For the People

We're continuing our celebration of 2026 - the International Year of the Woman Farmer - by introducing Brittany Conover who runs Shaggy Coos Farm & Creamery in Easton. We'll talk about her farm operation, why dairy farmers are being especially hard-hit these days, and her take on committed Connecticut subsidies aimed at keeping dairy farms like hers alive and sustainable.

Then, we'll be bringing you the second part of our 2026 International Festival of Arts & Ideas preview. Activities have been happening across New Haven's neighborhoods throughout May - now it's time to learn more about the 'main event' launching in early June in and around downtown. We'll tell you how to get in on all the music, talks, recitals, dance, exhibits, and interactive fun - which is mostly all free!

Finally, we'll connect for Part 2 of our conversation with the person heading up Connecticut's Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) through the Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging. She'll explain how scammers can cleverly begin taking advantage of you, and how occasional unintentional and intentional billing mistakes are adding up to billions in losses to the program.

Since we're smack-dab in the middle of May - Mental Health Awareness Month and National Foster Care Month, we'll touch on both subjects with a little sprinkle of purple in between. Have you heard there's a huge issue going on involving major Connecticut insurers being fined for violating mental health parity laws? Today we're opening with the chair of the Mental Health Parity Coalition to unpack the details around this important issue and explain what you can do about it.

Then we'll meet a true grassroots hero, the inspiration behind Purple Pantry Boxes - who is helping create yet another innovative way to address hunger and food insecurity by installing and stocking purple food distribution and donation boxes in a growing number of welcoming local neighborhoods.

And, we'll wrap things up continuing our mission to help find loving stable places for the thousands of young people across western Connecticut currently waiting to relocate into foster home situations. If you think being a foster parent or caregiver is not a skillset you possess, connect with our conversation with the senior foster care recruiter at Wheeler's Foster Care Programs.