24/7 Teacher

Students Keweyn Chandlier and Celia Garza of Grad Lab Coach Tracy Elam share how support and laughter helped them stay out of school.

LISTEN to Tracy and Student's STORY

The Little Church That Could

Pastor Bill Whitehead has a small congregation and he is using social networking to bring in more people.

LISTEN to Bill's Story

Exonerated in Texas

James D. Waller and James Curtis Giles were exonerated after serving over a decade incarcerated.
They share how their lives changed after they were compensated for being wrongly accused.

LISTEN to James and James Story

Losing Martin Luther King

Duane VanderBrug, a white minister, presided over the funeral of a black veteran killed in the Vietnam War. The service happened the same day Dr. King was laid to rest.

HEAR DUANE'S STORY

The Evolution of Malcolm Shabazz

Malcolm Shabazz, the first grandson of Malcolm X, shares how learning about his grandfather's life as a teen has changed him.

LISTEN to Malcolm's STORY

Saved From Captivity

Somaly and Sina share how they help girls and women escape from Cambodian brothels liek the ones they were held captive in as teenagers.

LISTEN to Somaly & Sina's Story

Hip Bop Hero

Hip Bop inventor Ohene discusses how he learned to successful blend his classical piano playing skills and rap lyrics while living abroad in Ghana, Africa.

LISTEN to Ohene's STORY

30 Years of The Breaks

Rap legend Kurtis Blow shares his personal story and why he decided to rejuvenate his rap career after becoming a reverend.

LISTEN to Kurtis Story

Santa Has An Agent

Hans Lehmann shares his encounters while playing Santa over the past 30 years.

LISTEN to Hans' Story

The Mystery Guitar Man

Joe Penna shares how he's made a career for himself as a character known as "Mystery Guitar Man" on youtube after dropping out of medical school

LISTEN to Joe's Story

A New Vision for Architecture

Architect Chris Downey shares how he redefined his career after unexpectedly losing his eyesight.

LISTEN to Chris' Story

The Notebook

Annelies Gentile has a mailbox near a memorial bench for her father with a notebook where strangers leave various messages.

LISTEN to the mix of letters read in "The Notebook"

All Alone

Victor Vangelakos and his family lived in a 32-story building as the lone residents for years until the property owner auctioned off condo units at drastically reduced prices.

LISTEN to Victor's Story
(3rd Interview)

Yummy, Remembered

Author Greg Neri uses a Graphic Novel to capture the story an 11-year old Chicago boy who murdered a teenager and later became a victim of homicide himself.

LISTEN to G. Neri's Story
(3rd Interview)

We Spend Our Holidays Apart - And We Like It

Patrick and Allison Saucer are spending their first holiday together after twenty years of going their separate ways.

LISTEN to the Saucer's Story

Rollin' On

Bernard Sadow invented the wheeled luggage and shares what sparked the idea in the 70s.

LISTEN to Bernard's Story
(3rd Interview)

Documenting Foreclosure

Kristin Lavanway is a Realtor who lost her home to foreclosure after helping many save their homes.
LISTEN to Kristin's Story

Your Story - Icy Rescue

LISTEN to the Icy Rescue Story

P,H.A.T.W.A

Yassin Alsalman is often refused entry into the U.S from Canada, be believes, because of his race.

LISTEN to Yassin's Story

The Silver Spoon

Jan Rivero shares the story of how an old silver spoon helped her trace her family's roots.

LISTEN to Jan's Story

Crossing the Saar - Twice

Three generations of the Baumgaertner family share how their individual trips to the Saar River where their grandfather fought transformed their lives.

LISTEN to the Baumgaertner's Story

Franko's Maps

Frank Neilsen shares how saving a women who was being attacked by dogs led to the career of his dreams.

LISTEN to Franko's Story

Flooding in Haiti

Roody Joseph shares what is happening on the streets and tent cities in Haiti.

LISTEN to Roody's Story
(2nd Interview)

Next Chapter - Prayer's of a Bullied Boy

Terrance Mensa shares how his life is change since he stopped being bullied.

LISTEN to Terrance's Story

Wounded Solider's and Art

Ivan Pineiro and Craig Bone share how being wounded soldier's is helping them create art that's healing.

