Area Non-Profit Feeds Floridians Lacking Permanent Homes
The Osceola County School District has so far this year identified nearly 900 kids living in hotels long term. That’s 100 more than two months ago. Central Florida Public Media housing and homelessness reporter Lillian Hernandez found that as the housing crisis grows so does the organization, Embrace of Celebration, providing relief for families and individuals living in poverty.
Living With Diabetes and Insulin Equity
Last week, Governor DeSantis signed HB-201 into law. It allows pharmacists to fill emergency insulin requests without a doctor’s prescription. This prevents access issues in moments of urgency, but it doesn’t mitigate the larger issue of insulin availability to all patients in all communities. More than 38 million Americans live with diabetes. Black Americans are twice as likely than white Americans to die from the disease. Otis Kirksey is the Director of Pharmacy Services with the Neighborhood Medical Center in Tallahassee and a former board member of the American Diabetes Association. He joins Engage to discuss the impact of the new law and the disparities in diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in Black communities.
Former State Representative Builds Roadmap to Civility
Former Florida House of Representatives member Dick Batchelor has an action plan for people to find common ground based on his 50 years of experience in public service. He authored a new book, Building Bridges in Toxic Political Times: A Road Map for Community Leaders. Batchelor joins Engage to discuss how to promote civility and unity in divisive times.
UCF Cyber Defense Team Leads The Nation
Cyber security specialists are in demand to stay one step ahead of hackers. UCF is training the good guys in this competition. They are put in scenarios where student teams practice defending a fictional company from cyber-attacks that are just like what a real business would face. The university’sCollegiate Cyber Defense Competition Team is practicing for the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competitionin Texas next week. UCF has won five national championships. Team members Harrison Keating, Kelsey Hall, and Noah Magill join Engage to talk about the program and their preparation.