The Sound of the Pacific Northwest

February is American Heart Month and a time when we shine a spotlight on heart health. We invited two volunteers from the American Heart Association to talk about this: Dr. Ruben Halperin, a Medical Director at Providence Health Plan in Portland and a volunteer medical expert for the American Heart Association, and Therese Dumas, who has been touched by heart disease and is serving as a Go Red for Women Ambassador in Washington. They talked about heart health and steps we can take to reduce our risk for heart disease and stroke at any age, but also as we age. Listen to our talk here.

There’s an organization in Portland that has been coming to the rescue of homeless youth between 15 and 25 years of age since 2002. Their name is p:ear. To talk about p:ear, we invited Tony Camacho Martinez, their program director.

Urban Harvest Exchange is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Tacoma, Washington, dedicated to food sovereignty, food rescue, and community mutual aid.To talk about it, we invited David Thompson, the Founder and Director of Urban Harvest Exchange. Listen to our talk here.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, April wanted to help seniors stay active during the shutdown in the comfort and safety of their homes. Wanting to reach as many people as possible, she started creating free video workouts on YouTube with her then 80-year-old mom. Both are humbled and grateful that they are helping so many — yes2next videos have been viewed more than 60 million times with more than 500,000 subscribers.

CASA started from a handful of volunteers recruited by word of mouth in King County and has grown to 70,000+ volunteers across the United States.  The volunteers are trained by the court to advocate for the needs of children removed from their families due to abuse or neglect allegations.  CASA volunteers gather information, report to the court on the needs of the child, assist the court in making difficult decisions, and make sure that the children’s needs are heard.  To talk about CASA, we invited Sarah Childs, Recruitment & Retention Coordinator for The King County Dependency CASA Program, and Michael Griesedieck, their Program Manager.

Katherine Kehrli is the founder, chair, and chief bread & energy cookie officer for Community Loaves, a grassroots bread and cookie home-based volunteer brigade, baking and delivering wholegrain loaves and energy cookies to local food banks. Listen to today's podcast to find more information about this fantastic organization. 

Dr. John Zeisel is a world-renowned expert on living with Alzheimer’s and he’s the founder of the I’m Still Here Foundation. You can meet him Thursday, January 22 from 1 – 2:30 pm at the Frye Art Museum Auditorium. This community-focused event is designed to bring together both people supporting loved ones on the memory loss journey and professionals who provide dementia-friendly programs and services in our area.

Community Warehouse is anon-profit organization that collects new and gently used furniture to provide to individuals and families transitioning out of crisis situations, such as homelessness, domestic violence, or disaster recovery, at no cost. We invited Phil Gerigscott, Senior Manager of Communications for Community Warehouse. 

Today we talked to Kristine Moreland, President and Co-Founder of The More We Love. The More We Love is an organization that provides outreach to those impacted by homelessness. They build trust, advocate for these individuals, and provide them with the love, appropriate resources, and care they need to heal and thrive. 

Today we talked to Jennifer Simonic, Co-Founder of Loose Ends. Loose Ends is a non-profit that finishes art projects that loved ones leave behind when they pass away. 

We’re in December! It’s almost the holidays and we’re thinking of where we’re gonna spend them, what we’ll be cooking, presents… So many things to worry about… What do you call those? Oh yes, FWPs… First world problems… Most of us have these kinds of problems, but many people have real problems. They are not wondering what they’ll be eating for Christmas because they don’t even know if they’ll have food tomorrow. Food insecurity is not fun, especially if others depend on you. We have some friends that for the holidays always make backpacks with food supplies and toiletries that they then hand to people in a situation of homelessness. But there are people who do this every day of the year! That is the case of Machael Casper. For the last 5 years she’s been running Milk Crate Kitchen.

Today we have invitedAndrea Woroch, a nationally-recognized family finance expert, writer, speaker and frequent on air-contributor on radio and tv, to share practical tips for cutting your grocery bill, especially around the holidays.

Next month, December is Cybersecurity Awareness month, so to help us understand this issue and give us some tips, we have invited a cybersecurity expert, Stanton Greenawalt, Professor Cybersecurity at Horry Georgetown Technical College In South Carolina.

There's an art exhibit called Please Touch organized by ReVision Arts and curated by Barbara Oswald. Barbara very graciously accepted to talk to us today about this interesting concept. 