LISTEN to Ivan and Craig's Story

Disappearing Money

Johnathan David create multi-million dollar commercials before he got divorced. Now he's watching his retirement money disappear and is reconsidering his lifestyle.

LISTEN to Johnathan's Story

Traveling to N'Ditam

Dr. George Bwelle and I, Anita Woodley, share our encounters while visiting a village in Cameroon called N'Ditam. Dr. George provides free medical care to many whom have never before seen a doctor. I was visiting my ancestral tribe for the first time and received a traditional name.

LISTEN to Dr. George and My Story

The Green Team

The McCarthy family shares how they turned their green lifestyle became the blueprint for their school's recycling program.

LISTEN to the McCarthy's Story

A Dollar Job

Edna Harris shares stories of working several jobs for years that only paid one dollar an hour.

LISTEN TO Edna's Story
(2nd Story)

When Living in a Hotel is No Vacation

Melissa and her daughter Diane share their family's story of living in a hotel and striving to get back on their feet during the recession.

LISTEN to Melissa and Diane's Story

The Real Return

LISTEN to Javorn's Story

Former solider Javorn Drummond shares the challenges he faces to find steady employment and stay in college after serving in the Iraq war.

Larry and Dennis: The Next Chapter

LISTEN to Dennis & Larry's show
(2nd Interview)

Dennis Golay and Larry Gibson share how their lives have changed as a couple after living more than 20 years with HIV.

Securing A Position

LISTEN to Nancy's Story
(2nd Interview)

Nancy Eade shares how she weathered fourteen months of unemployment.

The Next Chapter: Jeremy Lee

LISTEN to Jeremy's story

Jeremy Lee shares why the hard work he's putting forth to repair his reputation is paying off in a pre-med program at Morehouse University.

One Grand Road Trip

LISTEN to Sue & Dave's story
(2nd Interview)

Sue and Dave Dixon share how a one year vacation traveling across the country in a small vehicle united their family.

Non-Combat PTSD

LISTEN to Jeremy's Story

Former Marine Jeremy Berggren shares how he healed his life after suffering from non-combat PTSD.

Roody's Next Chapter

LISTEN to Roody's story

(2nd interview)

Roody Joseph shares why his outreach work in Haiti has expanded beyond infants and how rubble removal is being snarled months after the earthquake.

Discovered

LISTEN to Ray and Janet's story

Ray Matthews shares how his painting that captured his childhood in South Hill, Virginia led to a friendship with writer Janet Hubbard and unexpected popularity of his artwork.

Off the Corner

LISTEN to Albert's story

Albert Smith shares how he's managed to successfully stay off the street corners of Oakland, California for one year.

The Dust Bowl

LISTEN to Lindy's story

Elmer "Lindy" Linenberger shares his compelling experiences from the Dust Bowl and Great Depression.

Women and Prison

LISTEN to Destiny & Vicki's story

Destiny Coleman and Vicki Lopez-Lukis share how the time they spent in prison brought them together and now helps other at-risk women thrive outside of prison.

Jabari: Upgraded

LISTEN to Jabari's story
(Second Story)

Jabari Aali Shaw shares how he's fighting against deep education cuts in California and why his school-aged son is involved.

Avoiding Foreclosure

LISTEN to Judy & Frank Viola's story

Judy and Frank Viola share the steps they took over several years to avoid foreclosure on their home of 22 years.

Deep Undercover

LISTEN to April's story

Officer April Leatherwood shares how being undercover as an addict for one-year changed her career.

Fishing Perfect

LISTEN to Rick's story

Rick Jackson shares the perfect fishing day with his again father after they lost a relative.

Out of the Money Pit

LISTEN to Shana & Matthew's story

Shana and Matthew Onigman share why they decided to tear down and rebuild their termite damaged fixer-upper instead of foreclose on their home.

The Layoff - A Child's Perspective

LISTEN HERE to Alison's Story

Nine-year old Alison Spiller shares her experience with unemployment after her father was laid off.

Hundred's of Babies

LISTEN HERE to Roody's Story

Missionary Roody Joseph refused to leave Haiti after the earthquake to help care for 500 babies. He share how he's getting formula to babies and why he's compelled to help the children.

