For the People

Each year, about 1,500 pedestrians and 550 bicyclists are hit by cars on Connecticut roadways, leading to serious injuries and fatalities. So we're bringing in a rep from Watch for Me CT a statewide campaign aimed at reducing those numbers through awareness, education, and enforcement to discuss their work and how it can benefit your community. Then we'll welcome back EnergizeCT and the Director of Energy Efficiency for Eversource to talk about a couple of different programs to help educate kids on how to live in a more sustainable world, and how to enlist entire communities in helping conserve energy resources. And we'll close with a special projects coordinator from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, which just published a first of its kind guidebook to help town and city leaders and police agencies better respond to racial tension in their communities.

Bears aren't just out there somewhere, they're marching into parks and yards, and even breaking into cars and homes. So what do you need to become more 'bear aware' - well, we've got all the answers for you as we visit with a state DEEP Bear and wildlife expert. Then we'll check in with NAMICT, to find out how that agency is responding to the escalation of stress, anxiety, and mental health issues as we continue grappling with the COVID pandemic, and all the other issues putting undue strain on our already busy lives. And you've been hearing about it - so we're going to close discussing MyHomeCT - a brand new program to cure mortgage delinquencies and defaults, prevent foreclosures among eligible homeowners and provide much needed assistance for qualified non-mortgage expenses.

Today we're opening our final week of the school year program with a representative of Teach Connecticut talking about the many rewards of teaching and how Teach Connecticut can provide a huge range of information and resources whether you're thinking about applying your current career expertise to teaching, or you're ready to step out into the workforce for the first-time as an educator.The we'll welcome Disability:IN Connecticut, which is supporting state businesses that are committed to disability inclusion in the workplace and supply chain. If you are an employer facing workforce challenges, Disability:IN CT may be your solution.And we'll close with our friend Scarlett Lewis who through the tragic loss of her son at Sandy Hook, has developed the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement into a resource rich initiative that has already changed the lives of millions around the world.

You can help honor the ultimate sacrifice of one brave 9/11 responder by being part of the 2022 Tunnel to Towers Run & Walk on June 26. So we'll help reinforce what it's all about and how to get involved as we chat with the race organizer at the Bethel High School event site.Then we'll bring you Part 2 of our CT League of Conservation Voters discussion about critical environmental legislation that didn't make it through the 2022 statehouse session, and learn how you can play a key role in helping ensure issues related to things like waste management and toxic chemicals are dealt with in 2023.And we're closing with our partners from IRIS - Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services - as our state gets ready to celebrate World Refugee Day with events featuring stories, music poems, and exhibits coming up next weekend in New Haven and Hartford.

Pride Month is here and we're checking in with the director of Connecticut's leading LGBTQ+ support agency - Norwalk's Triangle Community Center - to learn how they are helping members of these communities across the state with services and advocacy. Then we'll meet a couple of representatives of EAPA - the Employee Assistance Professionals Association - to learn how its members help those facing challenges at work and outside the workplace, and about their upcoming conference focusing on suicide prevention. And we'll close with our partners from the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters - taking a look back on the 2022 state legislative session, and a look forward reflecting on how these accomplishments will be making our state more environmentally sustainable.

We're continuing our mission to connect you with cool adventures, so stay tuned for our guest from the HVA - the Housatonic Valley Association - hosting a month-long Explore-a-Thon this June with all kinds of prizes, local brewery gatherings, and cool, fun ways to learn more about protecting our environment. Then as we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, we'll turn to Dr. Hilary Blumberg, from Yale University's Mood Disorders Research Program - whose team is doing critical work to help those suffering from mental health issues and grappling with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Then meet the founder of the Susan D. Flynn Oncology Nursing Development Program - which is working to recruit and train America's next generation of oncology and palliative care nurse specialists through unique partnerships across a growing network of prestigious hospitals and medical centers.

