Heroes of New York Anu Senan

I take a trip around Manhattan on a cold January night with a group of volunteers at the Coalition for the Homeless. They distribute food to the people living on streets. I learn more about what drives these volunteers to help homeless people and they share with me what every homeless person actually needs.
We discuss:
1) What drives the volunteers
2) Stories about the homeless
3) Misconceptions about the homeless
4) Message for the listeners
 
Listen to part 1 of this episode where I talk with Giselle Routhier, Policy Director at the Coalition for the Homeless,  the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women and children.
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Homelessness is not new in NYC. However, with the loss of jobs in 2020 a lot more people are facing an impending crisis. That of eviction. If and when the eviction ban in NYC is lifted, more people are expected to turn out into the streets and in homeless shelters that are already overwhelmed. Single adults, families and children are equally impacted.
I chat with Giselle Routhier, Policy Director at the Coalition for the Homeless,  the largest such agency in NYC on the work they do and what she foresees in 2021.
This is a 2 part interview. In the second part, I take a trip around town with the mobile soup kitchen team from the Coalition for the Homeless, to see the work they do for homeless people on the streets.
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There are many homeless people who call the streets of NYC their home. During the lockdown in 2020, where few people ventured out, the homeless were still on the streets begging for food. 
In this episode, I talk to two wonderful individuals, KimMarco Salvo and Imad Khachan who have made helping the homeless, a part of their lives. 
I took  a walk around Penn Station and Greenwich village, along with them to talk to the homeless people and understand their situation. 
I also speak to Paola Piscitelli, Director of The Community of Sant E'gidio USA New York chapter - a mission that Kim volunteers for - on the work that the community does to help homeless people. 
Listen to four homeless people share their own stories, including Julio - an ex-marine, Diego DaVinci -a wheelchair bound artist, Mr Paine - a school porter and Kiki -a woman who has no family. 

God's Love We Deliver has been delivering medically tailored meals to people who are ill and in need of food. Started by one woman in the 80s who saw the plight of an AIDS patient and decided to take action, GLWD has grown into an organization that now caters to anyone from any background who is ill and requires food. In this episode, I talk to 2 employees, Natasha Bunzl, Communications Associate and Dorella Walters, Senior Director at GLWD about the organization's mission, the work they did in 2020 and what our listeners can do to help. 

David Kass, is a New Yorker on a mission to beautify the city.
Seeing the how neglected the flower beds around 6th avenue was,  he started adopting flower beds around his neighborhood a few years back . He plants flowers and picks up trash all at his own expense. David shares his story and how he thinks you can help.
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How can you bridge the digital divide? Ask Daisy Hampton, a 11 year old who has been addressing this question since New York Public schools went online at the height of the pandemic.
When Daisy realized that not all kids in her class were able to attend online sessions because of their lack of access to technology she decided to take action.
And that's how Including You was born. A non -profit peer -to - peer mentorship platform where children help other children. Through Including You, Daisy raises funds to procure devices and hotspot access to children across the country, who currently don't have access.