In the Pacific Northwest, we have a serious problem with drugs, crime, homelessness, domestic violence... so many issues that, believe it or not, improve when this one thing gets better…  We’re talking about reading… Children who cannot read proficiently by the fourth grade are four times less likely to graduate on time—hindering their chances to succeed in college, career, and in life. And here’s an alarming statistic… In Oregon, more than half of 3rd graders are not reading at grade level. There is an organization in Oregon that is working hard to boost reading levels in school. We’re talking about SMART Reading. To talk about SMART Reading, we have invitedJessica Bowersox, SMART Reading’s Executive Director. 

October is known as National Disability Employment Awareness Month and is also a time to raise awareness for specific conditions like Down Syndrome. National Disability Employment Awareness Month highlights the contributions of people with disabilities to the workforce, encourages inclusive hiring practices, and promotes an accessible work environment. So, today, we’re talking to an organization in Portland that empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We’re talking about PHAME, with PH, not F. To talk about PHAME, we have invited Dana Dinh, their Outreach & Student Engagement Manager.

Today we’re speaking with Megan Mayes, Director of Community Relations for BELLWETHER HOUSING. They know a thing or two about housing… They operate over 3,500 low-income apartments throughout the Puget Sound region. 

Homelessness is a significant and growing problem in the Pacific Northwest. Something needs to be done and soon!  “Portland Rescue Mission” is one of the many organizations working hard to make a difference and end homelessness in the Pacific Northwest.  They are so committed to their mission that their Interim CEO, Erin Holcomb, spent 24 hours on a bench in Portland this week. In Seattle, the CEO for Bread of Life Mission, Kim Cook, also spent 24 hours on a Bench in Seattle this past week. Before they did it, we recorded an interview with Erin Holcomb to ask her about "Conversations on a Bench."

Salem Radio Seattle will be at Missions Fest Seattle. This is a free event with keynote speakers and 60 seminars and exhibits. This is happening Friday and Saturday Oct 10th and 11th at the Highlands Community Church in Renton. For more information go to MissionsFestSeattle.org. We thought, since we’re gonna be there, it would be a nice idea to talk to one of those 60 exhibitors that will be there with Salem Media Seattle. We chose Vision House. And to talk about Vision House, we invited their Executive Director, Derek Sciba. Derek Sciba has 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, having served with global relief organizations such as World Concern and World Vision. Before stepping into the nonprofit world, Derek worked as a television news reporter, where he told stories that sought justice for families facing trauma.

There's a very important gala taking place on October 4th and it’s the ALS Northwest Silver & Gold Gala at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. To talk about ALS Northwest and their upcoming gala, we have invited Cassy Adams, their Executive Director.

Do you know a woman who’s had a cancer diagnosis? Team Survivor Northwest provides a vital lifeline - offering free fitness programs and a healing community that improves health outcomes for women with cancer. On October 4, you can directly support these transformative services by attending Team Survivor Northwest's 30 Years Strong Gala. As a listener of this station, use code RADIO to save $20 on tickets. This is your chance to invest locally and support women with cancer in their healing. Visit TeamSurvivorNW.org now to reserve your seat.  To talk about this Gala and more we invited Ericka Newman , Team Survivor Northwest Executive Director. 

There’s an organization in Portland that has been coming to the rescue of homeless youth between 15 and 25 years of age since 2002. Their name is p:ear. To talk about p:ear, we invited Tony Camacho Martinez, their program director.

Have you ever wondered about the people you see all the time, like your bus driver, your baker, your garbage collector? What’s interesting or fun about their jobs? What ticks them off? What makes them smile? Well, we thought it would be a great idea to talk to them. This week, we talked to a Community Transit bus driver in Washington. We had a great conversation and learned a lot about him and his job. Listen to our conversation with David Scroggins of Community Transit here...

There’s a Volunteer Expo coming up on September 4th at Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland. To talk about this event, we’ve invited Melissa Wilmot, Public Relations & Social Media Manager, Community Relations at The Standard Insurance Company.

Poverty Bay Blues and Brews is on Saturday, August 23rd. To learn about this great event, we have invited Brian Snure, who has been in charge of the festival since the beginning, 16 years ago, and Steve Swank, AKA the Music Man; he’s the one that has booked the bands since they started the festival! Get your tickets here: https://www.drinktomusic.org/

 Our guest today is Jared Walker. He founded “Dollar For” in 2012 in Portland, Oregon. He created it to prevent medical crises becoming financial crises. He wants to make charity care known, easy, and fair.

If you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest in the last 3 decades and you like listening to radio, you’ll recognize the name Georgine Rice… She’s the host of the Georgene Rice, Mon-Fri at 4 pm on 820 AM, The Word, and she’s been in KPDQ in Portland for over 30 years!

