Anna Marie's Sunday Focus

Anna interviews Shelby Doyle, Vice President for Public Awareness with the National School Choice Awareness Foundation.  They discuss how the choice of schools works in TN and the options that are available to help parents match their children with schools that fit their goals and talents.  They go over the list of education options currently available, including district schools, public...

Anna chats with Sara Whittemore, director of Development with Nashville Humane Association.  She tells about Nashville Humane's mission and the services they offer in ADDITION to Sheltering Animals. Nashville Humane helps with disaster relief, transporting pets here out of devastated areas, to get them care they need, and re-home if needed. They offer pet /people training programs, and host f...

In this Podcast, Dr. Joseph Sharpe, Chief Medical Officer at Ascension Saint Thomas Behavioral Health Hospital talks types of depression. He discusses some of the things that contribute to the condition and some ways to build a strategy to support your mental health. He talks about the links to physical health and mental health, and lists four areas that we can work on to promote good mental healt...

Anna speaks with Michael Aldrich, Managing Editor of Nashville Parent Magazine. Nashville Parent is a free monthly print magazine, and daily-updated online resource. Michael discusses the information that Nashville Parent offers parents, through every stage of parenthood. Those resources include the Award-winning event pages, complete with links and information, as well as links and details about...

Anna Marie talks with Ryan Lampa, CEO of People Loving Nashville. He talks about the non-profit that serves the unhoused and vulnerable of Nashville. They host a meal every Monday night on the Gay Street Connector, and add other items that people who are unhoused may need. With the meal and supplies, PLN offers relief and community, then, as connection is formed, they help with housing. PLN offers...

Anna talks with Darla DeLeon, the CEO and co-founder of Steered Straight, a local non-profit that offers student assembly messages to educate kids about the substances they're encountering (and using), what it does to their bodies, and how to stop if they're already using.  They speak extensively about how vaping has become such a large problem in schools, even in the younger grades, and how...

Anna Marie talks with Alecia Talbot, Executive Director of DSAMT  (Down Syndrome Association of Middle Tennessee.) Alecia gives details about their work with schools to help teachers improve outcomes of their Down students.     They discuss the support that DSAMT provides to families, schools and businesses to help people with Down Syndrome learn, grow, get jobs and find housing. They also talk su...

Anna Marie talks with Holly Bowman, Director of Development and Communication, for The Contributor, a newspaper produced here in Nashville and sold by homeless individuals.  By selling the paper, they learn about work and begin to make an income for themselves. Holly discusses how The Contributor helps the homeless through its SOAR program (SSI/SSDI, Outreach, Access and Recovery) to help peo...

Anna Marie talks with Mariela Moscoso, Executive Director of YEAH (Youth Empowerment Through Arts and Humanities).  She discusses how the organization uses music as a tool to strengthen individuals and build community.  They hope to empower youth to improve the culture of the community through the arts and self expression.  Their priorities include inclusivity, diversity, collaborat...

Anna speaks with Amy Cozzi, Senior Manager of Innovations and programs Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.   They discuss the programs they offer, which include children’s feeding programs, seniors feeding programs, mobile pantry and home delivery services. One in 6 children in the Nashville area are food insecure, not knowing where their next meal is coming from.  She discusses their nu...

The guest is Heather Gallager of the Beaman Park Nature Center. She talks with Anna about the center's upcoming 20th anniversary celebration in late October. They also talk about the property, primarily an old forest which has been saved, the birds that reside there, creeks where visitors can swim, and the plants found there.  Being several hundred feet above Davidson Country proper, the park has...

Anna talks with Rachael Wilkins, chief development officer of Safe Haven Family Shelter.  The organization serves over 300 families annually  experiencing homelessness.  Unlike most shelters, they allow the family to stay intact as a unit. Safe Haven provides assistance in obtaining and maintaining affordable housing.  They also provide workforce development for the parents, education for the chil...

Anna talks with Suzanne Reed and Meghan Kelly, two survivors of cancer.  They relate their stories and discuss being  two of this year's "Faces of Hope" for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.  We learn that we can form teams and raise money to we can help fund the future of breast cancer research.  The walk will be held Saturday, October 19...

