Research has shown that social connectedness can improve physical health and emotional well-being, and even increased life span. The Volunteer Center provides a path to making such connections and fostering positive emotion through volunteering. Here’s how. Volunteering enhances well being It is a scientifically accepted premise that contributing time and effort to a cause greater than oneself […]
In 2006, former attorney, U.S. Senate Aide and Hollywood screenwriter Scott Fifer started what would become GO Campaign — a small nonprofit — to help 20 street kids he met in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Driven by the singular goal of assisting those 20 kids, most of them orphans, Fifer dedicated himself to supporting the dreams and […]
Protecting the planet for future generations is a cause we all have a responsibility to support. The threats posed by climate change can be overwhelming, but experts remain hopeful that our environment can still be healed. In honor of Earth Day (April 22), we’re highlighting individuals and organizations — in Chicago and nationally — that are focused […]
Curbing climate change seems a nearly impossible feat, so daunting that many Americans give in to “climate fatigue” and avoid taking action out of a sense of hopelessness and avoidance. But the enormity of a challenge has never stopped paleontologist Dr. Lonnie Thompson, whose very career defies the odds and represents the triumph of determination […]
The sound of birds chirping and slightly warmer air coming off Lake Michigan reminds us that spring has sprung around Chicago. Now is the time to embrace the freshness of the season and venture out into the city where everything is in bloom once more. Read on for our lineup of the best things to […]
A Safe Haven Foundation (ASHF) is a Chicago-based organization with a proven record of empowering individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health crises, and substance use disorders to achieve sufficiency. ASHF serves clients of all ages, including children and seniors from all 77 Chicago communities. For over 20 years, ASHF has led the charge in helping individuals […]
A childhood full of toys, for many of us, often meant a childhood made possible by the vision of Mattel. With brands such as the iconic Barbie, Hot Wheels, American Girl and countless others, it’s no wonder Mattel has become the standard in regards to childhood play. To continue that legacy, the company had to […]
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that over six million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Each of these people need care, and that care is frequently provided by over 11 million unpaid caregivers: spouses, siblings, children, or sometimes just concerned friends and neighbors. More than half of these caregivers are employed […]
The Penelopiad has opened at Goodman Theatre and tells the largely untold story of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, who waited at home with her 12 maids while her husband — who Homer in the Odyssey called a “man of many twists and turns” — took 20 years to get back to her after the […]
Born out of a single overnight retreat in Chicago for a dozen men trying to rebuild their lives as they recover from homelessness and addiction, the Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) has grown into a movement with over 600 volunteers in 20 cities across the U.S., Canada and Ireland. Even though ISP is under the umbrella […]
