At HHP Lift’s Liftworks social enterprise program, participants are taught how to manufacture home goods while also learning basic workplace skills. (Courtesy of HPP Lift)
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Research shows formerly incarcerated people who maintained employment for one year after release had only a 16% recidivism rate, compared to a 52% rate for those who did not stay employed.

Emergency responders aid in recovery efforts in Turkey. (CNN)

Aid organizations say the next few days are crucial when it comes to rescue operations. One local organization is leading its own emergency response team in Turkey. 

In this image provided by the Des Moines Public Schools, Will Keeps reads a Dr. Seuss story to students at Lovejoy Elementary School in Des Moines, Iowa, during their “VIPs Read to Students” event on March 2, 2020. (Kyle Knicley / Des Moines Public Schools via AP)

Will Keeps was a 15-year-old member of a Chicago gang when he witnessed rival members kill his friend. He escaped the streets and moved to Iowa to help other young people from troubled backgrounds.

(WTTW News)

The Chicago nonprofit already has locations in Pilsen and the West Loop. Open Books promotes literacy through programming and the sale of new and used donated books.

(WTTW News)

Advocacy groups around the city have banded together in an effort to shift that shame by trying to address the root causes of gender-based violence. The Survivor Power Institute, made up of 10 organization across Chicago, launched their pilot in November.

The Chicago Fair Trade pop-up holiday market runs through Dec. 24 at 1457 N. Halsted. (WTTW News)

Chicago Fair Trade Executive Director Katherine Bissell Cordova says you can knock a lot off your holiday shopping list in one stop at their shop.

A view of the Wintrust mural along the Kennedy Expressway at North Avenue. (WTTW News)

Arts Correspondent Angel Idowu shares exactly how Wintrust Bank partners with different organizations around the city to bring these creations to life. The billboard is one of the city’s biggest and most visible forms of public art.

(WTTW News)

Broader Urban Involvement and Leadership Development is close to completing a large community campus that will bring services and gathering spaces. 

(WTTW News)

Researchers say despite the pandemic and inflation concerns this year, people are still giving their money — but cautiously.

(Courtesy of Greater Chicago Food Depository)

For families already stretching to make ends meet, higher food prices means seeking help from local food pantries. Many Chicago-area pantries are reporting a significant increase in demand.

Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya are pictured at their Kenilworth home. (WTTW News)

Brian Wallach and his wife, Sandra Abrevaya, founded I AM ALS to find a cure for the disease and to advocate for those who have the progressive neurodegenerative disease. 

(WTTW News)

A list of resources for formally incarcarated people and the organizations working to support them. 

Yes Chef! Culinary Camp participants. (Credit: Eric Kleinberg)

The Yes Chef! Culinary Camp is a free community fostered by the Foundation for Culinary Arts for under-resourced Chicago Public Schools students from ages 13 to 18. After several weeklong summer programs, the organization decided to kick off a series of two-day virtual camps, beginning this fall.

(WTTW News)

The Community Collaboration Initiative brings together 22 Muslim American nonprofits, most located in the Chicago area, to help each organization reach its mission faster. 

(WTTW News)

Funding for the CityArts Program increased by 280% in 2022, climbing from $1.7 million in 2021 to $6.5 million, according to a news release. The awards follow the announcement that $26 million will be provided in new arts and culture investments as part of the city’s 2022 budget.

Hoops in the Hood gives Chicago young people a chance to play basketball and connect. (WTTW News)

Hoops in the Hood is taking over the streets of Chicago this summer by bringing kids and teens together to play basketball in their neighborhood backyards. Chicago Tonight’s Joanna Hernandez hears more about the mission behind the program and the leaders who are driven to make a change.