Doing Well
A collection of stories about people and not-for-profits that help us lift each other up.
SkyART bills itself as the only free art program of its kind in Chicago, normally reaching some 3,600 youths ages 3 to 24, with programs in its facilities as well as at several dozen schools and community organizations.
Teen Cancer America funding depends on live performances, but with venues closed and touring postponed, the organization could be in trouble.
We Women Empowered is delivering three meals a day to seniors citizens during the coronavirus pandemic.
If you don’t have excess green to place a bid, McDonald’s is giving away a second Golden Shamrock Shake through a special contest.
The TV star and his “Today” colleague Craig Melvin are planning to jump into the frigid waters at North Avenue Beach next month.
The cafe provides mentoring, job- and life-skills training, field trips to cultural and historic landmarks, and other essential helpers, ranging from GED teachers to mental health counselors to volunteers offering expertise on how to get a Real ID or a free lift to a job interview.
The Era lives by the motto “Footwork saves lives.” Their passion for the dance artistry pushed them to pass along their history through Circle Up, the annual summer camp they conduct.
In 2004 Jackson launched Fashion Geek, and today the brand operates out of three storefront locations in Chicago.
The total number of deaths attributed to the virus is at least 106. The U.S. government has prepared to fly Americans out of the city at the center of the outbreak.
Reports say the cause of death was metastatic breast cancer.
An NU alum, the man behind ‘Riverdale,’ ‘Arrow’ and other hits is funding a professorship in dramatic writing.
“It’s about the spiritual principles of love, forgiveness and being grateful,” said Love, who is marking his fifth year of serving free meals to the needy every Monday at his restaurant’s non-profit community soup kitchen.
SOUL Harbour therapy teams — which often include miniature horses — venture out in their custom van to visit patients at hospitals, veterans at assisted living facilities and students at schools.
The Park Cafe Maple Park United Methodist Church, and the food pantry at the New Life Covenant Church, are helping people in need via free sit-down meals or a grocery store-like shopping experience.
The Chicago native and creator of the “Casper Slide,” Willie Perry faced both liver and kidney cancer in 2016. His positivity gave him the strength to battle his illness.
“There are people who haven’t smiled or tapped their toes in over a week and now, they are. That’s powerful. That’s how we know we are making a difference.”
The “Lord of the Rings” star will be in Chicago next Sunday as guest speaker at a fundraiser for the mental health awareness non-profit No Shame on U.
The FDA has not recommend people stop taking the drug. However, the agency said people who want to discontinue prescriptions should talk to their doctor or pharmacist.
‘The communities we serve are very complex,’ Nestor Flores says. ‘These are vulnerable populations that are struggling to survive, low-income in many cases.’
The school’s after-school programs are free-of-charge and require family volunteer hours, and its intense level of music education is designed to boost children’s creativity, life opportunities and sense of community.
The nonprofit founded by the Michelin-starred chef has served nearly 10 million meals on the front line of emergencies since the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and, most recently, in the Bahamas.
The Chicago-based organization teaches middle-schoolers, high-schoolers and young adults — particularly those in underserved neighborhoods — the skills and training they’ll need to succeed in the 21st century.
“What makes the Donnelley grants different is that they trust you to spend it where you need to most,” says Rivendell Theatre Ensemble founding artistic director Tara Mallen.
The Rev. Nicolette “Nic” Peñaranda aims to “disrupt the cycles of poverty, homelessness and food insecurity.”
The social impact record label pairs musicians with artists for a unique collaboration while the proceeds from record sales, art sales, concerts and more are invested into after school art and music programs throughout Chicago.