Tag: friendship

Awe of Nature

Written by Robert Karchnyak on July 25, 2025.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend actress Lili Taylor’s book launch at the Discovery Center in Philadelphia’s Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. There, she shared with the audience what brought her to the wonderful world of birds. On a break from acting, she sought the quiet of the Hudson Valley, where she owned a home and noticed bird songs. She found herself drawn into “a parallel universe,” one that was “full of life and the will to survive” (Turning to Birds, p. 5,...

The Impact of Inclusion

Written by Sage Brown on May 8, 2025.

My son attended his first Mummers event in October of 2023. At the time, we went just because of his general interest in the mummers. Uptown String Band was having their annual ParklandFest, so we thought it was a perfect time for him to listen to their music live. While at the event, he enjoyed listening to their music—this was big for my son because previously he had no interest in music, and loud noises bothered him as a young child. After this event, my son started watching a YouTuber...

Go Out and Touch Some Grass!

Written by Robert Karchnyak on October 25, 2024.

On Saturday, September 28th, we gathered in the parking lot of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. Many residents of Philly and its surrounding suburbs consider it a treasured sanctuary. A chance for an urban dweller to, “go out and touch some grass.” There has been a fair amount of research that shows a correlation between time spent in nature and an overall reduction of stress. Birding happens to be the perfect activity to put that correlation to the test. It grants you the opportunity to...

Bringing Awareness – Recovery Through Friendship

Written by Olga Antonyuk, Compeer Director on September 30, 2022.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month and National Recovery Month. Voice and Vision, Inc. attended four events during September to share resources and stories of recovery. Our ongoing work through programs like Compeer and CompeerCORPS and our Help and Hope Guide focuses on spreading awareness about mental health, substance use, and suicide with the hope people will get help and support when needed. Suicide is highly linked to mental health diagnoses such as anxiety,...

Friendships – Celebrate Each Other!

Written by Olga Antonyuk on February 18, 2022.

International Friendship month is February 2022. What would we be without our friends? Britannica.com defines friendship as a state of enduring affection, esteem, intimacy, and trust between two people. People who are friends talk to each other and spend time together. They trust one another, celebrate important things, and are supportive during troubling times. Friendships are good for our health. They can prevent isolation and loneliness and provide a chance to offer needed...

Never Underestimate the Power of Friendship – Carol and Mary

Written by Olga Antonyuk on May 29, 2020.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and every year the main goal is to fight stigma, provide support, and advocate for support of people with mental health challenges and their families. A brief history about Mental Health Awareness Month. It has been observed in May in the US since 1949. The main purpose has always been to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses. Raising awareness nationally will help reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness today. ...

The “Choose to be Happy” List

Written by Kathryn Lerro on August 3, 2018.

Sometimes life takes you where you don’t want to go. Life brought me to Philadelphia—a place I never wanted to live again. I spent a few years here as a young adult, but never felt very happy here. I started college here, but lost my way and dropped out. I remembered this as a place where I worked dreary jobs, had a hard time making friends, and felt as though everyone around me was moving forward while I wasn’t. I guess you could say Philly made me feel like a failure. So why would I want to...

People Before Politics

Written by Kathryn Lerro on June 22, 2018.

I was reading the nicest book. It was written by a mother who is raising a young son with autism. As you might imagine, her life is challenging—but it is also joyful. And the insights she is gaining by looking at the world through her son’s eyes are enlightening and really beautiful. I found myself liking this lady. I was learning from her, from the experiences she’s having—experiences I will never have. I was underlining statements I thought I might like to quote in my own writing. I was...

The Power of a Peer: How a Friendship is Changing the Way I See Myself

Written by Kathryn Lerro on April 22, 2016.

When my daughters were growing up, our family watched a lot of Disney movies. (And I do mean a LOT of Disney movies!) I’ve missed most of the newer ones in these years between children and grandchildren, but I was channel surfing one day when I happened upon Enchanted. It was just starting and it drew me in, so I kept watching. Like many Disney movies, this one includes a prince in its cast of characters. Although this prince is handsome and sings like an angel, he bumbles a bit and is not...

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