Episodios

  • Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring MENTOR Rhode Island with Jeanine Achin 1-24-26

    Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring MENTOR Rhode Island with Jeanine Achin 1-24-26
    Jan 24 2026
    January is National Mentor month. As a youth in life, “Opportunity is not always equally distributed, but potential is”. Jeanine Achin, President and CEO of MENTOR RI (mentorri.org), joins us with some insight on how this organization undergoes their mission, striving to fill the gap “for all youth to have role models who are able to provide a road map for lifelong success and achievement”. The process begins in the school system with youths from kindergarten through high school graduation, who receive one on one contact with a well vetted adult. Anyone can be a mentor, there's no qualification or status required, you only need to “show up, no matter what“. Since 1989, MENTOR RI has been serving RI cities and towns with 53 mentoring programs, “Envisioning a Rhode Island where all youth are connected to relationships with adults who inspire and support them”. Listen as Jeanine explains how they recruit businesses and individuals as mentors, to achieve “the most meaningful thing they do in a day”. There are individuals who have taken this mentor relationship, flipping the script, from the one who is mentored to one who becomes a mentor. The impact of mentoring can be found on the website with numbers to illustrate success. Jeanine also details their events aimed at community involvement to raise awareness and funds. In September they celebrate the volunteers at their “Annual Campaign Breakfast”, honoring a new class of Legacy Mentors with an induction into their Mentor Hall of Fame. Every January 1st, they have the “Annual Frozen Clam Dip & Obsta-Plunge”, a New Year’s Day tradition. On March 27th, join MENTOR RI for their signature event, “19th Dancing With the Stars of Mentoring”, when ten local “celebrities” compete for fundraising goals. These locals, including three RI Mayors and Miss RI Teen USA, will participate as dancers or judges. Follow Mayor Donald Grebien (Pawtucket) and Mayor Maria Rivera (Central Falls) as they hit the dance floor with professional dancers from The Dancing Feeling studio. They'll be judged by Mayor Frank Picozzi (Warwick) and Miss RI Teen USA, Reyana Ahern (Warwick). It's sure to be a magical night!
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    15 m
  • Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Stages of Freedom with Ray Rickman and Robb Dimmick 01-17-26

    Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Stages of Freedom with Ray Rickman and Robb Dimmick 01-17-26
    Jan 17 2026
    In this, a year where we find ourselves in a troubled chaotic society, it's necessary for people to “do more” and “speak up”. That's the suggestion from Stages of Freedom (stagesoffreedom.org), the Rhode Island “award-winning non-profit building bridges across cultural divides through exciting public engagement”. Ray Rickman, Co-Founder and Executive Director and Robb Dimmick, Co-Founder and Program Director join us ahead of Monday's day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King. They're offering “Time to Break Silence, the Essential Works of Dr. Martin Luther King” to 10th, 11th and 12th grade students, FREE, via email request. In addition to discussing the similarities between the Civil Rights era and today, we elaborate on Stages of Freedom ongoing mission. No other site in America is doing the work to archive Black excellence in the country and specifically Rhode Island. Did you know the first professional Magician was Richard Potter or that “Henry “Box” Brown:The Magician Who Mailed Himself to Freedom” performed in Woonsocket, RI? If you subscribed to “Connected”, the SOF eblast sent out three times during the week, you would. They encourage educators to use the resources SOF provides to enhance learning. Among these resources, they have traveling exhibits for loan to display, that can be transported easily. Listen as Ray and Robb describe how you can help Stages of Freedom with their ongoing mission including Swim Empowerment for BIPOC, who are five times more likely to drown, compared to White Youths.
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    24 m
  • Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Funda Fest 28 with Valerie Tutson 1-10-26

    Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Funda Fest 28 with Valerie Tutson 1-10-26
    Jan 10 2026
    Learning is fun and It's a belief that to keep the mind, body and soul active in all stages of our lives, learning is key. Funda Fest (fundafest.org) now in their 28th season, returns with their celebration of performance art, January 13th-25th, the week of the Martin Luther King Holiday. Valerie Tutson, Teller and Executive/Festival Director, joins us with details.This year’s Funda theme is “Drumming Up Freedom”! Over 25 performers from around the world join Valerie Tutson, Len Cabral and other talented performers from the Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS) for “A Celebration of Black Storytelling”. “Experience the talents of performers from the African Diaspora, artists from the US, the UK, the Caribbean, and the African Continent”. Listen as Valerie describes the beginnings, including how the name Funda Fest came to fruition and the literal meaning. She explains there will be an event to celebrate a founding member at the CCRI Providence Liston Campus January 24th, “Remembering Michael Van Leesten: “Mike Tales” (A Tribute to Michael Van Leesten)”. There'll be music, storytelling, spoken word and more with certain performances that come with a bonus recording to enjoy again and again. RIBS is available year round with storytelling packages for schools, churches, organizations, businesses and libraries. So, join the fun! Scott joined last year at Funda Fest 27, as a judge for the Liar’s Contest event. You can hear his enjoyment as he describes the experience, will he repeat?
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    24 m
  • Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Women's Fund of RI with Kelly Nevins 01-03-26

    Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Women's Fund of RI with Kelly Nevins 01-03-26
    Jan 3 2026
    We welcome 2026 with the Women's Fund of Rhode Island (wfri.org) and CEO Kelly Nevins. She joins us to reveal the work being done to advance equity among the gender divide in RI. The goal of WFRI is to “close the gender wage, wealth, health, and power gaps that exist so everyone can not only survive, but thrive”. Listen as Kelly details the programs and initiatives they've undertaken in this, their 25th year of service. In addition to their 25th anniversary, she notes the launch of a RI Girls Coalition, a Digital Literacy & Mental Health Retreat for Girls, work on a RI Voter Rights Act, and a Gubernatorial Forum with candidates for Governor, as we head to the voting booth for the midterms in November. Did you know, WFRI welcomes men as allies in the fight for equity? “One Hundred Men for Gender Equity” exists within WFRI for men to participate in the movement. Check the website for WFRI events in 2026. The discussion starts January 12th with the FAB (Feminist Activist Book) Club in addition to events throughout the year, leading up to September 23rd with WFRI's annual gala “Women Leading Change”.
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    16 m
  • Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring A Wish Come True 22nd Polar Plunge with Mary-Kate O'Leary 12-27-25

    Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring A Wish Come True 22nd Polar Plunge with Mary-Kate O'Leary 12-27-25
    Dec 27 2025
    Give back, feel good and make it a movement on New Years Day 2026, take the plunge! A Wish Come True (AWCT) and hundreds of brave souls will be jumping in the Atlantic Ocean at Easton’s Beach in Newport RI at high noon, for the 22nd annual Polar Plunge. Mary-Kate O’Leary, MA Executive Director at A Wish Come True (awish.org) joins us for the details. She's geared up for the plunge, and preparing her costume. It's all to benefit kids who are living with a life threatening illness. To date, AWCT has granted 1900 wishes to “kiddos” from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut who have a wish for a special experience. Listen as Mary-Kate reveals the various, most requested wishes. She highlights Wish kiddo Nicholas, who requested a Celtics experience. Great sponsors help to make these experiences happen and the Celtics have participated continuously in the past. Will Jayson Tatum or Johnston's own Coach Joe Mazzulla be present for Nicholas? Mary-Kate also describes the other fundraising events, if you prefer to stay dry. It's gala year! The “Wishes Take Flight Gala” will honor Colleen and Frank Duffy who created the Meghan K. Duffy Memorial Hardship Fund, assisting Wish families financially. “Shamrocks and Shenanigans” as well as the AWCT “Spring Golf Classic” will be fun event opportunities to raise funds or volunteer your time. To put in perspective, jumping in the ocean in January may be uncomfortable, however minimal compared to the treatments these kiddos go through for their illness.
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    17 m
  • Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Plunge for Pete 2025 with the Pete Frates Foundation 12-20-25

    Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Plunge for Pete 2025 with the Pete Frates Foundation 12-20-25
    Dec 20 2025
    Get out of your comfort zone and get silly for a good cause. The Pete Frates Foundation (petefrates.com) invites you to join the ALS community to “Plunge 4 Pete:Freezin for a Reason” (plunge4pete.com) on December 27th at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester Massachusetts. If you're unable to get to the beach, you can plunge remotely! Mike Pitt, Executive Director of The Pete Frates Foundation, joins us for the many ways you can contribute to the cause. It all started with Pete Frates and Pat Quinn in 2014 when they created the Ice Bucket Challenge, with the goal of raising funds for research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. To date, the challenge has raised $220 million for researching this disease which has no cure. The Pete Frates Foundation was created in 2020 by Petes parents in his memory, after his passing from ALS in 2019. Mike Pitt details the support the foundation provides to ALS patients and their loved ones. They're happy being a conduit to help with ALS resources including financial assistance to help with home health care assistance. They also provide many volunteer opportunities if you have the time, or if you don't have the time, donations are always welcome. Listen as Mike describes his personal connection to Pete, his “brother from another mother” and reveals how his father also battled a similar condition. As the holidays are upon us, you can find a way to give with 2X the impact, with a purchase on the foundation’s online store.
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    16 m
  • Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring World War II Foundation and International Museum of World War II with Tim Gray 12-13-25.

    Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring World War II Foundation and International Museum of World War II with Tim Gray 12-13-25.
    Dec 13 2025
    It's a short drive to South County RI where the World War II Foundation and International Museum of World War II (https://wwiifoundation.org/), a “National Geographic Top Ten World War II Museums in the World to Visit” is found on Main Street in Wakefield. There you'll meet Tim Gray, President, Founder & Documentary Filmmaker. He joins us with an update on how the foundation is busy recreating and preserving the history of battlefield wars. The World War II Foundation tells the personal stories of the World War II generation through documentary films, shot on location in Europe and the Pacific. A sobering reality, only 43 thousand Veterans remain, of 16 million WWII Veterans enlisted. To date, 42 documentary films on World War II with narrators including Bill Belichick, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Dan Aykroyd, Gary Sinise, Liev Schreiber, Tim McCarver, Jane Lynch, Jim Nantz, and many others. Listen as Tim recalls filming, “A Promise To My Father” the story of Holocaust Survivor Israel (Izzy) Arbeiter as he returns to Auschwitz, “reliving the most horrific moments of his life with vivid detail, seventy years later”. The International Museum of WWII (https://wwiifoundation.org/museum/), a tactile museum, curates tangible objects you can touch.“The most comprehensive World War II collection on display anywhere in the country.” On display, items from a soldier's deployment. In person you can try on a helmet or touch a weapon, feel the weight of the gear carried into battle. Best bet before you visit, take the Virtual-visit tour to see the magnitude of the collection spanning all conflicts, and all sides. The WWII Foundation is filling the void where the Department of Education has dropped the curriculum, offering educators an opportunity to teach the subject of World War II. Like various school systems this holiday season, The World War II Foundation is a partner with “Wreaths Across America”, teaching the next generation the value of freedom. On a lighter note, Tim reveals the connection between himself at the age of 10, and Edward R. Murrow.
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    18 m
  • Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Junior Achievement RI with Cassi Steenblok 11-29-25

    Community Matters with Scott Cordischi featuring Junior Achievement RI with Cassi Steenblok 11-29-25
    Nov 29 2025
    It's all about the students and preparing them for success in their lives and careers, as they become adults in the workforce. Junior Achievement Rhode Island (jari.org) has been a key component in that effort since 1922, after the national Junior Achievement organization came on the scene in 1919. Cassi Steenblok, Director of Development joins the program for the latest happenings. She explains that the most under served segment of the student population in the Ocean State get the benefit of learning skills ranging from running a business to the latest in artificial intelligence (AI). In the 2024-2025 school year, they “reached nearly 12,000 students in 75 schools in 22 different districts”. A peek behind the curtain occurs on December 9th through December 11th at JA Inspire career fair in Providence, when students can get hands-on experience. “JA Inspire is a coalition of educators and industry leaders, led by Junior Achievement of Rhode Island. At the center of our work is a powerful career exploration fair where 5,000 8th graders from around the state visit the Rhode Island Convention Center to learn from 90 exhibitors representing high-growth, high-demand careers here in Rhode Island”. The best part, all the programs JARI provides are FREE! You can imagine fundraising is key to continuing to provide this successful school centric programming. Volunteers and donations from businesses and individuals are welcome and “Giving Tuesday” is a great time to get on board.
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    13 m