Arts + Culture

Rooted Here

Reaching the World Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright There is something worth being thankful for when a world-class artistic experience isn’t something you have to drive downtown to find. For 15 years, Ballet 5:8 has been building that kind of experience in the south suburbs, bringing professional ballet to Orland Park while creating opportunities for young dancers to learn, grow and discover the art form close to home. As the company celebrates its 15th anniversary season, its reach is...

Finance + Legal Services

Beyond the Courtroom:

Giving Thanks Through Service Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Chris Moran In November, we’re reminded to pause and consider what we’re thankful for. At Voorn, Preston, & Carlasare, that gratitude is closely connected to community. For the attorneys and staff at VPC, serving others isn’t simply something they do outside of work. It’s an extension of why they practice law in the first place. Their work takes them into some of the most personal and challenging moments in...

Arts + Culture

Building Stronger Communities

One Life at a Time Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Jean Lachat A strong community is one where everyone has the opportunity to participate, contribute, and build a meaningful life. This season of gratitude, the Community Services Foundation offers a reminder of how much stronger our communities become when everyone has a place in them. Founded in 1989 with a staff of one, the Foundation has grown to a team of 15, supporting Communities Transform Futures Illinois’ (CTF...

Health + Wellness

A Thankful Mind

Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Jean Lachat In a season centered on gratitude, it can be easy to focus on the big things we’re thankful for: family, careers, homes, health, and meaningful milestones. But according to Queen Ajiere, Director of Clinical Quality/Operations at Zoelife Psychiatric Services, cultivating a thankful mind often begins with something much smaller: simply noticing what is already around us. “Gratitude doesn’t require grandeur,” Queen explains. It can...

Education

Finding Opportunity

in Their Own Backyard Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright For high school students, figuring out what comes after graduation can be both exciting and overwhelming. College, careers and new opportunities can seem to exist somewhere beyond the communities where they grew up—but what if some of those opportunities are already in their own backyard? For Lincolnway City Lifestyle summer intern Emily Noesen, the chance to learn by doing made a lasting impression. Her experience gave her a firsthand...

Arts + Culture

Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra:

The Arts Come Alive in Lincolnway Article by Kenadee Berry After a decade away, the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) is thrilled to return to the Lincolnway area, bringing its mainstage concerts back to Lincoln-Way North High School. While the orchestra has presented most of its concerts in Palos Heights over the past 10 years, a significant portion of its audience has continued to travel from the Lincolnway area to attend. For IPO Executive Director Christina Salerno, the most exciting...

Education

Diploma to Degree

Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Jean Lachat In eighth grade, Scott Dunn decided to find out what he was capable of. Until then, he hadn’t pushed himself particularly hard in school. But something changed when he began wondering what might happen if he did. That mindset eventually led Scott, a recent Lincoln-Way West graduate, to the Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Diploma & Degree program, a partnership with Joliet Junior College that allows students to...

Food + Beverage

Farm to Fork

Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Chris Moran and Kenadee Berry There is something different about a meal when you know where it began. When the tomatoes were growing in the garden just steps away. When the farmer who raised the ingredients is sitting nearby. When the menu changes because of rain, heat, harvest timing—or simply because the land had something unexpected to offer. Across the Chicagoland area, farm-to-table dining is becoming about much more than a locally...

Food + Beverage

A Recipe for Opportunity:

Inside Coletta's Crossing Bakery Article and Photography by Kenadee Berry For more than 75 years, St. Coletta's of Illinois has been creating vocational opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Today, that mission is taking shape in a welcoming place where the aroma of freshly baked cookies fills the air: Coletta's Crossing Bakery.  The bakery is more than a place to learn how to bake. It is a real workplace where individuals gain practical job skills...

Entertainment

Gather Around the Table:

Where Good Design Meets Good Memories Article by Nicole Swanberg Wright | Photography by Jean Lachat For Diane DeCero, a beautiful table is about much more than linens, dinnerware and a well-chosen centerpiece. It’s about the memories made around it. Growing up in an Italian household, Diane remembers the kitchen table as the center of family life: a place filled with good food, laughter and several conversations happening at once. Her mother often said, “If that table could talk, oh, what...