Soul Fresh Soul Clean – Episode 2 Theme: Food, Community & Local Sustainability

In this episode of Soul Fresh Soul Clean, hosts Jocelyn Martinez and Gregory Howell explore the powerful connection between food, community, and local sustainability in Pueblo, Colorado.

We begin with an inside look at the SoulSmile Cookbook Project, where recipes are more than just meals. They are stories, traditions, and living pieces of community history. Jocelyn and Gregory share updates on the growing excitement, the voices being gathered, and why preserving these food stories matters now more than ever.

The conversation then expands into the heart of the episode, how food systems shape our local economy, health, and sense of belonging. From sourcing local ingredients to supporting farmers and makers, this episode highlights how everyday choices, what we eat and where we spend, directly impact the strength of our community.

A major focus is the Sun Soil Water Summit, now in its 5th year, bringing together farmers, food producers, entrepreneurs, and community members to explore real solutions for a resilient local food system. With a makers market, local vendors, and conversations around food economics and sustainability, the summit represents a powerful gathering of people committed to Pueblo’s future.

We also spotlight SoulSmile as a Colorado Proud business, and the importance of building meaningful partnerships with local farmers, producers, and entrepreneurs, many of whom are women leading innovation in Colorado’s food economy.

Throughout the episode, we explore:

• Why local food systems matter

• How local spending strengthens communities

• The connection between healthy food and community wellbeing

• The role of storytelling in preserving culture and identity

Call to Action If you believe in supporting local food, community health, and sustainable futures:

✔ Subscribe to Soul Fresh Soul Clean ✔ Share your ideas for future episodes ✔ Support local farmers, makers, and food producers

Learn more and get your tickets for the Sun Soil Water Summit from March 20 to 22 at Pueblo Community College. Visit pueblofoodproject.org. To connect with Jocelyn: jocelyn@pueblostarjournal.org. To connect with Gregory: gregory@pueblostarjournal.org.

State of Art Podcast – 2-Year Anniversary Special

This episode of the State of Art Podcast, part of the Voices of Pueblo podcast series, celebrates two important milestones. It marks the two-year anniversary of the State of Art column and the one-year anniversary of the companion podcast.

Host Bree marks the occasion with a lively conversation featuring three guests who are true movers, shakers, and doers in the Pueblo community. Joining the discussion are Bernice Barnes, David C. Russell, and Marc Sabatella, individuals whose work and leadership continue to shape Pueblo’s creative and civic landscape.

Together they reflect on the evolving role of the arts, the power of community collaboration, and the energy driving Pueblo’s cultural momentum. Through personal stories and thoughtful insights about creativity, leadership, and civic engagement, this anniversary episode highlights the people and ideas helping to define the state of art in Pueblo today.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation about art, community, and the visionaries helping Pueblo thrive.

The Thrill of Thrift Featuring Jai of Pueblo Drip | Celebrating 6 Months of Bree on a Budget

In this special episode of The Thrill of Thrift, host Bree Pappan celebrates the six month anniversary of her popular Pueblo Star Journal column Bree on a Budget. To mark the occasion, Bree sits down with Jai, owner of Pueblo Drip, one of Pueblo’s most unique thrift and consignment spaces.

Located at 416 N. Santa Fe Dr., Pueblo Drip is more than a thrift store. It is a community shared space dedicated to supporting local artists and helping marginalized members of the community. The shop is Latinx, nonbinary, and queer owned and its mission goes far beyond resale by creating programs that directly support people in need.

In this episode, Bree and Jai talk about:

• The thrill of discovering one of a kind vintage and thrift treasures

• How consignment and donation programs support local vendors and artists

• The Drip free store, which redistributes donated items to help Pueblo’s unhoused community

• Community initiatives including a women’s only Friday program that offers services such as showers, haircuts, hot meals, bike repair, and more

• How thrifting can help people stretch their budgets while strengthening community connections

Pueblo Drip welcomes walk in donations of clothing, shoes, personal hygiene products, and nonperishable food. Items in good condition may receive store credit while other items are redistributed through the free store to support those in need.

This episode also celebrates the March issue of the Pueblo Star Journal, which features a special four page pullout section called the Bree on a Budget Savings Guide, packed with tips to help readers stretch their dollars while supporting local businesses.

New items arrive at Drip every day. That means every visit is a treasure hunt. The fun of thrifting is never knowing what you will discover next, whether it is a vintage jacket, a unique gift, or something that perfectly fits your style.

Visit Pueblo Drip 416 N. Santa Fe Dr. Pueblo, Colorado

Listen in and discover why the thrill of thrift is not just about saving money. It is about building community.

Soul Fresh, Soul Clean is a monthly podcast from the Pueblo Star Journal that celebrates food, story and the humanity that lives around the table. In the debut episode of Soul Fresh, Soul Clean, Jocelyn Martinez shares the story behind PSJ Publishing House’s first cookbook. From restaurant hustle to healing through food, she talks about why joyful, seasonal cooking matters and how this Pueblo-rooted project is just getting started. You will find grit and a whole lot of heart.

