Help Team Fox – Buy Beautiful Jewels

Help Team Fox – Buy Beautiful Jewelry At Eve Alfille This Saturday, Noon – 6 pm

 

Evanston, IL — Diamonds become a weapon against disease in the hands of Eve J. Alfillé of Eve J. Alfillé Gallery and Studio. The Evanston jewelry gallery is hosting a fundraiser to help support research into a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

Alfillé will blend the holiday spirit of helping others with the joy of giving beautifully, enduring Eve Alfillé treasures. Ten percent of the sales from the event will be donated to Team Fox, the grassroots fundraising arm of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, to help fund important research for the disease. Parkinson’s disease is estimated to affect more than five million people worldwide and has no known cure to date.

The pieces featured for the fundraiser focus particularly on diamonds, though there is no end to the variety in the types of jewelry. The event also features a raffle for jewelry from Eve Alfillé and an art glass piece designed by Diane Alfillé, providing the opportunity to take home a wonderful treasure for holiday gift-giving.

Make It Better Is Proud To Be The Media Sponsor Of This Event.

Women of Worth Contest: Please vote for Susan Garcia Trieschmann of Curt’s Café

“Don’t try so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out” – a sign displayed in Curt’s Café

Tevin, Cecilia Rothschild, Susan Garcia Trieschmann and Justin at Curt’s Café

Thankfully, Susan Garcia Trieschmann lives by the message on that motivational sign (and the many others on display), especially through the innovative nonprofit she founded, Curt’s Café (curtscafe.org).

Located on Central Street in Downtown Evanston, Curt’s Café is a restaurant that serves fresh pastries, sandwiches, and salads, but more importantly, Curt’s is making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth by providing support, training and positive mentors.

Her work with Curt’s Café has earned her a spot as a finalist in the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Contest (http://www.womenofworth.com/home/home.aspx). Trieschmann could win $25,000, but she needs our help. Support Susan and Curt’s by voting online every day until November 20th.

Vote for Susan here.

***And on November 19th cast additional votes by visiting L’Oréal Paris’ Facebook Page and “Liking” Susan’s post/photo. You can also retweet the tweet about Susan on L’Oréal Paris’ Twitter Page.

To learn more about Curt’s Café, watch this YouTube video from Sean Magner.

Thank you. And congratulations to Susan on such an outstanding achievement!

Who Makes Your Community Better?

Every town has them–people who put exceptional time and heart into making their community better. They are true local treasures.

One example is former Evanston Mayor Lorraine H. Morton. Another is Ellen Stirling in Lake Forest.

Make It Better wants to feature a few others in our August “Best Of” issue. Could you please recommend one to me?

Farmers Markets Opening This Weekend

Hip Hoorah! Farmers Market season has arrived. Two of the best in the area open this weekend — Evanston’s on Saturday and the Chicago Botanic Garden’s on Sunday.

Shop for your produce at these and the other good farmer’s markets opening soon in the northern suburbs (see link below) and you support family-owned farms with your purchases of fresh, local, organic and great tasting fruits, vegetables and more.

Complete listings here.

Kids in Strong Families Thrive, Families Well-Connected to their Communities Stay Strong

Jordan Friedman knows about strong families and good communities. He is the Executive Director of the Family Network of Highland Park, which is part of the Family Focus network. Learn more in the video above.

Back in the day – soon after we moved to the North Shore – I took our two young sons to Family Focus on Green Bay Road in Evanston. We met Sheila Nielsen and her two daughters, who were exactly the same age as my sons. That connection was like a giant hug! And their friendship continues to strengthen us to this day.

Thank you Family Focus.

One Fun Step For League Members = One Giant Leap For Needy New Mothers

The largest new member class in the history of the Junior League of North Shore Evanston (JLNSE) is about to provide a giant leap forward in life for 15 needy new mothers struggling with difficult issues like domestic abuse or depression.

This JLNSE group worked, played and fund-raised for the last six months to create the “Baby Steps” Luncheon being held for the 4th consecutive year at North Shore University Health System’s Evanston Hospital.

The new mothers will receive new nursery and layette items, including the paintings made at one of the fundraisers, and advice from North Shore University Health System’s experts at the Luncheon.

Learn more here.

The diverse and fun-loving JLNSE new member group, holding murals that will hang in the “Baby Steps” nurseries. They group painted them as one of their fundraising events.

Social Capers to Nurture Children

Image credit: IWSE, http://www.iwse.org/

Image credit: IWSE, http://www.iwse.org/

For 100 years the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston has helped children and families thrive – insuring a good early education start for kids and better family support for their development at home.

Learn more here: http://www.iwse.org

A quick & easy way for you to help is to purchase one of their day planners, “Social Capers,” which is a 75 year old tradition:
http://www.iwse.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2012_Social_Capers_Order_Form.pdf.
It’s also a fun & easy way to keep track of your schedule – particularly if you’ve grown tired of google calendars and other online strategies. Sometimes, hard copy with engaging tidbits of information each week just feels better.

http://www.iwse.org/

Marian Tompson & La Leche League Prove Margaret Meade’s Point

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed that’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Meade.

Evanston’s Marian Tompson, a shy mother of 7 who never expected to become an international hero to the likes of Princess Grace of Monaco and mothers across Africa, and six others founded the La Leche League, llli.org, to help educate the medical profession and mothers around the world of the benefits of breastfeeding. Now its the norm. It never occured to me not to nurse my 6 kids.