Mile High Magazine Podcast

Guest: Lauren Abram, Forestry Program Coordinator and Doug Schoch, Forestry Supervisor

Trees enhance livability in our city and have a lot of benefits.  They provide shade, reduce stormwater runoff, they provide wildlife habitat, reduce energy costs, and even reduce the heat island effect.  The Office of the City Forester plants between 1200 and 1300 trees a year.  The goals the BASA program are to enhance livability by increasing Denver's tree canopy and by improving and expanding the diversity of our urban forests.  To apply to have trees planted at your house and you live in the city and County of Denver, you only need to fill out an application.       

beasmartash.org

Guest: Dr. Premilla Banwait OD MPH FAAO, vice president of clinical programs, UnitedHealthcare Vision 

Diabetes, a chronic disease caused by high blood sugar, is rising among young people, especially Type 2, which is linked to poor diet and inactivity. Uncontrolled diabetes can damage small blood vessels, leading to complications like blindness. Managing it involves eating fresh, home-cooked meals, staying active, and incorporating vegetables and fruits into your diet.

Diabetes.org

https://preventblindness.org/

Guest: Nancy McKay Founder, Life Coach, EQUIS coach, Master Facilitator, SHE Recovers Coach

Nancy helps women who are seeking recovery from whatever life has thrown their way and she uses horses to help her with this therapy.  Horses are great therapists. Their calm demeanor and giant stature have helped people overcome addiction, grief and even emotional trauma. Horses can sense conflict and with the guided help of life coach, Nancy McKay, women are finding a new life.  Nancy is herself, a survivor on many levels, from cancer to addiction, Nancy has battled it all at every age stage of her life.  It's never too late to do anything.

https://www.womenempoweredrecovery.com/

Guest:  Dr. Hans Elzinga Director of Special Procedures at Salud Family Health Clinic

March is Colorectal cancer awareness month, colorectal cancer, is the second most common cause of cancer death in men and women combined.  A lot of risk factors for colon cancer are related to lifestyle, major risk factors include obesity, diabetes, eating a diet that's high in red meat or processed meat, smoking and significant alcohol intake.  If you were born in 1990. Your risk of getting colon cancer is 4 times higher than if you were born in 1950.  It's estimated that if they do sixty test, they can save one life.  If you're 45 or older, please talk to your doctor about getting a colorectal cancer screening.    

cancer.org/colon

Guest: Isabel Dickson CDPHE Mobility Program Manager

The new Colorado Family Affordability Tax Credit can help families with costs for clothing, food, child care, etc up to $6,400. Through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, their outreaches Get Ahead Colorado and Hacia Adelante, Coloradans can obtain details and how to receive free filing assistance.

https://www.getaheadcolorado.org/

Guest:  Lydia Rhino Program Director

Eating Disorder Awareness Week starts on February 24th. The Eating Disorder Foundation, founded in 2003, offers support to those affected by eating disorders, as well as their families and friends. Eating disorders thrive in silence and can affect anyone, regardless of size, shape, age, ethnicity, or ability. It's important to be mindful, check in with ourselves, and observe how we engage with our bodies and self-talk. The Eating Disorder Foundation provides various support groups and a mentorship program that pairs individuals with lived experience and recovery to those seeking help.

https://www.eatingdisorderfoundation.org/

Guest: Isabel Dickson CDPHE Mobility Program Manager

The new Colorado Family Affordability Tax Credit can help families with costs for clothing, food, child care, etc up to $6,400. Through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, their outreaches Get Ahead Colorado and Hacia Adelante, Coloradans can obtain details and how to receive free filing assistance.

https://www.getaheadcolorado.org/

Guest:  Paige Piper, MBA Executive Director

Localworks helps and supports the city of Wheat Ridge to create the economic development and community development.  They are part of citizen engagement and community events.  One of the largest projects that Localworks recently completed in its organizations' history is Clear Creek Makerspace.  They have 3D printers, laser engravers, sewing stations, wood shop and metal shop.  People can come in and take classes on how to use the equipment.  You do not need to live in Wheat Ridge to come take classes.  Once a month Localworks host a Live Local event, they go to a business in Wheat Ridge with the goal to bring residents into the business to help with local economics.  Localworks wants people to know, there is always a place for you in the community if you live in Wheat Ridge or somewhere else.    

