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Voice Up®

Featured Stories

Three stories shaping Voice Up right now — a city finally seen, a fellowship born from service, and an 86th birthday that carries a legacy forward.

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Donate First — Food & Relief

Food, medication, and basic needs are at risk. The story page opens with direct donation links to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana and The Salvation Army — give before you read.

Miles Lewis (from left), Allison Looney and Isaac Mootye deal with the aftermath of the Aug. 11 storms once power is mostly restored in Gary, Indiana.

Miles Lewis (from left), Allison Looney and Isaac Mootye deal with the aftermath of the Aug. 11 storms once power is mostly restored in Gary, Indiana. Pat Nabong / Sun-Times

▶️ Featured · Democracy Now! · Aug 31Latest

"Left Behind and Overlooked"

Indiana Energy Company Left Majority-Black Gary Powerless for Weeks. Mayor Eddie Melton says Gary was omitted from NIPSCO's early restoration schedule. Indiana officials estimate up to $5 billion in damage. FEMA arrived August 31.

📰 GARY, INDIANA · RECOVERY UNDERWAY
RESTORED

The Lights Are Back On in Gary. The Story Is Not Over.

On August 25, after fifteen days in the dark, power was restored to Gary. The storm hit August 11 — more than 375,000 customers lost power, including over 33,000 in Gary alone.

99% Restored

NIPSCO · Power back on Aug 25, 2026

How the tragedy unfolded

Aug 11 · Day 1Storm hits. 375,000 lose power — 33,000+ in Gary.
Days 2–8A week in the dark. Almost no national media.
Aug 19 · Day 9The story finally breaks through — locally.
Aug 24 · Day 14Mayor Melton: "12 days without power is unacceptable."
Aug 25 · Day 15NIPSCO restores 99%. PBS covers nationally.
Aug 31 · Day 21Democracy Now! broadcasts nationally. FEMA arrives.

The real question: Why did it take so long?

Why did it take so long for a city of 67,000 people to be seen? Voice Up is not leaving Gary. We will keep telling this story — and stories like it in every town that gets overlooked.

Apostle Ernestine Williams Day Proclamation — Nashville, TN
🏛️ NEW FELLOWSHIP · INSPIRED BY A NASHVILLE PROCLAMATION

Service, Leadership & Community Legacy Fellowship

Honoring a Full and Active Life of Service that Continues to Uplift Our Community

Inspired by the Apostle Ernestine Williams Day Proclamation · Nashville, TN

A new Voice Up fellowship that takes the civic principles recognized in a Nashville proclamation — service, leadership, compassion, perseverance, wisdom, and purpose beyond the walls — and asks a new generation: "What would it look like to build your own life around service to others?"

Open to students from virtually any academic discipline. Not limited to religion, ministry, or any particular profession. Paid special projects, academic credit, or a combined experience.

ServiceLeadershipCompassionPerseverance
Charlie Douglass (left), Art Fuller (center), and Aunt Liz (right) — Fuller Road, Montgomery, Alabama, July 2022

Left to right: Uncle Charlie Douglass, Art Fuller, and Aunt Liz — Fuller Road, Montgomery, Alabama, July 2022.

🎂 FULLER ROAD LEGACY · UNCLE CHARLIE'S 86TH BIRTHDAY

Charlie Douglass at 86

A Life of Resilience, Education, Service, Movement, and Purpose

Born August 31, 1940 · Hayneville, Alabama (Lowndes County) · Still going to the gym at 86

On his 86th birthday, Uncle Charlie's first plan was to go to the gym. That answer says everything about a man who walked miles to a segregated school, kept going when that school burned, served four years in Germany, taught electronics for decades, and became a living archive of family history. At 86, he is still moving.

There is a scientific reason to pay attention too: Lowndes County life expectancy was 65.8 years in 2021, and a 2026 study of 488,000+ people found that greater purpose is linked to roughly 30% lower risk of earlier mortality. Charlie makes that science concrete.

Fuller Road LegacyPublic Health86 Years