Published Stories

Affordable Housing: Out of reach

As market booms, affordable housing in Bucks County is in short supply. Marion Callahan Bucks County Courier Times/ USA Today Pennsylvania A cactus rests by the windowsill, perched above eight large plastic bins packed with most of Karen McDonald’s belongings.  The plant, McDonald said, brings her peace as she moves through a revolving door of […]

Read More

Power of Forgiveness

By Marion Callahan Published in USA Today, The Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelligencer. Ernie Gross learned to find hope and humor in the darkest of places.       It was not an easy task for Gross, who from a very young age was known as “the boy who never laughed.”      […]

Read More

Foster Youth

Foster kids: ‘They are the forgotten children’ Marion Callahan Published in The Bucks County Courier Times & Intelligencer Andrew Smith knows how to file a tax return. He knows how to cook a steak, and at 18, he knows the cheapest place to buy one. But he doesn’t know why […]

Read More

The Politics of Play dates, playmates

My first introduction into the world of play dates was a shocker. Several years ago, I visited my friend with my first child, who was then 7 months old. It was exciting to bring our children together for the first time. I had been living overseas and wasn’t around to […]

Read More

The lure and the loathing of Chuck E. Cheese’s

There are some obvious rip-offs we surrender to in suburban life — $5 sodas at the movies, $4 two-minute pony rides at community fairs and the inevitable trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s. Make no mistake, I am among you, dropping a chunk of my paycheck on tokens for games to […]

Read More

Life isn’t simple, and neither are its choices

There I was at Manhattan Bagel frantically tearing up bite-size pieces of my bagel so my then 9-month-old would stop trying to arch his way out of the high chair. Meanwhile, my 2-year-old stood wobbling on his own chair, licking butter off his toast while testing my patience. Then she […]

Read More

Covid Through the Eyes of an ICU Nurse

By Marion Callahan, USA Today Network, Pa. The words were not hers, but she delivered them as if they were. Doylestown Hospital ICU nurse Shumi Mazzacano had two daughters on a FaceTime call, eager to hear what they knew would be the last words from their mother, in the hospital […]

Read More

Power of Nature: May 2021

How the healing power of nature inspires resolve in recovery Marion Callahan Bucks County Courier Times / USA Today Network Bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, Jose Ortiz-Nieves gazed at the horizon and then closed his eyes, taking in the cool mountain air from atop the observation […]

Read More

Power of Community

Perkasie community unites to help disabled man get to work, food pantry Marion Callahan Bucks County Courier Times/ USA Today Network For months since moving to Perkasie, John Gaskin focused on putting one foot in front of the other.  Walking to find a job.  Walking to lug groceries from the […]

Read More