American veterans deserve the best in healthcare because they earned it. Dr. LAUREN SCHLANGER is the Women’s Health Medical Director at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She discusses the programs available to women veterans, mental health services, and a ‘holistic’ approach to integrate veterans back into the community.

MARTHA CUMMINGS is an educator and founder of Universal Promise, a nonprofit that provides educational opportunities to young children in rural South Africa. She discusses how private donations and local partnerships helped build a library, science lab, and classroom renovations. The pass rate for 12th graders skyrocketed from 14 to 93 percent last year.

MELISSA CHERNEY is the new CEO of Rhode Island Foodbank. She discusses the differences coming from the Great Plains Food Bank in North Dakota and puts a human face on the hungry in Rhode Island. She also shares her personal struggle with hunger and receiving SNAP benefits.

The Rhode Island Philharmonic enters a new era with the first woman conductor and Music Director. RUTH REINHARDT has an impressive international reputation as a dynamic musical conductor. Born in Germany, she had already composed a full-length opera by the age of 17, which she conducted with her local music school. Ruth describes how she communicates with the musicians, the energy of the audience, and her plans for the Music School as she works with aspiring young musicians.

Do you know someone who is struggling to make ends meet? For over 130 years, Family Service of Rhode Island has been helping families out of poverty. MARGARET HOLLAND MCDUFF, CEO, has been at FSRI for 4 decades starting as a social worker helping teens in trauma. She highlights the efforts of this human services agency, which positively influences countless families and children in the state.

Cuts to federal SNAP benefits mean more Rhode Island families go hungry. KATE BREWSTER, CEO of Johnny Cake Center, a food pantry serving South County, says families worry about housing costs and putting food on the table.

REBEKAH ROSEN GOMEZ is co-founder and executive director of CONEXION LATINA NEWPORT, an organization that helps educate, empower, and connect the Hispanic community to services on Aquidneck Island. She explains how the values, culture, and work ethic of the Latino community contribute to the future and the local economy.

Since 2012, Girls on the Run Rhode Island has been inspiring girls from third to eighth grade to recognize their inner strengths and increase their physical activity. KASHA HANFLIK, executive director, and ELIZABETH MCGANN, program manager, discuss how young girls build friendships and grow their self-confidence during the ten-week program.