Indian-American Rahul Dubey, on 1 June, had opened the doors of his home in Washington, DC, to over 70 protesters who were demonstrating against the killing of George Floyd. His action made him a local hero, and he has now been hailed among the "Heroes of 2020" by the TIME Magazine, honouring those who "went above and beyond the call of duty" this year, reported PTI.
"From citizens providing food and shelter to those in need to volunteers who protected their neighbours from natural disasters, these heroes went above and beyond the call of duty in 2020," TIME said.
TIME described Dubey as "The Man Who Gave Shelter to Those in Need".
Dubey Sheltered 70 Protesters
“Hopefully, this horrific tragedy of intended genocide never shows up on anyone’s doorstep again,” said Rahul Dubey to The Quint, as he recalled the night he sheltered more than 70 protesters in his house just before they were about to get arrested by the US police.
According to the Associated Press, protesters out on the roads after Washington’s 7 p.m. curfew were about to be arrested when Dubey gave them shelter at his residence at Swann Street in northwest DC.
“I open my door, and I start yelling, ‘Get in!’” said Dubey, who works in health, adding, “All these people were swarming in”, according to TIME.
Dubey sheltered 70 protesters in his house in Washington, DC, to prevent them from getting arrested, provided them with food and first aid, and all the help that he possibly could.
“People were coughing, crying...strangers pouring milk into strangers’ eyes,” Dubey said.
“They were sharing information, writing down numbers for bail bondsmen. It was this real camaraderie.” Dubey claimed police officers made several attempts to enter his home that evening – posing as protesters trying to get inside, and attempting to intercept the pizza delivery he had ordered for his house-guests, reported TIME.
The next morning, when Dubey stood outside his house and a crowd cheered and applauded him, the visuals went viral on social media.
Other 2020 ‘Heroes’
One such ‘hero’ is Jason Chua and Hung Zhen Long from Singapore. When the country went into a complete lockdown in April to contain the spread of coronavirus, Jason Chua and Hung Zhen Long, who co-own Beng Who Cooks took to delivering over 2,500 meals free of charge to anyone who couldn’t afford it. They did so with $6,000 of their personal funds, along with the donation of $5,000 from a friend to support the cause, reported TIME.
TIME also named Australia's volunteer firefighters, Luke Summerscales and Jessica Jacobs who were fighting some of the worst bushfires in a remote mountain range of New South Wales, and saved the life of a fellow firefighter who collapsed from a heart attack.
Pastor Reshorna Fitzpatrick and her husband Bishop Derrick Fitzpatrick of Chicago were also named 2020 ‘Heros’ for TIME, who transformed their church to support their community during the trying year.
A newspaper deliveryman Greg Dailey left a note in the newspapers for all 800 houses where he’d deliver the paper, offering to deliver goods to anyone free of charge. Soon, he and his family were spending over 12 hours delivering food to senior citizens in need. They have supplied in more than 140 homes and conducted over 1,000 grocery runs in New Jersey's Mercer county, and he was named as a TIME Magazine 2020 ‘Hero’.
(With inputs from PTI and TIME Magazine)
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