Home Away from Haiti

LISTEN HERE to Darline's Story

Teen Haitian orphan Darline Blanchard Williams shares her story of assisting others during the earthquake and her journey to get out of Haiti to her adoptive parents.

One Public Opinion

LISTEN HERE to Faith's story

Faith Coleman is a registered nurse without health insurance. Learn about how after her cancer diagnoses she set up a free clinic in Florida to help the uninsured.

DOUBLE FEATURE - Win One for the Forests & Not in my Backyard

LISTEN HERE to Hugo & Rev. Campbell's story

Hugo Jabini is from Suriname's rain forest. Find out how he fought and won a judgment to stop his government from allowing Chinese logging companies from destroy the forest.

The second interview is with Rev. Robert Campbell. He shares how his community were successful in helping shut down a landfill after 30 years of fighting.

The Soul of Water

LISTEN HERE to Deborah's story

Deborah Crammer talks about how she become a kind of accidental science writer about the effects of Global Warming.

Timeless Jam

LISTEN HERE to the Kansas City Jammers

Geoff Greif, Jasey Schnaars and Bob Thompson talk about the resurgence of their rock career "The Kansas City Jammers" more than 40 years later.

Touchdown in Texas

LISTEN HERE to Daederick's story

Daederick Ford is a high school football player who experienced homelessness and dreams of being self-sufficient.

Off The Streets

LISTEN HERE to Delencia's story

15-year old Delencia unveils how she adjusting to high school after spending years on the street as a prostitute.

A New Mission

LISTEN HERE to Chris and Jon's story

**2nd Interview**

Brothers Chris and Jon Boggiano share why they started their own sustainable building consulting company after serving in Iraq.

Spotlight: The Author of Her Life

LISTEN HERE to Anita's Interview

As a successful young producer for a nationally syndicated radio program, Anita Woodley's career was well on its way. Her experiences growing up in the rich cultural environment of Oakland, California, gave her a unique voice—but she lacked the confidence to use it. She decided to take a Community Classroom Series course called “Write Your Life” and began a life-changing transformation. “It taught me to appreciate who I am and to put it into my work. I just soared!” she recalls. Anita has since taken another Friday Center course and recently won two national journalism awards.

Nurturing Monet's Garden

LISTEN HERE to Elizabeth's Story

Elizabeth Murray recounts why quitting her dream job to work in Monet's garden in Giverny, France made her deeply appreciate his the man and the art.

Brush with Fame - Wicked Witch of the West

LISTEN HERE to Kathy's Story

** 2nd Interview**

Kathy Hopwood tells how a chance encounter with actress Margaret Hamiliton changed her perceptions of the terrifying Wicked Witch character from the Wizard of Oz.

One Broken American Dream

LISTEN HERE to Zed's story

Engineer Zed Chang talks about the derailing of his American Dream after he immigrated from China and lost his job.

Deep Undercover

LISTEN HERE to April's story

Detective April Leatherwood shares how going undercover as a drug addict for a year altered her life.

Looking Back to Look Forward

LISTEN HERE to Terrol's story

Terrol Johnson talks about how growing traditional crops from his Native American culture is helping him combat diabetes.

Risky Beauty Business

LISTEN HERE to Connie & Alisha's story

Connie and Alisha Tran talk about how the beauty business and working around acrylic nails for years has damaged their health.

2008 Harry Chapin Media Awards Ceremony

Listen to

"A New life in a Foreclosed Home"

1st Interview

&

2nd Interview

(starts @ 31:00)

Anita Shontel Woodley had the honor of going to New York City's Hard Rock Cafe to receive the 2008 Harry Chapin Media Award for a radio interview she produced with WUNC "The Story with Dick Gordon". The guest, Rmega Tsfari and her family share their story of squatting in a foreclosed home. Rmega's 4 year old son joins the conversation.

See Anita's art work inspired by this production

Learn more about the Harry Chapin Media Award

The Neon Man and Me

LISTEN to Slash's story HERE

(2nd interview)

Slash Coleman shares how the death of his friend who made Neon signs inspired an one-man play to celebrating his life.

