Somebody Should Do Something

Dr. Heather Price of Seattle, Washington, has a scientist's understanding of what is behind the current climate crisis facing all who live on planet Earth. She is an atmospheric chemist who studies the trends and changes in  air pollutants that can be harmful to humans, plants and ecosystems.  Learn about the insight that Price and other scientists can provide, how to take action, and her hope for the future.

Unbeknownst to many parents, suicide is the #2 cause of death among children ages 10-24 in the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control.  Coping with the isolation of COVID, children, teens, and young adults are now struggling even more. Leslie Weirich and her husband know the heartbreak of suicide all too well - they lost their 20-year-old son Austin in 2016.  She  went on to form her own non-profit, Clearly Hope, to educate others and strengthen her community's response to this epidemic.Learn how Leslie now speaks out in her community to provide students with the tools and coping skills that can help them from losing hope in a moment of crisis. She describes ways to  talk to your children about how they are feeling; programs and training that can strengthen your schools and community; and how to help stop the stigma of suicide. Leslie says, "The face of suicide looks like everybody.  It's every age. It doesn't matter what zip code you live in. So in order to really peel back the layers fully on mental health, we've got to be more open about suicide and talking about suicide. It is a brain disease. It is a mental health issue. So let's talk about it."

Ellen Harley is a passionate defender of horses used in the carriage trade in Charleston, South Carolina. Harley and others founded Charleston Carriage Horse Advocates to raise awareness of the conditions that horses and mules must work under, which are some of the worst in the country.  She also explains safety issues addressed under a new ordinance proposed to the City designed to protect both horses and people.

In a fight to survive a terrible illness, Laura Packard took time out from chemotherapy and radiation treatments to lobby her senator and the Trump Administration to stop them from eliminating the Affordable Care Act, which she and millions of other required to get medical treatment to survive.  Today Laura is a cancer survivor and has formed her own non-profit to help others speak out about their health care coverage experiences and bring about state and federal reforms.

America's political system is severely compromised by big money interests, but Daniel G. Newman is certain it's a problem we can solve.  After working on passing publicly funded elections in the San Francisco area, Daniel took his technical expertise and co-founded the non-profit MapLight. This organization exposes the influence of money on state and federal legislation and gives citizens resources and tools to bring about change. The group also focuses on uncovering digital deception on social media and other online platforms that can so easily mislead the public.

In 2011, Mindi Callison learned about rampant commercial dog breeding in her home state of Iowa, the terrible conditions that many dogs routinely live in at in “puppy mills,” and the myths that trick the public into thinking they are buying well cared for, healthy animals at local animal stores. Mindy learned more and started local protests.Now Bailing Out Benji, the organization she eventually founded, is a multi-state grassroots movement with a goal of ending puppy mills.  The group has created detailed state maps showing the locations of puppy mills and brokers by county.Learn how  how to avoid purchasing puppies bred in puppy mills or backyard breeder operations.

Donna Bartos is founder and CEO of BLOOM365: Bring Love on Others More 365 Days A Year. Based in Arizona, BLOOM365 focuses listening to the experiences of teens and young people, and teaching them how to have healthy and safe relationships free of domestic, sexual, and teen dating violence. Their target group is ages 13-24.Teen and young adult dating abuse commonly involves issues of power and control which often escalates into violent words and actions over time.  The most dangerous time is when the abused partner tries to leave the relationship. Most teens do not confide concerns to their parents.Hear how Donna's mission to focus on the root causes of abuse and violence has evolved over time, the surprising things she's learned from conversations with young people, and her hopes and plans for ending the cycle of partner abuse.

Somebody Should Do Something tells the stories of those American citizens – past and present – who have made or are trying to make a difference in  the United States with their leadership on a specific issue or cause. Follow along on a narrative journey to learn about the issues they care so passionately about and why. You'll hear interviews/profiles of Americans working in four different areas: helping people, protecting animals, preserving the environment, and safeguarding our democracy. Subscribe now and listen to our first three episodes on Oct 20, 2020!