Rooted in Impact: A United Way Coastal and Western Connecticut Podcast

This week on Rooted in Impact, we explore the power of connection and why strong relationships are essential to building thriving communities.

Host Ashley Gaudiano sits down with Araba Sapara-Grant, Senior Manager for Community Activation at Weave, a national movement dedicated to strengthening the social fabric of communities by helping people connect, contribute, and build relationships where they live. Together, they discuss the growing challenges of loneliness and social isolation, the importance of belonging, and how meaningful connections can improve individual well-being while strengthening entire communities.

Throughout the conversation, Araba shares insights from Weave’s work across the country, highlighting the everyday people—known as "Weavers"—who are creating positive change through small acts of connection, trust-building, and community engagement. The discussion explores how relationships serve as critical community infrastructure, helping neighborhoods become more resilient, responsive, and connected.

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how connection complements the work of nonprofits, schools, local governments, and community organizations, and why investing in relationships may be one of the most powerful ways to address challenges such as isolation, division, and lack of trust.

Whether it's introducing yourself to a neighbor, creating opportunities for conversation, or helping someone feel like they belong, this episode offers practical inspiration for anyone looking to strengthen the social fabric of their community.

This episode of Rooted in Impact is made possible by Newtown Savings Bank, whose long-standing commitment to Connecticut communities helps strengthen the partnerships and programs that allow individuals, families, and neighborhoods to thrive.

This week on Rooted in Impact, host Ashley Gaudiano sits down with Alice Knapp, CEO of The Ferguson Library, to explore how public libraries are evolving to meet the changing needs of their communities. The conversation highlights the library’s role as a trusted community hub—connecting residents to information, technology, services, and opportunities that foster learning, belonging, and support.

Listeners will gain insight into how modern libraries serve as essential community infrastructure, helping reduce barriers to access while creating spaces where individuals and families can learn, grow, and feel connected.

In this episode of Rooted in Impact, host Ashley Gaudiano sits down with to discuss how SEAT is building stronger, more representative nonprofit leadership by preparing residents from Black and Latino communities for board service. Kim shares the importance of diverse voices in decision-making spaces, the impact of board training and leadership development, and how empowering community members to lead can create more equitable and responsive organizations. The conversation highlights the power of representation, civic engagement, and community-driven leadership to strengthen nonprofits and the communities they serve. 

 In this episode of Rooted in Impact, host Ashley Gaudiano sits down with Sean Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of Real Food CT, to explore how community partnerships are expanding access to fresh, locally grown food across Connecticut. Sean shares how Real Food CT’s Food Hub, farm operations, and collaborations with local farmers are helping bridge gaps in the food system while strengthening both community health and the local economy. The conversation highlights the power of innovative, community-driven solutions to build a more equitable and resilient food system. 

To learn more about Real Food CT visit: https://realfoodct.org/

This week on Rooted in Impact, host Ashley Gaudiano sits down with Andrew Ferguson to explore how leadership development and community connection can strengthen a culture of service across Connecticut. Andrew shares the vision behind Redwood Endeavors, including the launch of Redwood Fellows and The Neighborhood—a statewide network designed to connect, support, and celebrate volunteers and civic leaders.

The conversation highlights how investing in people and building strong networks can drive long-term impact. Listeners will gain insight into how leadership, volunteerism, and community engagement intersect—and how individuals and organizations alike can play a meaningful role in fostering a more connected, service-driven state.

This week on Rooted in Impact, host Ashley Gaudiano interviews State Rep. Corey Paris to discuss leading with purpose in public service, nonprofit work, and advocacy.

Representative Paris explains how he weaves equity, opportunity, and community impact into his professional and governmental roles. The conversation delves into persistent systemic barriers affecting families and children, and explores how collaborative, long-term solutions can overcome these challenges. Through examples of cross-sector partnerships and community-centered leadership, the discussion illustrates how meaningful change results from coordinated efforts between people and institutions.

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how leadership rooted in service and equity drives lasting impact, and how both individuals and organizations can help build more stable, opportunity-rich communities for everyone.

This week on Rooted in Impact, host Ashley Gaudiano sits down with Lauren Scopaz-Daunais, Senior Vice President of Collective Action, for a conversation about how communities across Connecticut are coming together to improve outcomes for children and families—from early childhood through career.

Lauren shares insights from the Connecticut Cradle to Career Coalition, highlighting how cross-sector collaboration, shared data, and community voice help align local efforts and inform statewide policy solutions that advance economic mobility. From schools and nonprofits to government, businesses, families, and youth, she explains how the cradle-to-career model creates a unified approach to supporting children’s education and long-term success.

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of why collective action matters, how communities can work together around shared goals, and the strategies driving lasting opportunity for children and families across Connecticut.

This week on Rooted in Impact, we explore what it truly means to live a life of service — across career, community, and family.

Host Ashley Gaudiano sits down with Damika Richardson, Associate Group Practice Manager at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Captain in the Air National Guard, for a conversation about leadership rooted in commitment and purpose. From overseeing operations within a federal healthcare system serving veterans to volunteering in her community and mentoring the next generation, Damika’s story highlights how public service can take many forms — and why it matters.

Together, they discuss the often-unseen leadership that keeps complex systems running, the lessons military service brings to civilian leadership, and the importance of modeling service for the next generation. As a mother, community volunteer, and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Damika shares how service isn’t confined to a title — it’s a mindset that shapes how we show up every day.

This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to lead within institutions that support communities at scale, while staying grounded in local impact and personal responsibility.

This episode of Rooted in Impact is made possible by Newtown Savings Bank, whose long-standing commitment to Connecticut communities helps strengthen the partnerships and programs that allow individuals, families, and neighborhoods to thrive.

This week on Rooted in Impact, we’re exploring what it truly takes to build strong, resilient communities, especially in moments of uncertainty.

Host Ashley Gaudiano sits down with Katherine McKeon Curran, President & CEO of CIFC Health, for a conversation on expanding access to quality health care, early learning, and comprehensive family support systems. Together, they examine how community-based organizations respond to shifting policy landscapes, evolving funding environments, and growing local needs without losing sight of the people at the center of their mission.

From innovation in integrated care to leading through complexity, Katherine shares what it means to stay adaptive, strategic, and deeply rooted in community voice. This episode highlights a central truth: strong communities are built through access and through leaders who are willing to evolve in order to protect and expand it.

Learn more about CIFC Health and their work at https://www.cifc.org/.

This week on Rooted in Impact, we’re digging into the power of community-led advocacy and what it takes to advance educational equity for young Black children.

Host Ashley Gaudiano is joined by Maya Donald Spruill of CORNERS Community for a conversation rooted in lived experience, collective action, and systemic change. Together, they explore how inequities show up in education, why organizing families, parents, and youth is critical for accountability, and how CORNERS Community is building pathways for youth leadership and workforce development. 

Learn more about CORNERS Community and their work at www.cornerscommunity.org.