In this episode of Connections, hosts Debbie Young and Joel Edelstein discuss refugee and immigrant experiences in Colorado with esteemed guests Zeinab Rezaie from Afghanistan and Eugenia from Ukraine. This week’s episode anticipates the upcoming World Refugee Day Showcase in Denver on June 20th.

Debbie Young is a former Professor of Early Childhood Education at Naropa University and instructor at the Community College of Denver, or CCD, and co-host with KGNU’s Joel Edelstein. At CCD Deborah teaches hundreds of immigrants each year to learn English, gain American cultural competency, and qualify to care for young children.

Connections is a weekly call-in program focusing on a variety of topics with a rotating collective of hosts, including Kathy Partridge, Fiona Foster, Duncan Campbell, Rossana Longo, Joel Edelstein, Leilani Henry and Eli Kalen. Click here to listen to the most recent episodes of Connections.

As Colorado braces for another hot and smoky summer, Boulder communities are organizing desde abajo — not waiting for disaster, but preparing for it together.

On a recent episode of Connections hosted by KGNU’s Rossana Longo Better, community leader Isabel Sanchez spoke about the Mapleton Resilience Hub and the growing movement around climate preparedness inside mobile home communities and working-class neighborhoods.

The project recently received more than $576,000 through Boulder County’s Climate Equity Fund as part of a larger $2 million county investment supporting 15 grassroots climate resilience projects across the region.

The funding, awarded to Clean Energy Action in partnership with the Mapleton Housing Association, will help provide emergency preparedness resources, solar-powered generators, resilience gathering spaces and neighborhood training programs designed to help residents respond colectivamente during climate emergencies.

“The difference between being prepared and not prepared is huge,” Sanchez told KGNU.

Sanchez said the work builds on years of community-led preparedness trainings that have already reached more than 300 residents through hands-on workshops focused on emergency response, neighborhood organizing and climate resilience.

And this is not theoretical.

Boulder County is already facing increasing threats from extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding and power outages,  risks that disproportionately affect low-income families, seniors, immigrant communities and residents living in manufactured housing communities.

One thing Sanchez emphasized repeatedly during the conversation: resilience starts with relationships.

“We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” she said. “Si tú estás bien, yo estoy bien.”

Listeners called into the show asking practical questions about emergency kits, solar energy, evacuation plans and how to protect mascotas and elders during climate emergencies.

The conversation also highlighted something often overlooked during disasters: language access.

Preparedness information is only useful if communities can actually understand it and trust it — en el idioma del corazón.

That’s why organizers say multilingual communication and community radio continue to matter deeply, especially during emergencies when internet or cell service may fail.

Years ago, during one of the preparedness training sessions for the mobile home community, residents opened emergency kits containing battery-powered radios — a reminder that in moments of crisis, radio waves still travel even when everything else shuts down.

The Mapleton Resilience Hub is now becoming a model for how climate resilience can grow from the community itself — vecino a vecino, block by block.

This past week on Connections, City of Boulder Housing and Human Services Specialist Tiffany Boller reflected on her day-to-day work with the 200 households who participated in the Elevate Boulder guaranteed-income pilot.

Funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Elevate Boulder provided direct cash assistance to low-income residents over a two-year period. The program tested whether predictable, unconditional monthly payments could help families cover basic needs, manage emergencies, and improve overall financial stability. Early findings from similar pilots around the country point to reductions in income volatility, improved mental health, and greater ability to meet essential needs such as rent, childcare, and transportation.

Boller has been a primary point of contact for Elevate Boulder participants since the planning stages in 2022. Alongside colleague Mari Camacho-Carbajal, she staffed the city’s support hub and fielded calls and emails from residents throughout the pilot. In the interview, she describes what she learned from supporting families through the process, where the program eased pressure, and the kinds of questions that came up most often.

