Motivated by her own poor choices as a teenager, Altermease Kendrick made it her life passion to help guide a new generation of children down a different path. She founded My Choice Community Development in 2003 to provide after school care, tutoring, community field trips and parental support to families in the North Riviera Beach and Lake Park neighborhoods.  Listen as she and her organization’s board members Gerald Adams and Mario Dickerson describe how these programs have changed the lives of hundreds of young people.  My Choice currently is building a new charter school that will expand its offerings to neighborhood children.  For information about how you can support their efforts with your time and financial support, call 561-844-2173,  or visit their website here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: My Choice Community Development 03/18/12

Alan Jacobson enjoyed a successful business career but always dreamed of being a full-time actor.  Listen to him discuss his lifelong journey that led to the opening of the new Plaza Theatre in Manalapan, across the street from the Ritz-Carlton.  The small community theatre will be home to such popular shows as a Neil Sedaka revue Breaking Up is Hard to Do, a Barry Manilow revue, a ’70s revue, a revival of the ’50s revue Music! Music! Music!, a tribute to Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Carole King; a one-man comedy Defending the Caveman; and Food Fight: A Musical Comedy for Waist Watchers, which Jacobson developed and toured.  Tickets start at only $39 with deep discounts for groups. For more information, call 561-588-1820, or visit their web site here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Alan Jacobson & The Plaza Theatre   03/11/12

Broward Partners in Education makes a difference in schools. Listen to Nina Randall, the executive director of Broward Public Schools Partners in Education, explain how local businesses paired with individual schools provide much-needed resources and curriculum stimulus to students.  Louis M. Ruccolo, the District’s transition coordinator, explains how partnerships with hospitals and other companies enable students with various disabilities to develop important job readiness skills.  Leona Miracola  adds her stories about the impact local professionals have on enhancing programs at magnet schools.  For information about how you can become a partner or support these programs, call 754-321-1974, or visit their website here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Partners in Education.  03/04/12

Thanks to an international program dedicated to fighting poverty, Americorp VISTA, the Homeless Coalition in Palm Beach County is able to add six staff members every year.  VISTA volunteers dedicate one year to serving as volunteers in the battle against homelessness in our community.  Listen to our guests describe how they work to serve more than 1400 homeless students in the public schools and countless others who live in poverty throughout the county.  Their goal is to end homelessness in the next decade, starting with a new homeless resource center.  Find out how you can help reach this goal by visiting the coalition web site here. For more information about the Americorp VISTA program, visit their web site. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County.  02/26/12

Both Alejandro (Alex) Lutin and Sherrod Nelson faced life-changing injuries that confined them to wheelchairs.  Both felt alone in their struggles.   Alex turned his life around by helping to start the Spinal Cord Injury Support Group, which today gives hope to almost 800 people statewide who face a variety of physical challenges.  Sherrod discovered the group through the urging of his wife, who was concerned about his depression.  Be inspired by these two high-energy individuals as they describe how they help change lives.

They also run a professional wheel chair basketball team, the Sunrise Sun, plan regular social and educational programs for their members and are starting a crusade to build a handicapped-equipped gym in Broward County.  For more information, call Rob at 954-603-3143 or visit their web site. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Spinal Cord Injury Support Group. 02/05/12

For the past 27 years, Broward Meals on Wheels has been delivering food to homebound seniors, providing meals at congregate sites, providing grocery shopping services and offering nutritional education.  They are presently feeding 1.5 million people in Broward County. Listen to Peggy Miller, executive director, talk about how the organization does it, their new headquarters and their private meal delivery service for the general public.  Alan Schreiber also joins the show as a volunteer who has built strong friendships with the seniors he sees on his weekly delivery route.  PR and Marketing Coordinator Amber VanBuren explains how anyone can get involved as a volunteer and donor.  For every dollar donated to Meals on Wheels, $.97 goes direct to feed seniors.  For more information, call 954-731-8770 or visit www.bmow.org. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Broward Meals on Wheels. 1/29/12

In the last three decades, one  group of women in Broward County has raised more than $3.6 million to support local charities dedicated to fighting cancer.  The 1000+ Club to Benefit Cancer also brings together all types of nonprofits each April for an elegant “Women of the Year” fundraising luncheon.  Listen to one of the 2012 co-chairs, Julie Osinski, talk about the event and examples of projects the organization has funded.  Also on the show is Merrill Thomas, a 2012 honoree and 1000+ Club executive board member.  Each year, the Club selects 13 nonprofits to recognize at the luncheon.  These groups, in turn, select a “Woman of the Year” from their donor/volunteer ranks.  Merrill was chosen by Cystic Fibrosis. For more information about how to get involved in or support the 1000+ Club, visit their website here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: 1000+ Club to Benefit Cancer.  1/22/12

Listen to 9-year old Tia Duhaney describe her favorite exhibits at the South Florida Science Museum and you’ll want to steer your car directly toward Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach.  Open every day, except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, this museum offers exhibits for all ages, an observatory, and a fun, educational science trail, for starters.  Chief Operating Officer Kate Arrizza offers a detailed tour of this special place and a sneak peek at future plans for a bigger aquarium, an Everglades Exhibit complete with airboat ride and an exhibit hall double the size of the current one.  For more information about how you can contribute to the great work at the museum, call 561-832-1988 or visit www.sfsm.org. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: South Florida Science Museum  1/15/12

Funding Arts Broward (FAB!) was founded in 2003 by artist and philanthropist Francie Bishop Good, who saw a need to counter severe government cuts in arts programs.  Seven years later, the organization surpassed the $1.2 million mark in distributing grants to Broward County arts organizations.   Even more support is available to these groups thanks to the new FAB Knight New Work Award, three grants totaling $90,000 available to FAB-funded organizations that have transformational ideas to create extraordinary arts experiences.  Listen to grants administrator, Michelle Wienberg, talk about the recipients of the first round of grants and how this program promises to expand arts audiences throughout the community.  Jeff Rusnak, director of development for the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood, talks about the first program, Artists Unknown, to receive a $50,000 grant.  For more information on how to support FAB and learn more about the New Work grant recipients, visit their website at  fundingartsbroward.org.  For details about the Hollywood Art and Culture Center, call 954-921-3274 or visit their website at artandculturecenter.org. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Funding Arts Broward 12/25/11

 Patty Gomez, the founder and director of The Enrichment Circle, is passionate about stimulating creative thinking in children, as you’ll hear as she describes how her organization provides enrichment programs in the arts, nature, physical education, technology and literacy.

Listen to two of the students who write for her newspaper, The Circle Gazette, the nation’s only newspaper produced by and for students under age 18.   Staff reporter Ismail Ercan, a 9^th grader at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, talks about how the experience has helped him refine his writing skills.  Reagan Olenick, a 5^th grader at Everglades Elementary School in Weston, is a frequent contributor to the newspaper with her stories about school and travel adventures.  Christie Voss, one of many professional volunteers with the organization, handles the graphic design of the paper.  She explains the many opportunities to support the paper, including advertisements that cost as little as $250 for a full page.  For more information, call 954-918-2541 or visit their website at www.enrichmentcircle.com. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: The Enrichment Circle. 12/18/11