Utah Weekly Forum With Rebecca Cressman

Homelessness in Utah has increased by 18% in the past year with nearly 1,000 people each night living on the streets. The privately funded Rescue Mission of Salt Lake and their northern Utah facility Ogden Rescue Mission are sheltering and feeding those who come through their doors. But just as important, their programs address the root causes of homelessness to transform lives. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Executive Director Chris Croswhite who shares how the compassionate faith-based organization helps people "work their way out of homelessness." Because the Rescue Mission is wholly supported by tax-deductible donations and contributions from the community, that support is needed now more than ever at RescueSaltLake.org.

From October 24th-November 1st, Ballet West's Romeo and Juliet will give Utah audiences a chance to see one of the most popular Shakesperean love stories choreographed with some of the most complicated sword fighting in ballet at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Ballet West Artistic Director Adam Sklute who reveals more about how the play's music, movements, and passion make Romeo and Juliet a perfect production for those attending ballet for the first time and for ballet connoisseurs. More info at BalletWest.org

Most breast cancer patients will live long beyond diagnosis and treatments. But, up to 30% of survivors will learn their cancer has spread to other parts of the body as life-threatening metastatic disease, also known as Stage IV. Dr. Alana Welm is Chair of Oncological Sciences at University of Utah and has dedicated her life's work to developing treatments for metastatic breast cancer. In this week's episode, Dr. Welm joins FM100.3 Rebecca Cressman sharing details of the groundbreaking discoveries made by her internationally recognized lab at the U's Huntsman Cancer Institute and why funding cancer research is crucial to find new and innovative treatments to help patients today and tomorrow.

The Colombus Community Center and the NextWork Autism Academy are dedicated to promoting inclusion, independence, and well-being for the Wasatch Community. On October 11th, they are inviting adults on the autism spectrum, parents, allies, professionals, employers and the wider community to AUTCON, an unconventional convention for adults with autism held at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Monica Owens, Chief Development Officer of the Columbus Community Center, who details what tailored experiences will be offered at AUTCON and ways it will celebrate the autistic culture. For free regsitration, use the code "FM100Free" at ColumbusServes.org.

For 28 years, Odyssey Dance Theatre and an extraordinarily talented cast of Utah dancers have brought zombies, chainsaws, demons, and monsters to the stage with "Thriller." In this episode, FM100 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by ODT Founder and Artistic Director Derryl Yeager who explains what's planned for this year's repertoire of Halloween characters and where Utah families can see "Thriller" on stage. More details are on odysseydance.com

Allyse Jackson is the Founder and CEO of Beehive Meals. In just a few years the company she created in her Utah kitchen creating and delivering frozen freezer meals has grown into one of the fastest growing businesses in the state and the country. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Allyse who shares how it all happened and how Beehive Meals is using its success to uplift and empower Utah teachers, foster families, and breast cancer survivors. In October, Beehive Meals is FM100.3's Breast Cancer Awareness partner helping survivors find support at FM100.com. To learn more about Beehive Meals gifting and outreach, Beehive Meals.com.

If there is one idea that can help Utahns feel hopeful and inspired about mental health, it is that suicide can be prevented. September is Suicide Prevention Month and FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Huntman Mental Health Foundation President Miranda Barnard and Utah state Rep. Steve Eliason who explain what is being done in Utah to prevent suicide, where Utahns can turn for help in crisis, which new suicide prevention resources are now in place, and what we can do to support others experiencing a mental health challenge. To reach immediate help in a crisis, call or text 988. To learn more about mental health resources, visit HMHI.org or Huntsmanmentalhealthfoundation.org.  

This month, there will be a coordinated effort to help Utahns keep safety top of mind as they approach, work by, and drive through rail crossings and tracks.  Utah Rail Safety Week starts September 15th with events, education, and messaging to increase safety awareness and end collisions and injuries. In this episode of Utah Weekly Forum, FM100 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Walt Webster, a Retired Union Pacific Engineer and Assistant Director or Utah Operation LifeSaver who explains the big picture of rail safety and the 2025 theme "Every Sign has a Story" can help save more lives.

Hawaii's most popular tourist attraction is on the north shore of Oahu and its' talented performers are students at BYU Hawaii. Now a new film called "Sharing Aloha" goes backstage and to the heart of the Polynesian Cultural Center revealing what it means for young Pacific Islanders to preserve and pass on their ancestral heritage. "Sharing Aloha" is winning awards and film festivals around the world and opens in Utah theaters August 29th. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Director/Producer Blair True who explains how the emotional documentary captures the stories of the students as they seek their place in the world. 

The Bountiful Food Pantry has fed the hungry for 50 years and that includes helping to nourish thousands of at-risk children in local schools year-round. They can meet the needs of these everyday families because of community volunteers that are the backbone of the pantry's operations. In this episode of Utah Weekly Forum, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Bountiful Food Pantry Executive Director Rebekah Anderson who shares how the pantry that started in a small church closet is changing lives daily.

On Sunday, July 13th the iconic weekly program  "Music and the Spoken Word" broadcast it's 5,000th episode. The 30-minute show with choral performances by the Tabernacle Choir of Temple Square and messages of peace and hope started in 1929, spanning nine decades of history sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In this episode, FM100.3 On-Air Personality Rebecca Cressman is joined by Derrick Porter, the new Host of Music and the Spoken Word who shares what its been like to join the beloved broadcast as it celebrates making history world-wide.