The local impact of the pilot also emerges through storytelling. A team of local storytellers was selected to help participants share their experiences in monologues, videos, photos, autobiographies, and podcasts. Excerpts from several of those podcasts, including stories from Alexa Schild, Kellie Cuevas, Andy Masterpiece, and Pauline Santino, are featured during the show, offering firsthand insight into how households used the payments and how financial consistency shaped their decision-making.

Evaluation data shows the pilot had measurable short-term impacts: participants reported fewer difficulties affording basic needs, improvements in food and housing security, reduced psychological distress, and increased overall well-being. Many respondents pursued additional training or education, and nearly all said the monthly payments brought some degree of stability during volatile economic conditions.

At the same time, participants continued to report persistent challenges affording childcare, healthcare, and long-term savings; findings consistent with those from guaranteed-income pilots in Stockton, CA; Denver, CO; Jackson, MS; Rochester, NY; and internationally in Finland and Wales.

As the holiday season brings conversations about gratitude and community support to the forefront, Elevate Boulder adds local data and lived experience to a broader national discussion about how families manage in a high-cost economy and what predictable income can and cannot do within that landscape.

Tiffany Boller shares with KGNU’s Rossana Longo-Better about what city staff observed over two years, and how the program fits within the growing field of guaranteed-income research.

In this episode of Connections, a discussion with representatives from Natural Highs and AcuDetox, Avani Dilger and Ingid Castro-Campos, who talk about holistic alternatives to substance use and stress management.

Listen to the story:

Connections is a weekly call-in program focusing on a variety of topics with a rotating collective of hosts, including Kathy Partridge, Fiona Foster, Duncan Campbell, Rossana Longo, Joel Edelstein, Leilani Henry and Eli Kalen. Click here to listen to the most recent episodes of Connections.

English

On Connections with Rossana Longo, we recently explored the challenges faced by immigrant communities in accessing healthcare, particularly amidst fears of detention and deportation. Guests Julissa Soto and Johnny Wood discussed the importance of creating safe, welcoming spaces for undocumented individuals to receive health services. They were also joined to promote the upcoming Bazaar of Health—an event designed to offer free health screenings and vaccines to Denver’s immigrant community.

The event, which took place on July 27 at St. Mary Magdalene Church, was a tremendous success. Despite the community’s understandable fears around attending, over 500 people showed up, making the Bazaar a key opportunity for immigrant families to receive the healthcare they desperately need. A total of 498 screenings were conducted, with services ranging from blood pressure checks to cholesterol tests. Approximately 300 vaccines were administered, including flu and COVID-19 shots. Surveys from 200 attendees revealed high satisfaction with the services provided, offering a clear indication of the event’s impact and the community’s need for accessible, no-cost healthcare options.

This outreach effort underscores the importance of continuing to break down barriers to health access, especially for our immigrant neighbors. If you missed the Connections show, be sure to listen to the full conversation where we discussed these crucial issues, the work of Julissa Soto and the Angels of Care, and the urgent need for ongoing support to immigrant families seeking healthcare.

Listen:

Spanish

Julissa Soto, defensora de salud pública y fundadora de Latino Health Equity Consulting, comparte su historia personal y hace una reflexión profunda sobre los retos que enfrentan las comunidades inmigrantes—especialmente quienes viven sin documentos—para acceder a servicios médicos en un clima político lleno de miedo y exclusión.

“¿Qué tiene que ver tu estatus con tu acceso a la salud? Para mí, siguen siendo personas… y es mucho más barato invertir en prevención que pagar hospitalizaciones de emergencia”, afirma Soto durante la entrevista.

En un momento donde los datos revelan que la mayoría de las personas detenidas por ICE en Colorado no tienen antecedentes criminales, Julissa insiste en la urgencia de crear espacios confiables y seguros. Su respuesta: el Bazar de Salud, una feria gratuita y familiar que se espera reunirá a cientos de personas este domingo.

Este domingo 27 de julio, las personas pueden acudir al Bazar de Salud en la iglesia St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal de 10 de la mañana a 2 de la tarde. Habrá servicios de salud gratuitos, mochilas escolares para las y los niños, y recursos para toda la familia, en un ambiente seguro y privado.

