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DEC KGNU EDITED KGNU News
As the year winds down, the December episode of the Bucket List Community Cafe radio show on KGNU delivers a snapshot of the issues shaping Denver at the close of 2025. The sixth episode of our radio show, hosted by Bucket List editor Toni Tresca, discusses soaring food bank demand, the opening of Park Hill Park, what holiday events are taking place throughout the metro area and much more.
The first segment of the show features reporter Cassis Tingley explaining why Colorado food banks are experiencing one of the busiest winters in years. Cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, combined with rising prices and political instability, have prompted more families to seek assistance for the first time. Tingley spoke with local organizers who are experiencing increased demand about how their operations have been affected and what people can do to help.
We continue the conversation by inviting Greg Pratt, executive director of Bienvenidos Food Bank, which has been serving northwest Denver since 1976, to the studio for an interview. Pratt discusses how the holiday season changes demand, why 2025 has seen an increase in working families seeking assistance and what the organization needs most from the community as it expands to meet rising demand.
From there, the episode moves to one of Denver’s most contentious land-use stories: the future of the former Park Hill Golf Course. Reporter Ryland Scholes unpacks the long political battles, ballot measures and negotiations that led to the site’s conversion into Park Hill Park, now open daily from sunrise to sunset. With $70 million secured through the passage of 2A, design firm Sasaki is working alongside residents to shape the next era of the park.
The show also highlights the creative ways Denverites are building civic connections. In a conversation with co-founder Jennifer Forker and Bucket List reporter Sadie Gonzales, listeners get an inside look at Crafting for Democracy, a monthly meetup at the Denver Press Club where crafting, conversation and community-building come together to “fight fascism.”
In the arts and culture segment, we spotlight the season’s top holiday happenings, including “A Christmas Carol” at the DCPA, Blossoms of Light at the Botanic Gardens, the Denver Christkindlmarket at its new Auraria home, the full-building Camp Christmas takeover at Stanley Marketplace and the beloved 9NEWS Parade of Lights.
The show also highlights a story of grief turned into giving. Reporter Kathryn Cronin shares the journey of “Who Stole Carl’s Carrot?,” a wintry children’s book by the late Clarie Costello. After Costello’s unexpected death, her sister Sarah Burrows partnered with nonprofit BookGive to distribute more than 150 remaining copies across the metro area.
The episode closes with a moving piece from reporter Diego Simental on GenerationTech, a group of Cherry Creek High School students helping seniors bridge the digital divide at Holly Creek Retirement Community, forming meaningful relationships along the way.
The next episode of the Bucket List Community Cafe radio show airs Thursday, January 1. The Bucket List Community Cafe radio show airs on Metro, KGNU’s weekday afternoon show focusing on issues affecting the Metro Denver, Boulder and Front Range communities with a collective of hosts. Click here to listen to other episodes of Metro.
