A Passion to Serve is a podcast about migrant and seasonal farm workers and the individuals who work on their behalf. Host Don Kuchnicki interviews a variety of guests who are passionate about their role serving the farm worker population.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with LLEAD President Al Flores about the recently published 2021 Annual Report. During the inerview they discuss LLEAD's meeting with Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, the Michigan Latino Report regarding the 2020 Census and Latino community involvement in the Greater Lansing redistricting process. Mr. Flores also discusses the upcoming LLEAD golf outing and annual conference. You can access this information and more at https://www.llead.org/.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki talks with Harlan Cohen about taking risks and how to successfully navigate change. During this episode they discuss strategies to help youth and adults successfully confront and move through adversity and failure as well as creating more educational and economic opportunities for diverse populations. Harlan Cohen is The New York Times bestselling author of The Naked Roommate series and six other titles. His books have sold over 1 million copies in print in multiple languages. Harlan is a speaker who helps thousands of students, parents, educators, and professionals every year. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Before College TV. https://harlancohen.com
A Passion to Serve Host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Uriel Zelaya-Perez, National Faith Co-coordinator with the Alliance for Fair Food and Leonel Perez, activist with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. During the interview they discuss the Fair Food Program (FFP) as well as their current boycott of the Wendy's restaurant franchise. This episode is in both English and Spanish. Coalition of Immokalee Workers: Coalition of Immokalee Workers (ciw-online.org) Alliance for Fair Food: Alliance for Fair Food
A Passion to Serve Host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Michael Mompremier about available services provided through Michigan Works! Berrien-Cass-Van Buren. Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren is part of the family of brands and has a focus on education, training, and building a skilled workforce for regional employers. Workforce Development | Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren (miworks.org)
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Megan Kupres about working with students of all ages at Southwestern Michigan College and assisting them in achieving their career goals and objectives. Education | Southwestern Michigan College (swmich.edu)
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Community Development Coordinator Clara Franklin about the importance of understanding insurance as part of one's financial planning goals and objectives. Clara talks about insurance as protection and reaching out and communicating with people who "don't know what they don't know." As Clara states, knowledge is power. Individual & Family Health Insurance Plans & Coverage | Aetna
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Donald Roberts, Managing Attorney with Legal Aid of Western Michigan during the 2022 Show Me the Money Day event. Legal Aid of Western Michigan is a nonprofit law firm providing free legal advice and representation in a broad range of areas including consumer cases, family matters, housing problems, government benefits, and much more. They also share plain-language information about the law. The mission of Legal Aid of Western Michigan is to secure justice and protect rights of low-income individuals unable to obtain and pay for legal services in civil matters by the provision of legal representation and counsel. Home | Legal Aid of Western Michigan | Law Firm | Legal Advice (lawestmi.org)
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Janice Zerbe, MSU Extension Coordinator for Van Buren County. During the interview Janice and I discuss her role at the Show Me the Money Day event, such as speaking to youth about money and helping them budget for both needs and wants. Janice also teaches youth about how to apply for college scholarships and discusses workforce preparation and career exploration strategies. MSU Extension now offers virtual programming that students can use at their own pace. Janice Zerbe (msu.edu)
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Jim Sebree about the importance of the Show Me the Money Day Event and learning how to make sound financial decisions.
During this episode of A Passion to Serve, host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Telamon Housing Program Coordinator Maria Zavala and AmeriCorps Volunteer Michelle Tule about the Show Me the Money Day event. During the interview we discuss the importance of meeting of one-on-one with individuals when discussing financial literacy information, the mission of the AmeriCorps Program and always keeping the end goal in mind.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Veronica Depotty, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Grant Manager & Housing Education Specialist with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). During the interview they discuss housing counseling services, client success stories, a recent grant award and access to national and state interactive dashboards that highlight data trends for housing counseling agencies and stakeholders 1:35 What led Veronica on her path to assisting others with housing counseling services 5:50 Discussion about MSHDA program services 9:27 MSHDA awarded largest ever housing counseling grant 11:51 Interagency Mentoring Program 16.00 Housing Counseling Impact Data Access To learn more about MISHDA services and other relevant information please go to following sites: https://www.michigan.gov/mshda https://www.michigan.gov/mshda/homeownership/housing-education Housing Counseling Agency Locator
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Dr. Isabel Montemayor-Vazquez. Executive Director with the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan (HLCOM). During the interview they discuss HLCOM's 2022 strategic planning goals and objectives, including the 6th Annual Hispanic/Latino Statewide Graduation Ceremony, which is taking place on Friday, April 22, 2022. Podcast Highlights: 1:16 Discussion about 2022 strategic planning goals & objectives 4:29 Annual Graduation Ceremony discussion 9:16 Hispanic/ Latino Commission's ongoing Collaboration with LLEAD 14:06 Where to find additional information about the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan HLCOM Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hlcommission HLCOM Website: https://www.michigan.gov/ogm/commissions/hlcom
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Ilda Martinez, Program Manager for the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association. During the interview Ilda talks about her family's experiences as farmworkers in the United States, the importance of education and her current work with the National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association.
