Talk! with Audrey

With the current state of school closures, families in communities throughout the US who rely on schools for their children's meals are at risk of experiencing food insecurity. As a result, food agencies have experienced a growing need to provide food for children who have been released from annual school schedules due to COVID-19. This has resulted in record lows for food bank inventories across the country. Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communication at Grocery Outlet Layla Kasha, joins me with information about the current state of food banks across the country, and details about Grocery Outlet's 10th Annual Independence from Hunger (IFH) National Food Drive Campaign.

The College Board has launched College Board Opportunity Scholarships with 5 million dollars of scholarships each year. It started with the class of 2020 and is open now for the class of 2021. This isn't your typical scholarship program! Lacey Allen, Associate Director of Scholarships Strategy at the College Board has the details.

As millions of Americans continue to spend unprecedented amounts of time at home, it also means spending more time with their pets – including cat owners with cat allergen sensitivities. A team of innovative scientists has developed a new way to manage allergens through cat food.

Dr. Kurt Venator, Chief Veterinary Officer, Purina joins me to talk about the science behind this breakthrough and he has some tips for bonding with your cat while managing cat allergens at home.

Approximately 44 million Americans are uninsured, making it nearly impossible for them to regularly fill their prescription medications and get regular access to healthcare. Even many of those with health insurance – more than 40% - still find that it doesn't always cover every type of medication or healthcare service. This often results in people making the difficult decision to forego medically necessary medications and skip doctor visits due to cost. Tori Marsh MPH, public health expert and Health Insights Analyst for GoodRx joins me to talk about what Americans can do when health insurance doesn't cover your healthcare needs.

Prior to the pandemic, the disability community advocated to work from home, as a reasonable accommodation, and was often denied. Ongoing stay-at-home orders in many U.S. states and cities have normalized working from home and modified work schedules. Managers are seeing that being in the office is not the only path to collaboration and creativity. The new workplace environment is a 'silver lining' that may create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. My guests are David Shurna, No Barriers USA executive director and Kathy Martinez, Disability and Accessibility Strategy for Wells Fargo.

Every year, close to 800,000 Americans have a stroke. Even during a pandemic, stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency and health officials and medical groups across the country, including the American Heart Association, are urging people to seek immediate medical attention. Joining me with the signs and symptoms, world-renowned stroke expert Dr. Patrick Lyden, Professor of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai – Los Angeles.

The ESSENCE Festival, is an unprecedented weekend of cultural celebrations, empowerment seminars and nightly musical performances by top tier artists is regarded as the event of the year for black talent and culture. For the first time ESSENCE Festival 2020 is going to be virtual. Head of Brand Strategy and Growth Audience Marketing at Ford Motor Company, Raj Register joins me to talk about their commitment to African American women, their presence at ESSENCE Festival and what we can expect to see from the panel discussions.

Patients with autoimmune diseases are at higher risk for severe complications of COVID-19 which means that social distancing guidelines may be in place for autoimmune patients longer than the general public, joining me with information about a new online platform to offer personalized resources and unite patients with Myasthenia Gravis in a time of social distancing, Dr. Ericka Greene, Program Director, Neurology Residency and Neuromuscular Medicine Residence, Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas and Rachel Higgins, patient and Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Community Leader, from Austin, Texas.

We all love our pets and want to keep them healthy. Merck Animal Health created the BRAVECTO Cares program, which focuses on the wellness of family pets and also supports National Education for Assistance Dog Services, NEADS® – an organization that trains service dogs. Joining me to discuss the program and share some pet wellness tips are veterinarian and U.S. Army Major with the Veterinary Corps, Dr. Mark Pelham, and NEADS® service dog trainer, Becca Hill.

It's no secret that loneliness among our older adult population was at an all-time high even before COVID-19. With orders to stay at home blanketing the nation, the issue of isolation and loneliness was magnified. Cox Communications addressed this issue head-on with their One Call a Day volunteer program. To tell us all about it, Cox Broadcasting Order Management, San Diego volunteer and mom of 4, Cynthia Fletes and her friend Lucy, 82 years young and grandma to 19. We talk about how the program has made a positive impact on their lives.