Maryland Perspectives with Amelia

The Surfrider Foundation has been championing clean oceans for decades. This spring we saw a lot of disturbing videos of plastic as far as the eye can see, washing up on the shores of some of the most beautiful places on earth. I talk with Pete Stauffer, the Environment Director from the national headquarters, about what is facing us in the coming years when it comes to our oceans and how you can get involved locally. Mental Health is an issue that is top of mind across the country. Youth in Baltimore City are grappling with a lot of crime, abuse, violence and racism which in turn effects them mentally. All Walks of Life is there to help 1st through 12th graders get the help they need, which in turn empowers families and lifts the child to a place where they can function and do better in life. Executive Director Floyd Taliaferro talks about how they do this in and out of the classrooms.

States Attorney for Anne Arundel County, Wes Adams, explains how the Safe Stations program came together last year and how it helped curb the opioid epidemic in Anne Arundel County. The program is starting up in other counties as the epidemic continues to take lives in unprecedented numbers. If you live in Anne Arundel County and want to get sober, call 410-768-5522. Kenny Liner was a professional musician for years in the Maryland band The Bridge. He came home off the road and wanted to give back to Baltimore. He founded Believe in Music, a program that helps high school kids in the city learn the music business from writing pieces to producing them and everything in between. It's all free of charge. Kenny talks about how the program functions and mentions the big music festival they have coming up at the Union Collective on September 22nd.

The Tyanna Foundation was founded by five sisters in memory of their mother Tyanna O' Brien. The foundation supports breast cancer patients through Mercy Hospital. Their fundraisers are designed to capture their mothers sense of humor. They also celebrate the lives of survivors and women who have succumbed to the disease. I talk with Alison O' Brien (no relation) about how they help patients who have recently been diagnosed and how you can get involved. Some kids don't have a bed and sleep on the floor or share a bed because of a hardship that has befallen their family. One organization has made it their mission to build and deliver bunk beds and bedding free of charge to these families. Karen Dubois was so moved by the Sleep in Heavenly Peace that she started up her own chapter in Harford County. She has another build day coming up and explains how you can donate, volunteer at a build, or start your own chapter.

Maryland has had unprecedented flooding because of record rainfall and the Small Business Administration has low interest loans to help business, non profits, homeowners and renters get back up on their feet if they have had a disaster related to the flooding. I talk with Dorris Evans SBA's Public Affairs Specialist about the loans, what counties are covered and how to apply for the loans. The loans are only available until September and many of the field offices will be done by August 7th, so if you need assistance you need to apply soon. The phone number is 1 800 659 2955. Their email is disasterservice@sba.gov. Even in the summer, kids need to learn and grow. One community organization is doing that by giving children and teens a way to express themselves by making things from scratch. Their project can be digital, making a new food dish or building a new invention. BMore4Kidz lets them explore anything they can imagine. I talk with the founder May Mendoza about what the kids are coming up with and how you can get involved.

Loving Arms Inc is the only homeless shelter for kids between the ages of 12 and 24 in Baltimore City. They are instrumental for getting youth back on track to overcome poverty, drug addiction and abuse. CEO Cindy Williams talks about how they accomplish this and gives examples of the huge differences they have made. She also talks about their annual fundraiser Sneakers on the Ground and how you can get involved. Intersection of Change has been helping individuals for decades to overcome poverty and drug abuse on many fronts. They have helped transform lives in one of the hardest hit communities in the city that has been rocked in recent years with unrest and the opioid epidemic. Executive Director Todd Marcus talks about the programs they offer and how you can get involved.

The Maryland Food bank helps feed families that are living paycheck to paycheck and don't qualify for assistance and for the impoverished that live in food deserts or can't afford to eat all. Executive Director Carmen Del Guercio explains how they do this, who they are feeding in our state and how you can get involved. Parenting is one of the toughest things to do. The Family Tree is there for families in Maryland with parent training, day care or help overcoming abuse, neglect and sexual assault. They do this on a variety of fronts and have a lot of ways to get involved or to get help from their website to the 24 hour hotline 1 800 243 7337. Communications and Advocacy Manager Erik Weber gives more details about how The Family Tree accomplishes this. The Baltimore Magazine's Best of Baltimore party on August 9th is a big fundraiser for the organization and I talk to Events manager Allie Kline about the party and the magazine's involvement with the non profit as well.

Summer is a time to relax and and enjoy a good book. The Maryland Book Bank provides free books to parents, schools and community organizations to make sure kids and adults can do exactly that. It not only helps instill literacy in the next generation, but it helps teachers with keeping fresh reading materials in the classrooms. The organization is also a training ground for under served communities. Executive Director Mark Feiring joins me to talk about how they do this and how you can get involved. Irene Spatafore sent packages to her grandson who was a Seargent in the Army deployed in Iraq. When he came home he told her to keep doing it because it meant so much to him and his combat company. She started Angels Supporting Your Troops out of her home and it has grown over the years. She joins me to talk about how she does it and how you can get involved.

Larry Swerdlin is a Disaster Action Team Responder volunteer for the American Red Cross. He has been on site for some of the worst hurricanes to hit the US. He gives tips on how to prepare for a hurricane and how you can volunteer and join the team. 98 Rock has teamed up with the American Red Cross for an annual summer blood drive July 10th through the 12th. Regina Booth Bratton is the communications manager and goes step by step on how the American Red Cross collects life saving blood for Maryland communities and beyond. She also talks about the new app and how easy it is too make an appointment to donate blood.

