Writers Theatre (WT), a Make It Better Foundation 2026 Philanthropy Award winner, brought together more than 15 faith, cultural, and educational organizations through The Stoppard Series, an initiative inspired by its largest production to date: Tom Stoppard’s award-winning drama, Leopoldstadt, directed by Carey Perloff. The production centers on Jewish identity, family history, and belonging, themes […]
On a chilly afternoon in Roswell, New Mexico, volunteers unfolded a few tables in a downtown plaza, poured coffee, served homemade meals, and talked with anyone who stopped. Some visitors came because they were hungry. Others came because they were lonely. Many stayed because someone finally knew their name. Then the meals stopped. City officials […]
For many women, the hardest part of overcoming trauma, domestic violence, substance use, poverty, or life crises is not finding the desire to change—it is finding support that lasts long enough to make change possible. When a woman walks into a Women’s Empowerment Series session hosted by We EmpowHER in Wisconsin, she is often carrying […]
At six months pregnant, Courtney Williams of Palm Beach County, Florida, was in a dark place. Pregnancy complications forced her to stop working at the job she loved. At home, her partner abused her. “I felt like I was dying inside,” Williams recalls. She suffered from depression and PTSD, which also threatened the well-being of […]
When a grandmother enrolled her 9-year-old grandson, whom she is raising on her own, in day camp this summer, she was hoping to give him a positive outlet to build friendships and confidence, in order to improve his mental health issues. Unfortunately, he did not know how to swim, and the camp did not offer […]
After years of building a career in banking, Kherrington lost his job following health complications, turning his life upside down. Choosing to take control and see the layoff as a new beginning, he moved to Chicago with a friend. But when that arrangement fell through, Kherrington found himself without housing, savings, or a support network. […]
New apartment keys. A new career with higher pay. And a growing commitment to giving back. Since returning home after incarceration, Adisa has been building his new life one milestone at a time—putting the confidence, connections and skills he gained through Defy Ventures’ CEO of Your New Life program into action. Adisa joined the program […]
There are few moments more moving than watching children carrying their desks down a mountain trail into a brand-new classroom. Resting them above their heads, they march together; laughing, singing, and shouting with excitement. The older students make extra trips to help the younger ones, but everyone carries something. For the children of La Colonia […]
Young people are growing up in a world that too often teaches them that difference is something to fear, that communities are meant to remain separate, and that walls are better than bridges. This is especially true in Chicago, a city that consistently ranks among the most segregated in the nation. But spend an afternoon […]
Ebony had a new apartment, five kids counting on her, and nothing to put inside it. No beds, no table, no place to land after a hard day. She had a roof, but what she didn’t have was a home. A caseworker referred her to the Chicago Furniture Bank (CFB). A few weeks later, Ebony […]