Today we're bringing you a couple of fantastic ways to get outside while improving your own and your loved ones' health and wellness. CT Trails Day is the first weekend in June and so we'll be revealing all the ways you can get out hiking, biking, horseback riding, running, maintaining, kayaking, bird watching, letterboxing, and maybe learning a thing or two in the process.Then we'll visit with the coordinator of the Youth Link Mentoring Program at Boys and Girls Village. This important initiative is recruiting for mentors who will be trained to support the growing communities of LGBTQ+ youths across the state facing numerous challenges from anxiety and depression to homelessness and substance use issues.And as promised, we'll close inviting you to connect with ConnectiCare's 10th anniversary Yoga In Our City wellness program taking place starting now in parks near you offering free yoga classes taught by local teachers at parks in communities like Bridgeport, New Haven, and Waterbury.

Meet the community engagement specialist from BHCare discussing several of the public health crises his agency is responding to throughout the Naugatuck Valley, shoreline and greater New Haven areas - and how you can help support their efforts by attending their June 4 A Chance to Shine celebration and benefit at Quarry Walk in Oxford.Then it's time for our annual visit with Connecticut's Council on Environmental Quality, which just released its annual report on Connecticut's environment. Listen and learn about how our state is progressing, where we're backsliding, and how residents can get involved to help make their community and state more environmentally sustainable.Then we're touting another fund and awareness-raising activity - we'll help get you into the water with Swim Across America, or get involved as a volunteer for their 16th upcoming open water swim to benefit the Connecticut-based Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy.

We're circling back with Domestic Violence Crisis Center to discuss the critical role men play in setting examples that help prevent domestic violence - and inviting you to honor Connecticut's own Michael Bolton and Jeff Benedict at the DVCC Voices of Courage Luncheon this week in Darien.This segment that is a must-listen for anyone who is getting involved in the financial aid application process. Check our chat with a Connecticut State Community College expert who just wrote a book on the subject. You'll also find out about the Pledge to Advance Connecticut (PACT) program that allows first time, full-time students to attend any in-state community college DEBT-FREE.Then meet LEVO International - expanding across Connecticut to address food insecurity, food deserts, sustainability - and revealing how everyone can get started growing their own fresh healthy food in a space about the size of a 5-gallon bucket!

As we head into May we're taking an opportunity to encore a few segments we've gathered over the past four months that still focus on critical issues facing your community and our state:We'll start with a previously recorded segment featuring Connecticut's new Comptroller Natalie Braswell, discussing a brand new benefit for front line responders who may have suffered financial issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are or know a front line worker, learn about the CT Essential Worker COVID-19 Assistance Fund.Then, we'll tap an exec from the CT League for Nursing & CT Center for Nursing Workforce that partnered with our friends at CT Data to produce an incredibly important and concerning report about our state's nursing resources, and how a crisis level shortage of nurses is looming.And we'll close with a call we did during March — Problem Gambling Awareness Month. With Connecticut recently opening up many new ways to lay down and lose - or win a bet - For the People brought in a top resource at Wheeler Health for some straight talk about what to do if you or someone you know - even a teen or young adult - is experiencing unhealthy gambling habits.

We're going to pick up on a conversation we started earlier this year with the Connecticut Urban Forest Council to hear about seven more projects recently awarded Urban Forestry Climate Change grants - and how these projects will create positive health and environmental benefits for us all.We're tapping a Clinical Psychologist from the CT Psychological Association to talk about how events and activities around the nation are ramping up anxiety and depression across some of the younger members of our LGBTQ+ population, and how mental health providers are or should be gearing up to provide much needed support.And we're inviting you to get involved in a really unique way with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut. This year, GSOFCT is seeking at least ten Facilitators for its "Summer in the City" Program , so we'll learn more about it, what the program will accomplish, and how you can be part of it.

We're hopping your way Easter morning and inviting kids to help tackle food waste with Random Hacks of Kindness Jr & Sustainable Southbury - partnering on a virtual 'Coding for Good Hackathon' on Saturday, April 23. Then we're talking agriculture with the Westport Farmers' Market - since 2006, the market and its farmers & vendors have provided fresh, healthy food while promoting education and activities centered around growing local. And we'll wrap with a rep from Reason For Hope, talking about HB 5396 - a bill in front of state lawmakers right now that will significantly increase safe, responsible access to psychedelic-assisted therapies for the treatment of mental health and addiction challenges, especially among our veterans.

