Earlie Fuse, 80, stands outside of his home on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in Cahokia Heights, Illinois. Fuse, and dozens of residents in the newly-established City of Cahokia Heights, have been suffering from infrastructure issues which have caused catastrophic damage to their homes for nearly 30 years. Torrential downpour which led to the Great Flood of 1993 started the domino-effect with his house's issues exacerbated with the former city of Centreville's water and sewage problems, Fuse said, costing him close to $100,000 in out-of-pocket repairs.

Rev. Burton Barr, an associate pastor at West Side Missionary Baptist Church, on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, at the church in Black Jack, Mo. Barr moved to St. Louis from Chicago to get out of a life of drug abuse. He has since became heavily involved in the church and has held community trainings on opioid overdose prevention, for nearly 30 years.

Nikki Love-McIntyre, of Swansea, Ill., on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021, at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Love-McIntyre, who has worked at the hospital for nearly 8 years, had a double kidney transplant completed in October 2015 after being diagnosed with end-stage renal disease as a complication of Type 1 Diabetes. "It was just terrifying," she said of the diagnosis while emphasizing the need to listen to your body. "If something is going on, it's going on for a reason. Don't not go to the doctor or think it'll go away or [say] I'll go if it gets worse."

Julio Suarez, senior director of community affairs for Anheuser-Busch, on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, at the company's corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo.

Jarrett James, a member of the Chester High School Class of 2021, poses for a portrait on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in Chester, Ill.

Dustin Haluch, a senior sousaphone player from Collinsville, Ill, prepares to take the field for the band's last performance of the season on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, at Kahok Stadium in Collinsville, Ill.

Rabbi Mendel Scheiman delivers remarks after lighting an electric menorah on the first day of Hanukkah Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, at the Old Main Lounge in Southern Illinois University's Student Center in Carbondale, Ill. Student Center. Scheiman runs Chabad of SIU and serves as a prison chaplain for the Illinois Department of Corrections. "We host this event to help Jewish students in celebrating Hanukkah and spreading this message of freedom and bringing light to darkness," he said.

Zach Zappa, of Chester, Ill., on Sept. 8, 2019, in Carbondalde, Ill.

Joe Edwards, owner of the Moonrise Hotel and several Delmar Loop venues, poses for a portrait on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at the Moonrise Hotel in University City, Mo. The United States celebrates the fiftieth anniversary since the first American man walked on the moon.

Irene Felsch, 7, of Kirkwood, Mo., looks ahead as resident physician Riti Chokshi administers the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at St. Louis Children's Hospital in St. Louis. The federal government recently approved vaccinations for children from 5 to 12 years-of-age.

Sk8 Liborius Church owners Dave Blum, Joss Hay, and Bryan Bedwell stand in for a portrait on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, at the skatepark in north St. Louis.

Mark Dolan, a photojournalism professor at Southern Illinois University, poses with his converted ambulance on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. Dolan and his ambulance have traveled across the country researching and documenting the intersection of barbecue and culture.

Julia Lasley, Anna-Jonesboro Community High School: “COVID-19 has caused me to experience a lot of different emotions. I am heartbroken for all the student-athletes who’s last opportunities were taken away. To the athletes that were counting on their last season to finally reach out to that one coach or even just be recognized."

So. Ill. Unity Coalition members (from left) Alex Grabowska, Elise Grabowska, Emerald Avril, Nancy Maxwell, Chastity Mays and Matt Wilson pose for a portrait on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, at Crispus Attucks Park in Carbondale, Ill. The group is made up of local activists in Southern Illinois.