Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Gym intimidation is real -- but don’t let it stop you
https://www.gainesville.com/zz/timeandmoney/20180831/gym-intimidation-is-real----but-dont-let-it-stop-you

• This article dives into the whole concept that many people are extremely fearful when it comes to stepping into a gym.  Although the US has seen a significant growth in gym memberships, people are still very scared to step in the door for many reasons.  These reasons include embarrassment from many types of scenarios, low confidence in abilities, fear of failure, and many other reasons.
• The problem presented here is that people have this fear of stepping into the gym, and something needs to be done in order to limit the amount of people who get scared away from the gym.
• I feel like the problem exists the most in people who are too self-conscious.  Even for people who are in decent shape, many are still to worried about what others think of them, so they decide to avoid the gym.  I don't think it has much to do with the current physical shape people are in, I think it ultimately comes down to people who worry to much about what others think.  

2. Pot vaping: Savvy teens hacking devices to inhale cannabis

https://www.gainesville.com/lifestyle/20180907/pot-vaping-savvy-teens-hacking-devices-to-inhale-cannabis

• This article goes into depth about teens/young adults and the ways they are cheating the system and injecting weed into their vapes.  Vapes nowadays are so easy to hide and they're so discrete when smoking them.  Because they are easy to hide, it is extremely easy for young people to smoke marijuana at a much higher rate.
• This causes a big problem because now it is becoming much easier for kids and young adults to smoke marijuana without anyone even realizing, making it harder to get caught.  
• I think the people who have the biggest problem when it comes to this are parents.  If I were a parent, the last thing I would want would be my kids having easy access to smoking marijuana, and it would be even worse if they were smoking it in front of me and I had no idea.  

3. Gainesville opens new paths for mentors to help youth

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20180914/gainesville-opens-new-paths-for-mentors-to-help-youth

• A local Gainesville sponsor called Gainesville Thrives has increased awareness for the necessity of mentors in the community for young kids.  The program is not only giving many people the opportunity to become mentors, but they are making the path to mentorship easier to get to.  Many local kids grow up in the wrong crowd around the wrong people, and this initiative will allow more mentors to step into kids' lives and make a difference.
• The problem going on is that many of these kids don't have fathers or mothers around to help keep them off the streets.  At a young age, kids are starting to get into too much trouble with the wrong crowd, which eventually leads to gang violence.
• The people who have the problem are the kids themselves.  They need these mentors to help them with their problems, so hopefully this plan works.

4. 10 communities, including Marion County, to share $500K to reduce bear conflicts

https://www.gainesville.com/news/20180913/10-communities-including-marion-county-to-share-500k-to-reduce-bear-conflicts

• The state of Florida is deciding to help 10 communities out by giving them $500,000 in order to prevent humans/bears conflict.  This money will be going toward more bear resistant equipment in order to keep them out of neighborhood trash and other attractions.
• The problem going on is that humans are unintentionally attracting bears to their neighborhoods, and then this causes altercations that nobody wants to be a part of.
• The people who have the problem are the residents who are attracting the bears.  They need to stay safe by using bear prevention methods, and they need to use the equipment that the State will be providing them.

5. Opioid empathy: Families seek compassionate approach to treating addicted loved ones

https://www.gainesville.com/lifestyle/20180831/opioid-empathy-families-seek-compassionate-approach-to-treating-addicted-loved-ones

• This article dives into a terrible case of addiction, and the struggles that someone faces during the process.  A certain family had a really tough case where they faced extremely hard decisions when the addiction didn't get better.
• The problem is that there is no easy way to treat opioid addiction without families being affected, and hard decisions being made.
• The people who have the problem are mainly the families of the addicted.  They are the ones who hate to see their family members suffer from the addiction, and they are the ones who hate to perform rash solutions in order to help the addiction.