Friends In Deed Podcast

On this episode, Rabbi Joshua speaks to a few people at our Bad Weather Supplies distribution, including a 71 year-old Pasadena native living on the streets, and one of the Azusa Pacific Nursing students that provide care each Thursday night. The title of this episode comes from a story related to us by the groundskeeper at First United Methodist Church; be sure to listen until the end.  Learn mor...

With the winter months bringing cold and rain, Friends In Deed is operating its Bad Weather Supplies distribution, and emergency motel program. With all of the press about this last week, Rabbi Joshua wrote an op-ed in Pasadena Now, which he expands upon in this episode. One potential solution: like the city of LA, might there be a motel open to a master leasing contract that would offer all of th...

Recorded on MLK Day, Rabbi Joshua welcomes Dr. Peter Dreier, E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics at Occidental College, and Ryan Bell, Southern California Regional Coordinator at Tenants Together, to discuss the recent passing of Measure H, a Pasadena ballot measure approving rent control. Both Peter and Ryan were active in the organizing effort that helped pass this measure, and the co...

Rabbi Joshua shares some thoughts about President Biden's newly released strategic plan to end and prevent homelessness, $8.7 billion, especially as it relates to the newly passed Pentagon budget, $858 billion.   www.friendsindeedpas.org https://friendsindeedpas.org

This week, Rabbi Joshua talks with FID Food Pantry Director, Tim Nistler, to hear more about the very large increase in households that are coming each week, how we are doing on food, and what he shared with 11th graders at Polytechnic High School last week. www.friendsindeedpas.org https://friendsindeedpas.org

After having COVID for 11 days, Rabbi Joshua is back with a new episode! In a wide-ranging conversation, he speaks with Anne Miskey,  CEO on Union Station, the largest homeless service provider in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. In addition to learning about the new projects Union Station is working on, Anne and Joshua discuss the barriers to the vexing problem of no interim housing available...

In this episode, Rabbi Joshua returns to a theme that he has been thinking about for decades: do we really need hundreds of types of breakfast cereal, dozens of brands of toothpaste, aisles full of the same condiments? In 2005, he delivered a talk on the theme of hypomania and how this creates a level of paralysis based on too many choices. This episode closes with a piece of a TedTalk from Profes...

On this episode, Rabbi Joshua shares some information about the rising cost of food, bringing in pieces of a segment from Yahoo Finance, and how these increases are affecting the lives of a few families facing eviction that Friends In Deed has helped recently. It is scary times for those living dollar to dollar. www.friendsindeedpas.org https://friendsindeedpas.org

This week, Rabbi Joshua celebrates the 15th birthday of The Women's Room, a very unique program at Friends In Deed: a day refuge for homeless and at-risk women. He talks with guests, staff, and volunteers as they share their thoughts, appreciation, love and joy for being a part of this special program. Please listen, and be prepared to have your heartstrings tugged. Learn more about The Women...

In this episode, Rabbi Joshua offers a sobering commentary about some of the stark realities seen this week by the FID Street Outreach Team.  As the title says: they had single moms with toddlers sleeping in their cars, and a pregnant woman staying in a U-Haul, coming for help. He discusses these tragedies through the lens of our budgets being moral documents.  www.friendsindeedpas.org https://fri...

Today, Rabbi Joshua goes out onto the streets of Pasadena to look for some folks who might share a bit about themselves. It was slightly more challenging this time, but he was able to chat with two guys: a talkative one who is struggling with addiction, and a quiet one who was a bit shyer. Both of them are examples of why we need more supportive services, and interim housing, in our city.  www.fri...

On this episode, Rabbi Joshua sits down with FID's new Director of Street Outreach and Housing, Tish Strickland, to learn more about her background, experience, and her vision for the program and how she sees the work of homeless services in general. It is a wide-ranging conversation that touches not only on the program and statistics, but about the philosophy, terminology, challenges, and re...

On this episode, Rabbi Joshua borrows a technique from the podcast 'The Daily,' and narrates an article that he wrote for the Pasadena Now online news site about the idea of creating a Tiny Home Village in the city of Pasadena.  Activists and residents are still working hard to get this idea, which has been successful in many parts of LA, to merit a discussion at the full City Council me...

