More than 520,000 people in the Chicago area live with a disability — roughly one in 10 residents. Across the United States, an estimated 8.38 million individuals have an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is on the rise. According to 2025 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, […]
In moments of crisis, healing often begins with something simple: a warm meal, a quiet space, the sense that someone sees you. For those navigating homelessness, trauma, or identity-based marginalization, even these basic comforts are often out of reach. But when they are made available — intentionally, consistently, and with care — they can be […]
On August 27, a gunman opened fire through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis during a morning Mass for elementary school children, killing two children — ages 8 and 10 — and injuring 17 other people, including 14 children. The shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, was armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol and […]
When Ballet 5:8 launched the BIOS Project, they didn’t start with music. Or costumes. Or a theme. They started with a question: What happens when we actually listen? Not just politely. Not in passing. But fully. With time. With no plan to fix, redirect, or explain away what we hear. The invited four women choreographers […]
What if the next story that changes someone’s mind — or inspires them to act — comes from your camera roll? Today, thanks to smartphones, photo essays are no longer just the domain of professional photographers. Anyone — parents documenting family life, students working on a project, nonprofit leaders highlighting impact, or travelers recording a […]
As the first day of school quickly approaches, parents are asking me how to get their kids to talk to them more about school. We parents want information! We feel that in exchange for our nurturance and worry and everything we did to get them ready for school, we should at least get to know […]
When I first met Pierre Moise Louis in Jérémie, Haiti, 15 years ago, he had just finished university. Determined to help his family and his country, Louis had one goal: to build a business around breadfruit. He saw this humble, starchy fruit not just as a food staple, but as a solution to hunger, to […]
Chicago is in the midst of a silent crisis — one that affects thousands of its youngest residents every day. Families across the city are struggling to afford diapers, a basic but essential need for children. With diaper costs having soared by nearly 50 percent since the pandemic, and families facing cuts to Medicaid and […]
Imagine being 12 years old, lying awake all night while your parents scream at each other, break things, and slam doors. Your father is drunk and raging. You’re terrified someone might get hurt — or worse. You huddle with your siblings, trying to keep them safe. When morning comes, your mom has a black eye, […]
On a summer day in July, a group of high school girls from Chicago’s South and West sides gathers in a conference room at Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres. For many, it’s their first trip to River North — and their first time stepping inside one of the city’s prestigious corporate offices. They’ve come for […]
