Karen Citow saw plenty of unhappiness in her job as a clinical psychologist, investigating allegations of child abuse for the Departments of Children and Family Services in L.A. and Chicago. “It was a very challenging situation, investigating families with multi-generational abuse and neglect,” she says. But she loved making a difference and making the world […]
As a child, Terrence Hunter was obsessed with comic books and superheroes. So it’s no wonder as an adult he has a ripped physique and dedicates himself to being a role model for children and others. For the people he coaches—especially kids, you might say he is a sort of superhero. Terrence has had a […]
How long could you swim in 58-degree water? Maybe 10 minutes, if your life depended on it. But voluntarily? Marcia Cleveland swam for 9 hours and 44 minutes and successfully crossed the English Channel in 1994—no wet suit, no stopping. The channel is about 21 miles across, but because of tides, you can’t swim it […]
Good deeds don’t go unnoticed. After Nancy Perlson was featured as a Local Treasure in the December 2010 issue of Make It Better, NBC Chicago learned of her innovative yoga bereavement program and decided to do this segment on her. The Make It Better article is featured at the end of the spot! View more […]
Jill Wine-Banks of Evanston never let her gender hold her back from achieving her goals—including several “firsts” for women. A groundbreaking businesswoman and attorney, Wine-Banks was honored this fall by the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana as a “Smart Cookie.” The program, which honored Banks and four other local women, salutes female […]
The most vivid memory Sandy Haggart has of her work in Guatemala over the past 6 years is when one Guatemalan woman told her she named her healthy baby Sandy. “You do good things,” the woman told her. That woman is just one of many who have recognized Sandy’s contributions through her nutrition and education […]
Flint Creek Wildlife Center volunteer and “bird lady” Dawn Smith shares tips on how to make your yard friendly to magnificent birds, great and small. You’ll become your own back yard hero when you put these small tips into practice. They’ll go along way toward preventing bird fatalities and you just might find that your […]
By day, he’s a consultant to Fortune 500 companies dotting the globe and lectures at a major business school. By night, though, Rick Kolsky does a 180-degree pivot and coaches 11- and 12-year-old girls’ basketball at a local gym. Why? “I view coaching as something that is trying to teach kids great life lessons, […]
In 1991, a group of parents convinced Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge to open a primary care clinic two mornings each month for their adult children with Down syndrome. Good ideas flourished and the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic (ADSC) grew into a holistic care center nurturing the physical and mental well-being of more than 4,500 […]
Sam Weisz, DDS and his colleagues just want to make people smile this holiday season—even if it means giving them a dental overhaul. “We’ve heard so many stories this year of people in the community who are down and out, with foreclosures and other things,” says Weisz. Hearing about patients’ hardships prompted the group to […]
