Sarasota Opera

Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services is a non-sectarian, community-based, Florida not-for-profit that has been serving Floridians since 1960. Their programs cover Children and Family Services, Workforce Development, Refugee Services, and more.

On this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sandra Braham, President, and CEO of Gulf Coast JFCS, who shares with us how this organization is helping families stay together, helping people gain valuable life skills, and helping to maintain a quality of life for our senior population.

We'll also learn about the CALL Program, which is being developed in partnership with the St. Petersburg Police department that is positively impacting the community when it comes to responding to emergency calls involving persons with mental and behavioral health issues. 

Through strong community partnerships, Gulf Coast JFCS is truly living up to its mission to PROTECT the vulnerable, EMPOWER individuals, and STRENGTHEN families.

For more than 30 years, the Guardian ad Litem Program has exclusively represented the best interest of children in the State of Florida court system. In Hillsborough County alone, more than 3,500 neglected, abused, and abandoned children have been removed from their homes and placed in the custody of the dependency court system. With no family available to speak for them, the child’s fate falls into the hands of the courts. Guardian ad Litem volunteers have the power to help give these kids a voice. 

On this episode, we sit down with Yvonne Marrone, Community Outreach Coordinator, to learn about the impact that volunteers have on both the life of a child in need and within the court system. We also speak with Derrick Perez, a Guardian Ad Litem volunteer. Derrick grew up in the foster care system, and he uses his past personal experiences to help guide other foster kids into a successful future.

For more information on Guardian Ad Litem, please visit guardianadlitem.org

Be More Unstoppable’s host, Veronica, has been a volunteer for Meals on Wheels of Tampa for about 17 years. She sits down with long-time friend and passionate Executive Director, Steve King. She also speaks with several homebound Meals on Wheels recipients, who were kind enough to share a little bit about their lives and experience with the program.  

For more information about Meals on Wheels of Tampa, including how to become a volunteer, please visit mowtampa.org. 

Suncoast Animal League is a nonprofit, no-kill, no-time-limit animal welfare agency that cares for domestics and wildlife in Florida and beyond. On this episode, we sit down with co-founder and Executive Director Rick Chaboudy...and Karey Burek, the Rescue, Adoptions, and Outreach Coordinator and medical foster. They’ll discuss why they’re so passionate about saving animals and some challenges they’ve faced along the way. We'll also hear some incredible rescue stories that will leave you feeling inspired.  
 

For more information about supporting Suncoast Animal League, please visit suncoastanimalleague.org  

On this episode, we’ll hear some incredible music from the Sarasota Opera, and speak with Executive Director, Richard Russell, and Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, Maestro Victor DeRenzi. They’ll discuss the work their organization is doing to preserve opera traditions and how they're sharing them with the next generation. We’ll also talk with Delores McKenzie, a former student in Sarasota Opera’s Youth program, about her experience and love for the stage. 

For more information about the Sarasota Opera, please visit sarasotaopera.org

Nadine Smith has been fighting for equality for the LGBTQ community all of her adult life. She helped form the International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organization as a college student. She was co-chair of the 1993 March on Washington, which led to the first ever meeting between a sitting president and gay community leaders. In 1997, she founded Equality Florida and has been Executive Director there ever since. During our conversation, she talked about her incredible life as a journalist and activist but also shared many meaningful moments that have steered her.

For more information on Equality Florida, please visit www.eqfl.org 

October is domestic violence awareness month and it’s an issue that has touched most of our lives in some way. On this episode, we sit down with Mindy Murphy, President and CEO of The Spring of Tampa Bay and Courtney, a domestic violence survivor. We covered so much important ground during our conversation. We talked about the patterns of abusers, how to help loved ones you suspect are being abused, how to seek help yourself. We talked about the importance of men becoming part of the solution. We discussed what lessons can be learned from the Gabby Petito police video...from the importance of proper training for law enforcement to subtle signs of abuse.  This episode does have some moments that are not easy to hear but it’s a conversation that is incredibly important and we thank you for caring enough to listen.  

This episode includes discussion around topics such as domestic violence, physical violence, sexual assault, and harassment. This content may be difficult and we encourage you to care for your well-being.

For more information about how to seek help from The Spring, or for ways you can help support their mission, please visit thespring.org. Their 24-hour crisis hotline is 813-247-SAFE.  

For anyone outside the Tampa area who is seeking help, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. That’s 1-800-799-7233.

Manatees are Florida’s state marine mammal. They’re also one of the most peaceful creatures on earth and they are facing a dire situation right now. On this episode, we sit down with Patrick Rose, an aquatic biologist and Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club. We’ll hear about what is killing these gentle giants, how this organization is fighting to protect them, and many simple ways everyone can help support their recovery.

For ways to help manatees and more information, please visit savethemanatee.org.

For free boater materials we discussed: savethemanatee.org/how-to-help/free-materials

Resources for boaters: savethemanatee.org/how-to-help/resources-for-boaters

To report an injured or distressed manatee, please call 1-888-404-FWCC. 

There are over half a million homeless unaccompanied youth in the U.S. and almost a fifth of that number are in Florida alone. On this episode, we're speaking with Vicki Sokolik, the founder of Starting Right, Now. She shares the story of what inspired her to create the organization, which is just as extraordinary as the tireless work she’s doing to end youth homelessness.  

We also chat with her son, Cameron Sokolik, who has been working with Starting Right, Now for as long as he can remember. He’s a grant writer for SRN and co-hosts Raising Me, a podcast where these remarkable youths can share their stories on their own terms. You’ll hear a few emotional excerpts from SRN students Sergio, Aja, and Lincoln too.

To learn more about Starting Right, Now, go to startingrightnow.org  

On this episode, we chat with Mary Peter, the founder of K9 Partners for Patriots. This nonprofit is on a mission to end veteran suicide, which claims over 6,000 lives in the U.S. every year. Mary seeks to transform the lives of vulnerable veterans with the help of some very skilled, very adorable, four-legged friends. 

We’ll also hear from Jimmy Tatum, an Army veteran whose life was forever changed by the organization. Jimmy shares his story with beautiful honesty, making us laugh and cry in equal measure. We hear about his time in the service, his difficulty adjusting to civilian life, circumstances that lead to getting diagnosed with PTSD, being paired with a service dog through K9 Partners for Patriots, and coming out the other side feeling grateful. Sidenote: The handsome pup in our episode artwork is Jimmy's first service dog, Remi! 

To learn more about K9 Partners for Patriots, go to k9partnersforpatriots.com

This podcast is produced by WEDU PBS in West Central Florida. For more information, please visit wedu.org/unstoppable. 

For information about all our podcasts, please visit wedu.org/podcasts