A "Lost Boy" No More

A "lOST BOY" NO MORE

LISTEN to Emmanuel's story CLICK here

Emmanuel Chan shares why he plans raise his family in America and not return to his homeland in the Sudan. More than 20 years ago he fled his village with a group of children known as "The Lost Boys."

New Father, New Life

Tuesday, September 15 2009

New Father, New Life

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Richard Gardner

Among the many Americans searching for jobs are young, first-time fathers. Richard Gardner of Chicago says when he learned that his girlfriend was pregnant, he immediately stopped hanging out with gang members and found work as an evening janitor. Now he's attending nursing school and reaching out to other young fathers. Dick Gordon talks to him about how being raised in a two-parent home didn't deter him from gang life and what sacrifices he's made to be a positive example to his three-year-old son Richard Jr.

• Learn more about Metropolitan Family Services, a group that helped Richard.
  

Tuning out Fear & Your story: Getting His Credentials

Friday, September 11 2009

DOUBLE FEATURE!!!

Tuning out Fear & Your story: Getting His Credentials

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Vic Gregory

As America marks the 8th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, one Michigan teacher is still dealing with the legacy of the incident. Vic Gregory had his dream job as a drag car racer. He left that to teach auto shop at his alma mater, Fordson High School in Dearborn, Mich. The school has a high number of students from the Middle East. The day after 9/11, there was a bomb threat and school officials wondered how to keep the teenagers safe.

The teachers and the students had to redefine themselves after 9/11. These days, Vic says that his auto shop program is helping kids get jobs and feel proud of their heritage.

Your story: Getting His Credentials

Malcolm Morris

Malcolm Morris has a story of how his experience in war inspired a form of courage in later years. Malcolm was seven years old, living in London, when German bombs rained down on the city. Soon after, he got a small camera, and began shooting photographs. He tells Dick the story of the phone call he made as a grown up that changed his life, and about the time Princess Diana saved the day.

The Pursuit of Education

Tuesday, September 01 2009 -The Pursuit of Education

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Mike and Iman Mallah

One of the new students at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine this year is Mike Mallah. For Mike, this is an achievement for his entire family - going back generations. Mike's parents lost two homes to war - first in Palestine and later Kuwait during the Gulf War. They settled in the United States and began to see a brighter future when they opened a neighborhood convenience store. Then Mike's father, Mohammed, was shot and killed in a robbing.

Mike and his mother Iman talk with Dick Gordon about how their lives changed after that. Iman went to work in the store, and Mike and his siblings set about improving their lives and the life of their family through education.

• Learn more about Mike's business
• Discover the Muslim Self-Portrait Project

Briefing Ted Kennedy

Friday, August 28 2009 - Briefing Ted Kennedy

SECOND INTERVIEW!!

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Jeffrey Thomas

As Americans mourn the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy, many remember how he touched their lives.

Growing up as the son of a Mississippi preacher, Jeffrey Thomas began to notice elaborate velvet paintings of the Kennedys hanging on parishioners' walls. After graduating college he landed a job as a legislative aide to Ted Kennedy. Jeffrey says one of the most terrifying moments of his career unfolded when he forgot to pack an important memo for the senator. He tells Dick how being given a second chance redefined his career.

• See Jeffrey and Senator Kennedy at work in 1993
• Learn more about Jeffrey's work at Democracy and Education

CLEANING UP

Thursday, August 27 2009 - Cleaning up

Jerome Boykin, top, Marcus Clemmons, below.

In the months after Hurricane Katrina, 23-year-old Jerome Boykin started his own company sweeping big box store parking lots. Four years later, his business has expanded throughout southern Louisiana, and he's now mentoring others. One of the people he's helped is Marcus Clemmons of Oakland, Calif.

The two men talk with Dick Gordon about how much it means to them to have found successful black role models for themselves, and how they are now returning the favor to others.

• See Jerome with his truck
  
• Learn more about Marcus and Jerome's parking lot sweeping businesses

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ANOTHER AWARD-WINNING SUMMER!!

