Bereaved mother endures tragic loss and strives to encourage others. Kelly DeLine, a 17-year employee of Shelter Insurance, talks about staying strong after a car accident took her son’s life in July of 2002 and how donating his organs helped soothe her grief. Age: 54. Years in Columbia: 13. Who or what has been your […]
Stop in for a fill or a Drunken Assault. My name is Aaron Banks; I’m the owner of CoMO Growlers and Pints, the first and only dedicated growler-filling station in Missouri. What does that mean? It means we’re the only place in Missouri where you can drink a pint or flight of beer from a
Winter offers stocked booths and empty aisles. We’re very fortunate to have three large and successful antique malls here in Mid-Missouri. They show a wide variety of merchandise and furnishings from the early 1800s all the way to the modern mid-century and late 20th century. And you can set aside the image of dusty, dirty,
Photo by Keith Borgmeyer Karen Stone, regional program director of The Caring People, is passionate about helping single moms. After teaching school for a number of years, Karen needed a career change and began life coaching. Besides teaching children, her other passion was helping women navigate through difficult times and live fulfilled lives. She worked
Rachel and Erik Kirchner’s five-year journey to start their family. When Erik and Rachel Kirchner thought about starting their family, they envisioned cuddling their sweet, chubby-cheeked babies and watching them grow up, seeing them experience everything for the first time. They thought their journey to parenthood would happen naturally, and they never put much thought
Gina Ridgeway Long leaves meth behind to be a mom. “It was like battery acid was eating my nasal cavity,” says Gina Ridgeway Long. “I was crying and screaming. Within 10 minutes, the burn was gone and that something that had been missing — I thought I had found it in drugs.” For Gina, that
Photo by Keith Borgmeyer Yoga instructor Sarah Sandkuhl makes Columbia a better place just by being herself. “Sarah just has this incredible energy. It can be hard to explain on paper,” says Barbie Banks, director of the Citizen Jane Film Festival, “but she exudes calm and light. And I really believe her positive energy is making her
How are you showing up? It’s the middle of winter. Now what? I’m in the minority that likes it getting dark by 5:00 p.m. There’s something so comforting in knowing I can’t go out and “do” something. Yet, for many of us, this time of year brings feelings of isolation, depression, loneliness, and boredom. We’ve
Verna Laboy lives out her love for the community. Photos by Keith Borgmeyer Community activist Verna Laboy shows up every day to contribute — to make Columbia a place for people to thrive, not just survive. Verna moved to town in the late 1980s to take a position with the Division of Family Services. She
How a house in Cedar Lake became home to three friends. Originally brought together by their daughter’s dance classes, Pam Massey, Dana Hofsess, and Grace Johnston-Elder sit together once again around the kitchen table at 4829 N. Cedar Lake Court. There’s a well-established comfort among these friends, who have known each other for more than
