Water Safety

Starting our month of July with a hot summer, we spoke with Danielle Hodge, the founder of Alma Swim Foundation. Alma Swim is a non-profit organization that is devoted to drowning prevention education through lessons and resources for children and families. Alma meaning compassion, soul, and humanity, is a connection to the ocean being a healing body of water, encouraging safe water practices. Through Alma Ocean Accessories, Danielle Hodge has created patterned floatable devices to make African American children feel seen and encouraged. By uplifting and making sure we have the conversation that can change the statistic of 58% of African-American children being unable to swim. www.Almaswim.org In the second hour, we spoke with Denise Cochran, Environmental Program Supervisor at Orange County Government. We discussed the importance of keeping our environment and natural resources clean, emphasizing how easily pollutants can affect our health through runoff water carried into our water bodies. The Clean Water Act established a structure for regulating surface water standards and discharges of pollutants into water. It’s a priority to manage the quality of the water, as the patterns of differing neighborhood and minority communities affect our everyday lives. Visit https://www.orangecountyfl.net/Environment/LakesandRivers.aspx (407) 836-1400