After 25 years of serving as publisher and editor of “Families First Monthly,” Northport resident Laura Kalchik is bidding farewell with her recently announced special final edition.
The local publication was a venture that Kalchik always wanted to pursue since she began working in sales at Northern Express in Traverse City. At 39-years-old in May of 2000, she began the publication as a resource for parents in the Grand Traverse and surrounding areas. From there, she continued to make connections with people and businesses in the community, embracing every opportunity she was presented with and successfully running the publication for over two decades.
“I’m very grateful for all the things that ‘Families First Monthly’ allowed us… I always love putting the publication together and running the stories, but it got to where I just knew that I needed to let go of the business part of it,” Kalchik said. “I’d like to encourage anyone who’s in their 40s or late 30s, if they’re not happy with what they’re doing or if they have a passion to do something, especially the wherewithal, or if they know they can do it, then they should do it.”
From setting up all her delivery sites and writing stories, to coordinating with all of her advertisers, Kalchik did it all. Families First Monthly was produced in print up until the COVID pandemic hit in 2000, where Kalchik said she shifted everything to online. While she was not subscription based, her publication was free at over 400 locations.
“The silver lining was that advertisers said they’d be totally fine and still advertise if it was online only. It saved the wear and tear on our vehicle and the wear and tear on our bodies,” she said.
Through Families First Monthly, Kalchik was also able to address difficult issues and topics in stories, such as physical abuse and alcoholism in the home and the changes made to fix these situations.
“These are the kinds of stories that touch my heart the most…” she said. “It (the publication) used to say ‘a resource for parents’ on the cover and I changed that to ‘an area resource.’ My main philosophy was ‘you put your family first if you can.’” In 2013, Kalchik married Joe Thatcher, who she knew during her teen years living in Northport. Joe was an integral part of the publication as well, taking on the job of copy editor while he lived out of state. When he moved back to Northport, he also helped take on tasks like delivery routes, story assignments, a column, and the calendar of events.
One thing Kalchik said she’ll very much miss is being part of the media and having the opportunity to cover events like business openings and other exciting occasions in the community.
“One of my favorite things was when Great Wolf Lodge opened, they gave me and my family/children two nights for the soft opening before the public. We were one of the first groups of people to stay in the rooms and we used the waterpark when everything was brand new… things that I got to do with my kids that I wouldn’t have been able to afford,” she said. “I will miss finding the stories and sharing touching stories with people.”
While Kalchik thoroughly enjoyed telling these stories and putting the publication together, she plans to keep busy with other small jobs around Northport, and by spending more time with family and friends. She will also have more time for pursuing her passion of miniature artwork, which she says she wants to eventually offer as a class program for children.
“I really hope to develop more free class opportunities for children to come to the Trinity Fellowship Hall for crafting,” she said. “I will have time to develop a program on a regular basis where I can guide them to create a little piece of art to take home at no cost. That’s my goal, and family.”
The final special edition will be available online through the end of the year at www.familiesfirstmonthly.com.
