SoCal Voices

Southern California’s vibrance and abundance bely the fact that a number of our neighbors don’t have enough food to eat. Led by CEO Carolyn Fajardo, Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino, the region’s largest food bank, works daily to meet the food needs of the community. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Fajardo talks about the work Feeding America is doing to ensure Inland Empire residents without enough food receive the help they need during the holidays and beyond.

Resources:

Help support Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino
 
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Alarming statistics reveal that Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Dana Sherrod, co-founder and executive director of the California Coalition for Black Birth Justice, helps us understand why this is happening, and what can be done to address these disparities and improve birth outcomes for more Black families. 

Resources:

California Coalition for Black Birth Justice

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Forty-million adults under 30 are eligible to vote in the November election. About eight million of them are first-time voters and they’re registering to vote in record numbers. While many young people between 18 - 30 say they intend to vote, some also say they are disillusioned by the binary nature of contemporary U.S. politics. How will young voters’ frustrations with the current system impact their vote in November? In this final installment of SoCal Voices’ young voter series, 19-year-old first-time voter Jamari Davis talks about the influences on his political views, the two-party system, and the presidential candidates.

Resources

Get everything you need to vote here! 

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People under 30 are registering to vote in record numbers. The uptick is attributed in part to “the switch” when President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination. Endorsements from Taylor Swift and other celebrities have also inspired many young people to register to vote, prompting predictions that young voters will have a major impact on the outcome of the election this fall.

With young millennials and Gen Z comprising one of the largest voting blocs in this election, what issues are they concerned about and how will they vote? In this second installment of SoCal Voices young voter series, 20-year-old college senior Dana Hart talks about his political influences, how he plans to approach his voting decisions this November, and the importance of discussing political issues without harming others.

Resources

Get everything you need to vote here! 

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The 2024 Presidential Election is under way and since President Joe Biden left the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic party’s nominee, young voters have responded to her candidacy with record breaking voter registrations, campaign volunteer signups and donations. Gen Z and young millennials make up one of the largest voting blocs this election cycle and could impact the results if they vote — and if they don’t. So what issues are young voters concerned about and how will they vote? In the first installment of SoCal Voices young voter series, 31-year-old civil rights attorney Sarah Carthen Watson talks about the issues she’s most concerned about in this election, how she plans to vote, and the fundamental changes she believes are needed to make America a more just, equitable and livable society for us all.

Resources

Get everything you need to vote here! 

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Community development is essential to how all the elements of where we live fit together and impact how we experience our communities. Eric Nelson is a 20-year community development expert who has impacted the lives of thousands of Southern Californians through his work in residential and commercial developments. He is Vice Chair of the Planning Commission at the City of Dana Point, a past President of the Orange County Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California and Vice President of Community Development at Trumark Homes. He brings all of this experience and his SoCal “native son” perspective to his work.  On this episode of SoCal Voices, Eric talks about the importance of community development to our overall quality of life. He also talks about his favorite project  — the innovative Covina Bowl development — that captures the essence of community development and community preservation. He also shares his 10-year vision for the future of community development in SoCal.  

Resources

Learn more about Eric Nelson 

Visit trumarkhomes.com

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For more than 30 years, Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles has been helping former prisoners and ex-gang members redirect their lives to become productive, contributing members of the community. A human services agency offering legal, mental health, and education services and more, Homeboy Industries makes second chances possible by combining practical services and hope with an unconventional approach to meeting the bottom line. Tom Vozzo, Homeboy Industries’ CEO, has led the organization for nearly 12 years with a leadership style that matches the name of his book: The Homeboy Way: A Radical Approach to Business and Life. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Vozzo, a self-described compassionate capitalist, shares how leading the Homeboy way is making a positive impact on the organization and continuing a long tradition of transforming lives. 

Resources

Get the book

Visit Homeboy Industries

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When she was 17 years old, San Diego author Jennifer Gasner was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia or FA, a rare progressive neuromuscular disease. The impact of FA varies from person to person, but generally causes difficulty walking, a loss of coordination and impaired speech. Initially, Jennifer was shocked and in denial about her diagnosis and, at times, used alcohol as a way to cope, but ultimately decided to live her life with joy. She chronicles her journey in her book, My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis. On this episode of SoCal Voices, Jennifer shares how she’s living her life with determination, humor and a positive attitude.

Resources:

Visit Jennifer’s website: https://jennifergasner.com/

Get the book at Amazon, Books a Million, Barnes & Nobel or Warwick’s

Follow Jennifer Gasner:

Instagram: @jennygwriter

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Born in China and raised in Los Angeles, certified life coach, podcaster, speaker and author Lucy Liu is a self-described ex-overachiever and recovering perfectionist who is thriving in Irvine. On this episode of SoCal Voices, she shares how she mastered the art of slowing down and how she helps women business owners, creatives, coaches and influencers transform their lives, boost their income, have a greater positive impact and have more fun. Her experience and tips for living well may inspire you to live a more centered, fulfilling life.

Resources

https://www.lucyliucoaching.com/

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Long before podcasting and FM radio, AM radio ruled. And in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the biggest dog on the porch was THE MIGHTY 690. The 50,000-watt station was heard throughout SoCal. And its top-40 format was popular with teenagers and young adults. The story of the station — and a real-life contest it ran in the summer of 1981 — has been fictionalized in a fun new novel, The Mighty 690  by Alexander Hamilton Cherin. In this episode of SoCal Voices, Cherin talks about the impact of the real Mighty 690 radio station on his youth,  his multi-year journey writing the book including why he took a fictional rather than fact-based approach to this story, and offers some predictions about the future of radio in Southern California and the general outlook for the region. If you're a fan of nostalgia, radio history, or just love a good story set in SoCal, this episode is a must-listen! Dive into the world of The Mighty 690 and join us on a journey back in time to a defining era of Southern California radio. 

https://alexandercherin.com/

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