By Staff
One Edwardsburg resident and former business leader is devoting his time to offering hope to children of this nation.
Michael Vogel is the chairman of the 125-year-old national children's charity, KidsPeace, after previously serving on its board.
Vogel is executive vice president of ACCO North America, and the former president of Day-Timers. He and his wife Gail have two children and two grandchildren of their own, but this organization reaches out to all children.
One of the nation's oldest charities, the organization was formed back in 1882, during a smallpox epidemic.
Through the years, the crisis children face in this country has changed and grown, adding conditions like depression and childhood obesity.
Schools are faced with dealing with bullying, terrorism, violence and school shootings. Often they are also called upon to help children who are experiencing family problems, from divorce or parental abuse. In many cases, grandparents are now raising children, in a world quite different from the one they were accustomed to.
By the 1900s, KidsPeace was offering medical treatment, foster care help, hospitals, clinics and therapeutic recreation facilities to help children everyday.
KidsPeace continues to offer preventive materials, healthy parenting advice and other helpful tools to parents, teachers and children, at 66 centers nationwide.
Dr. Lee Salk led the effort as KidsPeace's first National Director of Prevention Services. Dr. Jonas Salk, his brother, helped carry out his work as Honorary National Director of the Lee Salk Center at KidsPeace, the organization's research and development arm.
The Website www.KidsPeace.org offers advice on many topics and also tips for keeping our children safe and healthy. KidsPeace looks at 125 years