For the second-consecutive year, Anita S. Woodley and Dick Gordon won first place in the Interview/Discussion category of the Radio Network Division. The award-winning piece titled "Lessons From A Dropout," was awarded by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

Read more about the 2008 NABJ Awards

Originally Aired: Wednesday, December 10 2008

LESSONS FROM A DROPOUT

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Gerrin Hayes Craig Zeno

Among many other concerns in a faltering economy is the dropout rate - in some U.S. cities, as many as half of entering freshmen fail to graduate. Policy makers say that means we'll have fewer educated minds to grapple with economic problems, and an increased burden for social services.

Twenty-year-old Gerrin Hayes just dropped out of high school. He says growing up in a crack house made it impossible to focus on studying. But Gerrin still has hope. He has a mentor, Craig Zeno, who once was a dropout himself, and he makes a strong case for the value of school.

Gerrin tells Dick Gordon why it's still important to him to earn a high school diploma. And Craig talks about how working with tough cases like Gerrin's motivates him to keep doing this work.

• Learn about the dropout assistance program where Craig works

Humble Pie

Friday, July 24 2009 - Humble Pie

David Bailey

David Bailey was a successful food writer for airline magazines when the recession hit and he lost his job. He was 61 and had a hefty mortgage, so retirement wasn't an option. But when David searched for work, he wasn't only looking to pay the bills. He wanted to explore new ways to reinvent himself and his career.

That's when he decided to become a dishwasher at a local restaurant. It was a hard job, and David worked his way up to line cook. He talks to Janet Babin about why he's content with working behind the scenes in the restaurant business.

• Follow David's blog

SECOND INTERVIEW

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Try Looking on MySpace

Tuesday, July 21 2009 - Try Looking on MySpace

Crystal Riportella-Crose

Crystal Riportella-Crose was adopted when she was an infant and grew up in Vermont. As an interracial child in a Caucasian family, she always wondered what her birth mother looked like. So when she got older, she began to search for her, and eventually found her birth mother on the social networking site, MySpace.

Crystal tells Janet Babin how she ended up meeting her birth mother in person, and what that odd mix of feelings was like.

• See photos of Crystal's reunion with her birth mother

Contact Us

CLASSIFIED Ad Dad

Alison and Pat Keenan

Alison Keenan found a husband and a father for her children in a newspaper ad. Not that she meant to.

In 1987, Alison was newly-divorced and needed a babysitter for her two boys. She looked through the classifieds. There she saw a phone number for someone named "Pat." When Alison discovered that Pat was a man she was nervous, but she met with him anyway. He took the job and moved into their apartment immediately. Nine months later, Pat Keenan stole their hearts, married Alison and adopted the boys.

They talk with Dick Gordon about how the babysitting job turned into romance and the first Father's Day when the boys acknowledged Pat as "Dad." This story originally aired on June 13, 2008.

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Over the Moon

Monday, July 20 2009 - Over the Moon

top to bottom: Bill Bussey, Chris Gember, John Polanda, Steve Gustafson (larger)

Forty years ago today, millions of people watched, transfixed, as Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the moon. Today we talk with five people who remember that moment well.

Bill Bussey was 10. His parents drove the family to Florida to watch the launch from the Kennedy Space Center - then they got in the car and drove back to Georgia to watch the moon landing on TV.

Chris Gember's father used the moon landing as an excuse to buy a color TV - even though the actual broadcast was in black and white. Chris remembers the event as one that made her realize how peaceful and unified the planet could be.

John Polodna was serving in the Army. He heard about the moon landing in the middle of a misbegotten adventure, drifting down a river in Alaska in a boat that had run out of gas.

And Steve Gustafson was in Holland, newly married to his Dutch bride. Her elderly grandmother, Oma, was convinced the whole thing was staged, filmed in an American desert like the television show High Chaparral. And if it were real, Oma was convinced the world was about to end.

Charlie Duke

We also listen back to an interview Dick Gordon recorded with the astronaut Charlie Duke. Charlie visited the moon in 1972. While walking on the lunar surface, he and a fellow astronaut held, what they called, the very first Space Olympics, including a high jump "competition." That program aired on October 20, 2006.

