For The People

We're going to help you get prepped for the 2021 Hurricane Season with a representative of the American Red Cross — providing tips on how to stay safe and sound during a hurricane or other disaster, cluing you in on how to be a Red Cross volunteer, and why it's so important for blood donors to support the thousands of folks undergoing cancer treatments this June. Then we'll meet a principle with MOVIA Robotics - a Connecticut company that is doing groundbreaking work matching up kids and students on the autism spectrum with robots that are helping improve their social, emotional, and academic progress. And we're closing with the Norwalk Health Dept that has been doing heroic work throughout the pandemic while maintaining other critical public health programs including a successful WinWinWin campaign connecting young people with the HPV vaccine.

This morning we're circling back to speak with Jenn Hubbard - whose daughter Catherine was lost in the Sandy Hook tragedy - to find out all the exciting things ramping up for summer at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary, and to invite you to participate in the upcoming 5k Race For Catherine. Then we'll touch base with the Commissioner of Connecticut's Dept of Veterans Affairs. On the heels of the Memorial Day holiday, there's lots to talk about as this critical support agency continues improving outreach and support services for the state's heroes and their loved ones. And we'll close with representatives of the national Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and the Black Women’s Health Imperative to review a new report detailing the long history of predatory practices designed to get young women hooked on smoking, and what can be done about it.

Provided lawmakers approve the program, we're going to see a lot of no-cost opportunities  for kids to discover the state's museums and sights through the proposed 'Kids Are Free' program, which previewing today. Then we'll find out why now more than ever, the first of its kind State of Health Equity among Boys and Men of Color Summit is the right event at the right moment in time - and why you should be part of it. And we're issuing a gentle but important reminder to businesses and business owners and their employers about the CT Paid Leave program, what you need to know if you're already contributing, and how to get caught up if you aren't.

If you are one of the thousands of men and women who have worked in, or are nearing retirement from Connecticut's manufacturing workforce, we'll tell you how to help inspire and mentor the state's next generations of manufacturing professionals through a brand new program from AARP. Then as we wrap up the 46th annual celebration of National EMS week we'll be speaking with a seasoned EMT and trainer as well as an emergency dept doc about how EMS pros have stepped up more than you know during this COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to answer the call 24/7 and 365 days a year. Finally, we're going to get you growing naturally and native-ly around your home and garden with a special guest from the National Wildlife Federation inviting you to peruse it's new Garden for Wildlife virtual shop to discover and acquire a selection of the best native plants for you here in Connecticut.

So your sniffling, sneezing, got those itchy watery eyes, yes allergy season is in full bloom here across Connecticut, but could those allergy symptoms be masking COVID-19 - or impacting your cardiovascular health? We're going to tap Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a former state cardiology specialist, to discuss allergies, and how you might be able to tackle those symptoms naturally, while protecting your heart in the process.   Then, we're heading to the docks of West Haven to catch up with a trio from Veteran Angler Charters to talk about what this unique nonprofit is planning for 2021. If you know a vet who can use some comradery, or a boat captain who may want to provide some support to our veterans, stay tuned.   And as we wrap up National Hurricane Preparedness week - we all know power outages following bad storms are inevitable - but our top source at Eversource is here to explain how the energy utility is working hard to minimize possible storm damage to keep your lights on this hurricane season.

Have you heard that The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) will make health insurance coverage more affordable for many CT residents? If you're ready to take advantage of these savings, Access Health CT has opened a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) running through August 15, and we'll introduce you the the CEO of Connecticut's exchange to tell you all about it.   Then we'll hear from the Domestic Violence Crisis Center (DVCC) - supporting individuals on their journey to safety by providing support for individuals who are experiencing abuse in personal relationships with free victim services. And we'll invite you to support the cause at DVCC's upcoming 'Voices of Courage' Spring Luncheon.   And we'll close celebrating Connecticut educators as we wrap up Teacher Appreciation Week with an ambassador from TEACH Connecticut, who will explain how this program is bringing folks from the workforce to our classrooms, and helping former educators jump back into their calling.

Meet a co-founder of ImmigrationHelp.org and learn how this grassroots organization is making immigrating to the United States easy, safe, and free by combining the power of technology with attorneys to help everyone who is qualified  achieve the American dream.  Then get clued in on Connecticut's first statewide LGBTQ+ Survey as we chat up the director of the General  Assembly's Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity - which aims to enhance an understanding of the number of people that identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, and their needs. And we're calling on all our For the People listeners to bring a friend and sign up for this year's virtual NAMI Walks - and to put your feet to the street defeating stigmas against those with mental health and related issues while helping  support our loved ones grappling with related challenges.

