Aly Young holds one of the rocks she painted 0

Rock painting helps make personal connections

“I love painting rocks. It’s basically all I think about all day long. I’ve been doing it almost a year now. I’ve probably done a few hundred. “I started with small rocks, and now I’m doing projects on bigger rocks. I...

Members of the Peery family release Don Peery's ashes on a mountaintop 0

Family scatters dad’s ashes at the place he loved

“Dad was born and raised in Texas. After marrying our mother, who became pregnant with me, he got a job teaching high school science in Tula Rosa, New Mexico. It’s northwest of Cloudcroft (a village within Lincoln National Forest). They would...

Kathy Sickle with several family members at the park 0

Grandmother reflects on adoption, foster children

“When my oldest daughter was a teenager, she always thought she would adopt. Over the past three or four years their family has taken in about 12 foster kids. They adopted two little boys and will be adopting another little girl,...

Colored wristbands on your woman's arm 0

She supports others going through tough times

“I’ve gone through some stuff people shouldn’t have to go through. I was abused for six years by my uncle and my cousins. The hardest thing about it was that I didn’t understand why I was the one getting hurt. Like...

Skateboard shoes on young woman 0

From sexual abuse in childhood to helping others

“I’ve done a lot of volunteer work: homeless shelters, soup kitchens, all sorts of stuff. I worked with elderly people for a couple years. I’ve been involved with activities to assist kids. Just anything where I can help people. “One day,...

Hilda Mijangos smiles at park 0

Kindness of stranger helps save the day

“I had just turned 16 and was living in Puerto Rico when my sister sent for me. She needed my help to take care of her baby boy. “New York was such a big culture change for me. I was crying...