We're welcoming back ARI - working with around 100 disabled individuals through several programs in lower Fairfield County helping them learn and grow in order to achieve a higher level of independence - and inviting you to get involved supporting their 70th Anniversary Ball, an upcoming golf tournament and the April 24 ARI Walk for Independence. Then, meet a local representatives of Veterans for Political Innovation a nonprofit with a mission to mobilize veterans and supporters to advocate for election innovations to make our political system less toxic and more competitive. And we'll close helping to unveil SAVED - the State’s Attorney’s Violence Eradication and Disruption (SAVED) program - a forward looking prevention focused program to identify and serve youth impacted by violence in their communities with a trauma informed, treatment focused approach.

Do you have an older or unused bike you'd like to see out of your garage or basement and put to good use, or maybe you know a child or youth who's got a lot of energy and is looking for a great way to use it? We've got a way you can take care of both, so check out our chat with the CMAK Foundation's Race 4 Chase founder to learn more. Then we'll introduce you to Families Network of Western CT, creating positive, lasting changes through public awareness activities, direct service to families, volunteer training, and a commitment to partnering with community and business leaders, social service agencies and healthcare and education providers. Then we'll meet an old friend who's the new director at Keystone House, a nonprofit providing residential and psychosocial services for adults with psychiatric disorders in greater Norwalk by providing them with necessary life skills and tools to help them live as independently as possible.

We're introducing a brand new community partner - Infinite Strength - the only nonprofit in the country to offer monthly financial assistance to underserved single mothers with Metastatic Breast Cancer. We'll let you in on how they do it, and how you can get involved. Then we're circling back with the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven to chat about the upcoming Great Give, and a new package of grants available to promote leadership and greater equity among and within communities of color. And we'll wrap with WBDC founder Fran Pastore - celebrating her agency's 25th year, promoting grant programs for small business owners and the WBDC's upcoming Women-Owned Business Day.

Did you know by 2025, Connecticut is on track to have more than 90,000 residents living with Alzheimer's? This morning For the People is opening with our long-time partners at the Alzheimer's Association talking about important research, as well as ways for you to support the association - especially on March 30 - 'Advocacy Day' at the State Capital.Then we'll hang around Hartford to chat with The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC), which just received a quarter million dollar grant to begin promoting a revised set of equitable social studies standards, professional development, and sustainable partnerships between cultural institutions, educators, and schools across the state. And we'll close introducing the Connecticut-based World Heritage Cultural Center and its founder who is inspired to bring global cultures together peacefully celebrating and collaborating around food, music and the arts.

If you think you've been experiencing heightened anxiety over the past couple of years, imagine what it's doing to our kids. So we're checking in with the Anxiety Program at the Yale Child Study Center to see how they've been trying to help, and we'll talk about what's in store at their 8th Annual Spotlight on Anxiety Forum for Concerned Parents and Professionals.Then we'll get you hungry for helping out a good cause touting Jersey Mike's Month of Giving & Day of Giving, with all proceeds going to support the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. And we'll chat with the Connecticut Special Olympics to find out about the athletes representing our state in the games this June.And we'll close helping celebrate the Waterbury Palace Theater's 100th Anniversary with its CEO, and unveil all the ways you can come out and enjoy this beautiful Connecticut entertainment landmark — and all the activities planned for its centennial year

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, so For the People is turning to a top resource at Wheeler Health for some straight talk about what to do if you or someone you know - even a teen or young adult - is experiencing unhealthy gambling habits.Then we're flipping to an important environmental concern with the Connecticut Audubon Society talking about why Connecticut is losing a serious amount of its bird population, and how that trend is creating an ecological domino effect that has the potential to impact everyone across the state and nation.And have you heard that the Governor wants $70 million from this year's budget to step up remediating lead in Connecticut households? Well, For the People is all over it with our connection at the US EPA, which is launching virtual listening sessions this week so folks can call in and discuss their risks and challenges to eliminating lead exposure in their own community.

