12:00: Amid SNAP gaps, communities step up to help feed families
1:00: From stage to screen: reviewing 'Hamilton' and 'Wicked: For Good'
With all of the recent confusion about SNAP and the concern for families who have lost benefits, community members and local organizations are stepping up. In advance of Thanksgiving, we talk about some of those efforts, how you can access food if you need it, and how you can help. Our guests:
- Noelle Evans, education reporter and producer for WXXI News
- Mitch Gruber, senior vice president and chief impact officer at Foodlink, and member of Rochester City Council
- Chris Lavin, nonprofit consultant with Upstate Giving and member of Geneva City Council
- Deb MacLean, part-time manager of the Geneseo/Groveland Emergency Food Pantry
Then in our second hour, Broadway seems to be everywhere you look these days. A touring production of "Hamilton" was recently on stage in Rochester. Despite the show being ten years old, it still drew a packed house. Meanwhile, the "Wicked" sequel, "Wicked: For Good," hit theaters last week. Two local critics — David Andreatta and Johanna Lester — reviewed those performances for CITY Magazine. This hour, we explore why audiences keep flocking to these popular stories, how they are holding up, and the idea of self-reflection versus escapism in the current moment. Our guests:
- David Andreatta, freelance contributor to CITY Magazine
- Johanna Lester, freelance contributor to CITY Magazine
"Connections with Evan Dawson" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.