For the People

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.

Summer's here and kids should be having a blast, but there are hundreds of kids involved with the Boys & Girls Village Foster and Therapeutic Foster care programs who are looking for a caring family to help them feel at home again. So stay tuned, learn more and see if you can get involved.

Then we're going to talk about data - who uses it, why, and how data can be accessed and applied to improve your academic project, nonprofit, community agency, journalism initiative and more - as we welcome and discuss how you can be part of the Connecticut Data Collaborative.

And if you're a veteran or somebody who cares about a vet who was  refused support services because of a non-qualifying discharge, we're going to connect them for help from the New Haven based National Veterans Council for Legal Redress.

It's been awhile since we touched base with the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition, and the recent release of the agency's State of the Child 2020 Report is a perfect reason to reconnect and discuss this important online publication.

Then, as we do each June - we'll celebrate pride month promoting resources for the region's LGBTQ community - this year welcoming the director of the Triangle Community Center which serves more than 5,000 LGBTQ community members in greater Fairfield County and beyond.

And finally, we'll connect with the Arts Alliance of Stratford hosting Make Music Stratford at the Shakespeare Theater Park on June 21, and planning a number of interactive events in the coming months to promote and grow the arts - hopefully with our listeners' support!

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.