Growing up in poverty, Aaron Valencia was raised by his mother, who was in an abusive relationship. He started using drugs at a young age and eventually spent time in jail. When he turned his life around in 1999, he also discovered a passion for classic car restoration. And when he noticed neighborhood kids hanging around his garage with nowhere to go, Valencia, now 38, started a nonprofit that provides low-income, homeless and at-risk youth with a safe, educational afterschool program in classic car restoration. Every year, Valencia and about 50 kids restore or build a car and raffle it off to raise money to keep the program afloat. His goal: offer a supportive program to teach kids a trade and keep them from making the same mistakes he did.
Read his story on CNN.com
Video: CNN Hero Aaron Valencia
Video Extra: The kids inspired him