CFS Counseling, United Way team up for poverty podcast

PRESS RELEASE
CFS COUNSELING + WELFARE
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A collaboration between CFS Counseling + Wellbeing (CFS) and United Way Simcoe Muskoka has resulted in a new podcast designed to inform listeners about poverty issues and help them engage in solutions.

The first installment of the eight-episode first season of Increasing endurance drops today on podcast platforms.

“This initiative aligns perfectly with our strategic plan,” said Brian Shelley, United Way Simcoe Muskoka’s executive director and philanthropy officer. “United Way Simcoe Muskoka does more than fund programs and connect low-income households to financial support. We have an opportunity and an obligation to amplify the voices of those with lived experience and celebrate the good work done by agencies in the communities we serve.”

Increasing resistance is billed as “the podcast that shatters the myths of poverty, sparks optimism, and fuels innovative change through community-inspired discussions.” Hosted by Shelley and CFS Community Programs Manager Amanda Fellows, each episode is approximately 30 minutes long. In each show, they engage in conversation with one or two guests who have professional and/or lived experience in the focus topics.

“CFS is excited to be a part of this collaborative project,” said Fellows. “It’s easy to become overwhelmed and paralyzed with pessimism when we hear about significant poverty in our region, but there are so many people dedicated to working collaboratively and thinking innovatively to address local concerns. They make a daily difference to local families and individuals. We want to highlight these programs and projects and invite the community to get involved.”

For their first episode, Shelley and Fellows welcome guests Christine Bushey, Chair of the Simcoe County Poverty Task Group, and Kelly Jones of Circles Muskoka. Together they will explore the complex definition of poverty and how it manifests itself in our region. Subsequent episodes will air every Thursday for the next seven weeks.

The new podcast was recorded in association with the UPLift Black Center for Social Justice and Inclusion at its UP BeatBox Creative Studio in downtown Barrie. A video version of the production has also been completed and will be released in the same program on CFS and United Way’s YouTube channels, with links posted to their social media feeds. To view the trailer, visit youtu.be/Mlp5rME8T9M.

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