Greater Boston is full of philanthropists and grassroots non-profits that are dedicated to doing good in underserved communities. The Boston Women's Fund has just released a new first-of-its-kind report that goes through the financing for these non-profits, tracking exactly where the money goes. They found only a tiny fraction of the billions in available funding is going to organizations that support women and girls of color. Boston Women's Fund CEO Natanja Craig Oquendo, and Jessica Martin, a research consultant for the Fund, join Nichole to explain what they found, discuss the contributing factors, and offer their advice for a fairer future.

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Often, when you go to the doctor or psychiatrist and tell them you're in a funk, or not feeling like yourself, they'll prescribe you a pill or some other type of medicine. However, in some cases, instead of being handed a prescription for an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medicine, patients are being prescribed visits to local art and culture institutions, like museums, community centers, and the theater. Nichole talks with Erik Holmgren, Manager of Advancement and Strategic Partnerships at the Mass Cultural Council, and Chris Appleton, Founder and CEO of SocialRx, about their efforts to connect more Bay State residents to these life-changing programs.

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Families on the South Shore have relied on, and enjoyed, their local YMCA for more than a century, and that's not changing anytime soon! Tens of thousands of people utilize the South Shore YMCA's programs each year, which include everything from youth programs to social services like a food pantry. Newly appointed President and CEO Trevor Williams says they've got a blueprint to expand their offerings to assist even more residents over the coming years. He talks with Nichole about their new "Together We Thrive" plan and the upcoming "Taste of the South Shore" event.

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Lovers of the fiber arts and all things witchy are making their way to Salem, Massachusetts next month for the upcoming Fiber Witch Festival! With trolley tours, a maker's market, and a special sea-themed gala, it's an enchantingly creative celebration of crafters and the supernatural. Ana Campos, the festival's founder and owner of Circle of Stitches in Salem, joins Nichole to share all the details.

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While Massachusetts, and especially Greater Boston, are often seen as a hub of progress and innovation, that's not always the case when it comes to wage equity. There have been some advancements to shrink the gap, but there's also a first-in-the-nation program in Boston working with city officials and local businesses to try and eliminate that gap completely. Kim Borman, Executive Director of the Boston Women's Workplace Council, shares their latest wage inequity data with Nichole and discusses their efforts.

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Oftentimes, when your local library is putting on a book sale, it's held at the library itself. In Nahant, they're doing a cleanout of some rare titles that, in some cases, haven't seen the light of day in decades. What's different here is that they're doing it on eBay, opening up bid opportunities from all over the world. Nori Morganstein, Director of the Nahant Public Library, discusses their decision to go digital with this latest book sale, and why it's necessary to part ways with some of these aged books.

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March 17th is known to many as Saint Patrick's Day, but for Bostonians, it's also Evacuation Day. Centuries ago, during the buildup of the American Revolution, Boston was a city under siege. It took a drastic, strategic standoff by Patriot colonists at Dorchester Heights to send the British sailing off to Canada, and it all played out on what we now know as Evacuation Day. Jonathan Lane, Executive Director of Revolution 250 in Boston, joins the show to tell the dramatic story and share details of this year's commemoration in Dorchester.

This segment is the seventh interview in our series "Revolutionary Roots", where we take a closer look at the stories, people, events, and local ties that connect New England to the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026.

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Tens of thousands of books in the Berkshire Community College library were put in storage a few years back so the school could do some much-needed renovations to the building. Recently, when staff were preparing to bring the books back, they made a tragic discovery - most of the collection was destroyed. Richard Felver, the Dean of the Library and Learning Commons at BCC in Pittsfield, joins Nichole to explain what happened to the books, and share the story of their unexpected pivot that was bolstered by help from the academic community.

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For centuries, the team at what's now known as Gather in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has been leading the charge on the Seacoast to ensure no one goes hungry. They're finding all kinds of different ways to offer up nutritious, affordable food to those who need it, including the recent opening of their Community Food Center. Executive Director Anne Hayes talks with Nichole about their long history of work in the community and shares information about their many resources for residents of New Hampshire and Maine.

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