Power Station

What if we looked at homelessness as solvable rather than intractable? What would we do if we considered the 580,000 people who are homeless on any given night in America as having been failed, as opposed to being failures? That is the perspective that Ann Oliva brings to her leadership of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the organization that inspired her throughout highly productive tenures at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Corporation for Supportive Housing and the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. At the Alliance, Ann is building on an impactful portfolio, from researching how systemic racism pushes marginalized people towards homelessness, to educating lawmakers about public policy solutions to providing community based organizations with hands-on assistance to advancing communications about homelessness. Ann remains hopeful in large part because she knows what is possible. She knows that bold federal investment in affordable housing, at scale, is the real soluti

Amy Javaid first encountered A Wider Circle as a chaperone for her daughter’s kindergarten field trip. She was struck by how staff engaged 5 year old kids in talking about neighbors, a less othering term than clients, who lack clothes and a home. They learned that their actions, sorting clothes, helps neighbors, some of whom are also 5 years old. Amy volunteered and held various positions before becoming CEO in 2021. Now she is building community and opportunity in Washington DC’s historically underserved Washington Highlands neighborhood. A Wider Circle’s most celebrated resource is its Essential Support program which brings 20 families a day to a furniture showroom to choose beds, tables, and other goods for homes they have finally secured. As Amy points out, this is the start of their journey out of poverty. Some sign on to a program that builds family supports over time. And all are learning to advocate for their priorities, affordable housing, and a living wage. Just as Amy learned in leading anti-povert

“What am I doing to enfranchise people or how am I participating in their disenfranchisement?" That question, posed by this week’s guest, Dr. Marla Dean, to all of us, stopped me in my tracks mid-interview. It has guided her own life and career, first as an educator in troubled and under-resourced schools and then as CEO of Bright Beginnings, a celebrated nonprofit in Washington, DC, that provides childcare and early education services to children and families experiencing homelessness. When I first interviewed Marla in August of 2021, she was deep in the trenches of helping vulnerable families survive an unprecedented pandemic. She powered through but knew she needed to heal, regroup, and continue her commitment to economic mobility from another venue. Now, two years later, Marla introduces us to her new role, leading the Health Equity Fund, a demonstration project launched by the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the region’s largest philanthropy. The Fund supports highly effective community-based or

As Monte Pollard approached the end of a six year sentence in federal prison, he was so overwhelmed by the prospect of reentry, he considered committing a violation that would keep him locked up. His lack of confidence made sense. Over 6 years in multiple facilities, he did not have access to a single training or educational opportunity. When he lost his mother to domestic violence, counseling was not available. It was a visit from Charles B. Thornton, then head of the Mayor’s Office on Returning Citizens Affairs, that gave him hope and the beginnings of a plan. He earned an internship at MORCA, went on to become a staffer and served in other public agencies. Now the executive director of Changing Perceptions, he is leading a transformation of the reentry process for returning citizens in Washington DC. In this episode of Power Station, Monte shares how his nonprofit, Changing Perceptions, is remaking government systems, from social services to criminal justice while strengthening the resilience of those he s

In 2016, Andrew Lee received a call that changed his life and created a cultural sea-change in Washington DC. A conservatory-trained musician he juggled professional performances, running music festivals, and, as a community leader and volunteer, bringing classical music to under-resourced neighborhoods. He was invited to perform that night in a concert featuring brilliant musicians from across the globe. Andrew hopped on a train and headed to Carnegie Hall. The sheer artistry moved him to consider, “what am I doing to create this experience for others?” He launched DC Strings Workshop, a nonprofit organization that makes music education accessible to largely Black and Brown students in schools without arts funding. The logistics alone are impressive, from operating a summer camp, embedding music teachers in elementary and middle schools to performances by the Accord Symphony, an orchestra made up of semi-professional and professional musicians. As Andrew shares on this episode of Power Station, the work goes