We're introducing you to Health360 the home to Northwestern Connecticut's Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Learn how this nonprofit is developing a pipeline for future health care professionals who are prepared to practice in Connecticut’s underserved communities. Then, on a related subject - we'll tap an exec from the CT League for Nursing & CT Center for Nursing Workforce to discuss an incredibly important and concerning report about our state's nursing resources, and how a crisis level shortage of nurses is looming. And we'll close chatting with the new leader of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut - which recently re-launched after the merger of two similar agencies serving different parts of the state.

Super Bowl Sunday is here - and if you are planning your Super Bowl feast, we're bringing in a food safety expert from the USDA to run us through all the game day details you need to know to put the blitz on foodborne illness whether you're doing all the cooking yourself, or ordering in. Then we're going to meet Fairfield CARES - the community's prevention council. We'll talk with a student advisor and a bunch of students explaining why they are choosing to, and advocating for all young people to avoid the temptations and possible tragic after effects of substance use. And we'll close with Connecticut's new Comptroller Natalie Braswell, who is introducing the CT Essential Worker COVID-19 Assistance Fund - a brand new benefit for front line responders who may have suffered financial issues as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We're opening up with AARP Connecticut reviewing their 2022 agenda for the upcoming Legislative session, which is packed with advocacy for programs and benefits for everyone in our state. Then we're going to talk about a brand new battery storage system program from PURA and the CT Green Bank that can protect you and your home or business from extreme weather and power outages - along with incentives that could reduce up to 80% of the system's cost. And we're closing with Lt Governor Susan Bysiewicz, getting the latest on how she is helping promote the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls, a new grant program for minority women business owners, and the 2022 Computing Challenge - 'Coding for Good.'

We're watching out for your health and the health of those you love as we open up the latest American Lung Association's State of Tobacco Control report to try and figure out why Connecticut is failing its residents when it comes to funding tobacco education, awareness, and cessation programs. Then we're circling back with the Connecticut Psychological Association for a candid conversation about the ways insurance companies deal - or do not deal - with supporting the mental health concerns of state residents, especially as the pandemic continues to collectively wear us all down.And we're catching up with and inviting you to a cool event being presented by the Connecticut Epilepsy Advocate. Stay tuned to learn more about this unique local nonprofit and how to get in on all the 'Star Wars Night' fun!

Later this week the CT League of Conservation Voters will be hosting their 2022 Environmental Summit, so we'll check-in to see what's in store as lawmakers, advocates, policy experts, and the public discover what key environmental issues are on the table for the 2022 state legislative session.Then we'll visit with the director of CT's Office of Health Strategy to look into the business of health care as delivered by local hospitals with a review of key data from the OHS Annual Report on the Financial Status of Connecticut’s Short Term Acute Care Hospitals.And we'll close touching base with the The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut - previewing their 40th Winter Conference. Find out why you should attend this virtual event offering over 20 workshops on farming, seed saving, organic land care, community food security, social justice issues, and more.

As we have often said - there's always something wild happening at Connecticut's only zoo - and 2022 marks the 100th Anniversary of The Beardsley Zoo. So we're kicking off a year's worth of zoo-centric segments with zoo director Gregg Dancho to learn about its history, and what's in store for this centennial year. Then we're going to check in with a pair of conservation experts from the state's USDA office for a lesson on conservation easements - find out the many ways these land, water, and soil saving initiatives benefit our communities, state, and our environment. And we'll close with a nonprofit eager to share the benefits of self-care through meditation - the Community Mindfulness Project. Could you afford to have a little more peace and less stress in your life? Stay tuned - we may have the solution!

