Heroes come in all sizes and ages

When he was little, Malcolm Jones always dreamed of being a hero someday.

Tuesday morning, cutting up boxes of cots on the Qualcomm Stadium pavement, he came a little closer.

"It's not much, but it does make a difference in people's lives," said Jones, 18, of La Mesa.

Volunteers arrived with religious groups and, like Jones, just on their own. Jones, a student at Grossmont College, said, "I felt I had to do something since I was safe in my own house."

So, does he feel like a hero?

He smiled in the hot sun. "Yeah, in a small way."

-- Sandi Dolbee