Sorted by date Results 99 - 123 of 135
While my son was growing up, I was deeply involved in our local schools - as PTO president at Hinsdale Middle School and on different task forces and groups related to Districts 181 and 86. Like a lot of other active volunteers in town, every couple of years I'd invariably get the question: Why don't you run for the school board? A busy working mom, I honestly wasn't sure I had the time or the inclination. But one year when the election cycle began and someone asked me about...
Five years ago, Tara DeGeer's teenage son expressed concern about the well-being of his peers after the suicide of a local high school student. He worried about how others were doing with news of the student's death and that there could be copycat suicides. In response, DeGeer created The Parent List, a Hinsdale Central PTO-supported online platform where parents may leave an anonymous positive review of a professional who was helpful to their child. The Parent List contains...
Raising funds for cancer research continues to serve as a pillar for Scoreboard Charities as it prepares to host its fourth annual charity wine event. This year to stay one step ahead of COVID restrictions, organizers have moved to a virtual event they say will still be rewarding. "It is important to Scoreboard Charities to continue to help in the fight against cancer and to help provide kids with the disease a chance at being a kid," said Beth O'Malley, production manager...
Influenza viruses become widespread each year beginning as early as mid-fall and running as late as mid-spring. This coming year's influenza season will also compete with COVID-19. The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-2-CoV, can cause symptoms that are similar to influenza: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea. So how can someone tell...
A friend of mine recently texted me a picture of the iconic children's book character Miss Viola Swamp with the message, "I can't go into it right now. But I need to know what book this is from." I quickly typed back, "Miss Nelson is Missing" by Harry Allard. Illustrations by James Marshall ("George and Martha," "The Stupids," all the good fairy tale retellings.) You're welcome." This year more than any other, there is special comfort in reading about classrooms and lockers...
While the pandemic has affected everyone, young and old, those living with cancer have been particularly impacted. Wellness House has provided a constant source of support for the thousands of patients who rely on the cancer resource center. "Coping with the effects of cancer has not taken a back seat to COVID-19 for the patients and families Wellness House serves," said Deb Kwiatt, marketing communications manager at Wellness House. "They need Wellness House even more now...
As a health educator, the most common question I am asked by adults is, "How do I talk to my teenager about drugs?" Some of the most important work around these conversations is properly preparing ourselves to have them. There are all types of different drugs in this world and doing research on them all can be overwhelming and for many flat out impossible. A great starting point is to gather information on a specific drug that may be impacting a family/community or simply the...
During puberty programs, Robert Crown Center’s Health Educators commonly break the ice with students by asking “Can anyone identify any puberty survivors in this room today?” After some giggles and a quick scan of the room, most students start to count the adults present and eagerly raise their hands to be the one chosen to give their proud answer. While simple, this approach helps to ease anxiety and nervousness regarding the topic at hand and allows for a perfect transition into relaying the health educator’s important mess...
With so much uncertainty right now, it's a great time to take comfort in some classic books and movies. You can stream or download thousands of familiar eBooks, eAudiobooks and movies from the Hinsdale Public Library's website at https://www.hinsdalelibrary.info. If you prefer the feeling of a book your hand, the library is now offering curbside service! Give us a call at (630) 986-1976 to request items. Need some suggestions? Here are some oldies-but-goodies for summer. • "...
Coronavirus has flipped our lives upside down in the past few months. Most areas of our lives have changed dramatically, including our work, school and social lives. With all these changes, it is not uncommon to experience higher than normal feelings of anxiety, irritability and sadness. Along with sadness, a number of us may be experiencing feelings of grief due to recent losses. When we hear the word grief, we often think of the death of a loved one or the end of a...
Hinsdale Junior Woman's Club recently stepped up to the plate to answer a call for help by those directly impacted by COVID-19 - the village's frontline heroes at AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale. Given HJWC's long-standing track record of fundraising for local organizations (over the past five years the club has raised more than $1 million for nonprofits) hospital staff knew the club would take action. "When HJWC's leadership received word of the hospital's...
As a kid, or maybe even as an adult, have you ever wished for a superpower? (My pick? Teleportation!) Nowadays, though, I suspect an increasing number of us would wish for an immune system of steel. For those of us who weren't born with a healing factor or bitten by a radioactive spider, the only known methods for combating COVID-19 effectively are social distancing (give 'em space - six feet!), practicing proper hygiene (i.e., washing your hands for the time it takes to sing...
