Our Delaware Valley Podcast

Sam Lemhenney, Chief of Shows and Events for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, discussed the upcoming Philadelphia Flower Show, the premiere floral event in the US and an international attraction that draws over 250,000 visitors.  Now in its 191st year, the Flower Show raises funds for PHS programming throughout the year, including Tree Tenders, community gardening projects, landscaping at the city parks, parkways and Dilworth Plaza, classroom guides, and the water management work with rain barrels and public classes and its innovative Roots to Re-Entry program, teaching landscape skills and offering job placement for the recently incarcerated. Sam described details of this year's offering, Riviera Holiday, presented with the Principality of Monaco February 29 - March 8 at the PA Convention Center.  A replica of Philadelphia's Princess Grace's wedding dress, a rose collection reflecting her love of the flower will be included, as well as fully landscaped gardens, recycled materials and water gardens, the annual grand entry way, the competition floor, professional demonstrations and competitions, 'make and take' session, the butterfly room and a large vendor arena, as well as after-hour parties and the kick off preview Gala.  He reminded us that this give the region a huge boost in tourism dollars for hotels, restaurants and transportation providers plus a lasting impact on the city's rep as a destination point.  For more information go to THEFLOWERSHOW.COM or PHSONLINE.ORG.

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Alana Mauger, Communications Director for Blood Services at the American Red Cross discussed the critical need for blood, for trauma and surgical patients, bit also for cancer patients, their biggest recipients.  

During the month of February the American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society are conducting an awareness campaign to inform the public of the need for blood products for cancer treatment.   

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Kathleen Greene discussed Philadelphia's Barnes Foundation, a private non-profit museum founded by Dr. Albert Barnes, a collector of some of the most influential and noteworthy artists of the 19 and 20th centuries, including Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Renoir and more.  She spoke about her mission, to bring people into the building to interact with the space and the art through concerts, films, dance presentations and talk.  She described Barnes's own mission to introduce appreciation to everyone, and his outreach toward a more diverse audience, people of color and non-students of art.  Ms Greene spoke of the neighborhood hubs that connect the museum with locals, especially children and low and no-pay ways to see the galleries.  She told us about upcoming exhibits, including a presentation on fashion entrepreneur Marie Cuttoli who worked with Picasso, Braque Man Ray and others to revive the French textiles industry, and the summer show on self-taught carver Elijah Pierce, an African American barber who created pieces about the news and religious events of his time. Both, she explains, further the Barnes method of using common objects, found objects and other items juxtaposed with the hung art to demonstrate theme and line.   She invited us to the upcoming Valentine's day Artist Bash, with Chinese shadow puppets, poets and music from La Calaca Flaca leading a 'Day of the Dead' parade for its theme of 'love and loss.'   For more information about the Barnes visit BARNESFOUNDATION.ORG.

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Shane Janick, Health Advocate and Coordinator of HealthMeet at The ARC of Philadelphia, and Drexel School of Medicine students Ashima Katakwar and Devin Barnaby, discussed the program that places medical sciences students at a Health Outreach Project clinic to learn to empathize and communicate with clients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Shane described their clients as vulnerable and lacking access to healthcare, through lack of transportation, insurance issues, poverty, social isolation and often through 'communication differences' that renders them unable to express verbally their problems and needs.  He noted that without programs such as HealthMeet, most students would never connect with a person with IDD and the students described the communication skills they are learning and their heightened awareness of the needs of the IDD population. For more information about HOP clinic and HealthMeet, visit arcphiladelphia.org  

