I had an interesting thing happen this month when I asked readers about the people who have made a difference in their children’s lives. And it had nothing to do with the people we featured in this month’s issue.

This is to take nothing away from Heather Hopkins of My New Red Shoes, award-winning singer-songwriter Frances England, Robin Sohnen, founder of Each One Reach One, Lisa Wasilewski of The HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture & Learning) Project, and Catalino Tapia of The Bay Area Gardeners’ Foundation. These people are doing incredible things for many – sometimes unsuspecting – children, and their efforts will be felt for a long time. Read about their work on page 18.

No, I have to be honest. When I asked readers to submit ideas for People Who Have Made a Difference, none of the five people we highlight in this issue were mentioned. The responses I got back were much closer to home.

For instance, reader Lupe Kesel mentions Gillian Smith, a teacher at Brighton Preschool in Pacifica. “Gillian has created an environment that offers learning through play,” Kesel says. “She offers families an opportunity to have an active role in their children’s education by encouraging parents to take their kids to have a hands-on approach to learning. From personal experience, it has made our family a stronger family unit. Gillian inspires parents to be better parents.”

Then there is Pam Hodell, who runs the homework center at the Millbrae Library.

According to mom Zoila Mayen, Hodell helped Mayen’s 9-year-old son, Joey, with reading when he was in fourth grade. “It was a battle just to get him to read,” Mayen says. “But Pam made it fun for him, and now he loves reading and is doing very well. Recently, he asked if he could continue having her assist him in reading, even though he doesn’t need it. She is a wonderful person and has made quite a difference.”

Personally, I believe that anyone who can instill a love of reading in a child should be considered for sainthood.

Reading some of these emails from readers – all with glowing accounts of teachers, tutors, coaches, everyday people who have made a difference in their kids’ lives – I realized we didn’t have enough space to celebrate them all. I can only urge parents to acknowledge these people for the work they do. They may not even realize how much of a difference they are making.

I also thought about a few Everyday Heroes who have touched my own kids’ lives: Tyler Denize, the swim team coach who taught all of my children that true competition means striving to better yourself, not beating someone else; middle school teacher Elaine Greene, whose unique teaching style – during one lesson, she unceremoniously treats the students to a simulation of a voyage in a slave ship – helped my son and his eighth-grade peers truly understand such things as racism and persecution. And, she also managed to instill a love of writing in the process; and Diane Kamrin and Tracey Garber, youth theater directors who taught all three of my children – and countless others – the joy and confidence that performing for fun can bring.

For these people and all the rest of you unsung Everyday Heroes, thank you.