For the People

We're starting our October Breast Cancer Awareness month reporting with a skilled surgeon from Waterbury Heath System with nearly a quarter century of hands-on experience supporting breast cancer survivors - for an informed and heartening conversation focusing on some positive news regarding breast cancer research, awareness, and recovery.

Then we're returning to a subject we've been covering for several years, bringing you an important update highlighting Connecticut's Workforce Alliance 'Recovery Works' initiative and how it is poise to help employees and employers working through addiction recovery.

And we'll close circling back with the CT Coalition to End Homelessness to get the latest on how COVID-19 is impacting our state's most vulnerable homeless population as winter approaches, and checking in on activities at this week's CCEH Annual Conference.

Today we're kicking things off with Abilis, a nonprofit serving more than 700 developmentally disabled individuals and their families. We'll learn more about an internationally renowned program Abilis is now offering called SibShops, combining recreation, discussion and information for siblings who endure the good (and sometimes uncomfortable) parts of having a sibling with a disability.

Then we'll meet Sacred heart University's VP for Advancement and new Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer to talk about how SHU is opening a new chapter aimed at broadening opportunities for both students and staff - and inviting you to support SHU's Jackie Robinson Scholarship Foundation with a chance to hang out virtually and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the famed Subway Series with Joe Torre and Bobby Valentine at 'SHU And 42'.

And we'll close talking about all the positive effects of exercise on your brain with Dr. Wendy Suzuki, who is poised to host a Zoom Workshop on the subject later this week for Newtown's Maplewood Senior Living community.

Halloween in a COVID world stands to be one of the potentially scariest holidays and it will be upon us soon. So where do you stand on celebrating - trick or treating - or maybe just taking a pass on Halloween 2020. We'll help you figure it out with a mom and medical authority from PhysicianOne Urgent Care.

Then we'll get some sobering news - and maybe a little spark of hope - as we touch base with the CT Center for Economic Analysis. We'll get the latest low down on jobs and household income growth, how they are being impacted by the pandemic, and how legalized cannabis could go far toward propelling Connecticut out of the sorry economic state we're find ourselves in right now.

Finally, we'll hear from the Beardsley Zoo's lead educator on MonarchWatch - and learn a little bit about this important environmental partnership that puts everyday folks like you to work helping protect and sustain the world's endangered Monarch butterfly population.

Meet a director from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discussing a brand new poll that amplifies how badly the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Latino, Black, and Native American households.

Then we air out a few concerns about, and potential benefits of wind power as we touch base with the New England for Offshore Wind coalition to learn more about developing offshore wind projects coming to the region.

Then the Executive Director with the American Cancer Society explains the important and exciting developments related to this year's American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer drive-through experiences and pink parades of celebration!

We're opening our doors to the CEO of CHFA - the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority - to chat about how this quasi-public agency is working harder than ever to support renters and homeowners, rental housing operators, and to promote broader affordable and workforce housing across the state.

Then it's time for our annual visit with Cindi Bigelow. The 2020 Bigelow Tea Community Challenge, like so many activities, is going virtual on September 27. So we'll get the lowdown on how you can get involved and also touch base with one of the event's key beneficiaries - The Connecticut Food Bank.

Last but not least, we're calling all veterans and those who love them to register for the virtual 2020 Veterans Stand Down coming up September 24th and 25th. We'll connect the state Veterans Affairs Commissioner and clue you in on everything this year's Stand Down has to offer to our Connecticut heroes.

This Labor Day weekend, as folks whose jobs were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic take on the extra burden of finding new work, we'll open replaying a June segment with a representative from the Workforce Alliance of South Central CT to review new and enhanced online training and resources.

Then we'll learn how the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on folks trying to work through recovery - or who continue to experience mental health challenges. September is National Recovery Month, and there's nobody better to discuss the current state of recovery practices than with the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and principle at Aware Recovery Care.

September is also Preparedness Month, and with our local communities already experiencing tropical storms, tornadoes, extended power outages, and even some flooding, we're going to close chatting with the Ready campaign director at FEMA - the Federal Emergency Preparedness Agency.

Today we're talking about 'plogging' - which incorporates picking up litter while jogging - and how you can discover plogging on September 20 as Keep America Beautiful launches it's 2020 Trash Dash in Stamford - and enlists ploggers across Connecticut virtually in targeting discarded PPE and other waste in our communities.

Then we'll get Closer to Free with the folks at Smilow Cancer Hospital and the Yale Cancer Center. They helped host John Voket survive cancer, so along with a fellow survivor we'll meet who's raised more than $150,000 for the cause - we'll tell you about - and clue you in on being part of the 10th anniversary Closer to Free Ride on September 12.

Rounding out our program of virtual activities, we'll catch up with the Center for Family Justice - and hear about how this critical human services agency is supporting victims of sexual assault in a COVID world, and invite you to the center's Speaking of Women virtual gathering on September 22.

We're opening today with the Yankee Institute, which just launched a new comprehensive database of every public labor contract in the state, and how it can help you and your elected leaders better understand how they impact our communities and economy.

Then we're going to have an energized conversation with the new CEO of one of the state's oldest human services agencies, the Children's Center of Hamden. We'll learn how this new, vibrant agency leader is thinking outside the box, while helping established staff, students, and clients stay safe while benefiting from all the Center's services.

And we'll close on another critical subject involving our kids and the state's workforce - as we welcome a representative from Connecticut's Office of Early Childhood, talking about a brand new partnership with the Women's Business Development Council - laser focusing on protecting, enhancing, and sustaining our fragile network of childcare centers.

We're kicking it off talking about 'The Journey to Equity and Inclusion' in our workplaces with the Chief Knowledge Officer from the Society for Human Resource Management talking about SHRM’s Together Forward @Work initiative. 

Then our guest from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University will hit the high points of a new study on how Connecticut has gone so wrong when it comes to administering public pensions, and what can be done about it.

And then we'll reconnect with the Community Action Agency serving greater New Haven, and key in on the statewide home energy assistance program. Our guest will explain everything you need to know about it - and how to gather the information you'll need to apply and qualify.

Meet a Connecticut cultural anthropologist talking about a survey he completed that illustrates how COVID-19 will permanently transform consumer culture — and ways family relationships and values changed during quarantine.

Then we'll catch up with the President of Goodwin University to hear how his institution is partnering with Sacred Heart University and the Paier College of Art to work with the University of Bridgeport creating a new model for higher education.

And we'll close on the serious subject of distracted driving with the founder and an incoming UConn student scholar promoting Project Yellow Light - helping teens and young adults reach their peers with potentially life saving messages about safe driving through a creative scholarship initiative.