https://wearelocalworks.org/

Guest: Paula Schriefer President & CEO

“Colorado Welcome Back” is a program of the Spring Institute which supports internationally trained American health workers and health care providers. It is one of numerous outreaches for the organization that has been the leading language translation service for business, education organizations and government in Colorado for the last 20 years. They are also leaders supporting legal immigration and rights of naturalized citizens.

https://springinstitute.org/colorado-welcome-back/

Guest:  Laura Crowley Executive Director

Angel Eyes provides free grief counseling to families who have lost an infant or a toddler to unexpected death including still born or miscarriage.  Families are offered 12 sessions with a professional grief counselor.  Angel Eyes also provides group sessions.  Angel Eyes offers sibling counseling for children from 3-18 and they also offer counseling for the family unit together.  Angel Eyes holds four major events throughout the year to help raise money and a way of families to come together to heal.  On March 1^st at Wings Over the Rockies if their first event of the year called Suds for SIDS.  The event includes a silent auction, games prizes, there will be 19 breweries, 4 wineries, tasting with restaurants, plus you get to tour the museum.      

Angeleyes.org

Guest:  Kelli Melissa Reinhardt Founder of Make Mental Health Matter, and Nikki Brooker Founder of YANA

Make Mental Health Matter educates people about mental health and suicide prevention.  They offer the program to people of all ages. YANA (You Are Not Alone) is a non-profit that supports mom with mental health.  They have a program that gives new moms wrap around support for a year for free.   Make Mental Health Matter and YANA have partnered with YANA to put on Rock Your Wellness is a Wellness Expo.   The event February 22, 2025, at The Village Work, Wellness & Event Center from 11am-3pm.  There will be vendors including crafts, silent disco, live music, food trucks, mini-workshops, blood drive, pet adoption, dance movement classes, trauma informed yoga, Fit for Mom classes, family fun and so much more.

www.rockyourwellness.org

makementalhealthmatter.org

yanamom.com

Guest:  Dr. Joseph Silva

 in the state of Colorado, there are 22,000 Justice Engaged Students.  These are students that might homeless, students that might be on truancy, (those that have been charged with different types of varying crimes).  A Justice Engaged Student is someone that between the age of 14 and 18 that has engaged in the justice system in a negative way or in a way that has created a deficit that then impacts their ability to finish high school.  Justice Engaged Students helps to ensure their pathway to high school graduation.  They have a 90% graduation rate of students that we've worked with to graduate.  The Justice Engaged Students will have a hotline starting later this year.  The hotline is for anybody to call and get resources and to understand the legislation and the laws and more so the constitutional rights of a student to be educated in the state of Colorado.  It’s about one student, one student at a time.

justiceengagestudents.org

Guest: Paula Schriefer President & CEO

“Colorado Welcome Back” is a program of the Spring Institute which supports internationally trained American health workers and health care providers. It is one of numerous outreaches for the organization that has been the leading language translation service for business, education organizations and government in Colorado for the last 20 years. They are also leaders supporting legal immigration and rights of naturalized citizens.

https://springinstitute.org/colorado-welcome-back/

Guest: Dr. Hans Elzinga, Volunteer, Director of Special Procedures Clinic, Salud Family Health

In January, the American Cancer Society released its 2025 Cancer Facts & Figures report, the report is an update that shows trends with cancer diagnoses and deaths, the report also showed statistics of what is happening in Colorado.  In Colorado, there will be an estimated 29,020 new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2025 and an estimated 8,620 deaths.  Cancer is still more common in men then women but there has been a shift in women 50-64.  Colorectal cancer in men and women under 65 have increased.  Doctors are still not sure why the rates are going up in some cancers.  Early detection or prevention screenings are key.  Know your family history of cancer, it can make a big difference in your overall health.    

https://www.cancer.org/about-us/local/colorado.html   

Guest: Heather Burke, spokesperson for Donor Alliance and Niki Kigerl, Teacher from Eaglecrest High School

Donor Alliance’s Community of Excellence Award is presented each year to individuals or organizations in Colorado and Wyoming who go above and beyond to educate and inspire others about the importance of organ and tissue donation.  This year’s recipient is Niki Kigerl, her son was born with a rare liver disease and will eventually need a transplant, so she knows firsthand the importance of organ and tissue donation.  Donor Alliance’s Transplantation Science Program gives students an interactive look at the science behind organ and tissue donation.  Transplantation Science Program is offered in two languages in schools throughout Colorado and Wyoming.      

