By Staff
One Edwardsburg resident and former business leader is devoting his time to offering hope to children of this nation.
Michael Vogel is 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 founded during a smallpox epidemic in 1882.
Through the years, the crises children in this country face have changed and grown, adding conditions such as 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 to parental abuse.
In many cases, grandparents are now raising children, in a world quite different from the one to which they were accustomed.
By the 1900s, KidsPeace was offering medical treatment, foster care help, hospitals, clinics and therapeutic recreation facilities to help children.
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.
A Web site, www.KidsPeace.org, offers advice on many topics and also tips for keeping our children safe and healthy.