Access To Democracy

The importance and impact of efforts to sustain our environment and maintain the livability of our planet highlight the discussion Gillian Catano has with host Bill Raker. We learn about the history, vision and actions of Eagan’s sustainability program.

Gillian provides the context and responsibilities of her role as coordinator for the comprehensive program. She explains the mission of the Sustainable Eagan Advisory Commission and the Sustainable Eagan Academy that’s open to citizens. 90% of Eagan residents rate the natural environment a priority. Gillian shares with us how we can and should do our part.

Colleen Moriarty, Executive Director of Hunger Solutions MN, sits down with Access to Democracy host Steve Francisco to discuss how this amazing nonprofit organization is working in coalition with other anti-poverty and anti-hunger advocates to end hunger in our state. Colleen has spent most of her remarkable career dedicated to the fight against poverty and has spent the past twenty years leading Hunger Solutions MN.

In this interview, she tells us about how the MN Food HelpLine connects people with local foodshelves, how the Food Shelf Capacity program supports foodshelves, and how the innovative Market Bucks program helps customers increase their buying power. Colleen and her coalition at Partners to End Hunger won a huge victory at the Legislature in 2023 with the passage of the Universal Free School Lunch program. Colleen is retiring at the end of February after a remarkable career.

Ever wonder: “What do zoo animals eat?” Kelly Kappen with the Minnesota Zoo joins host Bill Raker to answer that and other intriguing questions about what some 500 species at the Zoo get in their meals.

What animal has the strangest diet? Are there seasonal variations in diets? How does the Zoo dietician use what we know about domestic animals and humans to figure out what to feed wild animals? What is the annual budget for feeding the 5000 individual animals at the Zoo? What are ruminant animals and how and what do they eat?

This lively interview takes you behind the scenes to learn fascinating details about what’s on the “menus” for the animals at the Minnesota Zoo.

Jason Viana, Executive Director of The Open Door food pantry in Eagan, sits down with host Steve Francisco to discuss the work of the largest food pantry in the South Metro area as it works to fight hunger in our community.

The Open Door distributed over 3 million pounds of food in Dakota County in 2023. Jason leads an incredible team of staff and volunteers who work hard every day to provide food at The Open Door’s new Viking Lakes location and through its Mobile Pantry and Mobile Lunchbox programs.

A special emphasis is placed upon providing fresh fruit and vegetables to its clients, most of whom are working families that still struggle to make ends meet.

Finally, Jason mentions numerous ways for individuals and organizations can support the vital work of The Open Door.

Distinguished journalist and author, Dane Smith, returns to “Access to Democracy” with host Steve Francisco to continue their earlier conversation about Dane’s MinnPost article series, “Reappraising ‘Minnesota: A State That Works’.”

The series looks back at a 1973 Time Magazine cover story highlighting what it called “The Good Life in Minnesota.” [Link]

While life has been good indeed for many Minnesotans, Dane takes a closer look at some of the disturbing racial disparities facing Black and indigenous Minnesotans and other people of color.