Feature Stories

Working Love in the Heart of Appalachia
Community Lutheran Partners, Inc.
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV

"In rural Boone County, West Virginia, Jennifer Massey and her neighbors began to experience unusual illnesses. They discovered significant contamination in the community’s primary water source—contamination that has been linked to nearby mining activity. As many of Jennifer’s neighbors began to suffer adverse health effects, she lost her 29-year-old brother to an illness believed to be caused by the contamination..." [Read more]

Surviving Tough Times in Northern Illinois

Belvidere/Boone County Food Bank
CAPRON, IL

“I was born in Korea but am now a United States citizen. In 2004, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and at the same time my husband and I unexpectedly lost our business. Soon after that, the bank foreclosed on our home, and we had to use our entire savings to pay my medical bills...” [Read more]

Jay Iguchi - Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry

Seniors Rescue Unwanted Food

Senior Gleaners of San Diego County
Gleaners Relief
ESCONDIDO, CA

“I put in a lot of heavy hours, so some days I can hardly walk,” says Ann Evans (pictured left, wearing a hat), a retired Associate in Ministry who volunteers at Senior Gleaners of San Diego County. “But I forget about my pain when I see the excitement of the volunteers and the people [we] help...” [Read more]

Ann Evans (left) and Denyse Haney, volunteers at Senior Gleaners

Children at Sunshine Community Preschool

Spirit of Hope

Spirit of Hope and Sunshine Community Preschool
Hope to Cope
DETROIT, MI

When Evelyn sent her son, Brian, to preschool, she worried about him adapting to a new setting where strangers (teachers) were also in charge of many other children. Not only that, Evelyn needed to find an affordable school that would still allow her to save for his college education. [Read more]

Embracing Life with Open Arms

Open Arms of Minnesota
Meal Delivery for People Living with HIV/AIDS
MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Shirley was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2005. She has already been through chemotherapy, and surgery followed by radiation are the next steps on her treatment schedule. The exhausted, 63-year-old wife and mother struggles to make ends meet in Minnesota, as her family lives on about $1,000 a month... [Read more]

Diversity Service Center of Iowa Educational Outreach Program MUSCATINE, IOWA
	A New Home for Luis In Leon, Guanajuato (Mexico), Luis sold all of his belongings to raise enough money for assistance in crossing the border to the United States. Eventually, he made it to Illinois to be with his girlfriend. He was supposed to have a job lined up at a meat packing plant, but not having a social security number soon eliminated that possibility.
	Standing the Test of Time In Leon, Guanajuato (Mexico), Luis sold all of his belongings to raise enough money for assistance in crossing the border to the United States. Eventually, he made it to Illinois to be with his girlfriend. He was supposed to have a job lined up at a meat packing plant, but not having a social security number soon eliminated that possibility.