Making A Difference

A suburban teacher is making a difference through music, earning national recognition. Elizabeth Bennett discusses being named a finalist for a Grammy Award.

Many individuals have had a difficult time dealing with the isolation that comes with the COVID-19 pandemic, and for one recovery coach looking to help those dealing with addiction, painting has proven to be a great way to deal with those difficulties. NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter has the story.

On Tuesday afternoons, long lines fill up the sidewalk outside of the community center for the Gage Park Latinx Council. Hundreds stand in line to get a free box of food. The Gage Park Latinx Council began distributing the free food boxes in March, just as the coronavirus pandemic began to strike hard in this primarily Hispanic neighborhood. “Gage Park…

The CEO of Special Olympics Illinois speaks to NBC 5 on this year’s virtual black tie event and its impact on the organization.

A suburban college is hosting a gallery honoring legendary artist Frida Kahlo, and NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter has all the details.

A South Florida mother is cheering on a FedEx delivery driver who cleaned and sanitized a delivery box to help protect her immunocompromised daughter against the novel coronavirus.

Just like everyone else, Matthew Sharp is under the coronavirus quarantine. Last week his wife asked him to do a Facebook Live concert to help celebrate her birthday. NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter has the details.

NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter sits down with curator of Legacy Awards Gala Keeana Barber to talk about the upcoming event slated to take place on Feb. 29.

Mentoring helped an area woman turn her life around, and now she’s looking to pay it forward. NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter has her story.

The North Lawndale Employment Network is celebrating its 20th anniversary with its annual Sweet Beginnings Tea, its marquee fundraiser of the year. NBC 5’s Alex Maragos has more details on today’s “Making a Difference.”

NBC 5’s Alex Maragos speaks with President of Special Olympics Chicago Matt O’Shea and athlete plunger Kidd Carrig about what the annual Polar Plunge entails and the details on this years’ event.

NBC 5’s Alex Maragos sits down with After School Matters Senior Program Coordinator Tony Diaz to talk about an organization that provides out-of-school opportunities for teens during the summer and after-school hours in hopes of exploring and developing talents, while also gaining critical skills for work, college and beyond.

Notable chefs from around the city are offering dishes to put on the menu at Chicago Public Schools as part of a new initiative called the “Chicago Chef Council.” The monthly event kicked off Tuesday at an elementary school. NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter has the story.

Asian American Coalition of Chicago President Rajinder Singh Mago sits down with NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter to talk about the annual, upcoming celebration on Feb. 8 in the Hyatt Regency at O’Hare Airport.

After his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer, Wes Selby found a creative way to help make a change. The west suburban 12-year-old used his design skills to create a pair of sneakers with the goal of raising money to find a cure for pancreatic cancer. The design, which features a red, white and blue design and a subtle nod to…

When 12-year-old Wes Selby learned last year that his grandmother had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he decided to use his passion for design to help make a difference. He and his mother Kiersten Selby tell Zoraida Sambolin about the project. You can find more information on the shoes here and details on his streetwear line here.

Interacting with police can be scary for children, and now some Indiana police officers are carrying “Smile Bags” to help with that process thanks to an innovative 11-year-old. NBC 5’s Regina Waldroup has more.

Aspire is an organization that works to make individuals with disabilities feel included in the community. NBC 5’s Alex Maragos sits down with the organization’s director of marketing and partnerships, Maggie Hassler to talk about the upcoming night gala set to take place on Feb. 8.

NBC 5’s LeeAnn Trotter speaks with Susette Crenshaw, the head of training at the Community Builders Program, about engaging with those residents that may have some barriers to employment and underrepresented communities in Illinois.