• Hear Dick's original interview with Charlie
• Read more about Astronaut Charlie Duke

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Two Teachers, One Out of Work

Thursday, July 02 2009 - Two Teachers, One Out of Work








Connie and Steve Rice relocated from Southern California to work as teachers in Oregon. Both have years of experience, and they enjoyed their classrooms in Oregon. But the national budget woes have hit schools hard. First Connie was laid off, then Steve. Dick Gordon talks with both Connie and Steve about how the lack of job stability for teaching has affected their lives, and about how they heard the welcome news that Steve would be rehired.

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Thinking Big

Thinking Big -Thursday, June 25 2009


One young man has begun taking classes at Morehouse College this past school year, and he is quite an unlikely freshman. At the ago of 14, Jeremy Lee was convicted on an armed robbery charge and sentenced to four years in youth detention. However, he made up his mind to finish high school while he was locked up. The year he graduated high school, Jeremy was the only juvenile inmate to get a traditional diploma from the youth facility in Georgia.

Jeremy was accepted to Morehouse where he is majoring in biology with hopes of becoming a neurosurgeon. Jeremy talks with Dick Gordon talks about his journey from jail to higher education, and the struggle he's still facing to realize his dreams.

* Learn more about Jeremy's inspiration, Dr. Ben Carson

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ANITA 2008 HARRY CHAPIN MEDIA AWARD WINNER FOR RADIO!!

Hi you all,
Wow, I just won an award that will take me to New York's Time Square in September!
The award is being presented by The Harry Chapin Foundation.
It is for a story produced in 2008 about a family who squatted in a foreclosed home after they became homeless.

Learn more about the Harry Chapin Award
http://www.whyhunger.org/programs/3-newsflash/842-harry-chapin-media-awards-winners-announced.html


HEAR THE INITIAL BROADCAST AND FOLLOWUP SHOW BELOW!!

A New Life in a Foreclosed Home

(1st INTERVIEW)

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Rmega Tsafari - larger >> (photo by Noelle Theard)

Foreclosures nationwide have led another trend: squatting. Empty homes are increasingly occupied by people who don't own them.

Rmega Tafari and her family were homeless. Then they found a foreclosed home - an old crack house. They cleaned it up, and made a deal with a neighbor for water and electricity. Even the bank allowed them to stay, but only temporarily. It all ends on Monday - the Tafari family has been asked to leave. Rmega talks to Dick Gordon about the pressures that led her to squatting, and the uncertain future that she and her family now face.

• Rmega captured these photos inside the vacant foreclosed house they're calling home.
  
• Learn more about Take Back the Land, an organization that identifies vacant, foreclosed homes for the homeless.

Music heard in this story: "That Hump" by Erykah Badu for the album Amerykah Pt. 1 (4th World War)

***
Follow-up: New Life in a Foreclosed Home

(2nd INTERVIEW) * Please fast-forward

Listen Now!

Rmega Tafari - larger >>

We received dozens of emails about Dick's conversation with Rmega Tafari, a woman squatting in an abandoned foreclosed home with her family. When Dick last spoke to Rmega, the bank that owned the home had asked her to leave.

Dick checks in with Rmega to find out what's happened since: she and her family have moved to Tallahassee where life is much better. Dua, Rmega's 4-year-old son, also shares his thoughts on the home they're renting and their new garden.

VASCO'S HEART & A LONG RIDE HOME

DOUBLE FEATURE!!
Friday, June 12 2009 -VASCO'S HEART

Vasco- - Day 1 in the U.S. >>More

When columnist Cathleen Falsani won a trip to Africa in a raffle, she planned to veer off the tourist track, do some writing. She never imagined that a young boy would steal her heart the moment he sat in her lap. Cathleen learned that the boy, Vasco, had a serious heart condition, but could not afford medical attention.

After Cathleen returned home and wrote about Vasco in her newspaper column, she found herself engaged in a massive project to bring Vasco from his home in Malawi to Chicago for a heart surgery.

Cathleen Falsani

The surgery successfully took place on Wednesday. Cathleen talks to Dick Gordon about how her relationship with Vasco has changed her life.

• Follow Vasco's Heart Surgery and Recovery
• Read Cathleen's Chicago Sun-Times Column

A LONG RIDE HOME

Chuck Walkley

You know we often turn the second half of the show over the you. We like to hear the stories that are the most remarkable in your life. Chuck Walkley's neighbor Jennifer heard Chuck's story and she told us, and we persuaded him to come in to the studio.

