In 1894, fifteen Sunderland women joined the national Woman's Club Movement that had established the idea that women had a moral responsibility to transform public policy. More than 125 years have passed since the ladies got together to chat and work for change (something had to be done about those dirt roads!) and the club is still moving forward today.

Today, host Denise Schwartz sits down with the outgoing President of the Sunderland Woman's Club, Brenda Wozniakewicz, They discuss the broad history of the women's club movement in the United States, which started in the mid-19th century and continues to this day. What value might we find in continuing on the tradition of women's clubs in our communities? What is their appeal to women of different ages today in 2026? All this and more on today's episode of Backyard OASIS!

Photo credit: Sunderland Woman's Club

Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content!

Hosted by Denise Schwartz

Produced by Alex Audette

Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

Join us for the third episode of Ms. Americana on Backyard OASIS. This week, Gloria Ratcliffe discusses Women’s Health with returning guests Professor Emerita Anne M. Wiley and Author- Professor Emerita Joanne McNeil Hayes of Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

This episode touches on how health care research in the United States excluded women and girls for years, and examines the importance of longitudinal and life-long research for women and girls specifically. Disparities in access and outcomes of health care, particularly for Black women and their children in the U.S. are highlighted, including several concrete narratives featuring Gloria, Anne, and Joanne's personal stories discussing healthcare access across generations. The group concludes by touching on how we can all get involved to change access to care for all women for the better.

Resources:

• Foster, Diana Green. 2020. The Turnaway Study: The Cost of Denying Women Access to Abortion. Scribner Publishing. see also https://turnawayproject.org/
• Our Bodies Ourselves. 2011, 35th edition Boston Women's Health Collective. Touchstone Publishing. See also https://ourbodiesourselves.org/
• Valenti, Jessica. 2024. Abortion Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win. Penguin Random House. See also https://www.jessicavalenti.com/
• Aftershock: Turning Grief into Action. a documentary film. Aug 25, 2023. ONYX and ABC Studios. Available on HULU and other streaming services. See trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoZFERlanMM

Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content!

Hosted and Co-Produced by Gloria Ratcliffe

Produced by Alex Audette

Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

This week on Backyard OASIS, Denise Schwartz sits down with United Way of the Franklin and Hampshire Regions' Digital Navigator Rich Vaden. Rich talks about his approach to helping our local seniors navigate a digital landscape that can feel impenetrable at best and actively hostile at worst. Have you ever wondered how to make a secure password that you can actually remember? Do you have trouble determining what is or isn't a scam while surfing the web? Has third-party anti-virus software been one of those scams all along?! Sit back and relax as Rich guides Denise through all of those questions and more (shout out to his cats, Dobby & Lily!) on this enlightening episode of Backyard OASIS!

Learn more about the United Way's Digital Navigator program here: https://uw-fh.org/digital-navigators

Access Rich's Service Location Calendar here

Photo credit: United Way of the Franklin and Hampshire Regions

Be sure to subscribe to the Backyard Oasis Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content!

Hosted by Denise Schwartz

Produced by Alex Audette

Recorded at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA