MELISSA CHERNEY is the new CEO of Rhode Island Foodbank. She discusses the differences coming from the Great Plains Food Bank in North Dakota and puts a human face on the hungry in Rhode Island. She also shares her personal struggle with hunger and receiving SNAP benefits.

The Rhode Island Philharmonic enters a new era with the first woman conductor and Music Director. RUTH REINHARDT has an impressive international reputation as a dynamic musical conductor. Born in Germany, she had already composed a full-length opera by the age of 17, which she conducted with her local music school. Ruth describes how she communicates with the musicians, the energy of the audience, and her plans for the Music School as she works with aspiring young musicians.

Do you know someone who is struggling to make ends meet? For over 130 years, Family Service of Rhode Island has been helping families out of poverty. MARGARET HOLLAND MCDUFF, CEO, has been at FSRI for 4 decades starting as a social worker helping teens in trauma. She highlights the efforts of this human services agency, which positively influences countless families and children in the state.

Cuts to federal SNAP benefits mean more Rhode Island families go hungry. KATE BREWSTER, CEO of Johnny Cake Center, a food pantry serving South County, says families worry about housing costs and putting food on the table.

REBEKAH ROSEN GOMEZ is co-founder and executive director of CONEXION LATINA NEWPORT, an organization that helps educate, empower, and connect the Hispanic community to services on Aquidneck Island. She explains how the values, culture, and work ethic of the Latino community contribute to the future and the local economy.

Since 2012, Girls on the Run Rhode Island has been inspiring girls from third to eighth grade to recognize their inner strengths and increase their physical activity. KASHA HANFLIK, executive director, and ELIZABETH MCGANN, program manager, discuss how young girls build friendships and grow their self-confidence during the ten-week program.

We are more politically divided than we have ever been in over 30 years. JENNIFER LAWLESS, chair of the Politics Department at the University of Virginia, discusses the national political scene and “affective polarization”. If you are a Rhode Island political junkie, you may recall that in 2006 she ran for the Democratic nomination for RI’s 2nd Congressional District. She lost but continues her research and analysis of politics.

LISA GUILLETTE, executive director of Foster Forward, discusses how foster care in Rhode Island has changed over the years, their innovative housing project in Pawtucket, and how opening your heart and home can change the life of a child forever.