Earlier this year, Northwest Indiana Community Action Corporation (NWICA) announced an eight-week youth employment project during the summer of 2010 for teens and young adults ages 14-24. The Summer Youth Employment Project created work opportunities for the participants in various private, public, not-for-profit, government and faith based community organizations across Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties. Special funding was secured from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, a federal bill that directed stimulus dollars toward programs that promoted economic activity through job creation. Read More

By Harriet Fagan

So many emotions come into play when sending a child off to college and the list of items to be collected, paid for, and packed seems never ending. It is a bittersweet time filled with great expectations – and some apprehension – for both parent and teen.

As dorm and clothing items are selected and checked off of the list, Mom and Dad cannot help but wonder if their college freshman is fully equipped to navigate life on their own in a campus setting. Certainly by now they have been warned at home and school to avoid the temptations that await them. They have heard that they should be their own person and not succumb to peer pressures regarding sex, drugs and drinking; put studies before partying; change their sheets at least monthly; cool it with the junk food, and consider wearing long pants when temperatures drop below freezing.

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By Carl Kurek

Live United.

Give. Advocate. Volunteer.

These are the mottos that United Way Worldwide, the leadership and support organization for the network of nearly 1,800 community-based United Ways in 45 countries and territories, promotes to citizens across the globe.

The United ways of Lake and Porter counties carried out their third annual United Way Regional Day of Caring this past Friday and Saturday. The event is billed by organizers as the largest gathering of volunteers in Northwest Indiana. Read More

Marking her fifth year as a cancer survivor, Dyer resident Carole Selund has poured all the hope and faith built up on her journey into knitting an heirloom afghan. Proceeds from the afghan raffle will benefit the programs of the Cancer Resource Centre in Munster.

After Selund was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2005 and successfully treated, she turned to the Cancer Resource Centre for guidance and support. A program of the Community Cancer Research Foundation, Inc., the Cancer Resource Centre is dedicated to educating, informing, and uplifting individuals fighting cancer along with their family members. Read More

By Daniel Moran

Heard at just about every funeral service is, “I know how your feel,” or its close cousin, “I know what you are going through.”

Guess what? You do not. You do not even really know how you would feel if you just lost your child or parent, or anybody you cared about for that matter. And if you lost your child, or parent or anybody you care about, that experience is your own – and it is unique to only you. Read More

Porter Senior Circle is a local chapter of Senior Circle Association, a not-for-profit organization committed to enriching the lives of adults age 50 and over. Their mission is to encourage the healthiest, most active lifestyle for seniors possible by providing programs that encourage continued learning, wellness, health and volunteering, coupled with a host of social activities.

“We have been a chapter for almost three years,” Cathy Goldschmidt, supervisor of Senior Circle and Healthy Woman Advisor, said. “We continue to grow in membership and currently have almost 600 members.” Read More

Osteoporosis – porous bone – is a disease characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, making the bones fragile and more susceptible to fractures. In the United States alone, 10 million individuals – eight million of them women – have osteoporosis and another 34 million are at risk due to low bone mass. Yet, osteoporosis is preventable. Read More

College students have enough to juggle when it comes to school, work and their social life, and fighting fraud often does not make their list of priorities. Because college students are so susceptible to identity theft, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recommends that they take steps to protect themselves on campus.

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The Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana offers the following information to the public in an effort to warn and educate them before they fall victim to scams.

“Because you pay your utility bills on time, you are the winner of $3.5 million and a Mercedes-Benz. This award has been approved by the BBB and the Chamber of Commerce.” This is an actual quote from a scammer, claiming to be with Goldrush Inc. and calling from a Jamaican “876” area code. If you receive one of these calls, hang up. Read More

INDIANA WEATHERIZING

Low Income Homes

Indiana’s innovative program to weatherize 20,000 homes using federal stimulus funds has reached its stride. Within the past three months, the state moved to ninth nationally in overall units completed and seventh in production per day. Read More