When Allen Morris is asked what a policy director does he gets to the point and is not shy: “I tell the President and Congress what to do.” As policy director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, Allen advocates for his community in Congress and in state houses where xenophobia, transphobia, and anti-Blackness dominate policy making. In states where the very humanity of LGBTQ people is under attack, the Task Force supports and partners with grassroots group and hosts kiki’s (social gatherings, for the uninitiated) a safe space to share information, fears, and joy. In this episode of Power Station, Allen talks about the singular contributions that the Task Force has made, over the past 50 years, in advancing LGBTQ rights. Queering Democracy, just one pillar of the work, along with its companions, Queering Equity, Queering Faith, and Building Power, is a window on a powerful template for nonprofit policy advocacy. It’s components, from Fed Watch, a collective deep dive into regulatory rulemaking to revving up part

  To understand the long and twisted journey to the Supreme Court’s chilling decision to dismantle affirmative action in higher education and its implications, you cannot do better than to ask civil rights champion and self-described optimist John Yang. As president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, John has navigated the drumbeat to defeat affirmative action for years and a devastating rise in anti-Asian hate crimes since the emergence of Covid-19. AAJC employs a range of strategies, from education to litigation and policy advocacy to advance the rights of Asian Americans and all communities of color. John points out that the case brought before SCOTUS by white nationalist Ed Blum relies on the model minority myth, a persistent trope, and a convenient strategy for pitting Asian Americans against other people of color. In fact, the data reveals a high level of support by Asian Americans for affirmative action. John is also buoyed by the emergence of new youth-led Asian American nonp

As listeners know I record from Podville Media, a vibrant audio and video studio in Washington, DC. After 277 episodes, it’s my turn to be the guest, admittedly a reluctant one. Robb Spewak, a 30 year broadcast professional and a podcast host in his own right who has produced almost every episode of Power Station is my co-host and interviewer. It was a great experience, evidence of my trust in Robb. And days later the experience still resonates. Turns out I am comfortable interviewing nonprofit leaders tackling the most daunting challenges of our times but revisiting some of the moments that shaped me is harder. Robb asked what compelled me to create Power Station and why I persist. A turning point was being illegally evicted, part of an aggressive campaign by developers to empty an entire block, setting me on a path to organizing and leadership in community based and national nonprofits. Most importantly I want to amplify the voices of those who are changing our fragile democracy for the better. And yes, I b

None of us, from the Supreme Court to our elected representatives to corporate CEOs, should underestimate this nation’s young people. On the same day that the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s student debt cancellation plan, blocking relief for 40 million Americans, the 18 to 34 year old’s that animate Young Invincibles, a nonprofit founded during the nation’s tumultuous debate over the Affordable Care Act, absorbed the blow and set about putting a powerful Plan B into action. On this episode of Power Station, Young Invincibles’ executive director Kristin McGuire shares her own experience with student debt to illustrate how young borrowers, particularly Black and Brown youth, are harmed, often generationally, by the high cost of student loans. And while she is frustrated by the SCOTUS decision, she draws on her conviction, gained from years of community organizing, that the movement to end the stranglehold of student debt will prevail. Young Invincibles invests in the capacity and commitment of youn

  Do you know the old idiom, the devil is in the details? In this episode, Natalie Davis, co-founder, and CEO of the nonprofit United States of Care, tells Power Station about the importance of treating every detail in the policy making process as an opportunity to produce the most impactful legislation possible. And she is admittedly obsessed with public policy implementation, creating a plan that delivers great outcomes in real time. It takes close collaboration with local policy makers, public agencies, and community based organizations that understand the needs of their regions and where the barriers might lie to producing a powerful implementation blueprint. Natalie and her team listen to what local communities want from their healthcare systems and United States of Care shapes its policy campaigns around those priorities. Right now, United States of Care is laser-focused on the legal decision from Braidwood vs. Becerra, which strips free health screenings and other preventive care from our doctor's visi