During this episode of A Passion to Serve, host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Alma Cooper, a 2019 Okemos High School graduate in the State of Michigan and current West Point cadet. During the interview Alma discusses the desire to give back to her community and country. Alma is currently serving in student leadership at West Point, is a Truman Scholarship candidate, and will also be competing for the Rhodes Scholarship. In 2022 Alma is traveling to Israel and representing West Point on a joint trip with Yale University representatives to study and better understand the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and peace initiatives.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Regional Director Elizabeth Kerwin of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). During the interview they discuss the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 and how it protect the rights of employees and employers, encourages collective bargaining, and curtails certain private sector labor and management practices, which can harm the general welfare of workers, businesses and the U.S. economy. To learn more, please go to http://www.nlrb.gov.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Lily Salas, outgoing director of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at Western Michigan University. During the interview they discuss her work administering CAMP services as well as her new role as Community Investment Officer at the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation provides essential funding to programs that ensure children have an equitable chance for success in school, that nurture and prepare young people for life beyond school, that support individuals and families from all walks of life, that enhance community prosperity in every corner of Kalamazoo County, and make life better for all. To learn more, please go to http://www.kalfound.org.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Cleo Rodriguez, Executive Director of the National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association. During the interview they discuss a variety of ongoing initiatives such as the Vaccine Project, the Summer Internship Program and the Healing Voices Project. The National Migrant & Seasonal Head Start Association (NMSHSA) is made up of Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Directors, Staff, Parents, and Friends that meets regularly to discuss issues and concerns unique to Migrant & Seasonal Head Start children and their families. To learn more about the National Migrant & Season Head Start Association, go to http://www.nmshsa.org.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with David Muraskin, Senior Litigation Attorney with the Public Justice Food Project. During the interview we discuss the lawsuit that was recently filed in the State of Michigan to ensure undocumented workers have access to workers compensation insurance. The Public Justice Food Project envisions a future where our food chain results in healthy, empowered communities and sustainable livelihoods and a just animal agriculture system that is transparent and accountable to people, not profit. They are the only legal project in the country that is focused solely on dismantling the structures that enable the consolidation of corporate power and extractive practices in our food system and supporting a vision of animal agriculture that is regenerative, humane and owned by independent farmers. To learn more, please go to http://food.publicjustice.net.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with outgoing director Dr. Ruben Martinez about his work and career with the Julian Samora Research Institute. The Julian Samora Research Institute is the Midwest's Premier Latino Research Center, with a history of research on Latino communities, farm workers and their families, farmers and youth. Dr. Martínez shares examples of his work and advocacy efforts that have encompassed his life. As he stated during our interview together: “Political sociology gave me a sense of how power is used, maintained and also how it can be used to change society for the better.”
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with staff attorney Anna Hill from the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center about their campaign to ensure undocumented workers have access to worker's compensation insurance.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Dr. Isabel Montemayor-Vázquez, who was recently appointed Executive Director of the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan (HLCOM). During the interview we discuss her vision for the HLCOM and how she became interested in this work.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Amador Díaz Jr., Assistant Division Director with the U.S. Department of Labor-Wage and Hour division. During the interview Amador and Don discuss wage protections for farmworkers and Labor Rights Week.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Johnny Alcivar and Dana Cowsert from Proteus, Inc. During the interview Johnny and Dana speak about the work being done on behalf of migrant and seasonal farm workers, including healthcare and workforce development programs and services.
During this episode of A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Juanita Bocanegra, who became Ottawa County's first Hispanic judge in 2021. Juanita also speaks about her role with the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Consuela Barber-Lopez, Executive Director of AMANDLA and Commissioner with the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan. During the interview we discuss her advocacy work and how she engages with law enforcement to achieve positive outcomes for local communities.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Telamon AmeriCorps member Michelle Tule and Telamon Housing Program Coordinator Maria Zavala about their work helping people strengthen their financial literacy skills.
