Greetings:
Welcome to the Month of May, the month we celebrate mothers, motherhood, and maternal bonds in general. There’s also that motherly love, a special kind of love that some people just have for others that are not necessarily their children. It may be their neighbors, their friends, or their constituents. This month we’re joining South Shore Works and an amazing group of professionals recognizing one such person, Dr. Carol Adams, whose love and caring for others seems to know no bounds whether it’s her students from the many universities and schools she’s taught at, the inmates at the Cook County Jail, whom she mentored, or the hundreds of strangers, friends, and neighbors in whose lives she has made a difference. A fundraiser for South Shore work in tribute to Dr. Adams is May 11th. Check www.SouthShoreWorks.org for tickets.
May is also mental health month, and this month we’re looking at how innovations, social media, and many other factors have contributed to the delicate mental health of one generation—the Gen Z generation. We’re looking at Gen Z mental health through the life and journey of the beautiful young lady who is on this month’s cover, twenty-five year old Joy Gabrielle Williams.
Spoiler alert! She overcame the obstacles that stood in the way of a healthy mental state, but there are lessons to be learned from her journey, lessons that may help those of us who are Boomers, or Gen Xers, or Millennials find the answer to the question, “Why are today’s young people like they are?” Environment plays a huge role in the mental and physical health of children, young people, adults, and seniors. That’s why we’re excited to bring you the story of the Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation and the miracle, born from hard work, which abounds in that community. Carlos Nelson, Executive Director of GAGDC, had big dreams for his community, and miraculously, they are coming true one by one. Fests, arts, innovations for children, special services for seniors , cultural pride, and African art have come to that community. Health and Wellness has come to the community in the form of a multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art health facility. Today, Auburn Gresham is a great place to be for everyone.
Summer is just months away, and some families aren’t looking forward to it with joy. That’s because for some families, being out of school meant their children weren’t getting those free breakfasts and free lunches. Those worries are going away for about a million Illinois low-income families, and we’re so happy to be able to report it in this issue. It’s called the Summer EBT Program, and Man-Yee Lee, the spokesperson for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, was happy to speak to us and share about this great program. And you’ll see why when you read all about it.
Our writer, Corey Hall, loves plays. He especially loved the play he recently saw called “Coconut Cake.” Just reading his review will make you want to see it for yourself, and join Corey Hall in giving accolades to Melda Beaty, the award-winning playwright who created the beautiful play.
Looking for a venue to host a summer event? The Quarry Event Center is the place to be. We’ll keep you posted on our events, also.
As always, it’s okay to go out of your way to support our advertisers. In fact, it’s essential. Thanks in advance for doing so.
