Hi Everyone,

This past Saturday, all across the country, hundreds of thousands of people showed up to protest the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy and their practice of separating children from their families. The #FamiliesBelongTogether March was a coming together of over one hundred non profits, all working for a common mission, to get their fellow citizens to vote’ in November’s midterm elections! It seems like a simple thing, but the turnout in mid-term elections is notoriously poor, and the difference it can make is huge. We need to turn over Republican seats in both the House and Senate, so that we can keep Trump’s damage to a minimum. The news this past week was so depressing, from the Supreme Court’s rulings on the unconstitutionality of  requiring fees for unions, to upholding Trump’s travel ban, to the announcement of Justice Kennedy’s departure, it was hard for me to keep back the tears. Please, please, get involved! Find your passion. What issue (there are so many to choose from) do you care most deeply about? Our Freedom, Our First Amendment Rights, Equity, Racism, Gun Control, Climate Change, Pesticides, Herbicides, Hormones, and GMO’s in your food, LGBT Rights, Immigration? What ever it is, there is an organization that could use your help!! Volunteer to help get people to register to vote, write Letters to the Editor, sign petitions, show up for marches, and remember, your food choices can make a difference too! Don’t under estimate the impact and power you have, everyday when you choose what to eat. And now, more than ever, surround yourself with people you love, share a delicious meal together, and be grateful for the many blessings we all have in our lives.

My guest this week on the Progressive Radio Network is Raquel Jacquez Sharp,  the Communications and Partnerships Manager at The Sylvia Center, a NY-based nonprofit that is focused on nutrition education and youth development.

Raquel was born and raised in the Central Valley of California. Growing up in the rural town of Bakersfield, provided her with unique insight into various layers of our food system, including agri-business, farmworkers’ rights, and the challenges around food education in public schools — particularly in lower-income, rural communities. It is because of this upbringing that she is passionate about the intersections of food, education, health and the environment.

Raquel started her career as a Chef Teacher at the Edible Schoolyard Berkeley, the country’s first Edible Schoolyard project created by Alice Waters and the Chez Panisse Foundation. For the past eight years, she has worked with various organizations to create educational programming in the food space with the intent of providing further opportunities for children, youth and adults to have better health outcomes.

She led teams of outdoor educators at the Buena Vista and Grimmway Academy Edible Schoolyards, both projects of the Grimm Family Education Foundation in her hometown.  Her leadership was key in promoting school wellness policies and professional development for teachers in the Central Valley of CA.  Raquel has also worked in restaurant media, research centers at UC Berkeley and the Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy at Columbia University, where her work was focused on the elevation of food and nutrition programs that can lead to better food environments and public health outcomes.

Please join me on Thursday, to find out more about the Sylvia Center, and their partnership with Katchkie Farm, where the kids go in the summer to learn about food, nutrition, health and the environment, while having fun in the country!

Remember, my show is recorded live, every Thursday, from 10-11 am, EST.  To tune in, navigate to PRN.fm and click the “Listen Live” button on the left.

PRN has a new app! Just download the app from your phone app store, and take the station with you wherever you go! You’ll be able to listen live or access the archives, all from the app! If you want to call in during the show with any questions for me or my guest, the call in number is 888-874-4888.

If you missed the show, you can listen to it in the PRN archives, or through the PRN app. Of course you can also access the shows through my website.

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With love and gratitude,

Bhavani