Florensio Hernandez, Senior Admissions Counselor at Michigan State University and Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan board member, speaks with A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki about his professional work and how the importance of access to opportunity continues to motivate him.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Bonnie Johnson, Marketing Specialist with agcareers.com. The mission of agcareers.com is to provide global talent solutions in agriculture and food.
Felipe Lopez Sustaita, Executive Director of the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan, was part of the Talks at Google seminar series. During the interview Felipe discusses his experiences as a migrant farmworker and how it has influenced his personal and professional decision making.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Program Manager Jessica Ledesma from the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki shares an interview between motivational speaker Lefford Fate and Jose Velazquez from the Hire Military YouTube channel.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki features a Facebook Live Event from the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP). In 2020 leaders from the nonprofit farming community spoke about their work lifting up black and brown voices in agriculture and combating the racism that is endemic to our food system-as well as the additional challenges brought on by Covid-19. Enjoy the episode.
Hispanic /Latino Commission of Michigan (HLCOM) Executive Director Felipe Lopez Sustaita and Daniel Carreon-Camberos speak with HLCOM Commissioner Consuela Barber-Lopez about her work as a community activist in the City of Detroit.
A Passion to Serve host Don speaks with Isabel Gross, Occupational Safety & Health Project Coordinator with Farmworker Justice. During the interview we discuss the Medicaid enrollment initiative, which has the intent of disseminating reliable information about Medicaid so marginalized populations feel empowered to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Enjoy.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Dr. Felipe López Sustaita, Executive Director of the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan.
In 2020 A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki was part of an alumni panel put on by Michigan Sfate University's (MSU) College of Arts and Letters. The theme was employment opportunities with nonprofits. MSU students submitted questions such as what to expect after graduation as well as how to develop a career path that aligns with one's passion and skill set. Enjoy the episode!
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Edgar Torres-Salina about his work as a Labor Program Coordinator with Great Lakes Agricultural Labor Services, LLC. Great Lakes Agricultural Labor Services, LLC has been in operation since 2015 and supports growers by meeting their agricultural workforce needs through the H-2A foreign worker visa program.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki rebroadcasts a Facebook Live event from the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP). In July, 2020 AFOP employee Kendra Moesle spoke with Mexican American Council CEO Eddie Garza about strategies to empower Farmworker youth. Enjoy.
During this episode of A Passion to Serve, host Don Kuchnicki discusses the Jobs for Americas Graduates Program that is being implemented in the State of Indiana by Telamon-TRC. Learn how this program helps high school students plan and prepare for both educational and employment opportunities!
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with attorneys Anna Hill and Diana Marín from the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center about the public health order requiring mandatory Covid-19 testing of agriculture and food processing employees.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks Rob Anderson from the Michigan Farm Bureau about the impact of Covid-19 on the the agricultural industry and their opposition to the public health order that requires mandatory Covid-19 testing of Ag and food processing employees.
A Passion to Serve host speaks with Dr. Lisbeth Iglesias-Ríos and Dr. Alexis Handal about the Michigan Farmworker Project. The Michigan Farmworker Project's goal is to improve working and living conditions for Michigan farmworkers amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
During this episode of A Passion to Serve, host Don Kuchnicki shares a recording from Telamon Corporation's Facebook Live Event that discusses how we can impact community change through voting and community action. The episode features moderator Kalyn Miller and guests Mitchell Brown from the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and Angelica Razo from Mi Familia Vota. Enjoy.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with AmeriCorps volunteer Jim Sebree about his work in Telamon Corporations housing counseling line of business.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Brian Rakovitis from the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM). During this episode Brian discusses CEDAM programs and initiatives as well as the 2020 Economic Development Leader of the Year award.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Dale Freeman, Director of the Office for Migrant Affairs. During the episode Dales talks about overcoming challenges to meet the needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Monica Reyes, Director of the Great Lakes Bay Hispanic Leadership Institute and Chair of the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Feliciano Paredes, one of the founders and creators of AgHelp. AgHelp is a mobile platform that helps agricultural employees source, retain and attract local and national talent while connecting workers with local support services.
A Passion to Serve host Don Kuchnicki speaks with Mr. Juan Marinez about the 2020 Census and the voter registration process. Mr. Marinez is in his second term as commissioner for the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan and is a Michigan State Extension Agent Director Emeritus.
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