Early last winter we ran a segment that helped homeowners and excavation contractors get prepared for spring and all the planned outdoor projects involving excavation. Now that April and Call Before You Dig Month has arrived, we're replaying the segment to remind you about a new educational resource and certification program from Call Before You Dig that will help ensure any deep dig projects you are planning in the future at home or on the job - roll out safely. Then we're tackling the difficult subject of youth suicide and prevention with a couple of expert sources from Connecticut Children's medical system talking about how the risk of suicide is increasing - shockingly among youths as young as 10-years-old. And we'll learn how this statewide healthcare network is doing groundbreaking work identifying suicide risk factors and saving lives as a result. And address breaking news that state colleges and universities are resuming in-person classes and activities as early as the summer, with a representati

We're introducing a really important subject for the very first time - parentage - and how Connecticut's WECARE Coalition and one Yale professor is championing proposed legislation that will ensure access to legal parenthood for all children, including those with unmarried, same-sex, or non-biological parents.  Then meet the president of the CT Psychological Assoc. and learn how the COVID pandemic is taking a toll on our mental health by increasing stress, anxiety, and depression - particularly among certain populations - how you can address these concerns immediately and access help or support. Last but not least, we'll help  young people in our state better map their future careers, and arrive in the workforce equipped to succeed as we tout and tell students and businesses about Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County's upcoming Inspire Virtual Career Exploration Fair.

We're checking in with the executive director at Bridgeport's Green Village Initiative, which is currently working with the city to try and preserve its Reservoir Community Farm and gardens. We'll learn more about progress to that end and all the ways folks can get involved - even if it just means planting a few tomatoes or sending out a few emails. Then we'll stick around the Park City and meet two individuals heading up the Bridgeport United Coalition who will clue us in on how this organization is helping reduce tobacco, alcohol and other drug use among youth and make Bridgeport a safer, healthier, and drug-free city.   And we'll wrap inviting you to celebrate women and girls throughout the region as the Fairfield County Community Foundation readies for its annual  Fund for Women & Girls Celebration coming up this week.

We're celebrating Autism Awareness Month with the director of clinical services at Autism Speaks discussing the role of early screening, recognizing the signs of autism, the disproportionate impact it's having among minority populations, and breaking down stigmas around this prevalent condition. Then we're connecting with Connecticut's DEEP Commissioner to chat up the state's 20By20 initiative, which was launched to improve the transparency, predictability and efficiency of our regulatory processes across 20 targeted areas by the end of 2020.   And we'll check in with our buddies from BACA - Bikers Against Child Abuse to find out how much heart so many of these rough looking bikers have — and how so many are willing to step up with a proven, safe, and effective intervention and support system that's making such a positive difference for victims of child abuse.

Do you know someone battling lung cancer? Then check our chat with Stamford's Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy to find out about new research on a promising immunotherapy approach to fight lung cancer and other solid tumor cancers. Then we'll get you hungry to give back during March and especially on March 31 as Jersey Mike's Subs Day of Giving puts your donations to work supporting local charities including Make-A-Wish CT. And we're closing reminding you about an important environmental practice that Connecticut helped make famous - mattress recycling - as we encore a segment with the Mattress Recycling Council focusing on how the practice makes a positive difference to our communities and our planet!

Today we're celebrating those brave pioneers who are making a go at it as a Connecticut entrepreneur with the founder of the Connecticut Entrepreneur Awards. Find out all about how you can get involved supporting these local enterprisers by voting through April 2 - and attending their virtual award ceremony. Then we'll circle back with Abilis, which has just expanded its involvement with the Life Skills, Employment, Advocacy and Partnership or LEAP program, which is poised to help young adults with special needs throughout lower Fairfield County and now in the Norwalk area experience a seamless transition into adult life.  And we'll close hearing from the director of the Connecticut-based Foodshare Institute For Hunger Research & Solutions. Whether you are a casual donor to a local food drive, you volunteer or help run a local pantry, or you visit one - our chat today will focus on a new publication that can help your local food provider address social inequity and food insecurity.