Today on the Sound of the Puget Sound, we had the chance to talk to Greg Roth. He is the Director & Executive Producer of the movie “We Ride Why.”  He is also the founder and Creative Director of the local music website Seattle Music Insider. Greg was raised in a musical family, and, like his brothers John and Robert, played in various bands, as well as writing and producing his own projects. 

Each year, hundreds of thousands of children grow up in America’s $30 billion foster care system, only to leave and enter its prisons, where a quarter of all inmates are former foster youth. Seattle author Claudia Rowe has ideas on how to fix this problem, and she wrote a book about it.  In Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care, Claudia Rowe paints a visceral survival narrative showing exactly where, when, and how the system channels children into locked cells.

Gina Tarnacki is a local travel writer, and the author of “100 Things to Do in Washington State Before You Die.” She gave us amazing tips on some of the things to do in Washington before we die. 

In 2018, Yori, a 3-year-old from Seattle, drowned in a pool when he was just 3 years old. We’re talking to his mom today. Chezik, his mom, knew she had to do something to honor her child. That’s how “No More Under” was born.  Chezik Tsunoda is the founder of this organization and she’s talking to us today.

Music Aid Northwest was created by a group of very successful musicians in the Puget Sound to raise and provide funds for music programs in Washington State. Why, you may be asking yourself… Well, to answer this question, we have invited the Music Aid Northwest Executive Director, Bob Tomberg.

Recently, one of our co-workers gave us the shocking news that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. We knew it was a serious illness, but what else did we know about it? Not much… We know that’s what Michael J. Fox has… I guess that’s it. We started learning a little bit from our co-worker but we thought it would be beneficial for our audience if we talked to the experts about it. Today we’ve invited to the show, Dr. Marci Nemhauser, who’s in charge of Social Services at The Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.

Richard Ramos is the author of Parents on a Mission: How Parents Can Win the Competition for the Heart, Mind, and Loyalty of Their Children. In Parents on a Mission, Richard Ramos explains the importance of healthy parent-child relationships and parents' role in shaping their children's lives.  

We continue our conversation with Steve Edmiston about the Maury Island UFO Incident and the Men In Black Birthday Bash Fest.

Do you know where Maury Island is? Have you ever heard of the Maury Island incident? Well, today we have a guest that knows all about the Maury Island incident… Did you notice how there are UFOs and rockets featured all around Des Moines? Did you ever wonder why? Today’s the day I will blow your mind, Pedro. Well, not me, our guest. Steve Edmiston is a business, entertainment, intellectual property lawyer; indie film writer/producer; and toy/game industry consultant. AND, as he calls himself, a micro-historian. Today, Steve will tell us about the Maury Island UFO Incident.

There’s a group of women in West Seattle that were just featured in the news… Why? Because they have a grassroots organization that has just reached a major milestone: They have surpassed a half a million dollars in donations to local organizations! Where is that money coming from? Well, their own pockets! They are Impact West Seattle, and, to talk about their success, we have invited one of their co-founders, Rachel Lazar.

Next week, we have a donor campaign on 820 AM “The Word.” It’ll be on Wednesday and Thursday, and we’ll be raising money for an organization called GFA, Gospels for Asia. We could tell you all about this, but we’d rather invite someone very important for GFA. We’re talking about Bishop Daniel Timotheos. Bishop Daniel is a global Christian leader who serves as president of GFA World and is a consecrated bishop of Believers Eastern Church. In his role as President of GFA World USA, Bishop Daniel serves as the primary link between thousands of Christian workers and missionaries serving throughout Africa and Asia and the rest of the church worldwide.

Growing Veterans provides multiple opportunities through sustainable agriculture for veterans to strengthen themselves and their local community. Growing Veterans exists to provide a healthy transition opportunity for returning military veterans, a platform for older veterans to get involved with the new, and to leverage all US military veterans to change the way communities think about food. To talk about Growing Veterans we’re joined today by Logan A. Hilgers, Community Outreach Coordinator for Growing Veterans.

There’s an organization called “Loose Ends,” and this is what they do. They finish knitting or sewing projects that may have been left unfinished. And here’s the good news, not only can you submit a project, but you can also become part of their network of volunteer finishers. To talk about Loose Ends, we’ve invited Jen Simonic, Co-Founder and Director of Partnerships & Community Outreach for Loose Ends.