A conversation with Families USA executive director Frederick Isasi is a masterclass in how to transform our expansive, inefficient, and poorly performing health care system. America spends more money per person on health care than any other nation yet our health outcomes, including some of the world’s worst life expectancy and highest infant mortality rates are appalling. In this episode of Power Station, Frederick explains how we got here, starting with just a few decades ago when many families knew and had access to their healthcare providers. That was before the corporatization and consolidation of hospitals and medical practices, which have driven prices sky high and generated substandard outcomes. When hospital pricing is based not on actual costs but on exorbitant CEO salaries, we are all, as health care consumers, harmed. Many Americans opt out of care altogether, ration their medications and carry debilitating medical debt. From ending surprise medical billing to advancing fair drug pricing and hospi

  Do we stop to think, when enjoying a meal at a favorite restaurant, about what is happening in the back of the house? While servers and bartenders are working hard, their counterparts, dishwashers, food runners and bus boys, face far greater challenges. In Washington DC, less visible workers receive hourly pay as low as $3.89 and depend on tips distributed by “the house” to make minimum wage. But tips are not always shared, just one form of wage theft in the industry. These workers, primarily women, and often undocumented immigrants, are vulnerable to exploitation. Restaurant Opportunities Center DC is disrupting unjust practices by this powerful sector through organizing and advocacy. ROC teaches workers about their rights, trains them in the skills needed for higher-paid positions and advocates for policies that empower them. On this episode of Power Station, ROC organizers Miguel Castro Luna and Norma Vasquez share that for undocumented workers without access to federal funds, the pandemic is not over. M

Every person, in every city, deserves to live the healthiest possible life. You could assume this is a shared national value, but our health outcomes tell a different story about America’s aspirations. Residents from the most marginalized neighborhoods in underinvested cities are subjected to living in unsound housing conditions under persistent threats of eviction, compromised by poor air quality and a lack of access to potable water. Recognizing that social determinants, factors that exist outside of a doctor's office, have an outsized role in the state of our health led the de Beaumont Foundation, a public health philanthropy, to take bold and evidence-based action by launching CityHealth. Its expert advisers and an outstanding staff advance policy solutions to health challenges based in science and validated by community leaders. They are cultivating relationships with Mayors, municipal leaders who are tasked with delivering a better quality of life and equity to their constituents even when their colleag

Annabel Collinson wants you to know that if you feel anxious and helpless about environmental conditions around the globe you are not alone. She shares the climate anxiety that is pervasive among young people whose futures are compromised by rising temperatures and their real-time harms, from warming oceans to sea level rise, economic disruption, food insecurity and the displacement, primarily of people of color, from their homes and communities. Annabel and her colleague Madeleine Ary Hahne, who have devoted years of study to environmental science, global security, human geography, and field work across multiple nations, came together to create an alternative response to environmental degradation. They co-founded, with Zoe Salt, Visions of Soon, a striking online platform designed to engage and empower a new generation in environmental learning and activism. They have coalesced a remarkably talented team of photographers, videographers, journalists and poets to profile, through a striking website and across

There are many versions of our American story. For some it is a gateway to freedom and opportunity, for others it is where only some can thrive, often at the expense of less valued communities. As always, the truth is complex and nuanced and data, when our public leaders choose to collect it, tells the true story. A global pandemic exposed and deepened America’s fault lines, revealing how historical policy making decisions steeped in racism and anti-immigrant bias created strikingly disparate outcomes to the crisis. The truths are profound and unimpeachable, shocking but not truly surprising. In this episode of Power Station, Alvinah Yeh, executive director of Asian Pacific Islander American Labor Alliance, explains that xenophobia and inequitable healthcare, education and workforce systems were realities well before the pandemic struck. But the story is now elevated, and it is time for new voices to inform policy makers, employers, and the labor sector about their lived experiences and how to craft policy so

