Get Connected

The Children's Village, one of the great family support non-profits in our city, recognizes that housing alone isn't enough for those experiencing housing insecurity. A standout feature of the The Eliza, newly opened affordable housing Inwood, is an on-site teaching kitchen, in partnership with Emma’s Torch, a non-profit social enterprise that empowers refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking through culinary education. Our guests are Dr. Jeremy Kohomban, President and CEO of The Children’s Village, and Kerry Brodie founder and executive director of Emma's Torch. For more, visit childrensvillage.org and emmastorch.org.

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Everyone loves a great animal story—our guest has so many of them, she’s written a book:  Dr. Dawn Filos shares the highs and lows of vet care in TALES OF A PET VET: Stories From The Clinic And House Calls. Dr. Dawn Filos has been a practicing veterinarian for over 30 years, with a house call practice called Bucks Mercer Mobile Vet, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For more, visit drdawnthepetvet.com.

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There are close to 1,700 public schools in NYC today, yet only four of those are public all-girls schools. One of them, soon to open, will wear it’s identity as a feminist college preparatory school on it’s sleeve. Our guest is Christina Yi-Perry, founder and executive director of Kwenda Collegiate Girls School, a tuition-free public charter school for girls and gender-expansive youth, opening in 2025.  For more, visit kwendaschools.org.

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Given the complexities of raising kids in our hyper-connected world, now more than ever, parents play a crucial role in their teens' lives. Our guest is family counselor Susan Caso, a mother of three, who also draws on her 20 years of clinical experience for her new book, THE PARENT-TEEN CONNECTION: How to Build Lifelong Family Relationships. Caso offers a roadmap for parents looking to cultivate what she calls "connectedness" within their families that safeguards teens in today's world. Susan Caso holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado and undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Human Development from the University of Kansas. For more, visit susancaso.com.

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November is Youth Homelessness Awareness Month. To bring attention, show solidarity and raise critical funds, Covenant House is hosting Sleep Out—a transformative overnight experience—in 19 cities, including three events in our area—on Thursday, November 21. Our guest is Colleen Veldt, Vice President of P2P Fundraising at Covenant House International. Covenant House New York is proud to be New York City’s largest provider serving youth experiencing homelessness. For more, visit Covenanthouse.org.

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For Veteran’s Day, our guest is respected military historian Stephen L. Moore, who takes us into the heart of the Vietnam War's covert Special Ops jungle warfare in BEYOND THE CALL OF THE DUTY, telling the story of the life and achievements of Robert Howard, the most decorated Special Forces soldier of all time.  Stephen L. Moore, a sixth-generation Texan, graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He is the author of two dozen books on World War II, Vietnam, and Texas history, including Patton’s Payback and Blood and Fury.

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For Veterans Day, our guest is journalist and activist Bob Woodruff. Since founding the Bob Woodruff Foundation in 2006 after he was injured by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq, the foundation that bears his name raised over $160 million to support veterans and their families.  The 18th Annual Stand Up for Heroes is Veterans’ Day evening at Lincoln Center. For more, visit BobWoodruffFoundation.org.

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15 million American adults have social anxiety—roughly 7% of the entire population. More than two-thirds of those adults showed their first symptoms during their childhood years. And yet, it often takes up to ten years to seek help. In her memoir, OUT OF MY SHELL, therapist Natasha Daniels brings her own social anxiety into the open, on her journey to find healing through self-acceptance. Natasha Daniels is an anxiety and OCD child therapist who has published six other books including How to Parent your Anxious Toddler, It’s Brave to Be Kind, and Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids.

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A 2024 Goldman Sachs survey found that 77% of small businesses were concerned about their ability to access capital. In addition, in 2023, a majority of small business owners had to tap into their personal funds or use cash reserves to maintain operations. The Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC) is trying to alleviate some of those concerns for small business owners by offering low-interest loans, tailor made for small and mid-sized businesses operating in, or moving to, The Bronx. Our guests are Rob Walsh, President of The Bronx Economic Development Corporation, and Britney Moss, Founder of Cupcake Me!, a client of BXEDC. For more, visit BXEDC.org and cupcakemenyc.com.

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As we near election day and early voting continues, we discuss the six ballot proposals for New York City voters with Eric Friedman, of NYC Votes, an initiative of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, the independent city agency that ensures local elections are fair, inclusive, and open. For more, including detailed info about each proposal, visit nycvotes.org.

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