Finding people who have great ideas for the city of Baltimore and putting them to work is at the heart of what Baltimore Corps does. They find leaders in the community to help fund their ideas or find them internships or employment in city departments. Once these people from all walks of life are given the tools they need to put their good ideas to work the change that we all want in the city will come. I talk to Fagan Harris the President of Baltimore Corps  about how they find these people and how it will help the city get stronger. Larry Zarzecki started to feel the impact of Parkinson's disease with what is know as a freezing incident. He was able to overcome this physically shattering event though physical therapy and wanted to help other people with movement disorders. He founded the Movement Disorder Education and Exercise Foundation with the help of the best hospitals in Maryland and offers people a place to overcome their disabilities with family and friends with dramatic results. I talk with Larry about how he battles his disease and how he helps others at no cost.

Shea Borengasser is the Producer and Director of Anything for a Fix a documentary series that travels with five people along the East Coast who are walking from Florida to Canada raising awareness about the opioid epidemic. The Rage and Crow production crew also talk to state agencies to gauge how bad the epidemic is and what state's are doing to combat drug abuse. They stopped by the 98 Rock Studios to talk about the series, the devastation she has seen and when the series will be available to watch this fall.

Baltimore Homecoming is a non profit founded to bring Baltimore business owners and celebrities back to the city after they have left to reinvest in the citizens and the city. President and CEO Nate Loewentheil talks about how he is doing this, who is coming back and how they will help citizens get the funding they need to bring back to their communities. There have been so many scientific breakthroughs recently for Breast cancer thanks in part to the Susan G Komen Foundation Maryland chapter. I talk with Kim Schmulowitz the Communications and Marketing Director of Komen MD about the breakthroughs, how they help women in Maryland diagnosed with breast cancer and where the funds go that they raise. They also are gearing up for this years Promise Ride and she gives information on how you can get involved.

Financial literacy is a priority in Maryland schools from elementary to high school. The Maryland Council on Economic Education is a huge resource in the state for teachers to get the information and tools to create a grade appropriate curriculum to teach Maryland students the ins and outs of personal finance, investment and the stock market. I talk with their program Director Allen Cox about the services and the annual summit they hold. There are many departments inside the Maryland Department of Health including the Center for Chronic Disease and Control who are responsible for many initiatives in the state to combat the biggest killers to citizens like heart disease and obesity. I talk with Dr. Sadie Peters the medical director about the biggest health concerns in the state and how they are pulling a lot of health agencies together digitally so that there is more communication to make Maryland even healthier. We also talk about services and classes that are available to help treat chronic conditions.

The Susquehanna River has new champions to keep the wildlife safe and the river clean. Many of the animals and insects that live there are threatened by pollution and encroaching development. A group of mainly volunteers are doing many things to conserve the area and help injured wildlife plus build a new visitors center to showcase the beauty of this important watershed in Harford County. I talk with Scott McDaniel the Executive Director of the Susquehannock Wildlife Society about their efforts and how you can get involved. Since 1988 Safe Kids Worldwide has reduced unintentional injuries to children in the home and car by 60 percent. Their mission is to educate parents about the preventable injuries. Their website is filled with great tips and could prevent your child from being harmed. I talk with pediatrician Dr. Marcee White about how you can do some very simple things around the home and in the care to protect your child.

In honor of Overdose Awareness Day, Amelia and her show Maryland Perspectives is posting this interview with the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI).  The Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the Gloucester Police addiction initiative, to aid other police departments to implement similar programs, and to foster a dialogue around the unique opportunity for police departments to take direct action against the disease of drug addiction in their communities.

WBAL AM 1090's Anne Kramer talks to Maryland Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford about the state's Opioid Addiction Task Force that is coming up with ways to decrease the addiction epidemic that is gripping our state. Then, I talk with Major Ed Pulido about his military service that gave him two bronze stars and how he continues to serve through the Real Warriors Campaign that combats PTSD.

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leanna Wen talks to Newsradio1090's Anne Kramer about the order the commissioner signed that allows Narcan to be sold over the counter in city drug stores. Later, I talk with John Sunder Co-Chair of the Father's Day 5K committee about how the event helps out the NICU at GBMC and about the family event happening on June 18th.

The State of Addiction in Maryland is at epidemic proportions. Anne Kramer of WBAL Newsradio 1090 gets a clearer picture with two doctor from the University of Maryland. I talk to Founder and President Linnie Kahn about the Baltimore Hunger Project who feed children who suffer from food insecurity in Baltimore. Executive Directer Jessica Normington of the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce tells us how they are getting involved with their big fundraiser for BHP. The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland is on a mission to improve kidney health in Maryland. I talk to Pattie Dash the Vice President about their mission.

Anne Kramer of Newsradio 1090 looks deeper into the epidemic of overdoses in Harford county and one program that is helping addicts. The Maryland Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association is a great resource for families that are dealing with this horrible disease. I talk with Ellen Torres Development Director about the disease, services and fundraisers. Turnaround has been helping Domestic violence victims in Maryland for decades and they are now one of the leading advocates and services for people trying to get out of sex trafficking. I talk to Amanda Rodriguez Chief Program Officer in depth about trafficking in Maryland.

On this edition of Maryland Perspectives, Amelia talks with Deirdre Stevens the President of Music 4 More about how they get music back into the classrooms and to veterans. Also we hear from Robin Catlett from the Anne Arundel County Animal Control about the services they offer including pet adoption. They have a big fundraiser coming up called Cruisin' for Critters. And an interview with John and Chris Lederer the parents of Zach whose courageous battle with brain cancer was the inspiration of Zaching against Cancer.

The Nicole Van Horn Foundation helps cancer patients right here in Maryland. I talk to founder Vance Van Horn about how the foundation started and their big annual fundraiser. March is Colon Cancer Awareness month. I talk to Edel Blumberg founder of the Semi Colon Club about his personal experience with colon cancer and how he is raising awareness of the preventable disease. WBAL NewsRadio 1090 AM's Anne Kramer wraps up her five part series on Sex Trafficking in Maryland.