The Good

From puppies to produce to preschoolers, Junior Service League of Shawnee doesn't play favorites when it comes to giving back. The Shawnee-based group recently hand delivered more than $10,000 in community grants to nonprofits across Pottawatomie County, spreading support across a wide range of causes. What makes the grants especially notable is where the money comes from. If you bought a ticket to Ragin' Beach Bash or played a round at Mahjong at the Museum, you helped write

Her nameplate reads Ms. Honsinger, but at Tecumseh High School, students often call her "Honny." A simple, sweet testament to how much trust she's built with the students she serves. Britney Honsinger, the 9th and 10th grade counselor at Tecumseh High School, has been nominated for LifeChanger of the Year, a national award recognizing educators making a lasting difference in their schools and communities. The nomination came from Tecumseh High School principal Jaime Griggs, w

Behind the scenes in Shawnee, one organization has been quietly making sure the county's youngest residents have what they need. Lately, that's meant a whole lot of car seats. Legacy Parenting Center has continued strengthening community partnerships through its Family Resource Center work, stepping in wherever a gap shows up. Recently, that meant two separate requests landing in the same week. Uplift Mentoring needed car seats to safely transport kids in its after school pro

Not every act of mentorship needs a title or a program behind it. Sometimes it just needs someone willing to show up. Emma Eslinger, a junior at McLoud High School, recently took young Maudie out for ice cream after Maudie had a long, hard weekend. There was no occasion behind it, no fanfare. Just a McLoud teenager noticing a kid could use a lift, and choosing to give her one. For Maudie's mom, the gesture meant far more than a sweet treat. Emma has become a real mentor in he