Today, Rabbi Joshua is joined by Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance (EPRA) Program Director, Ryan Greer, for an update about the state of evictions and the nearly 50% increase in calls and requests compared to this time last year. We also hear some stories of families and individuals that we have been able to help. https://friendsindeedpas.org

On this episode, Rabbi Joshua shares a few stories about clients that we have helped in the last few weeks. And, he has a very moving interview with a regular guest in The Women's Room, a lady in her 60s that has been struggling with housing and homelessness for the past ten years. She shares some of her story, and talks about the recent loss of her beloved friend and companion of the last 5...

In this special episode, Rabbi Joshua shares a recent sermon (5/29/22) he delivered at San Marino UCC, where he describes that a 'reset' in our world and economic policies is actually a very ancient idea. The concept of 'theology of interruption' is from a paper delivered in 2014 by Professor Laurie Zoloth of Northwestern University. If you want to respond or reflect on these i...

After a short break, we are back with the Friends In Deed Podcast! Today, Rabbi Joshua (he/him) is joined by two senior staff members of Planned Parenthood of Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley: Juliana Serrano (she/Ella), Vice President of Advocacy and Equity and Dipti Singh (she/her), General Counsel. This is a wide-ranging conversation around the leaked draft opinion that could overturn Roe, and s...

This is our monthly installment of Stories from the Street. Rabbi Joshua shares about what "chronically homeless" means and how those folks present a greater challenge for getting housed. He went out onto the streets and interviewed three people who shared some of their life experience and the challenges they face. Please listen and hear firsthand from some of our neighbors living on the...

This week, we hear from Friends In Deed volunteers and donors directly about why they find it so meaningful to give their time and treasure. This is in anticipation of our upcoming Giving Day, next Wednesday 3/23/22! We need 128 donors to give, any amount, and the Appley Foundation has committed to donate $25,000! We have been doing our work in Pasadena for 128 years, so help us reach the goal. ww...

Join us today for a wide-ranging spiritual conversation with Rabbi Joshua and Rev. Marlene Pomeroy, co-pastor of First Congregational Church in Pasadena and an FID board member. They discuss the observance of Lent in her tradition, how we provide hope and support to the people of Ukraine, and what Women's History Month means to her. Rev. Marlene closes with a blessing especially for women exp...

This week, Rabbi Joshua talks with Lindsey Reed, FID's Senior Manager of Programs and Director of the Bad Weather Distribution and Motel program. Hear about the work of taking care of our chronically homeless neighbors; a success story; and a challenging story of a woman fleeing domestic violence. And, we offer an opening and closing dedication to the people of Ukraine, sharing music from the...

This week we learn about a man who is 89 years old and living on our streets. And, Rabbi Joshua has a conversation with Grace, a 63 year old woman who is living in her car. She has been working with several of our teams to get services, support and hopefully a new place to live. Just 2 of the many seniors experiencing homelessness. https://friendsindeedpas.org

This week is a very special episode. Rabbi Joshua talks with FID Housing Navigator and Outreach Specialist, Najwa Payton Jones , who shares her life story: from abusive foster care childhood to drug addiction to homelessness to recovery to college and to her career. This is a 'not to be missed' episode! https://friendsindeedpas.org

This week, Rabbi Joshua has a wide-ranging conversation with Allen Edson, the Pasadena Chapter President of the NAACP. Allen is a native of Pasadena and shares his thoughts and views on the issues, challenges, celebrations, and history he has participated in over many years in our city. He also shares wisdom and insights from his Muslim faith.  https://friendsindeedpas.org

With so many people facing food insecurity and hunger, FID is proud to operate one of the largest food pantries in the San Gabriel Valley. Today, we hear a short interview with one of our pantry clients, and then Rabbi Joshua sits down with Tim Nistler, our Food Pantry Director, to talk about current operations, the challenges of hunger, and how COVID has affected our work. Thanks for listening! h...