Connecting mothers, daughters and community By Elise Brassell; photos courtesy of National Charity League With a family calendar full of birthday parties, school events, holidays, graduations, practices and much more, it can be hard to find time to volunteer together. For mothers and their daughters in seventh to twelfth grade in Douglas County, knowing where…

Making a house home By Elise Brassell; photos courtesy of Home Builders Foundation When people have accidents, illness or other events happen in their lives that suddenly leave them physically disabled, it can make the everyday task of moving throughout the home difficult. Imagine trying to use your kitchen from a wheelchair, or come into…

Christmas for Kids event supports children in foster care By Elise Brassell; photo courtesy of James Dewhirst Photography Four years ago, friends Tom Vieregger and Kuntal Vora had an idea to create a charitable event that would help kids in foster care have a happier holiday season. The pair created Christmas for Kids benefiting Kids…

By Elise Brassell Each month, The Connection profiles a different nonprofit organization that is active in Douglas County through our Angels Among Us column. From caring for animals, to teaching kids leadership skills, to dressing in costume to help cheer up families struggling with illness, there are Angels Among Us who wake up every day…

On a mission Article and photo by Elise Brassell About one and one-quarter million Americans have type 1 diabetes (T1D), an auto-immune disease that strikes suddenly regardless of diet or lifestyle, can’t be prevented, and has no cure. T1D causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin – a hormone the body needs to get energy…

Bringing students of all abilities together By Elise Brassell; photos courtesy of Special Olympics There’s something special about the bond between sports teammates, forged by struggling together through wins and losses, teamwork often builds lifelong friendships. For many young athletes, learning to compete and have fun in sports begins with school sports teams, but people…