Summer always seems to move faster than expected, even when the days themselves can feel long. And as its end comes into view, the feelings that come with it can be complicated. Packing bags for day camp. Organizing activities for your children. Fielding endless requests to do something fun. Navigating family vacations — or the […]
The first thing parents remember about the day their child is hospitalized usually isn’t the diagnosis. It’s the questions that follow: Where will we sleep tonight? How long will we be here? How will we take care of our other children? How can we afford all of this? For one family, those questions came two […]
A fellow cancer survivor suggested Lynn Leiro apply to a creative arts program focused on providing support and community to those touched by cancer. She thought it might offer Leiro something different. It did. Leiro, 40, is a double cancer survivor whose diagnoses — triple negative breast cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukemia — left her […]
From the World Cup stage to Olympic competition to neighborhood fields, courts, and boathouses, sports create belonging, build confidence, open doors, strengthen communities, and teach us what it means to show up for one another. I saw this with my own kids. Our Make It Better partners and Philanthropy Award winners have long proven this. […]
Chicago has long been one of America’s great golf cities. The roots run deep. Chicago Golf Club introduced the nation’s first 18-hole course in 1892, and more than a century later, the region remains one of the country’s most vibrant golf markets. Hundreds of public courses stretch across the metropolitan area, ranging from championship-caliber tournament […]
Housing and mental health care are often treated as separate challenges. For veterans, they rarely are. As communities across the country look for better ways to support veterans, two Chicago organizations, both Make It Better Foundation 2026 Philanthropy Award winners, are demonstrating what a more integrated approach can look like. The Road Home Program: The […]
“She called me ‘string bean‘ because I was skinny and awkward growing up,” says Ashley, reflecting on her grandmother. “She was one of the few people who understood me. She told me to pursue writing, to become a journalist.” Today, that formidable woman who spoke multiple languages and shaped Ashley’s career path sometimes forgets that […]
In the summer before college, 17-year-old Carly Siegel felt a slight tingling in her finger. It was easy to dismiss — a small, fleeting sensation on an otherwise ordinary day. But Carly mentioned it to her mom while they were sitting in the car, and together they decided to have it checked out. That one […]
At 2 a.m., a mother rocks her crying two-month-old, exhausted and unsure what to do next. She tries soothing, then distraction, then silence. Nothing works. By morning, guilt sets in. She wonders, like so many caregivers: Why didn’t anyone teach me how to do this? Most people will one day be responsible for another person, […]
“I felt misunderstood for so much of my life,” says Monique*, reflecting on years of therapy before receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult. She was labeled lazy by teachers, and what seemed easy for peers felt difficult for her. Monique felt she had to mask her differences to fit in. It was exhausting. Autism […]