 “Este evento será en una iglesia, un espacio privado y protegido. ICE no está invitado. Para entrar necesitarían una orden. Mi comunidad estará rodeada de amor, respeto y seguridad”, asegura Julissa.

Además de los servicios médicos, habrá apoyo para personas con capacidades especiales y recursos de clínicas comunitarias para quienes no tienen seguro.

“He organizado 462 ferias. Todas han salvado vidas. Esta será la más grande. Que nadie se quede afuera por miedo”, aseguró Julissa Soto.

En Pasa la Voz de KGNU, la periodista Rossana Longo conversa con la incansable defensora de salud, Julissa Soto, sobre el acceso a servicios médicos para nuestras comunidades inmigrantes, y cómo responder con amor, cuidado y organización frente al miedo y la injusticia.

Escucha:

If you missed it, be sure to check out the latest episode of Connections on KGNU. This past show was a special one, part of our fall fund drive, and an important conversation on immigration—an issue at the forefront of this election season.

Back in 2020, I was the first reporter hired in the newsroom, and I worked with Maeve Conran to cover a pivotal moment when Boulder Valley School District students wrote letters asking the school board to protect their parents from ICE deportations. The fear those kids felt—of losing their parents during school drop-offs—was real. Just as we were ready to report on it, the pandemic shut everything down, but the issue of deportation never disappeared. It’s a story that stays with me, and it’s why I continue to bring these voices to the forefront.

(download here)

In this episode, I was joined by a panel of experts to discuss the ongoing impact of immigration policies on families and communities. Here is the list of our guests: Pete Salas a local social justice advocate, Jorge M. Chavez, Associate Professor at CU Denver and BVSD Board Member, shared insights from his research on racial and ethnic inequalities and how immigration policies affect young immigrants. Ingrid Castro-Campos, a dedicated advocate for social justice, talked about how restorative practices can help immigrant communities cope with trauma. Michael Dougherty, Boulder County’s District Attorney, provided a unique perspective on the intersection of immigration policy and the law, and how his office works to ensure immigrant families are treated fairly.

I do this work out of love for my community and the responsibility I feel to bring these voices forward—because far too often, we are invisible. If you missed the conversation, please take the time to listen and share it. Together, we can keep elevating these critical issues and making our voices heard.

On this episode of Connections, Host Fiona Foster along with KGNU Music Director Indra Raj, KGNU News Reporter and Producer Alexis Kenyon, and former KGNU intern Ivonne Olivas talk about the impact Taylor Swift has had on the music industry and what that means for the thousands of independent artists and producers trying to make music in her shadow. The group discusses Swift’s appeal, the fans she endears, the people she incites, and those who may feel left out.

Listen to the episode:

On today’s Connections, a conversation about Boulder’s relationship with open space. In 1967, Boulder became the first city in the United States to tax itself for the acquisition, management, and maintenance of open space.

Is Boulder still a leader over 50 years later? How is it innovating the way people live in a community?

In the studio with host Eli Kalen to talk about Boulder’s developments with regard to open space over the past 50 years are: Will Torr, Executive Director at Colorado Energy Office; Eric Budd, Boulder political organizer and data director; Elise Jones, Executive Director at Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP); and William Shutkin, principal of Shutkin Sustainable Living and Teaching Associate Professor and Interim Faculty Director in the Masters of the Environment program at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Photo Courtesy of Josie Nixon.

Storytelling is the oldest form of education we have. At least, that’s how Josie Nixon sees it. Their event “Exposed” is designed specifically to push boundaries – both for participants and for audience members. Nixon works with performers for three months, helping them develop a true story from their lives to perform on stage. All stories focus on challenging, potentially traumatic personal events, but those stories range in subject matter and intensity. Through Exposed, Nixon aims to provide a space for vulnerability, community, and collection across all identities and networks. The event is in-person only, with no photos or videos allowed.

Nixon talked with KGNU’s Eli Kalen and Jackie Sedley about their background, their work, and the mission that fuels Exposed.