$100 for a once-homeless teen and a hardworking widow

Today's recipients of a $100 bill through the Believe Project want to help a young man get on his feet and brighten the holidays for a hardworking widow.

• Amy Schorr of Mundelein:

"In August my husband and I became aware, through our church, of a homeless teen who was trying to finish his high school diploma at Mundelein High School. Because of his unstable housing, this young man had attended five high schools and was one class short of graduating, but he had again lost his temporary housing. We decided to invite him to live with us.

"Since then he has finished high school (we had a party!), has landed a full-time and a part-time job, and is working to save enough money to afford a car and an apartment. He also has arranged to begin attending College of Lake County in the spring. He is working so hard!

"Currently his challenge is transportation. Sometimes we can provide rides to his jobs or he gets rides with friends, but often he must pay for transportation. I would give the $100 to this young man to help him pay for rides to and from his two jobs."

• Diane Kronberg of Palatine:

"Julia Hernandez … is an elderly RN I have worked and volunteered with who, despite falling on hard times and health challenges, continues to give to the community. She was swindled out of her life savings and almost lost her home many years ago. She is a widow and instead of enjoying her retirement, she finds odd jobs working as an RN to pay her legal bills (to seek restitution from the lawyer who cheated her) and so she can just get by.

"Besides working nearly full time as a caregiver, surgical assistant and house watcher, Julia fills her other waking moments volunteering at Alexian Brothers and her church. She is kind and never complains. Everyone who Julia has touched loves and admires her.

"I would hope that $100 would cheer her up and encourage her to buy herself something needed, but I wouldn't be surprised if she, herself, paid it forward."

• The Believe Project is awarding $100 each day in December to two people with good ideas for how to use the money to do a good deed for someone else. If you'd like the chance to help someone, submit your idea at events.dailyherald.com/believe-project by Monday, Dec. 11.