My Corner Of The Universe

The City of God is a 90 minute documentary by filmmaker Nate Sheppard. It explores the story of a Haitian community and their unusual approach to poverty alleviation. It focuses on Lemuel Ministries and its founder Manis Dilus as they seek to develop their community with dignity.

https://www.haitidocumentary.com

Tyler shares his passion for plant based diet, personal training, and how he turned this into a business.

https://www.leanonmeislamujeres.com

At the Homes for Children, we provide hope and healing to troubled youth who are at-risk, abused, neglected so they can become independent, productive adults. We play a significant role in helping children heal while helping them reach their full potential.

https://www.thehomesforchildren.org

I've written a children's book called "I've Got Spots!" It's about vitiligo, a condition that causes a person's skin to lose its pigment, which I have. My first "spots" didn't develop until I was in my late 20's, and it has since spread pretty rapidly across the rest of my body. I’ll be honest, when the first signs of vitiligo showed on my skin, I freaked out. I had no idea what was happening to me, and I felt completely out of control. I would look in the mirror and not recognize the face looking back at me, and everything I read online only frightened me more. Despite having no known causes and not being a life-threatening condition, I kept seeing it referred to as an autoimmune disease, and nearly every article I read was followed by ads on how to "fix" it or cover it up. I also read that the most common side effects of vitiligo are depression and loss of self-esteem, which I have experienced along my own journey with my spots, and so it occurred to me that maybe what people with vitiligo need isn't just medicine or makeup, maybe we need something that celebrates the uniqueness of our condition in a world obsessed with cosmetic perfection, maybe we need something that makes us feel proud of our bodies and feel included, instead of maybe feeling so alone. I was inspired to make it a children's book because kids have been more interested in what's happening with my spots than anyone, and because the psychological impact of the condition lands hardest on those who get it young. Hopefully, sharing my story will empower anyone who has vitiligo, inform anyone who doesn't, and help everyone feel a little more comfortable in their own skin. After all, we all have something that makes us unique. We all have our own “spots” and it’s time to embrace them. I'm very excited to be working with a local Chicago artist, Jennifer Ferguson, to bring "I've Got Spots" to life through her illustrations. Jennifer has already created the initial sketches and artwork for the book, and final edits are being made to the manuscript. The money we raise here will be used for the design, printing, and production costs of self-publishing a limited release of "I've Got Spots" with the hopes of eventually finding a publisher to take over future distribution! Thank you so much for your support! I've Got Spots Website https://www.ivegotspots.com