Overwhelming anxiety can have a marked impact on the quality of our lives - our overall functioning, our relationships, our work, our parenting abilities and our self-care. At the AMITA Health Behavioral Medicine Institute, we believe healthy strategies to manage anxiety are critical to our physical and mental health and general well-being. Managing one's reaction to stressors, such as COVID-19, is no easy task, especially when there is such a heightened level of anxiety and...
When the Hinsdale Public Library celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2018, we perused old newspapers for nostalgia and remember seeing that the library closed its doors during the flu epidemic of 1918. At the time, it seemed like an interesting tidbit of an era past. We couldn't have known then that two years later, our physical building would be off limits again. As we watch the current pandemic unfold in real time, we wondered how Hinsdale was impacted in epidemics past. We...
Dear parents, I feel your pain. If you were ambivalent about your child's screen time pre-pandemic, now you might really be feeling that way. Our kids are exclusively learning online and have fewer options for entertaining themselves. Perhaps you're not only concerned about how much time your child is spending online, but also about the quality of what they're spending it on beyond schoolwork. You might rely on your child being on a screen to get through your work day or...
In the midst of social distancing, one quarantine-approved activity has brought so many of us out of our homes — walking. For Wellness House, the influx of pedestrians taking to the streets signified an opportunity. Rather than cancel its annual fundraising walk, which traditionally draws more than 3,000 and raises vital funds for the organization’s free-of-charge cancer programming, this year’s walk will be virtual. The Virtual Walk for Wellness House will take place Sunda...
We were all a child once and now perhaps it is time to act like a child again. That sage advice is not a unique thought. It originates from Mr. Fred Rogers, the same television personality who once advised us to look for the helpers in times of crisis. When you look for the helpers, you find hope. When you think, and act like a child, you find healing. It is interesting that during this time like no other there are three simple things making a difference: open minds,...
A message from library's board president, Julie Liesse: "Those of us on the board of trustees understand - personally - how much our community relies on the library for entertainment and resources. We were disappointed to have to close the building, but obviously the safety of our patrons and staff comes first. "But we're so lucky to be 21st century library cardholders, with access to tons of wonderful books and engaging movies and TV shows online - as well as all our online...
In 1883, a Presbyterian minister in a small town located more than 200 miles from Chicago decided to transform his sermons into a catalyst for change to help the thousands of neglected and orphaned children across the state. Through his monumental efforts, Chicago's Children's Home & Aid was born. Across Illinois, Children's Home & Aid provides resources annually to more than 40,000 children and youth – including access to education, counseling and basic necessities. Here l...
Since the dawn of the fitness industry and fad diets, this question has been raised: which is better for fat loss — eating or not eating before a morning workout? Some say fuel before a workout boosts blood sugars, giving the body energy to increase the intensity and length of a workout while fighting off fatigue and dizziness. The eat-after proponents say that you burn more fat if you fast before exercise. According to CNN Health, a recent UK study supports the latter p...
Last summer, "Number Neighbors" trended on social media. Out of the blue, people were reaching out to the cell number with the final digit one up or one down from their own. The results were mixed. Some people were confused, some joked, some were angry and some ignored the message altogether. Some people, though, connected and discovered shared commonalities through this chance randomness. This serendipity, a happy result brought about by chance, seemed to be a driver of the e...
The Angel Harvey Family Health Center provides traditional health services to more than 13,000 patients annually in the Chicago area. But the access to vital resources and programming for those living with autism and other behavioral disorders is what makes one member of the Hinsdale Auxiliary of the Infant Welfare Society Chicago continue to give back. Kimberly O'Gorman's autistic nephew thrives, with access to behavioral, occupational and speech therapy. His success...
For parents, it can be a nerve-racking time as children start to reach the age where they are old enough to learn about pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. The child needs not only to understand the ways in which these can occur, but also the importance of prevention. Navigating this topic with a child can be stressful, and many parents feel as though they are not well enough equipped to answer questions or discuss this subject; which, despite many efforts to...
If you're like most people who make a New Year's resolution, you want to eat healthier, lose weight or both. And if you're like most of us, your resolve has already begun to teeter. By Feb. 1, the majority of weight-related New Year's resolutions have been tragically cut down in their prime by unrealistic expectations, fad diets, the frustration of not seeing results and a host of other factors. Don't give up! Make 2020's resolution the one that sticks. It's easier than you mi...
My fourth-grader is studying the American Revolution. Which means our family is constantly being told or quizzed about the American Revolution. ("No, I don't know the date of the Boston Massacre. ... Yes, I'm sure that it was before 1776.") It has also caused me to reflect on how scary, courageous and amazing the founding of our country was. And, how puzzling and wonderful that the pursuit of happiness is one of the first rights granted to citizens of this new land. The pursui...