We're going to help gently bend you into better shape with Connecticut's Yoga In Our City movement, and let you know how you can tap into free virtual yoga classes to stay in shape and achieve peace of mind from the comfort of your home while gearing up for the 2021 season of outdoor community yoga classes designed by Civic Mind - and sponsored by ConnectiCare. Then it's time for some really big news as we introduce the new executive director and get a sneak peek at what's in store for the 2021 International Festival of Arts & Ideas, which is ramping up its predominantly virtual festival May 14 - June 27, offering over 200 events — with 8 out of 10 available for free! And we're circling back to Operation Hope - zeroing in on this nonprofit's efforts to help educate state residents who may be at risk of losing their home due to foreclosure - and we'll chat with Senator Tony Hwang about how he is supporting that effort at home, and in the statehouse.

We're going to preview a very different CT NOFA OrganiCONN Winter Conference as the event we normally cover in person for an entire show goes virtual. We'll chat with the conference coordinator about how you can get the most from this online experience without getting your hands dirty. Then we're returning to the subject of wind power and its potential for providing critical climate benefits, economic development, jobs, and more. So stick around as we talk it up with representatives from Eversource Energy and Ørsted Offshore North America who will be developing offshore wind farms right off the Connecticut coastline. And we'll wrap introducing yet another boutique Connecticut nonprofit that started as a grassroots movement to help connect young apply STEM education to doing good with the founder of Random Hacks of Kindness Junior.

We're bringing back the director of the CT Conference of Municipalities to share the word about important work that agency is doing promoting racial and social justice by helping folks of color who are inspired to lead, learn how to run for local public office. Then, we'll reconnect with our friends at The Child Health and Development Institute to talk about the intersection of social emotional learning which is growing in popularity in our schools - and how it can and should be connected to teaching about anti-racism and equity. And we'll close learning about Resources Education Support Together (REST), a peer-led mutual aid group for families with a loved one with Substance Use Disorder, and how you can get involved in an upcoming virtual training session absolutely free. 

Today we're celebrating the merger of Foodshare and Connecticut Food Bank which just launched this historic union between the state’s two largest nonprofit anti-hunger organizations. We'll hear all about it and let you know how to help - or get help if you or someone you love is going hungry in Connecticut. Then we'll queue up the chairman of the New England Musicians Relief Fund, which has launched an initiative to reach $500,000 in donations by March 13 - the one year anniversary of when COVID-19 shut down the entertainment industry, putting thousands of professional and part-time music makers out of work. And we'll remind you to engage yourself on February 25 as Fairfield County's Community Foundation launches Fairfield County's 8th Annual Giving Day - the  region's biggest philanthropic event uniting thousands of people to make a BIG impact and strengthen the communities where we live and work

This morning we're kicking off Super Bowl Sunday bright and early helping you avoid some of the most common issues that can turn game day into a nightmare because of foodborne illness. So we're bringing in a food expert from the US Dept of Agriculture to review some of the major things you need to know as you gear up for your game day feast. Then - whether you are an employer looking for qualified and motivated workers, or someone who is looking for a job or maybe seeking to change careers - we've got the resource for you as we bring in the COO from Career Resources, which serves about half the state connecting people to jobs they need. And we're closing reminding you about an important environmental practice that Connecticut helped make famous - I'm talking about mattress recycling. We'll connect with a spokesperson for the Mattress Recycling Council to talk about this important program, how easy it is to do, and the many ways recycling mattresses makes a positive difference to our communities and our pl

We're circling back to the Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services, which is serving thousands of families in greater New Haven and the Naugatuck Valley. We'll discuss their all important preventative tool -  community outreach and education, its Hope Family Justice Center, and how to help by participating in the 2021 Strength-4-Survivors challenge. Then we'll visit with Scarlett Lewis, founder of the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement - to get the latest news on this global social emotional learning initiative, and how you can participate all through February - Choose Love Awareness Month. And we'll hear about how well our state is doing protecting members of our LGBTQ communities from discrimination - especially comparedd to other states. We're bringing in the legal director for the Human Rights Campaign to talk about why we're doing so well and what we could do better as we unpack the organization's 7th national State Equality Index.

Meet a Vice President from Western Governors University talking about how broadband affordability in Connecticut - especially in the New Haven and Bridgeport regions continues to be a barrier to education, skills training, workforce development, and economic development especially among historically under-served people and how WGU is helping bridge that digital divide. Then get the lowdown on Southwest Community Health Center which is providing and expanding high quality care that includes medical, dental, and behavioral health services, health education, disease prevention programs, community outreach, and enrollment services to individuals and families in the Greater Bridgeport area. And allow us to introduce you to Untapped Potential, which is expanding now into New Haven and Fairfield Counties preparing women and caregivers for their next career shift by changing the way businesses find and keep talent. We'll hear how this nonprofit provides a stepping stone to re-enter the workforce at your caliber w