KSRO - Community Focus

Community Focus

Shedding light on important local issues concerning local non-profit agencies and charities. Hosted by Michelle Marques.

Past guests on Community Focus:

North Bay Family Expo Guest Robin Bowen talked about the California Parenting Institute and their annual North Bay Family Expo. For more information, visit calparents.org.

Your Teen and Meth Guest Teresa Jensen from the Petaluma Health Care District talked about a new on-line video available at phcd.org, detailing the tragic conseguences of meth use among Sonoma County teens. Visit the website to view this important video.

Family Service Agency Guests Jason Gilman and Tricia Hoffman talked about the services provided to families in Sonoma County. Family Service Agency offers counseling and other services to children, families, and the elderly. They are looking for seniors interested in being peer counselors, and especially for bilingual volunteeers. Call them at (707) 545-4551.

Goodwill Industries Guest Jennifer Swift shared information about an upcoming event for Goodwill Industries, and the ongoing mission of Goodwill to help people find jobs. There will be a gala fundraiser and a screening of the movie "The Ultimate Gift" at the Raven Theater on February 17th in Healdsburg.

Cystic Fibrosis Guest Rose Harting is a Cystic Fibrosis patient and a darn good singer. She uses her music to help raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Click here to learn how you can help.

Listening For A Change Guest Phyliss Rosenfield, founder of Listening For A Change, told us about this non-profit program that works to eradicate prejudice and open communication in schools and communities. The three pronged approach teaches through an art installation, a school program, and a community program. Students and community members are taught how to conduct an oral history interview with members of our society who have lost their human rights. By personally interviewing and interacting with Holocaust Survivors, Japanese-American Internment Camp Survivors, and Survivors from Cambodia's Pol Pot regime--students learn about our differences and what makes us similar. For more information, visit listeningforachange.org.

Provisional License Action Network Guests Beth Dadko, Barbara Uppham, Greg Jacobs, and Patty Julius talked about the dangers of teen driving. Parents need to know about the Provisional License Law and educate their teens about the risks. For more information, visit teensanddriving.org.

Martial Arts Youth Institute Guests Josh Segal and Robin Guasco talked about MAYi, a program designed to teach at-risk-youth the discipline of martial arts. The program aims to keep children from joining gangs, and to help kids learn self-reliance and get involved with the community. For more information, call (707) 843-9007. You can also email Josh Segal at mayisir@msn.com.

Emergency Preparedness Guests from The Red Cross of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa Fire Chief Bruce Varner, and City of Santa Rosa General Services Administrator Ed Buonaccorsi talked about how you can prepare yourself for the next natural disaster. A useful website for emergency preparedness is 72Hours.org.

Legal Aid of Sonoma County offers a range of services to low-income families and those in crisis situations.