We're introducing the Connecticut Urban Forest Council's top official to hear about plans to plant thousands of new trees in several local cities. Will you be seeing a patch of new trees in your neighborhood? Stay tuned. Did you know you might be eligible to apply for CT Paid Leave right now? We'll get a refresher on what you need to know right now, whether you are an employer or employee from the CEO of the CT Paid Leave Authority. And we'll check in with our friends from the Red Cross to hear the latest on about critical blood donor shortages and a range of volunteer opportunities in their disaster services division.

Happy New Year - we're kicking of 2022 playing four encore 'For the People' segments starting with a reminder about two clinical trials going on right now for teens and adolescents experiencing extreme stress at the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program at the Yale Child Study Center. Then we'll replay the first two segments of our series 'Open Arms, Open Hearts - Connecticut's Role In The Afghan Refugee Crisis.' The first highlights IRIS, Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services' - then, we'll reach out to the CEO of The Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, Inc.(CIRI).And we'll wrap circling back to an October chat with the leader of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center to learn how that agency is doubling down to help prevent domestic violence and better support those who are affected by it.

Meet a key official as Connecticut moves ever closer to opening its legal adult cannabis marketplaces as we ring up the interim director of Connecticut's Social Equity Council to begin a series of conversations to help inform and educate both state residents and stakeholders.The we're off to the riverside to engage the Housatonic Valley Association, a tri-state nonprofit citizen’s environmental group working to conserve the natural character, environmental health and the economies of our region by protecting and restoring its land and waters.And we'll close with our long-time resource at Assisted Living Services. As the New Year approaches, are you thinking that an older loved one might need some extra assistance to keep safe while they age in place? Then stay tuned.

Interested in sustaining native plants and vegetables on local farms and in your garden? We're introducing you to a spokesperson for Eco59, a newly launched initiative growing and providing ecotypic seed to restore native plants in Connecticut and throughout farms across the northeast. Then, we'll check in with our long-time partners at Homes for the Brave. We'll key in on critical work that agency is doing to support homeless women veterans transitioning back into community life, and a whole boatload of exciting news coming out of this organization in recent weeks. Then, meet the CEO from ElderHouse, a nonprofit serving Norwalk, Wilton, Westport, Weston, Darien, New Canaan and Stamford - enhancing the quality of life for aging adults and their caregivers through a broad range of trusted, compassionate, and enriching day services and home-based support.

Do you know a kid or adult with Asperger syndrome or who is on the autism spectrum? Then meet a Connecticut spokesperson for AANE - the Asperger / Autism Network and learn about all the services and supports available, the work the agency is doing regarding advocacy and de-stigmatizing, and how to get involved.Then we're circling back with the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition / RYASAP to do a brief review of some of the most important points from the latest 'State of the Child' report which is focusing on research and educational data. See what insight it might offer to your community.And we'll meet a state spokesperson for The National Association For Amateur Radio, which counts hundreds of HAM radio operators among its members who stand ready during times of disaster to provide a vital backup communication network to emergency responders. Maybe this could be the perfect hobby and public service you'd like to take up in 2022 - stay tuned.

For the People is celebrating 50 years of caring for Greater Waterbury with Staywell Health Center, and to let you know - wherever you are in Connecticut - that Staywell is ready and waiting to take good care of you and your family, too! Then we'll reconnect with the head of Connecticut's Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity to begin discussing the state's first ever LGBTQ+ Health & Human Services Assessment Survey - that we helped launch earlier this year. And we'll close with the director of Bridgeport's historic Barnum Museum touting how 'the Barnum' just received National Historic Landmark status - and details on how you can help support a very colorful aspect of the museum's continuing restorations.

The next segment in our new series called 'Open Arms, Open Hearts - Connecticut's Role In The Afghan Refugee Crisis' welcomes the CEO of The Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, Inc. (CIRI), talking about an important new partnership with the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, and how the agency is working hard assisting refugees coming into the state from Afghanistan.Then we're circling back with American Lung Association of CT to discuss the 4th annual State of Lung Cancer report that was released this week, highlighting key indicators in Connecticut including: new cases, survival, early diagnosis, surgical treatment, lack of treatment, screening rates, and the lung cancer burden among racial and ethnic minority groups.Then we're catching up with the executive director of GVI, Bridgeport's Green Village Initiative — just because there's frost on the pumpkin and harvest season at GVI's community gardens has passed doesn't mean this agricultural and human service nonprofit is hibernating for the winter! Find out what's in store for the coming months.

