes of 2008. Tad Agoglia, one of those chosen, proves that heroism doesn't just involve doing a one-time deed, but oftentimes involves finding a need and fulfilling it on a long-term basis.

Agoglia began his business of cleaning up debris in the wake of Hurricane Isabel, which hit the East Coast in 2003. In 2005, he founded Disaster Recovery Solutions, a for-profit, clean-up contracting company assisting in the recovery phase of disasters around the country. However, while providing those services, Tad realized there was a period of up to a month in which, due to red tape, traumatized communities were left to fend for themselves. Even if manpower and equipment were available, access was unavailable due to blocked roadways.

CNN reports that, touched by this need, in 2007 Agoglia began First Response Team of America, his "self-funded, nonprofit, nomadic, four-man cleanup crew that provides immediate, emergency aid to areas hit by disasters." Originally intending to volunteer his time and equipment simply to open up the roadways to allow emergency vehicles into the areas, Tad soon noticed a need for even greater assistance. He related to the Knoxville Voice (Tennessee): "I realized ...