Carson City woman picked as top 10 finalist for CNN Heroes of 2018

An 88-year-old Carson City woman who has dedicated the past 15 years helping people throughout Northern Nevada learn English and become American citizens is among 10 finalists selected by CNN as a Top Hero for 2018.

Florence Phillips, the daughter of immigrants, and her organization, ESL In-Home Program of Northern Nevada, which provides free English and citizenship classes to immigrants in Nevada, was nominated by CNN Heroes in August and made the 2018 Top 10 CNN Heroes cut, which was announced Thursday by Anderson Cooper on CNN’s New Day.

Phillips and the nine others picked are now vying for CNN's coveted Hero of the Year.

The program Phillips established, ESL In-Home Program of Northern Nevada, is non-profit organization that runs solely off of volunteers and donations. Phillips and other volunteers teach basic English, written and oral, as well as GED preparation, computer literacy, and U.S. Citizenship test preparation. The program serves Carson City, as well as Douglas, Lyon, Churchill and Washoe counties. Go here for the story from August about Phillips being nominated.

Beginning Thursday, voters can select the "CNN Hero of the Year" by voting for the Top 10 CNN Hero who inspires them the most. Supporters can vote daily at CNNHeroes.com by logging in via email or Facebook. Viewers can vote up to 10x a day, per method, every day through Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 11:59 p.m.

The Peabody and Emmy Award-winning campaign celebrates individuals who are making extraordinary contributions to help improve the lives of others. Cooper will be joined again this year by Kelly Ripa as co-host of the 12th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.

The awards show, which celebrates all Top 10 honorees, will air Sunday, Dec. 9 live from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

The 9 other CNN Heroes are (in alphabetical order):
— Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin (Lagos, Nigeria) Ajayi-Akinfolarin’s organization, Pearls Africa Foundation, helps disadvantaged girls in Nigeria gain the tech skills and confidence to transform their lives.

— Maria Rose Belding (Washington, DC) Belding’s nonprofit, MEANS, uses an innovative online platform to tackle food waste and hunger simultaneously, connecting businesses that have extra food to charities that feed the hungry.

— Amanda Boxtel (Basalt, CO) Bridging Bionics, Boxtel's nonprofit, helps people with mobility impairments walk again by providing access to cutting-edge technology like exoskeleton suits.

— Rob Gore (Brooklyn, NY) Dr. Gore’s organization, Kings Against Violence Initiative, is working to end violence by offering youth-focused interventions that are school, community and hospital-based.

— Luke Mickelson (Twin Falls, ID) Mickelson’s nonprofit, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, builds, assembles, and delivers free beds to children and families in need.

— Susan Munsey (San Diego, CA) Munsey is a sex trafficking survivor whose nonprofit, GenerateHope, provides a safe space for fellow survivors to heal and build new lives.

— Ricardo Pun-Chong (Lima, Peru) Inspira, Dr. Pun-Chong’s nonprofit, offers families from remote villages free housing, meals and comprehensive support while their children undergo medical treatment.

— Ellen Stackable (Tulsa, OK) Poetic Justice, Stackable’s nonprofit, helps incarcerated women in Oklahoma heal from trauma by helping them find their voice through writing.

— Chris Stout (Kansas City, MO) Stout’s nonprofit, Veterans Community Project, provides tiny houses and comprehensive support services to any veteran.

Each Top 10 CNN Hero will be awarded $10,000 and the ‘CNN Hero of the Year’ will receive an additional $100,000. The honorees will also receive free capacity-building training from the Annenberg Foundation, a leading supporter of nonprofits worldwide. They will participate in a customized version of the Annenberg Alchemy program, which offers leadership development to help strengthen organizations for long-term success. This is the seventh year of CNN’s collaboration with the Annenberg Foundation.

For the third consecutive year, CNN has partnered with CrowdRise by GoFundMe, to enable people to donate to this year’s honorees and learn more about their stories. CrowdRise by GoFundMe is the world’s largest fundraising platform dedicated exclusively to charitable fundraising, while engaging communities and donors to reach new audiences and meet fundraising goals. Supporters can make online donations to the Top 10 CNN Heroes’ nonprofit organizations directly from CNNHeroes.com.