This year, from Oct. 2 to 8, we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week—a national, week-long observance that discusses, examines, and advocates for mental health conditions. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which founded the tradition in 1990, the series also aims to “raise awareness of mental illness, fight discrimination, and provide support. “ […]
Nearly every Saturday, 11-year-old Brody wakes up early, not to scroll on his phone and watch YouTube videos, but rather to volunteer alongside his parents and siblings. Brody is one of many children in Chicagoland who steps up to address pressing challenges in our communities, such as poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness. According to Illinois […]
Finding the perfect Father’s Day gift might leave even the best shoppers scratching their heads. What do you get for the guy who has cornered the market on tools, grills, sports, or other hobbies? If you want to do something meaningful for Dad, Grandpa, or your favorite father figure who has it all, maybe it’s […]
Michael J. Nyenhuis, president and CEO of UNICEF USA since March 2020, sat down with Make It Better founder Susan B. Noyes to share his insight and excitement about the launch of “Heart Strings: Creating Connection To The World’s Children.” The interactive, multimedia experience, a collaboration between UNICEF USA and award-winning multimedia studio Moment Factory, […]
July 2023 saw record-breaking floods on Chicago’s Westside, causing severe home and property damage in the city’s Austin neighborhood. As a longtime Austin resident and community advocate, Jacqueline Reed spearheaded relief efforts, mobilizing resources and volunteers to help 75 homes become habitable. That same month, Firefighter and Paramedic Nicholas DeLeon encountered an active shooter at […]
Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. The American Red Cross must collect enough blood every day to meet the needs of accident and burn victims; heart surgery and organ transplant patients; and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease — the most common genetic blood disorder in the U.S. […]
Fentanyl has been called the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. It is, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The staggering numbers show that in 2021 alone, 107,375 Americans died of drug overdose and poisoning, with 67% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids […]
Fentanyl has been called the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. It is, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The numbers are staggering. In 2021, 107,375 Americans died of drug overdose and poisoning, with 67% of those deaths involving synthetic […]
My youngest son Charlie had only been 27 for two weeks when his body was found dead in a Sacramento hotel room in July 2022. He died from fentanyl poisoning. Charlie always told me he was too smart to do a bad drug. I asked the Sacramento Police Department for help in getting my son’s phone […]
My nephew Charlie Griswold was born just a few weeks before our youngest child, Emma. Both were beloved youngest siblings in large, strongly connected families. They were two of seventeen beloved grandchildren, who gathered frequently and playfully. Charlie’s brilliant blue eyes and mischievous grin endeared him to all. View this post on Instagram A post […]
