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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
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These Are the 'New York Values' Every Candidate Should See When They Visit

This week, while making appearances in town before the April 19 primary, Ted Cruz doubled down on the "New York Values" comment he made in January. When speaking to a reporter in a video from Reuters, Cruz said:

Let’s be clear. The people of New York know what those values are, the values of liberal Democratic politicians like Andrew Cuomo, like Anthony Weiner, like Eliot Spitzer, like Charlie Rangel, all of whom Donald Trump has supported, given tens of thousands of dollars to throughout the years.

Gov. John Kasich is also focused on the phrase. "Ted Cruz sneered at our New York Values," says the voice-over in a new Kasich-approved ad on Thursday.

Hillary Clinton referenced Cruz's words, too, at a rally in Crown Heights on Tuesday.

"When it comes down to it, I believe the values of New York are the values of America," she said.

With so many presidential candidates in town and talking about the subject, we wanted to pull together some of the outstanding examples of kindness, forgiveness and care for the defenseless we see as we report from New York's neighborhoods. 

The Bellevue Doctor Who Raised Money to Send Paralyzed Polish Immigrant Back Home to His Family

When 29-year-old medical resident Arthur Winer met him, Jan Kwiatkowski, 59, had just been paralyzed in an accident, and was yearning for just one thing.

"He wanted to see his daughter again and go home," Winer said. "I guess when he told me that, I thought, let’s see if this is even possible.”

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The Gay Couple Who Forgave Man Who Attacked Them

The couple assaulted in SoHo by a man who screamed anti-gay slurs at them agreed to a plea deal that allowed their attacker to do a “restorative justice” program instead of serving jail time.


Credit: Facebook; DCPI

That Time an Entire Neighborhood Got Together for a Little Girl Who Just Wanted to Be Spider-Man

When a little girl who adores Spider-Man came home heartbroken after some boys in her pre-K class told her she couldn't be her hero because she’s a girl, the whole neighborhood got together and created the "Uptown Superheroes Parade."

Credit: Courtesy of Margaret Ryan

When A Group of Strangers Banded Together For a Man Dying of Cancer

Jay Kallio's plan to give away all of his possessions for free after he found out he had six months to live went off the rails as soon as Ella Grasch, a 36-year-old Flatiron woman he'd never met, learned Kallio was living in terrible conditions, without lights or a working toilet.

Grasch posted on a message board about Kallio’s situation, and dozens of people responded, helping out in ways big and small, including raising more than $6,000 to cover Kallio’s pain treatments, food and care.

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The Drag Bar That Partners With U.S. Marine Reserves Every Year to Collect Holiday Gifts for Kids Whose Parents Can’t Afford to Buy Them

Famed West Village drag bar Boots & Saddle raises thousands of dollars in cash and collects hundreds of toys for the U.S. Marine Reserves “Toys for Tots” drive every year.


Credit: Boots & Saddle

The 16-Year-Old Boy Who Supports Program Providing Free Tampons to His Female Classmates

"It's a good thing for them," said Thomas Allen, 16. "We already have the convenience of everything we need. It'll help a lot of young ladies when they don't have what they need on them."

The Park Slope School That Held Ceremony to Honor the Man Who Cleaned it for 34 Years

When Frank Lombardo, 52, retired after 34 years buffing floors and polishing brass fixtures, the school's principal presented him with a plaque and all the kids lined up to hug "Mr. Frank" goodbye.

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The Firefighter Who Ran Into Burning Corona Apartment Building to Rescue 3-Week-Old Baby

Not only did Lt. Adam Vilagos, 42, rush into a burning building to save a baby, he raced back in a second time to put out the fire.

"It felt great that we were able to help out and give the kid a chance at a life," he said.

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The Elmhurst Locals Who Volunteer at Homeless Shelter Despite Their Community’s Criticism

After Lester Lin started volunteering at the Pan Am family shelter in Elmhurst, his parents came home from church and told him, “Lester, everyone at church said you’re ruining Elmhurst.” Lin laughed it off — with the same spirit that first inspired him to start volunteering at the shelter.

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The Woman Who Slept in a Washington Heights Park in the Dead of Winter to Save a Feral Dog From Freezing to Death

Denise Lauffer, 40, braved the elements for days to coax beloved neighborhood stray Charlie to come to her.

In fact, many New Yorkers turned out to help Charlie. School safety agents and teachers from a nearby public school brought hot meals and blankets, and a Con Edison worker supplied more than 30 hand warmers to line a bed of pillows, coats and blankets for the pup to sleep on.

In the end, a group of five neighbors ultimately managed to slip a rope around him and take him to a nearby vet.

Credit: Denise Lauffer

The ‘Super Cop’ Who Helped Man Get A Job and the Man Still Determined to Take Him Out to Lunch

A police officer noticed James Roberts, 58, who was panicked and in tears after he went to the wrong address for a job interview after several years out of work. Roberts didn’t have enough bus fare to get where he needed to be. After hearing his plight, the officer drove him to the interview.

Roberts promised the officer he’d take him out for lunch if he got the job, and has been searching for him ever since.