Have you heard about the latest statewide poll from Sacred Heart University’s Institute for Public Policy and Civic Engagement? We're connecting with the CEO of their polling partner Great Blue Research to hear where state residents stand on the governor's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and several other issues reflected in this new polling.Then we'll zip through calls with nonprofits, LivFree, Al's Angels, and the Westport PAL all collaborating on a free, family-friendly Winter Wonderland event coming up in Westport on December 4.And we're launching a new series called 'Open Arms, Open Hearts - Connecticut's Role In The Afghan Refugee Crisis.' We'll chat with Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services' ((IRIS) about how they're coordinating with grassroots groups across western Connecticut to help get Afghan refugees resettled - and how you can help.

We're talking taxes, and if you owe any here in Connecticut - how you can wiggle out of any outstanding penalties and a good amount of the interest you may owe as we speak with state Dept of Revenue Services Commissioner Mark Boughton about the 2021 DRS Tax Amnesty Program. Then we'll celebrate the latest round of Connecticut communities that have become SustainableCT certified, with that agency's director - and learn how SustainableCT is providing training, leadership, and guidance to every town and city in the state.And we're checking in with the President and CEO of United Way about workforce support - as Connecticut companies and employers are working to build back, beef up, and retain good workers, you'll find out the many ways that United Way of CT has got your back.

Each year, Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews and Margo Price host a Farm Aid festival to bring together a wide variety of artists, farmers and fans for one mission: keeping family farmers on the land. For the second time in its nearly quarter century run, Farm Aid came to Hartford, and for the 5th time, the award-winning For the People was invited to cover the festival and meet some of the folks involved.So tune in as we head to the Home Grown Village to talk with farmers, activists, agency representatives, and the executive director of Farm Aid about why it's so critical that we continue to support our local and family farms here and across the nation.

Meet a veteran music educator who saw the need for arts and cultural programs in our schools and communities and founded Arts In CT - a non-profit academy serving anyone statewide who wants to engage in a variety of performing and visual arts experiences. Then, we're circling back with the Connecticut Data Collaborative to find out the latest information that agency is crunching - including important data details that are emerging from the 2020 census. Then, the Connecticut Yankee Council CEO drops in talking about scouting, the many opportunities that scouting offers to adolescents, teens, and young adults, and how to get involved.

As we move through October - Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we'll circle back with the leader of the Domestic Violence Crisis Center to learn how that agency is doubling down to help educate communities to prevent domestic violence and supporting those who are impacted by it. Then we'll visit with the Western CT Area Agency on Aging to get an update on their CHOICES initiative and why it's so important to work closely with this network during Medicare open enrollment which started this week. And we'll touch base with A Promise to Jordan and learn why the nonprofit was just awarded a grant by Voices for Non-Opioid Choices to educate community members about potential federal policy changes to help combat the opioid crisis.

You've been hearing about it on 'For the People' and today we're going to provide all the background on two clinical trials going on right now at the Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program at the Yale Child Study Center. If you have or know of a child or teen suffering from anxiety, participation in one of these trials may provide relief, so stay tuned.Then we'll hear about a grassroots effort to support the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter. We'll meet the person in charge of the shelter, and the organizer of an family-friendly benefit called Mullets For Mutts - to learn how you can get involved.And since it's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we'll close with a breast cancer survivor representing the American Cancer Society, cluing you in on the upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event coming up October 17 in Westport.

We're replaying a few encore segments and starting off with a reminder that there are hundreds of kids involved with the Boys & Girls Village Foster and Therapeutic Foster care programs looking for a caring person or family to help them feel at home again. So stay tuned, learn more and see if you can get involved. Then we'll replay a conversation promoting FrontlineCT - a nonprofit supporting first responders experiencing the stress of long shifts, high demand, and continuing pandemic-related situations. And we'll close circling back to remind you about UR Community Cares a non-profit serving Connecticut with an an online platform matching hundreds of volunteers with seniors or disabled residents seeking much needed assistance.

