In our country, the wealthiest in the world, tens of millions of people worry about not having enough food to feed their families. How generous are we to those less fortunate? What needs to be done to help with food insecurity?

Dick’s guest, Michelle Orge, is President and Executive Director of Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin that serves 16 counties.

Many Americans suffer from mental health issues but when do these issues rise to the level of chronic mental illness? Who are the chronically mentally ill and what care and treatments are the best protocols? What do those connected to them need to know to best support them?

Dick’s guest, Dr. Gina Bryan, DNP, APRN, FAAN is a Clinical Professor at the School of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and maintains an active practice at The Psychology Clinic, Inc. working with people with severe and persistent mental illness.

Dick’s guest, MaryAdele Revoy, devoted five years working with women incarcerated in a maximum security prison, navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives. She shares her thoughts from her experience in the criminal justice system as a crisis intervention worker at Wisconsin’s maximum security prison for women, Taycheedah.

Dick’s guest, Prasanta Verma, the author of Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging, discusses loneliness in America. In 2023, the Surgeon General declared loneliness a national epidemic and compared its health impact to the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

There is a 50/50 chance you met your current partner online dating. It’s the new world of dating but some level of deception is common. Why do some people deceive? What is catfishing? How do you navigate around these issues?

Dick’s guest, Dr. Catalina Toma is a Professor of Communication Science at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research helps people understand and communicate via technology, particularly online dating, social networking sites and AI.

There are celebrities and online influencers who have thousands, sometimes millions of followers and fans. These people often feel they know the celebrity and may believe they are connected to them personally. This is called a parasocial relationship. It is a one-way relationship and it is widespread in our culture. How does this happen? How does it affect the fan? How does it feel to be on the other side as the one being followed?

Dick’s guest, Dr. Gayle S. Stever is Professor of Social and Behavioral Science at Empire State University of New York and has written three books on parasocial relationships.

We all face serious setbacks, scary challenges or losses. What if we could not only handle these situations with skill and resilience but also adapt and grow to improve ourselves when life throws us these left curves?

Dick’s guest, Darald Hanusa, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice for over 45 years. He is also Senior Lecturer Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work.

Some therapists are finding that exploring a client’s creativity and artistic expression can lead to better mental health and self awareness. This expression can be via poetry, music, painting or simply journaling their feelings.

Dick’s guest, Dr. Richard LaBrie is a Clinical Psychologist and also the author of Alchemy of Blood, a collection of contemporary poems that focus on a variety of topics, including relationships, social and political trends, nature and psychology.

Dick’s guest, Denise Hanson, is the Founder and Executive Director of Root 2 Rise, a non-profit organization that actually pays a stipend and gives class credit to teens on the verge of dropping out by having them help elementary school kids do better in school.

The CDC reports 40% of high school students have persistent sadness or hopelessness. About 20% have seriously considered suicide and 9% have attempted it. These bleak numbers are significantly worse than 25 years ago. How can these troubled teens be better helped?

Dick’s guest is Dr. Steven Stein, a licensed psychologist and founder of North Star Adolescent Day Treatment Center in Madison, Wisconsin.