News You Can Use

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Keith Grant, APRN, Senior System Director of Infection Prevention from Hartford HealthCare. Keith talks about the historic event that happened last week in Connecticut, as many front-line healthcare workers, including himself received the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine. Keith offers a unique perspective, shar...

On this week’s program, host Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with Alison Friar, Director of Clinical Development at The Connection. Alison talks about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the resulting economic recession negatively impacting many people’s mental health. The Kaiser Family Foundation’s poll conducted in mid-July, reported 53% of adult...

On this week’s program, host Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with Karen Buckley, Vice President of Advocacy for the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA). Karen helps lead the development of CHA’s advocacy priorities and is integral to the development of the strategies to implement those goals. She leads and coordinates initiatives and collaborations with external groups...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Faith Murray, Graduate of The Connection’s Supportive Housing for Families Program. The Supportive Housing for Families Program helps families thrive by finding homes in safe, nurturing neighborhoods and providing the support necessary for achieving economic independence, developing healthy relationships and...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with Feature News Reporter, Sarah Cody, from WTNH Channel 8. For 20 years Sarah has been sharing stories of inspiration throughout Connecticut and on this program she talks about how so much of her reporting today revolves around the increased challenges due to Covid-19. She talks about how her Thanksgiving plans w...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with Kelvin Young, a Community Health Worker at InterCommunity Healthcare. Kelvin, a certified Sound Healer, is also a founding member of the Connecticut Black Mental Health and Wellness Initiative. Kelvin shares the importance of integrative medicine, health throughout communities and his journey in sustained reco...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Gian-Carl Casa, President and CEO of The Alliance; a strong and persistent voice representing mission-driven nonprofit organizations across the state of Connecticut. Gian-Carl talks about the financial struggles that many Connecticut nonprofits are facing due to Covid-19 and ways the public can contact state legis...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Dr. Anthony Hatch; Associate Professor and Chair of Science in the Society Program at Wesleyan University. At Wesleyan, Dr. Hatch is affiliated with African American studies, Environmental studies and sociology. Dr. Hatch shares the importance of statistics and data contributing to the pandemic and how health cond...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Cerina Savino, Registered Dietitian and Wellness Program Manager at Anthem. Cerina leads wellness programs, both internally and for Anthem customers across Connecticut while continuing to emphasize the importance of food and health in her monthly newsletter filled with great tips and recipes. Tune in this Sunday t...

On this week’s program, host Ann Baldwin and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with Shannon Perkins, Director of Education and Training at The Connecticut Women’s Consortium and President for the Connecticut Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. The Connecticut Women’s Consortium is a pioneer in the behavioral health field; effectively adapting and responding to th...

On this week’s program, host Ann Baldwin and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with Jamal Jimerson, Owner and Chief Equity Officer at Thought Partner Solutions and Founder and Executive Director at Minority Inclusion Project Inc. Minority Inclusion Project Inc. is a nonprofit organization creating pathways to leadership for people of color, while helping community organizations become more div...

On this week’s program, host Ann Baldwin and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with Patrick Fallon, Director of Community Justice Services at The Connection. When asked to oversee the opening of a new program for those testing positive for COVID-19 within the Community Release Network of Care by the Department of Correction, Patrick provided a place for those coming out of incarceration to rec...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Beth Connor wrap up Domestic Violence Month with Liza Andrews from the CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence.  Liza talks about the frequently ignored signs of domestic violence against men & women in the home, as well as in the workplace. CCADV is the state’s leading voice for domestic violence survivors and the agencies that ser...

On this week’s program, Ann Baldwin and guest host Beth Connor from The Connection welcome a very special guest to the show!  Cindi Bigelow, third generation president and CEO of family-owned Bigelow Tea joins us to talk about how her grandparents started the business here in Connecticut following the Great Depression and how today the company has become the US market leader of specialt...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Karen Ablondi, founding board member and Vice President of the Connecticut Alliance of Recovery Residences and founder and owner of Shoreline Recovery Sober Living. Founded in 2014, Shoreline Recovery offers four level II recovery residences in Branford and East Haven, CT. Karen successfully turned her long-term r...

On this week’s program, host Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speaks with Latisha Belin. Both Lisa and Latisha have a special connection to Hallie House for Women and Children in Middletown.  This is where Lisa started her career in 1997 and where Latisha found the support and help she needed for her substance abuse issues.  Fast forward to today and Lisa is now President and CEO of The Conne...

On this week's program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis Lepore speak with Gary Steck, Chief Executive Officer of Wellmore Behavioral Health. Gary talks about how caring for those with mental health, substance abuse, recovery and support services has changed during the COVID Pandemic and how organizations like Wellmore and The Connection have had to adjust to meet the growing needs of their cl...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Sherrie Weaver, Program Director of Women & Children Services at The Connection.  We talk about Hallie House in Middletown and Mother’s Retreat in Groton, residential treatment facilities for pregnant and parenting women who desire to live a clean and sober life. Programs that are and near and dear...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Molly Satalino, Assistant Clinical Director of Outpatient Programing for Connecticut Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA).  As many non-profit behavioral health providers have had to implement telehealth visits during this time of COVID-19, both Molly and Lisa talk about how that is working for their clients who a...

On this week’s program, Ann Baldwin and Beth Connor welcome Brad Palazzo, Director of Community Impact for Comcast. Since the Covid 19 outbreak, the world has been a different place, socially and financially.  During this time, Comcast is doing its best to help those in need stay connected through their “Internet Essentials” program, designed to keep connectivity affordable...

On this week’s program, Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis- Lepore, welcome Gina Luongo O’Connell (Cookie) to the show! Gina is not only Lisa’s best friend, she is an amazing woman with many talents, one of which is being a stand-up-comedian. The Connection is honored to have her as the emcee for their 3rd Annual Community Links Golf Tournament fundraiser on Monday, August 17th at Gr...

On this week’s program, Ann Baldwin and Beth Connor from The Connection share some exciting news about two great events benefitting The Connection. Pam Minish from the CFA Society - Hartford talks about their the CFA Society’s Virtual Corporate 5K from July 27th to July 31st. The first 500 people to register get a tech shirt. And on August 17th, The Connection is holding their 3rd Annu...

Happy Father’s Day! On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with one of The Connection’s long-time strategic partners, Ryan Lawless from The Schuster Group, a full-service employee benefits firm. Ryan talks about how the landscape has significantly changed over the years when it comes to employee benefits and offers ideas on how The Connection, o...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa Dematteis-Lepore speak with Louanna O’Connell, a recent graduate of Immaculate High School in Danbury. When Louanna was 8 years old, she was diagnosed with a rare cancer.  She underwent surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City.  Although the surgery was a success, she was left with a scar on her leg that she now c...

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Michele Klimczak, Training Director at The Connection about a new on-line training program, “Parenting in a Pandemic”.  This training is designed for all parent’s struggling with stresses due to COVID-19. Michele also shares some great advice on how to manage the fears and frustrations of yo...