DonorAlliance.org

Guest:  Kristen Tonevero Cardiologist with Intermountain Health  

February is American Heart Month, aiming to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. The American Heart Association encourages everyone to prioritize heart health through regular exercise and stress management. Heart disease encompasses various cardiovascular issues, with common forms including coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. Women and diabetics often experience atypical heart disease symptoms, making early detection and attention to heart health crucial.  Don't ignore your symptoms, we didn't get here overnight so don't expect to change it overnight.

heart.org

Guest: Marlene Bedoya Communications Director 

Transforming lives through free legal aid, advocacy and education to seek justice for the most vulnerable in our community is the mission of the Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center. Organized in 2006 JAMLAC is a faith based non-profit initiative that has assisted over 20.000 low income community members.

https://jamlac.org/

Guest: Cassidy Smith Executive Director

Colorado Access has been around for 30 years, they are the largest Medicaid health plan in the state, and they established our foundation, the Colorado Access Foundation in the fall of 2021.  Forming the foundation was a way for the company Colorado Access to ensure that there is dedicated resources and funding available to tackle some of the root causes of health disparities that we see in our state.  The Colorado Access Foundation works with partners and funding partners who are focused on building a more diverse healthcare workforce in our state.  Also improving the key conditions that affect health like access to housing, food and transportation.  Colorado Access Foundation gave a grant to Capital TGTHR, they're an organization in Colorado that's working to end youth homelessness.  The grant allowed them to hire a full-time behavioral health clinician to be on site at a new supportive housing site called Nest 56.

Coaccessfoundation.org

Guest: Richard Lewis RTL Founder and CEO 

The RTL Foundation is established to give and assist BIPOC, Black, Indigenous People of Color, non-profit organizations to provide them the office support and resources help them develop and become successful in the long term. RTL is founded the three principals of the African American timeline history, entrepreneurship, and technology.

https://rtl-foundation.org/

Guest: Maria Trujillo Division of Criminal Justice

January is national human trafficking prevention month, it is a month dedicated to helping raise awareness for everyone.  Human trafficking consists of the denial of a person’s human rights to freedom and basic dignity. It's the exploitation of another person to force fraud or coercion for some type of labor, including within the commercial sex sector, as well as other industries such as traveling sales, crew, agriculture, construction. Hospitality, just to name a few.  The majority of human trafficking is in labor trafficking versus sex trafficking and both of those happen in Colorado.  A lot of people don't know and don't have the language to describe their situation as human trafficking.  The Colorado Human Trafficking Council has a campaign that will help you understand all of this and how to report it.

https://thisishumantrafficking.com/

Guest: Colorado State Attorney General Phil Weiser

With the success of the Colorado State lawsuit to block the merger of food stores King Soopers and Albertsons/Safeway we touch base with Attorney General Phil Weiser regarding this, the lawsuit that ended Wyatts Towing, the of the opiods settlement, the continuing effectiveness of the reporting service for students Safe2Tell and others matters of public significance. 

Guest: Amanda Gordon Owner

Amanda started the first black woman owned car dealership in Colorado, she started her business with just $10,000.  She got her dealer license in 2018.  Amanda is also the first black woman to sit on the Colorado State dealer board. She may be the first but knows she will not be the last and will set the standard and example for women of color that come after her to be comfortable, confident and be successful in being an owner.  Amanda also has a podcast called Mind Your Business, it is about being on your mind about your business.  Amanda has a blueprint that will help, and the first thing is to have a business model.  She also wants people to know consistency is key.  No one is going to bet on you how you will bet on you!

https://www.gojoauto.com/

Guest: Yusef Lateef Founder and Director

The Second Chance Center in Aurora works with newly released offenders to get them a better return into society to prevent them from returning again to jail. Begun as a former inmate assisting others, the center has now prevented over 80% of those they assist from becoming repeat offenders. 

Guest: Jennifer Orrigo Charles Executive Director

Colorado Preservation Inc.’s works to ensure historic places across Colorado are protected and will be preserved for future generations. The also provide advocacy, education and outreach to communities across Colorado.  They help to write grants, help get funding, even help write tax credit applications.  Coming up January 29th - February 1st is the Saving Places Conference at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs.  This year the theme is Intangible Heritage.  They will be exploring how customs, traditions, and knowledge passed down through generations are intertwined with the built environment.  During the conference, they will be announcing the places they will be working to preserve this year. 

savingplacesconference.org