You know, Pedro we missed something last weekend… It was National Puppy Day! We have a cat now, but we both grew up with dogs. I had Guaguito, Solita, Ninguno and Manchita. What dogs did you have? Do you miss having dogs? What if I told you there is a way you can have a puppy and help raise it to become a service dog? What do you think of the name Felipe, for a dog. Well, there’s an organization in the United States and of course, here in the Puget Sound, called Canine Companions. And they need people like us to help. To talk about Canine Companions we have invited Julia Schuehle, their Field Marketing and Media Coordinator.

On March 11th 2025, one of the biggest Seattle radio legends passed away. Bob Rivers, known all over the country for his amazing Christmas Twisted Tunes, had been a radio personality in Seattle since the 90's. Bob touched countless lives with his humor, kindness, and passion for storytelling. His voice may be silent, but he will remain in the hearts of those who know him and those who for years followed him on the radio. We had the chance to work with him for many years. Not long ago, we did an interview with him on our radio show, and we decided to replay it, to honor such an amazing person. Bob, rest in peace!

Do you know what the fastest product for sale in the world is? Oil? Coffee? Corn? None of them! It's humans! Human trafficking, including child trafficking, happens everywhere; it happens in the United States and it happens in our own home, Washington State. This is the human rights issue of our time. There’s an organization in our backyard that is taking matters into their own hands. I’m talking about Orphan Relief and Rescue. As a matter of fact, they have a program, “Voice with Action,” that airs Sundays at 2 pm on 820 AM, KGNW, “The Word.” Today we have invited to The Sound of the Puget Sound the President and Co-Founder of Orphan Relief and Rescue and the host of Voice with Action.

Do you know what the fastest product for sale in the world is? Oil? Coffee? Corn? None of them! It's humans! Human trafficking, including child trafficking, happens everywhere; it happens in the United States and it happens in our own home, Washington State. This is the human rights issue of our time. There’s an organization in our backyard that is taking matters into their own hands. I’m talking about Orphan Relief and Rescue. As a matter of fact, they have a program, “Voice with Action,” that airs Sundays at 2 pm on 820 AM, KGNW, “The Word.” Today we have invited to The Sound of the Puget Sound the President and Co-Founder of Orphan Relief and Rescue and the host of Voice with Action.

Our guest today is a true celebrity. You may know Tracy Taylor-Turner from her traffic reports on KIRO 7, KING 5 and more… She’s been nominated 6 times for Emmy awards, and she’s earned a very coveted Edward R. Murrow award. Despite all these accolades, her biggest asset is all the work she does for the community. She’s a current Council Member for the City of Auburn. She’s the Communications Coordinator for the Mayor of Kent... We could go on and on, but the reason we’re talking to this amazing person today, is that she’s recently become a Brand Ambassador for the See Ya Later Foundation’s Seeds of Hope Program.

With us today we have an American Heart Association volunteer, Shana Pennington-Baird. She is going to share with us her heart story and information about the Association’s Go Red for Women movement. But not only that… We will be asking her about her book, her career as a voice over artist and recording other people’s stories, and her podcast, Go to Your Room and Make Stuff!

Cold weather makes us think about how lucky we are to have a house to shelter us from the cold, the snow, the rain, the dangers… But not everyone has a home. There are families in the Puget Sound that don’t have a home. How do those parents protect their kids? How do they make sure their children grow up to make a difference in their communities? There’s an organization in the Puget Sounds that works hard to ensure that no child sleeps outside. We’re talking about Mary’s Place. You’ve probably seen their vans driving around our area. Today, we have invited Mary’s Place CEO Dominique Alex to talk about homelessness in the Puget Sound.

Over 16,000 people have experienced homelessness in King County at some point during this year. And about 60 percent of them had no shelter. We have a serious problem, and unless we do something about it, things can only get worse…  “Bread of Life Mission” is one of the many organizations working hard to make a difference and end homelessness in the Puget Sound.  They are so committed to their mission, that their President and CEO spent 24 hours on a bench in Seattle last week, to put herself in the shoes of homeless people, see what they need, ask people what their ideas are to end homelessness. Today, we’ve invited Kim Cook to tell us about this experience.

The American Red Cross is encouraging donors to give blood now to help protect the blood supply from the impact of ongoing weather events. To motivate people to donate blood, we had on the show, Betsy Robertson, Director of Communications for the American Red Cross Northwest Region so she could use her charm to convince us all to donate blood.

Today, we talked to the writer of a play currently showing in Seattle. Claire Zaslove wrote the play Rip! A Winkle in Time which you can enjoy at 12th Avenue Arts until February 8. This play is also a family affair, since it’s directed by Arne Zaslove, her husband.