Each year hundreds of teen and adult volunteers from Utah head out on expeditions to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and other destinations to help build schools, water projects, greenhouses with Eagle Condor Humanitarian. The projects change communities but there are many other ways that Utahns can help change the lives of children and families who live in poverty. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by  Eagle Condor Executive Director Laura Chabries and Expedition Leader Missy Webster who explain more about the Self-Reliance and Children-Center programs that are successfully giving families access to education and financial skills through Eagle Condor programs in South America. For more information, visit EagleCondor.org.

The American Cancer Society in Utah works to support local cancer patients and their families by connecting them to vital information about cancer and to resources like the Hope Lodge, a home away from home in Salt Lake City for patients and their caregivers. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Senior Development Manager Anja McCracken and Development Coordinator Jeneanne Locke who share details on the "Community Kick-Off" Roller Skate Night on July 11th and the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in October  that support survivors, patients, and their loved ones.  

This year Utah Valley celebrated the opening of The Ruth, the new theater on the doTERRA campus in Pleasant Grove.  The new state of the art theatrical facility is part of the legacy of Ruth and Nathan Hale and replaced the smaller Hale Center Theater in Orem whose plays entertained audiences for 30 years. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by The Ruth's Marketing Director Brighton Sloan and Director of Customer Experience Kristine Witdfeldt who highlight this season's plays and the new theater's impact on the arts in Utah Valley.  

The United Way of Utah County has 3 community centers throughout the valley that offer programs and experiences to help adults and families connect to each other and to emotional, social, and economic support. These local community centers make a big impact on the well-being of children and neighborhoods. In this episode, FM100.3's Rebecca Cressman is joined by United Way of Utah County's Katie Hoshino, Senior Director of Community Connections, and Michaelann Gardner, Senior Collbarative Impact Director, who explain the many ways United Way of Utah County works to change lives. 

Utah’s high altitude and genetics are just two of the reasons why Utahns are at higher risk of developing melanoma. That’s why it’s important to learn how to prevent skin cancer and to get your skin screened regularly. In this week's episode of Utah Weekly Forum,  FM100.3's Rebecca is joined by Dr. Breton Yates with Swinyer Woseth Dermatology, who explains what dermatologists are looking for during screenings and what you can do to safeguard your health during Skin Cancer Awareness Month and beyond. You can find more helpful information at www.dwoseth.com.

On June 9th, violinist Jenny Oaks Baker and her accomplished children, musical group Family Four, will present a new show called American Mosaic: Celebrating God, Country, and Culture" that commemorates the country's beauty and diversity through music, dance, and narration at the Sandy Amphitheater. In this episode of Utah Weekly Forum, the Grammy nominated musician Jenny Oaks Baker joins FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman to explain how the show narrated by actor Ben Lomu with music composed by Kurt Bestor will showcase voices, dances, and traditions that shaped the American experience to uplift and unite families and communities. Tickets are available at JennyOaksBaker.com - use code USA15 to save 15% off.

On May 17th, the community is invited to celebrate the birthday and life-changing services at Community Action Services and Food Bank in Provo. The free Saturday event runs from 11am-2pm and the first 200 attendees get free Food Truck vouchers. There will also be giveaways, games, crafts, a toddler bounce house for kids and hourly behind-the-scenes Food Bank Tours. In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Community Action Services and Food Bank Chief Impact Officer Jessical Miller, Executive Director Karen McCandless, and Chief Operations Officer who share more details of the Birthday Bash celebration and the emergency housing, food, and self-reliance resources, classses, and mentoring available to help to help individuals and families living in three Utah counties. More details at CommunityActionProvo.org .

A free community bike ride on May 10th, 2025 is giving beginning and advanced cyclists the chance to ride, celebrate, and explore the safe, connected trails and river parkways of the Wasatch Front Trail Network from Ogden to Provo. The Golden Spoke Ride offers free registration via GoldenSpoke.Net, different starting times and locations, kid friendly rides, pre-ride festivities and a 53 mile Nature Center Ride start at 9:00am at the Tracy Aviary’s Nature Center at Pia Okwai at 33rd South 1000 West in Salt Lake City.  In this episode of Utah Weekly Forum, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Jordan River Commission Executive Director Soren Simonsen, Hugh Van Wagenen, Active Transportation Planner with the Wasatch Front Regional Council, and Jordan River Commission Event & Volunteer Manager Julie Williams who share all the ways Utahns can explore and enjoy interconnected trails along the Wasatch Front.

Treatments for breast cancer can impact a survivor's self-image and change a woman's body creating menopausal, pelvic floor, and intimacy issues. On Saturday, April 12th, the Image Reborn Foundation is hosting their 3rd annual Breast Cancer Conference to build understanding and give tools to manage the symptoms, increase body positivity, and help restore sexual health after breast cancer.  In this episode, FM100.3 Host Rebecca Cressman is joined by Image Reborn Program Director Ally Morrison, Board Member & Breast Cancer Survivor Mary Nickles, and Retreat Volunteer and Breast Cancer Thriver Anna Jensen who explain why the support the conference provides. Rise & Reginite: Embracing Love, Confidence, and a New You is Saturday, April 12th, from 9:00am-4:30pm at the Park City Hospital Blair Education Center and features speakers that include Dr. Camille Moreno, OBGYN, Dr. Jordan Rullo, certified sex therapist, and Dana Levy, Survivor Wellness Executive Director. Registration is a sliding scale from $