We're digging into some important news to help you connect with your gardens and landscape - while serving your community through the UConn Master Gardeners Program. We'll tell you all about it and how to get signed up for their next round of certification training. Then, meet a southern Litchfield County nonprofit that's bringing unique and successful equine therapies to folks on the autism spectrum. Saddle up with us and learn more about Little Britches Therapeutic Riding Program, and how you can get involved. Finally we're checking in with the Shoreline Arts Alliance, which is involving and supporting all kinds of artistic projects and artists throughout the region. And if you're a photographer, we'll explain how to enter your best work in the alliance's IMAGES Photography Exhibition & Competition.

Check out the second of a two-part conversation here during September which is National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month with Dr Kathleen Chapman of the CT Psychological Association and the CT Advisory Board for Suicide Prevention on how to recognize warning signs, and immediately engage a person you believe might be considering ending their own life.Learn why the US Dept. of Agriculture awarded 10 key Connecticut farms and rural businesses grants to build or improve renewable energy infrastructure and to help lower energy costs through the USDA's Rural Energy for America Program.Meet an inspiring couple who endured the tragic loss of a child, and then started a nonprofit to fund research for Neimann Pick Type C disease, also known as 'childhood Alzheimer's - and about their upcoming DART To The Finish walk.

Check out the first of a two-part National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month conversation with an authority representing the CT Psychological Association and the CT Advisory Board for Suicide Prevention, talking about this public health crisis that is tragically increasing among teen girls and kids as young as middle school age.Then learn more about the Center for Family Justice and the Norma Pfriem Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital - two of the 23 nonprofits benefiting from the 34th Annual Bigelow Tea Community Challenge. And we're talking nutrition and the kitchen with a nutritionist leading a series of free cooking classes for children age 3 - 17. Find out how to get your young ones involved in the Wheeler community health network's 'Healthy Kids in the Kitchen' program.

We're circling back with the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority to learn how that agency is transforming a successful pilot program promoting glass recycling to include the entire region, and how bringing the program statewide can make a huge and positive environmental impact.Then we'll catch up with a primary researcher from the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby to talk about the proven health and heart benefits of extra virgin olive oil. Then, meet a rep from AARP-CT who is reaching out to community groups and municipal agencies about the 2021 AARP Livable Communities Grant Program to help neighborhoods, towns and cities be great places to live for people of all ages.

In Connecticut, 1 in 7 people, including 1 in 6 children are at risk of hunger. So we'll chat with the CEO of Food Rescue US about how it is working with the Connecticut Food Bank / Foodshare to incorporate Feeding America practices for Food Rescue US volunteers at four new locations.Then we'll circle back to the topic of lead poisoning, which is affecting countless children across Connecticut - with a physician at The Hartford Regional Lead Treatment Center at Connecticut Children’s about what you need to know to eliminate the risk whether you are a parent, caregiver, or landlord.And we'll meet a state spokesperson for The National Association For Amateur Radio, which counts hundreds of HAM radio operators among its members who stand ready during times of disaster to provide a vital backup communication network to emergency responders.

Meet a truly grassroots neighborhood organization, learn how the Stratfield Village Association of Fairfield got behind a number of important community improvement efforts - and how its founders are ramping up plans for a day of tribute, family fun, food, vendors and live music at its September 11 'Lincoln ParkaPalooza. Then, hear from the director of New Haven's Neighborhood Music School (NMS) - the largest non-profit community arts organization in Connecticut and one of the ten largest in the country where students of all ages receive individual and group instruction in music, dance, drama, and film.And given the looming humanitarian crisis developing right now in Afghanistan, we're closing replaying a segment from earlier this year with Immigration Help - a regional grassroots organization 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.

As we hit the midpoint in the Connecticut-wide Yoga In Our City movement that's continuing through mid-October we're replaying a spring segment introducing listeners to free virtual yoga classes to stay in shape and achieve peace of mind from the comfort of your home, or the 2021 season of outdoor community yoga classes designed by Civic Mind, and sponsored by ConnectiCare.Then we'll let you in on how easy it is to get back to, or begin exploring possible future careers with our regional community colleges. We'll talk about what's in store if you're heading into or returning to community college in a few weeks, and a convenient way to to take care of all the registration processes at the August 21 'Enroll In A Day' event.And we'll close combining one of the state's newest cutting industries, drone production and pilot training, and learn how Aquiline Drones is aiming to not only bring drone production back to the US, but how the company is helping municipal public safety agencies like fire departments obtain and utilize drone technology to keep residents and responders safe.

This 'Special Report' on workforce development puts the focus on team members at the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board. We'll hear all about possible new careers, job training, and other information about special fields like plastics and advanced manufacturing - and how the board can help you connect with a high paying job as well as getting the training necessary to succeed, even if you are as young as middle school, or considering a new career or job change in your 50s.Then, as we celebrate National Community Health Center week, we'll hear from the Norwalk Community Health Center about all the programs that agency is offering throughout central Fairfield County, to help protect and improve the health of everyone in the greater Norwalk region.

We've got a program we know will touch a lot of people today, because cancer touches so many of our lives here in Connecticut - so we'll kick things off with our friends for Circle of Care discussing all the great work and support they are providing to pediatric cancer patients and how to get involved in their incredible Art From The Heart initiative. Then get ready to ride Closer to Free - and meet a trio with unique to Smilow and the Yale Cancer Center. We'll talk with an oncologist and the son of a Smilow cancer patient both participating in this year's Closer to Free Ride, and a patient who is surviving her second battle with cancer thanks to the team at Smilow being supported by the ride. We'll close our cancer themed program with an invite to a different kind of music festival called Boobstock - this regional music fest is coming up in mid-September with great tunes, food, and proceeds benefiting Breast Cancer Patients at Smilow in New Haven and Middlesex Hospital's Comprehensive Breast Center.

We're reminding you about The 15th annual Swim Across America Fairfield County, an open water swim in Long Island Sound, and encouraging all swimmers, boaters, kayakers and those interested in being on land volunteers to participate in this huge annual fundraiser for Connecticut's Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy. We're checking in a researcher and community educator from the Yale School of Medicine Substance Abuse Center to discuss paid research studies with cigarette smokers to help health authorities better understand the appeal of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. And we're circling back to get the latest news from UR Community Cares a non profit serving Connecticut with an an online platform matching volunteers with seniors or disabled members in the community seeking much needed assistance.

We're happy to be reconnecting with the director of Connecticut Folk - that's coming back in a big way for 2021. We'll hear about their debut concert, and clue you in on where you can check out some of the coolest folk shows happening anywhere in the region at a brand new site.Then we're going to pick up on a conversation we started during National EMS Week with a brand new nonprofit called FrontlineCT that's working to help support first responders as those critical front line workers debrief & decompress from tragic on the job experiences.And we'll circle back with the CEO of Abilis, which is expanding its services into Darien and already striking up partnerships with a number of organizations in town. We'll also hear about some of the other programs Abilis is facilitating to connect its special needs clients with opportunities in other communities.

We're circling back to replay a segment with Operation Hope - zeroing in on this nonprofit's efforts to educate folks who may be at risk of losing their home due to foreclosure - and we'll chat with Senator Tony Hwang about how he planned that effort at home, and in the statehouse.Then - whether you are an employer looking for qualified and motivated workers, or someone who is looking for a job - we've got the resource for you as we replay an interview with the COO from Career Resources - connecting people to jobs they need.And we'll wrap our encore segments re-introducing another boutique Connecticut nonprofit connecting young people to STEM education and careers - Random Hacks of Kindness Junior, which is providing young people a hands-on learning experience where they apply technology to achieve social good.