In November, 1995 I wrote in my journal, "Every person has a story to tell." The phrase had been floating around in my mind with no apparent direction. What was I to do with it? We were battling a potentially life-threatening condition for my daughter, who began having severe seizures one month after her second birthday. Each night was an adventure in endurance. He seizures occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. most of the time. I slept very little and we fought fear, fatigue and the unknown for almost seven years. She had originally been given 2-5 years to live. I was looking for a way to turn this challenge into a positive and then I read a book that gave me the direction I was looking for.

Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen was not just a collection of short stories, but a quilt in written form. One that took the cold out of a winter night. One that was woven together in a fashion that described the essence of our beings. It was the one that eventually brought back the phrase from the popular bumper sticker, "Think Globally. Act Locally." The idea of a local version of Chicken Soup for the Soul came into being when I discussed this with my good friend, Dr. Stephen Spyrison. I met with Mark Victor Hansen and he gave me some ideas, but noted that Chicken Soup for the Soul was trademarked and we would have to choose another title. After surveying friends, acquaintances, and others, the name, For the Love of Community was chosen.

We solicited stories from many different resources in Northwest Illinois and gathered more than 125. The best of those stories were then edited and are contained within the pages of this book. The stories may be local, but they have universal appeal, as they are written from the hearts of those who so graciously contributed. All of the profits from the sales of this book have gone to charity, more than $10,000 and counting. I hope that you enjoy reading the book as much as we enjoyed putting it together!