A Better World Community

MANNA FoodBank is now seeing 220k visits a month, up from 65k before COVID. CEO Claire Neal joins us on hunger in WNC and what it takes to meet the growing need.

Maureen Gould Bolger is a suicide loss survivor who turned grief into purpose. Now the Area Director of the the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, she joins us to talk about the work they do at the AFSP, the stigma of suicide, prevention education, and why meaningful change starts with creating spaces where people feel safe enough to talk honestly about mental health, connection, and hope.

Amsterdam researcher and author Gerard Aartsen talks about his new book Undaunted: The Real George Adamski, Pioneer UFO Contactee — the story of the most famous of the 1950s contactees, and the message about peace and humanity's direction that Aartsen believes got lost beneath the controversy.

Investigative journalist, former editor and city councilor Cecil Bothwell discusses Regarding Charlie, his new book on local organizer Charlie Thomas and the activism issues that face Asheville, NC citizens today.

Gun violence is one of the most pressing public health challenges facing the United States. In this episode, Josh Horwitz, Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, discusses evidence-based strategies to reduce firearm violence, the role of research and public policy, and how collaboration between communities, healthcare professionals, and lawmakers can help build a safer future for everyone.