Making a Difference

Every Other Month
  • Alissa Zhu, Derived from: Don J Schulte/Flickr

Supported by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Making a Difference is a long-running series that draws upon the personal stories and voices of Ozarks residents to highlight key issues impacting our community. 

Past seasons have included stories on poverty relief, public education, mental illness and other topics important to our community.  For the 2019-2020 season, we bring you conversations about collaboration -- in local philanthropy, in city planning, in early childhood education and more. 

You can browse our Making a Difference archives below or at the CFO website.

True Philanthropy Is Building Abundance, And If We All Work Together, The Pie Gets Bigger

By • Nov 20, 2019
Comunity Foundation Of The Ozarks

Last month in Springfield, representatives of philanthropic, charitable, technological and governmental groups from around the country and here at home, gathered to share stories and ideas of how collaborative philanthropy has and can, transform communities.

“I would say collaboration means, bringing people together to achieve forward thinking, common good, and measureable outcomes,” says Jenna Manders, from The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque.

Three Springfield Leaders, Past and Present, Have a Conversation on Collaboration

By • Oct 9, 2019
Comunity Foundation Of The Ozarks

Since the first Community Focus Report For Springfield/Greene County in 2004 and every edition since, Blue Ribbons have been awarded to the community for Continued Collaboration, and on this edition of KSMU’s Making a Difference, two former city officials and the head of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, share  memories and insights of Springfield Missouri as a collaborative community. 

Carolyn Crawford Balances Life With Bipolar Disorder

By • Aug 8, 2019

“If people have seen the movie Thelma and Louise, and at the end of the movie, they drive their car right off the cliff.  That’s what it’s like for me at times”, says Carolyn Crawford.  “When I know I’m going into a manic state, I have to stop and say ‘Wait a Minute’, and pull back from the cliff.  That’s how it affects me.  But I really didn’t know what it was”, Crawford said.   

Radio Host Gets Direct About Depression

By • Jun 13, 2019
Liz Delany/KGBX

“I hear the comments,” said KGBX Morning Host Liz Delany. “You know, 'She’s a little crazy.  Oop, don’t make her mad, she’s on medication.' Or, 'Sometimes she’s a little imbalanced, she might be having one of those days.'   I guess if I was a 'normal' person, if you will, I might say something like that,” Delany said.  

Traumatic Brain Injury: The Signature Wound Of Iraq And Afghanistan

By • Apr 4, 2019
Exceptional Warriors

“PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury, that’s basically the wound of Iraq and Afghanistan.  The signature wound, if you will, is the TBI," said Anthony Norris, a graduate of Nixa High School.

On this edition of "Let’s Talk About It! Normalizing Mental Health Conversations," from the ongoing KSMU series Making a Difference, we hear about the mental health journey Norris finds himself on.

In 2006 during his senior year at Drury University, Norris chose to delay graduation and pharmacy school, to join the U.S. Army. 

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