Anna discusses the work of Nashville's Martha O'Bryan Center with Sherica Nelms, the organization's Chief Program Officer.  They talk about the group's goal of ending poverty in one generation. They do this through education, employment services, family support services. Their Family Success Network, located in East Nashville, teaches education and employment skills which are needed to be suc...

Anna's guest is Stacy Hall,  the director of Mothers Over Murder in Nashville.  The group exists to fill a gap in the social services system, provides support and encouragement to women, as well as other family members, who have lost loved ones to violence in our area.  Women further along in the healing process also act as advocates in the community for a peaceful resolution to disputes and the r...

Anna's guest is Stacy Hall, the director of Mothers Over Murder in Nashville.  The group exists to fill a gap in the social services system, provides support and encouragement to women, as well as other family members, who have lost loved ones to violence in our area.  Women further along in the healing process also act as advocates in the community for a peaceful resolution to disputes...

Anna talks with two people from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office:  Arriale Tabson, Public Information Officer, and Joel Brisson, Law Enforcement Liaison.  Joel discusses the department's efforts to seek input about people's use of streets and sidewalks, finding that most people don't use crosswalks (there aren't enough convenient) or they not watching where they're walking (yammering on their c...

Anna chats with Mary Ellen Lothamer-Urbano, president of the Assistance League of Nashville .  It's a totally volunteer organization that give assistance to children of the metro.  "Operation School Bell" provides new clothing of school uniforms which most local elementary schools require.  They put together packages each week of hygiene kits since no toiletries are covered by welfare programs.  T...

Anna speaks with Peacemaker Pastor Venita Lewis She's an organizer of the Stop Hate in Nashville rally, and the annual Silence the Violence events. Kids and young people are dying in record numbers, and there are groups like Venita's that want to make it clear that parents will not stand for it, that they're ready to speak out, to speak up, and educate to stop the hate.  She also discusses her wor...

Anna is joined by Jodi Schroer, YMCA District Executive Director,  to discuss the programs offered by the Brentwood location of the YMCA .   They offer summer camps, outreach programs, before and after school childcare programs, in addition to their fitness facilities.  Then, Casey LeVasseur discusses the Alex LeVasseur Memorial Skatepark at the Brentwood YMCA.   The family began supporting the Br...

Anna talks with Brandon Dyce, President & CEO of the Pet Community Center in Nashville.   With so many animal shelters experiencing an emergency overflow of unwanted pets, Pet Community Center's mission is to work on PREVENTIVE care for pets, including low-cost spay and neuter, vet services, vaccines and more... but work on a sliding scale. You can get your pets vaccinated there, and pay proba...

Anna Marie talks with Lori Shinton, chief volunteerism officer for United Way of Greater Nashville.  They discuss what the United Way offers to Nashville and its eight neighboring counties, especially in times of disaster.  Lori also discusses Hands on Nashville , which is now affiliated with the United Way.  The group offers local residents volunteer opportunities with over 150 non-profits in the...

 Anna Marie discusses fire safety with Jamie Meltion, Fire and Life Safety Educator, from the Franklin Fire Department.  Jamie stresses the importance of working smoke alarms in a household to protect your family from fires because smoke from a fire can incapacitate a person in as quickly as thirty seconds. Jamie says that it's important to replace the batteries in your alarms every year, even if...

Anna talks with Katina R. Beard, Chief Executive Officer of the Matthew Walker Comprehensive Care Center in Nashville, Clarksville and Smyrna TN.    They help people find health insurance coverage and see if you qualify for financial assistance to help pay for your health insurance plan.  They offer a sliding scale of charges to serve people with low income.  A priority is "Dial Down Diabetes," be...

Tennessee ranks 44th in the nation for Voter turnout. When you see numbers like that, you may think it's because people just don't care. Organize Tennessee says it's partly because we're nearly LAST in the nation for ease of voting. Organize Tennessee works to prevent and respond to issues that prevent Tennesseans from voting. The group also works to keep abreast of and inform voters about precinc...