  When George Jones talks about his mission to make Washington, DC an anti-racist city he is sometimes met with discomfort and even denial. But when he talks about the tremendous disparities in wealth and income that separate white communities in the NW portion of the city from Black families in the SE the very same business, academic and foundation leaders agree that the data is unimpeachable and the systems that perpetuate it must be upended. As CEO of Bread for the City, the highly impactful nonprofit he leads, he manages the complex organizational infrastructure needed to provide for a continuum of human needs, from food and clothing to medical attention and legal support. Bread for the City also builds community power, positioning those with lived experience in advocating for policy solutions before the City Council and Mayor. George points out how a pervasively negative narrative about Black youth in poor DC neighborhoods strips us of empathy and disconnects us from the facts. While crime is real, the p

Elyssa Feder remembers the moment she became an organizer. She was watching a debate on C-Span about the proposed defunding of Planned Parenthood and government officials were spouting lies to bolster their positions. She realized that their power shielded them from consequences and that she was not satisfied being a young woman in a food court who knew better. She honed her organizing capacities in political and issue-specific campaigns and learned that having better facts, and she strongly believes that facts matter, does not guarantee a win. Winning requires an engaged citizenry, people power bolstered by community-based nonprofits with expertise and relationships. Knowing this, Elyssa set about to solve for a real and pressing problem, the huge gap in the organizing infrastructure needed to strengthen our fragile democracy. She launched Rising Organizers to train those who want to get involved with organizing skills and strategies. Young people are completing their training and taking root as change maker

Some organizations really do lead with love. When Jeanne Manford joined her gay son Morty at the 1972 Christopher Street Liberation Day March her handmade sign declared, Parents of Gays Unite in Support of our Children. That message moved many young people whose families were not there for them. Jeanne went on to become the mother of a movement, PFLAFG, that unites families, their LGBTQ loved ones and allies. The fierce love of these families and allies makes PFLAG a powerful force for protecting parents and children who are increasingly under attack in state legislatures and on Capitol Hill. As Diego Manuel Sanchez, Director of Advocacy, Policy, and Partnerships explains, PFLAG’s power is embedded in its grassroots infrastructure, more than 400 chapters and 250,000 members and supporters. And PFLAG creates opportunities for all of us to contribute to the change we want to see, including commenting on a new Title IX regulation that protects trans and other non-binary athletes. Diego is an extraordinary advoca

If you want to know how to protect and advance the rights of Latinos in Texas, ask Eric Holguin. A native son of Corpus Christi and Texas State Director of UnidosUS, the nation’s largest non-partisan champion of Hispanic civil rights, he starts with the facts. Without the state’s 11.4 million Latinos, who are critical to the workforce and especially well-represented in the civil service, energy and small business sectors, the economy would collapse and were it not for gerrymandering, Texas would be a purple state. Making progress in a state where political leaders maintain power by demonizing Latinos takes commitment, resources, and a strategy. Eric partners with UnidosUS affiliates, on-the-ground advocates for voting, education, reproductive, healthcare, immigration, and LGBTQ rights. He cultivates the next generation of Latino political leaders and most importantly, he engages with everyday community members who are moved more by values than by policy alerts. Standard messaging by political parties often fa

Today’s headline stories about jobs and the economy focus on remote workers facing a return to offices and thousands of professional hired by tech companies to deepen their capacities for artificial intelligence and machine learning. More commonplace injustices are being challenged by a growing movement for livable wages and paid family leave, against racial discrimination and immigrant exploitation and for the right to form a union. These and even worse abuses, including the pervasive use of child labor, were born in 20th century factories and mills. A profound desire to honor the contributions of millworkers is deeply rooted within Jim Warlick whose mother, the late Mary Hamilton Warlick, worked behind the same sewing machine for 33 years at the Garrou-Morgantan Full-Fashioned Hosiery Mill in Burke County, North Carolina. The newly unveiled Dignity of Work Monument recognizes those who toiled in the furniture, textile, and hosiery industries in conditions that would be entirely unacceptable today. Jim’s int