WDIO Creating Change | www.WDIO.com

The Northland is a beautiful place to call home, but just like any community, we have our share of problems. Who do you see as the face of Homelessness in our community? Of Mental Health, Poverty, or Hunger? It may not be who you think.

At WDIO, With You For Life means celebrating the good times and helping with the serious issues. We are partnering with local organizations to tackle these issues head-on, to improve and coordinate our community response.

We can accomplish great things when we come together as a community. Be part of the solution to create change.

CHUM

CHUM is Duluth's primary safety-net organization where people who are homeless or who have very low incomes can come for assistance and a welcoming, safe community. It was founded in 1973 when 10 churches from Duluth's Central Hillside came together to meet the needs of the neighborhood. CHUM offers emergency food, shelter, advocacy, support, and outreach throughout Duluth.

Community Action Duluth

Community Action Duluth (CAD) is a nonprofit organization taking action to fight poverty through economic and asset-building programs, education, advocacy, anti-racism work, community engagement, and public policy advocacy. Their mission is to empower and engage our community to eliminate poverty and create prosperity and equity in the lives of the people we serve.

Life House

Life House provides for the needs of young people who have been left to fend for themselves on the streets. Life House provides a place of acceptance, safety, and belonging where youth can reclaim a positive, healthy and hopeful future.

Second Harvest Food Bank

Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank is a charitable non-profit and is the largest hunger-relief organization in the Northland. Each year we rescue and distribute over 6.1 million pounds of nutritious food, enough food for 4.9 million meals, to approximately 44,000 people in need. We are committed to providing nutritious food to our Northland neighbors in need, supporting their healthy lives and our healthy communities.

Creating Change Stories

Northland's Largest Baby Shower Helping Struggling Families

Life 97.3 radio station and St. Luke’s are giving back to families in need across the Twin Ports with the Northland’s Largest Baby Shower effort. Diapers, baby wipes, baby clothing can be dropped off at a number of locations throughout the month.

Career pathways programs are helping people in Duluth find new careers.

Career Pathways Programs Help People Learn New Skills

The career pathways training programs in Duluth are helping people identify new careers they can start. There's a new CNA class starting in February, and the city is recruiting students.

Tiara Franklin, 29, has been able to overcome financial hardships with help and support from Community Action Duluth.

Single Mom Overcomes Financial Hardships with Community Action Duluth

Some families live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get themselves in a better place financially. Community Action Duluth has been helping people for years with that by offering valuable resources and tools to get them there.

CHUM Food Shelf Seeking Volunteer Drivers

CHUM is looking for drivers to help bring in the food from around the Twin Ports that they stock their food shelf with. Opportunities include weekly or monthly pick-ups, with some flexibility.

CHUM is seeking volunteer drivers to pick up food donations for their food shelf.

New Warming Center Will Open Thursday Night

As temps plummet again this week, CHUM is happy to announce they have a new warming center. The Lincoln Park Warming Center will be open on Thursday night.

The new Lincoln Park Warming Center will be open Thursday night.

Warming Centers Staying Busy with Dangerous Frigid Temps

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, there were 75 cold related deaths last winter. Warming centers in the Twin Ports like the Ruth House in Superior are making a difference to those in need of shelter.

Warming centers in the Twin Ports like the Ruth House in Superior are making a difference to those in dire need of shelter.

Duluth High Schools Supporting Students with New Mental Health Program

Duluth high schools are focusing on addressing mental health with a new program called Sources of Strength. It creates a positive environment for students to support one another.

Duluth Rotary Club Makes Harvest Feast for Life House Youth

One of Duluth's Rotary Clubs prepared a Harvest Feast for the youth at Life House Tuesday afternoon. Many of the kids and teens won't have a traditional Thanksgiving meal this week.

Rotary Club members served the food at Life House's Harvest Feast.

5 Years Later: CHUM Reports Success of Steve O'Neil Apartments

The Steve O'Neil Apartments were built on a mission to break the cycle of family homelessness. As they approach the 5th anniversary of operation, CHUM delivered a report with the stories and numbers to support their claim to success.

As the Steve O'Neil Apartments approach their 5th anniversary, CHUM delivered a report with stories and numbers to support their claim to success.

Local Homeless Shelters Working to Offer More Warming Center Options

CHUM and Ruth House are working on offering more warming center options to the homeless in our community. As a result, CHUM's drop in center will be operating 24/7 moving forward. Ruth House needs volunteers to help operate a warming center they want to open in Duluth's Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Second Harvest Working to Improve Food Access in Cloquet

Second Harvest is going to be conducting a survey to hear from those in Cloquet experiencing hunger about what they want to see done about it.

The Damiano Center Prepares for Winter & Holidays

It takes a team of volunteers to feed a village. As the air grows cold and the holidays grow close, the largest on-site meal provider in Northeastern Minnesota is preparing.

Northland Native's Youtube Channel Brings Hope to Thousands with OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can be crippling. Duluth native, Michael Mirtica shared his story of overcoming OCD on Youtube. Since then, his channel, 'Mirtica Mindfulness' has gone viral—helping thousands of people worldwide.

One of many videos Michael Mirtica has created on OCD to share his story and help those who struggle.

Boys & Girls Clubs Receive $25,000 Donation to Address Mental Health

Rotary Club 25 of Duluth and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland are partnering to combat mental health issues among Northland youth. On Wednesday, the Rotary Club 25 of Duluth donated $25,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland to help fund the organization's new mental health access program.

On Wednesday, the Rotary Club 25 of Duluth donated $25,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland to help fund the organization's new mental health access program.

Socks Help Homeless Youth

Together, Hippy Feet and Frost River have provided homeless youth a positive way to make money through the packaging of their custom socks.

Adopting a pop-up employment process, Hippy Feet and Frost River met at Life House where they provided homeless youth the means and supplies to package their custom socks.

BackPack Program Increased in Second Harvest Pilot Project

Kids in the Cloquet School District will see an increase in their food supply, thanks to a pilot plan for the Second Harvest BackPack Program.

Second Harvest, along with Project Joy, are doubling their food supply to kids in the Cloquet School District.

Senator Baldwin Pushing for 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin is pushing for a three-digit code to help people experiencing a crisis. The FCC has found that 988 could be more effective to get people the help they need, when they are contemplating suicide.

Senator Tammy Baldwin is pushing for a three-digit code to help those in a mental health crisis.

Chum Hosts Benefit Dinner for Street Outreach Program

For nearly 5 decades now—“Chum,” a local organization—has made it their mission to be there for people who are in need of the basic things in life like food and shelter. On Thursday, the organization hosted a “Making Connections” dinner to raise money for their Street Outreach Program, specifically.

On any given night, there are 150-200 homeless individuals in Duluth and Chum hopes to reach as many as they can. At their