Community Corner

12 Stories of People Making A Difference In The Chicago Area

We can all look up to these local heroes. In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary's historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains.

For the past two months, we've been bringing you stories of hope and heart from across the Chicago area through a partnership with Grape Nuts to highlight inspiring members of our communities.

Now that we're wrapping up the series, let's take a look back at the local heroes who have inspired us by overcoming challenges that would seem insurmountable to many others.

  1. Pit Bull Rescuer Faces a Mountain of Fear and Misunderstanding: Chicago-area woman rises to the challenge of rescuing mistreated pit bulls and changing the image of the maligned breed. 
  2. Tattoo Artist Helps Girls Escape Life in the Sex Trade: A Chicago-area tattoo artist and youth pastor helps people find new lives by inking over their tattoos. 
  3. Disabled Athlete Scores a Big Win for Handicapped Competitors in Illinois: A Chicago-area swimmer rose to the challenge to fight rules that discriminated against disabled athletes.
  4. A Marine Corps Mom's Love for a Son Lost to Combat: Modie Lavin's journey through life changed when her son was killed in Afghanistan. She now runs a memorial fund and works with veterans in Chicago.
  5. The Long Journey to Change Minds About Marriage Equality: State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz has been a vocal advocate for changing Illinois marriage laws, and she sees change on the horizon.
  6. Man Paralyzed in Prime of Life Never Stops Following His Passion: A Chicago-area man didn't let becoming paralyzed at the age of 21 stop him from coaching football and running for public office. 
  7. Holocaust Survivor Shares Story of Loss, Survival and Triumph: 'You’d be surprised how much you want to live,' 86-year-old Holocaust survivor Magda Brown says about her imprisonment and escape from Auschwitz.
  8. Disability Doesn't Even Slow Down Bridget BrownFrom being the first Down syndrome student mainstreamed in her school district to starting her own advocacy organization, Bridget Brown's journeys are far and wide. 
  9. Scuba Diving Helps the Disabled Find ConfidenceA Downers Grove father found water is the answer in helping people with disabilities become more physically confident. 
  10. Paralympian Follows His Dream and Earns Medals in the 2012 Paralympics: Oswego cyclist Joe Berenyi didn't let the loss of his right arm and left kneecap stop him from doing what he loved and pursuing his dream of competitive cycling.
  11. 8-Year-Old Cancer Patient on Mission to Help OthersRosie Colucci founded Rosie's Toybox to collect toys to donate to hospitalized children. Rosie, who has cancer, volunteers with several other charities as well.
  12. Joliet Women Climb Mountain in Support of CaretakersKathy Miller and Kim Jackson, both from Leeza’s Care Connection at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center, found inspiration in caregivers to climb Mount Washington in New Hampshire.


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