Hosted by the PSJ and featuring chef and author Jocelyn Martinez, this series follows the creation of PSJ Publishing House’s first cookbook. Each episode dives into flavor, healing, hospitality, grit and the lived experiences that shape how we cook and why we gather.

This is not a celebrity food show. It is Pueblo-rooted, season-driven and unapologetically real. From green chile traditions to gluten-free reinventions, from industry hustle to kitchen-table resilience, the journey unfolds in real time.

Food is culture. Food is memory. Food is connection.

Pull up a chair, stool, porch or sidewalk.

Website: https://www.soulsmilehealthandwellness.com/

Music: 90's Smooth Funk by YellowTree -- https://freesound.org/s/621091/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

What do we mean when we say “childcare,” and how did Pueblo arrive at the gaps families and providers navigate today?

In Episode One of this series, Molly Cotner and Gregory Howell sit down for a conversation that traces the long arc of childcare in Pueblo, beginning in 1926 with the opening of one of the city’s earliest childcare centers and moving through decades of informal care, shifting labor patterns, and fragile systems that existed long before the pandemic. The conversation examines how COVID-19 exposed those weaknesses, including the emergence of Fair Care as a temporary community response, and why this investigative series moved forward regardless of funding outcomes.

This episode sets the foundation for a six-part investigative reporting series focused on lived experience, access, labor, and accountability in Pueblo County’s childcare system.

Life Inside the Childcare Gap is a production of the Voices of Pueblo podcast, presented by the Pueblo Star Journal and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

This episode was produced and narrated by Molly Cotner and Gregory Howell.

To learn more and to support nonprofit local news in Pueblo, Colorado, visit pueblostarjournal.org.

If you would like to share your childcare story, reach out to Molly at childcare@pueblostarjournal.org. We want to hear from you.

Thank you for listening.

Tax season does not have to be overwhelming — or expensive.

In this episode of Bree on a Budget, host Bree Pappan is joined by Luanne Maes and Adrian Gomez to break down how the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program helps Pueblo residents file their taxes for free.

During the conversation, listeners also learn that United Way of Pueblo County is celebrating 20 years of the VITA program in Pueblo, marking two decades of free, trusted tax preparation for working individuals, families and seniors across the community.

Operated by United Way of Pueblo County, VITA provides free tax preparation and filing for individuals and families earning $69,000 or less with simple returns. The program helps ensure taxpayers receive all eligible credits and deductions, including expanded benefits for families with children and older adults.

Maes and Gomez explain who qualifies, how to schedule an appointment, what documents to bring and why working with IRS-certified volunteers can reduce stress and protect refunds. They also share how community members can get involved as VITA volunteers — no prior tax experience required.

If you are looking to file with confidence, stretch your refund or avoid costly tax preparation fees, this episode is a reminder that free, reliable help is available right here in Pueblo.

Appointments for VITA services run from late January through April 15 and are available by appointment only.

State of Art | January 2026: Art, Advocacy and What’s Ahead for Pueblo

In the first State of Art conversation of the new year, host Bree Pappan brings together three voices shaping Pueblo’s creative and civic landscape for a candid, forward-looking discussion. Artist and community advocate Tom Carrigan, artist Tia Monson, and Donielle Kitzman, vice president of the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce and Visit Pueblo, explore what 2026 holds for artists, small businesses, cultural organizations and the broader tourism economy.

Recorded Jan. 9, this episode looks at how art, advocacy and economic development intersect in Pueblo, and why collaboration across sectors matters now more than ever. The conversation spans grassroots creativity and big-picture strategy, highlighting how artists and institutions are working together to tell Pueblo’s story, attract visitors, and strengthen the community’s creative economy.

From what artists can expect in the year ahead to how local organizations are elevating art as a driver of tourism and identity, this episode offers insight, optimism and a call to stay engaged. It is a timely listen for anyone invested in Pueblo’s cultural future and the role art plays in shaping place, pride and possibility.

In this timely holiday episode of Bree on a Budget, Bree sits down with Luanne Maez of the United Way of Pueblo County and longtime Pueblo advocate Tom Carrigan for an honest, heartfelt conversation about navigating the festive season during economic uncertainty.

As holiday expectations collide with rising costs, shifting priorities, and real financial stress, this episode explores how individuals and families are finding balance, resilience, and support. Luanne brings deep insight from her work as Economic Mobility and Opportunity Manager at United Way, sharing how community resources, financial education, and compassion-driven systems can help people move forward, especially during emotionally and financially charged times of year. Tom adds a grounded, lived perspective shaped by his experience as a veteran, artist, and tireless supporter of Pueblo’s creative and civic life, reminding listeners that community connection matters just as much as financial planning.

The conversation is practical, reflective, and human. Listeners get to know Luanne beyond her professional role, learning about the experiences and values that shape her work and her belief that everything happens for a reason. Throughout the episode, Bree guides a thoughtful discussion centered on dignity, hope, and the importance of meeting people where they are.

This episode is a reminder that the holidays do not have to be perfect to be meaningful. With honesty and real talk about money, support systems, and community care, Bree on a Budget offers listeners reassurance, resources, and a sense that they are not alone as they navigate the season.