Chuck returned from Vietnam with a serious injury and no idea how to move forward with his life. When he got out of the hospital, he decided to hitchhike home to surprise his mother. He quickly was picked up by a state trooper who told him that hitchhiking on a highway was illegal. Then the trooper offered him a ride. Chuck was transferred from one state trooper's car to another, through thee states, until finally, sirens blaring and lights blazing, he was dropped off at his mother's door. That kindness inspired Chuck to spend the next two decades of his life as a police officer.

Contact Us

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THE RECESSION: THE SMALLEST VICTIMS

Thursday, May 28 2009 -THE RECESSION: THE SMALLEST VICTIMS

LaWanda and JuJuan Tanniehill

School authorities in Birmingham have a couple of numbers that underline the effects of this recession in very stark terms. Officials estimate that there are more than 3,000 homeless children who attend city schools. That would mean that more than twenty percent of the children who attend Birmingham city schools are living in shelters, in hotels or with relatives.

That's what happened to LaWanda Tanniehill and her two boys, eight-year-old JuJuan and four year old Mythais. The family lived with relatives for a while, and earlier this year they were at a shelter for three months.

LaWanda and JuJuan join Dick to talk about their search for a home.

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GRADUATING RIGHT ON TIME!

Thursday, May 21, 2009 - GRADUATING RIGHT ON TIME!

Roscoe Dillard Griffin >>Larger

Last week, 92-year-old Roscoe Dillard Griffin graduated from the University of North Carolina after leaving school seven decades earlier. At the very end of his senior year, Dillard says he left college to manage his family's shoe store. He also met a girl and fell in love. Gail Clower, Dillard's daughter, says she never knew her father didn't have a degree. The two talk with Dick Gordon about how Dillard managed to complete his final university credits, and what finishing his degree means to their family.

See Dillard's yearbook picture, and a photo of the woman who stole his heart.

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Teamwork in THE TRAILER PARK

Monday, May 11 2009-Teamwork in THE TRAILER PARK

Theresa Phillips

All this week, American Public Media is running a special series on a number of shows: Marketplace, Speaking of Faith, American RadioWorks. The idea is to explore The Next American Dream.

Theresa Phillips' vision of the American Dream for her children is that they are safe, regardless of the path they take in life. Her work within a trailer park women's co-op in Battle Creek, Mich., shaped that vision. Theresa says she moved to the community to escape an abusive past. To her surprise, she found many women in the same boat. So Theresa invited all the women in the trailer park to her lot to figure out how they could change their lives. Dick Gordon talks with Theresa about how helping out with childcare and food turned into a vibrant, home-grown support network, a new kind of American Dream.

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WHEN CAN MY WIFE COME HOME?

Thursday, May 07 2009 -

WHEN CAN MY WIFE COME HOME?

John and Lourdes >> more photos

John Adams found himself in the thick of the nation's immigration troubles after falling in love with a woman named Lourdes from Guatemala. A year after their marriage, John and Lourdes were at the final meeting with an immigration officer to adjust her status from illegal to resident when the officer learned that Lourdes had once been picked up on an immigration violation and had not shown up in court. Lourdes was deported.

John is now raising their two children, Alexa and Orlando, alone. John tells Dick Gordon about his plans for the future and how this experience has altered his view of America.

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CREDIT COACH

Thursday, April 30 2009 -CREDIT COACH

Kenneth Shandy

For many Americans, economic problems begin with steep credit card rate hikes and collection notices. Kenneth Shandy helps people learn how to get out of that kind of mess.

Kenneth calls himself a credit coach. He doesn't have a graduate degree in business, but he does have personal experience. As a teenage entrepreneur, he made and spent a lot of money. He had $20,000 in debt by the time he was 20 and had to teach himself how to dig his way out.

• Learn more about Kenneth’s business

Thanks for the Layoff

Thursday, April 23 2009 - Thanks for the Layoff

Holly Green

Thousands of Americans are now facing the question that Holly Green has faced when a job that you love just vaporizes: what do I do now?

It's harder to face when you're older. It can also be harder when you lose a senior-level job. Holly was president of a major company when she was let go. But Holly re-invented herself and she appreciates the lessons she learned during her downtime.

• Learn about Holly's company, The Human Factor, Inc.
  

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Same-Sex Tax Woes

Thursday, April 16, 2009 - Same-Sex Tax Woes

Clark Williams >>More

The tax deadline was yesterday. Clark Williams and his partner Jim always file their taxes, but this tax year they were presented with a challenge. They are a married, same-sex couple, so in California they file a joint return. But they had to file as singles for the federal return. Clark talks with Dick about how filing as both a married person and as a single frustrated him - and led to the loss of money.

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Back Home - Again

(DOUBLE FEATURE)

Monday, April 13, 2009 -Back Home - Again

When Tony and his wife Susan Sloan fell on hard economic times recently, they moved the whole family in with Susan's mother - Tony, Susan, their teenage son Ben, three dogs and two cats. Tony and Susan talk with Dick Gordon about the challenges of that arrangement, and why they think they've hit on a smart idea.

• Learn about Tony's hobby while laid off

Creative Job Search

Peggy Greco

Peggy Greco has always been a little nutty about the way she's pursued her career. But with this economic downturn, she's had to do something extreme. She's been riding her bicycle around town in a T-shirt that advertises her work as a private nurse.

• See Peggy's Web site

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Save My Barbecue Joint

(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Wednesday, April 08 2009 -Save My Barbecue Joint

Jonathan Childres >>More

Jonathan Childres opened his barbecue restaurant seven years ago this week. He and his business partner describe the place as a bit of a “hole in the wall,” since the kitchen is tiny and the restaurant only seats 36 people. The two say they’ve been wanting to expand their business to a larger space since they opened, and they were ready to do so - until this year, when one of their investors unexpectedly pulled out at the last minute. So, Jonathan had to think creatively about raising the extra funds. He's turned to his customers. Would you invest in a restaurant if it meant you'd get free barbecue?

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Resurrecting a Neighborhood

(SECOND INTERVIEW)
Friday, April 03 2009 -Resurrecting a Neighborhood

Mark Post

During the housing boom, many Americans got into buying cheap houses and rehabbing them for profit. Over an 18-year period, Mark Post bought six homes in his neighborhood - but not to flip them. Mark had it in mind he could help make his community a better place.

When he first moved to the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Grand Rapids, M.I., Mark says many of the homes were used by drug dealers and prostitution rings at night. Today, his neighborhood is home to a diverse group of mixed-income residents and crime has gone way down. Mark talks with Dick about his role in those changes, and how he fits into debates about gentrification.

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Resurrecting a Neighborhood

Friday, April 03 2009

Resurrecting a Neighborhood

(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Listen Now!

Download

Mark Post

During the housing boom, many Americans got into buying cheap houses and rehabbing them for profit. Over an 18-year period, Mark Post bought six homes in his neighborhood - but not to flip them. Mark had it in mind he could help make his community a better place.

When he first moved to the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Grand Rapids, M.I., Mark says many of the homes were used by drug dealers and prostitution rings at night. Today, his neighborhood is home to a diverse group of mixed-income residents and crime has gone way down. Mark talks with Dick about his role in those changes, and how he fits into debates about gentrification.

Follow Up- Blessing in Disguise

(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009- Follow Up- Blessing in Disguise

Alice Evans

Residents of Fargo, N.D. are still waiting to see what the damage will be from last month's flooding. Alice Evans would tell them one thing: the damage can take weeks, even months to reveal itself.

Dick Gordon first spoke to Alice Evans in July just after the Cedar Rapids floods. The kitchen of her catering business was destroyed. Alice lost her business partner and then couldn't find a loan to rebuild. Now she has reason to be optimistic – Alice has reopened her catering company, “My Personal Chef.” She talks with Dick about how she found her new kitchen and how her father convinced her that the floods were a blessing in disguise.

• Learn more about Alice's Personal Chef business
• Learn the latest on efforts to Rebuild Cedar Rapids
• Hear Alice’s 1st Interview Cooking Underwater
  
• Hear Alice’s 2nd interview Small Business Rollercoaster

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