Working with the community... for a healthier community.

Do I Have to Use Those Drops?

By Sandy Beal, CST Technology continues to improve the way cataract surgery is done, including techniques available right here in Central Illinois. First, what is a cataract? A cataract is when the natural lens in your eye becomes hazy and cloudy, making it difficult to see clearly. Common symptoms of cataracts include blurred or double […]

A Brief History of the Stuff-A-Bus Food Drive

Submitted by CityLink For the past 31 years, CityLink has hosted the Stuff-A-Bus food drive to help eliminate hunger in Peoria. With a long partnership with Kroger to collect enough food to stuff a classic CityLink bus, the donations collected during the annual food drive benefit the food pantry at the Peoria Friendship House of […]

Understanding Hospice Care

Submitted by Richard R. Roller of Pearson Bollman Law Hospice care can be very difficult for families to come to terms with, but can be a beneficial care option for the terminally ill. The purpose of hospice care is to provide comfort and quality of life for a terminally ill person. Hospice care can allow […]

Plant-Based Essential Oils Boost the Mind, Body, and Spirit During the Holidays

By Melinda Myers Ease into the hectic holiday season with the help of aromatherapy. The fragrances of plant-derived essential oils have long been used to improve the health of our minds, bodies, and spirits. Boost your energy and increase your focus as you work to balance working, family, and holiday fun. Peppermint has long been […]

7 Ways to Help Hurricane Victims

Natural disasters come in multiple forms and can quickly devastate many lives in a matter of moments. While they all can cause nightmares for those affected, few are as powerful and destructive as hurricanes. That’s why, when hurricanes make landfall and wreak havoc, help is immediately needed and accepted by the people and communities impacted […]

Ideas for Eating Healthy This Holiday Season

By Benjamin Goodin Most of us use the holiday season as an excuse to cheat on our normal diets a bit, or for many of us, a lot. You probably grew up with at least one baker in the family who took it upon his or herself to provide the entire holiday season’s worth of […]

The Caregiver Paradox: Are You Stuck?

Submitted by Home Helpers When I was 17 years old, the matriarch of my family, my grandmother, suffered her fifth stroke. Afterward, her mind was still sharp, but, physically, she was never the same. She needed care 24 hours a day. In the summers and on holidays, we would drive to Kentucky from our home […]

Make Thanksgiving Enjoyable for Everyone

Submitted by Karen McCoy, Marketing Consultant — Ridgecrest Village With Thanksgiving around the corner, I began to think about how I could make this an enjoyable Thanksgiving for everyone, young and not as young. It’s a time when we all gather together for a meal to give thanks and to celebrate family. There can be […]

Fall Is in the Air! My Favorite Family Recipes

Written by Marcie Droll-Durian After much rain and more cloudy days than I can count, the one thing that puts me in the mood for the change of the season (and helps me think of brighter days) is the family time that fall brings, such as Halloween and Thanksgiving!  Growing up in a family that […]