Good News Sunday: Wheaton woman's nonprofit helps discarded items find a useful future

This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published recently by the Daily Herald:

For Kay McKeen, finding new homes for used items isn't just diverting waste from landfills, it's a rescue mission.

Her environmental education nonprofit in Addison is called SCARCE, which stands for School & Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education. There, things many people would toss in the garbage without a second thought are given another chance at a useful future.

Plastic bread tabs are sent to Indianapolis to be melted down and remade into hangers. Pill bottles go to an emergency relief organization near Cincinnati. Plastic bags go to the local Jewel-Osco for recycling.

SCARCE works with around 300 organizations each year, the locations ranging from her hometown of Wheaton to across the globe. Boxes are labeled with bright yellow signs declaring their destinations: DuPage County Jail, Lions Club, Lurie Children's Hospital, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Ukraine.

For McKeen, who has been building connections with these organizations since SCARCE took off in 1990, everything from broken crayons to mesh plastic grocery bags has value. You just have to know who needs what - and that's just what McKeen is best at.

"One of her gifts is instead of seeing the problem, she sees the solution," McKeen's daughter Bev Jaszczurowski said.

For the full story, click here.

World War II vet headed to Belgium, Netherlands for 'living history' event

A planned breakfast with the U.S. ambassador to Belgium and multiple ceremonies, honors and events with local VIPs are on the itinerary for a centenarian and his family from Mundelein.

Over the next two weeks, Frank Fabianski, a 101-year-old Army veteran, will be revisiting areas in Belgium and the Netherlands he last saw nearly 80 years ago under quite different circumstances during World War II.

He will be participating in Operation Pheasant, a "living history" event organized by the 2nd Armored in Europe. The group provides commemorative events following the routes of U.S. World War II divisions.

Until recently, Fabianski didn't know the opportunity to return existed, or to what extent his 104th Infantry "Timberwolf" Division was revered. He didn't hesitate.

"I'm excited about it," he said. "It will be a good thing for me and the people who want me there."

For the full story, click here.

South Elgin breast cancer survivor has Bears VIP experience

Advocate Health Care and the Chicago Bears teamed up to give a special breast cancer survivor a day she would never forget.

Nicole Ferguson, a 43-year-old survivor from South Elgin, spent a Friday afternoon at Halas Hall, the Bears' training facility, with her family.

The group enjoyed lunch in the practice viewing suite as they watched the team prepare for its upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings. After practice, she and her family proceeded down to the field where offensive lineman Teven Jenkins presented Nicole with his No. 76 practice jersey, which this week featured a pink Advocate Health Care patch in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This month always holds a special place in Teven's heart after he lost his mother to breast cancer when he was just 6 years old.

"We had the most amazing time," Ferguson said. "Advocate and the Bears went above and beyond to celebrate my survivorship. To meet the players and celebrate with the team was such a memorable experience."

For the full story, click here.

• Good News Sunday will run each weekend. Please visit dailyherald.com/newsletters to sign up for our Good News Sunday newsletter.