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Amy Eusebio, Director of the Philadelphia Office of Immigrant Affairs, discussed the newly chartered office, which protects the economic and legal rights of immigrant residents, promotes cultural diversity, and highlights the important role they have played in shaping the city, in residential growth and the economy.  The Office recommends programming and policies that can impact the quality of life for our immigrant residents, including the Municipal ID, a PHL City ID provides an inexpensive photo ID that can allow the most vulnerable residents, including the elderly, the undocumented, the homeless, the recently incarcerated and foster youth to access city services and facilities.  It can also be used as a library card and it offers access to area museums and cultural venues.  The Office promotes English lessons and offers Immigrant Worker Academies, an outreach program that works local communities to train - and explain - American worker rights, workplace culture and labor law to prevent exploitation of a class that often has limited English language skills.  We talked about the cultural programs, highlighting the different communities. Finally, a discussion on our often misunderstood 'Sanctuary City' status, with an explanation that the city does not use that term, it considers itself a "Welcoming City.'  Noting that crime is at a 40 year low, she explained that trust between police and citizen comes first, for all of us, and so does not allow anyone - including law enforcement - to ask about documentation out of respect for confidentiality.  The city does respect actual judicial orders.   

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Dr Eric Kmiec, Director of the Gene Editing Institute at ChristianaCare discussed CRISPR and the future of gene editing, particularly in cancer treatments. We discussed the advantages of having his labs located within the oncology floors of the hospital, giving them access to actual patients.  

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Dr. Marci Drees, Chief Infection Prevention Officer at ChristianaCare discussed the coming Flu season – it’s all about prevention!  Dr. Drees started with a discussion about flu – what it is – a viral infection – how it mutates each season from two predominate strains, how it spreads around the world during cold months, and how scientists predict the formula for each year’s vaccination.   We discussed the symptoms of flu, a sudden onset, versus a cold where the symptoms build over several days.  She noted that this makes quarantine difficult, you’re spreading the disease through conversation and sneezing before you show signs of it.  She recommended hand washing, wiping surfaces – both with soap and/or alcohol based products – not anti-bacterial products and getting a flu shot.  We talked abut flu mortality, 40 million caught it last year and between  36,400 and 61,200 Americans died from it, it’s especially dangerous for people with already compromised immune systems.   We also mentioned the lost productivity – the flu can take you off work for a week and longer!   Dr. Drees talked about ChristianaCare efforts through their #HitMeWithYourFluShot campaign, to get health care workers inoculated.  She explained that getting the flu from a flu shot is a myth – you may have already been exposed or it may not even be the flu – and, even if protection is not 100%, it’s better than nothing and may weaken the flu you do catch.   For more information about the flu – visit the US Center for Disease Control at CDC.gov.

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Frank Machos, Executive Director, Office of Arts and Creative Learning for the School District of Philadelphia, Denise Kinney, founder and Executive Director of Musicopia, and Kate Lombardi, Managing Director of Dancing Classrooms Philadelphia, discuss the program that offer social interaction, discipline and cultural diversity to students. 

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Deborah Brown, Chief Mission Officer of the American Lung Association, spoke on the various forms of lung disease, from lung cancer to genetic diseases and environmental issues such as asthma.  We talked about lung health and the benefits of avoiding tobacco and second hand smoke, and she plugged their stop-smoking programs.  Ms Brown pushed screenings, low risk scans can discover disease early, and lungs never 100% recover from cigarette exposure.  She discussed their advocacy work locally and nationally.  Each year the Lung Association releases its ‘State of the Air’ report, looking at air standards and pushing for clean air laws and regulations.  She also talked about their recent work on increased bans and restrictions on tobacco products.  We discussed recent age restriction on buying cigarettes, raising the age of purchase to 21 and up, and their current push to stop sales of flavored vaping products.

Finally, she discussed their concerns about flavored vaping and the future effects of e-cigarettes, hookahs and other smokeless tobacco delivery systems.  She was concerned about the marketing of these products to young people, most of whom don’t realize their high tobacco content.

For more information visit LUNG.org

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Paul Wheatley, Chief Development Officer, Covenant House, discussed the faith-based organization, working to shelter and protect homeless youth. He described how they look for and find youth on the streets, feed them, offer overnight shelter, then build respect and trust with them and to work with them on long term solutions.  Covenant House offers meals, medical care, life skills training and counseling to give them self-esteem.  He spoke of the situations that lead to youth homelessness, including gender issues, foster care, abusive parents and poverty.  Once a youth accepts care and enters their programming they work with referrals to provide care, education and housing to get him or her self-reliant.   

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