Jersey Gives a Damn - A Community Foundation of NJ Podcast

Every year, over 120,000 people are released from New Jersey's state prisons and local jails — into communities often unprepared to receive them and systems that too frequently set them up to fail. Nearly two-thirds will be rearrested within three years. But those numbers don't capture the full story: the near-impossibility of finding housing with a conviction on your record, the employer...

There's a quiet mismatch playing out across New Jersey's economy: thousands of good jobs sitting unfilled while thousands of capable people can't find their way into them. The four-year degree — long sold as the surest path to a stable career — has become unaffordable for many, and increasingly disconnected from what employers actually need. Trades are short on workers as a generation...

New Jersey faces a critical afterschool programming crisis, with demand far exceeding availability. While 85% of parents recognize these programs build essential social skills and keep children safe, only a fraction of families who need them have access. This gap leaves working parents scrambling for childcare and kids without structured environments to learn and grow. Host Aaron Turner, Chief Phi...

In this third and final installment of our "Art of New Jersey" series, we consider the impact of Netflix and Lionsgate's $1+ billion studio investments and their potential to transform New Jersey into the "Hollywood of the East." Guests Jen Becker from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, film producer and state film commissioner Carol Cuddy, and Tom Hall from Montclair Film discuss how...

We often talk about how the arts  feel  good, but what if they could  benefit  our health? In this episode, we sit down with Aly Maier Lokuta, Assistant Vice President of Arts & Well-Being at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), to explore how creative expression is being used to improve mental, physical, and social health across New Jersey. From launching New Jersey's first arts pre...

This is the first installment in our Jersey Gives a Damn Podcast series on the Arts in New Jersey. With help from our guests, we better understand the arts landscape in the state: what makes our art scene special, what value it brings, and how arts, artistry, and arts organizations are faring in a state which has been in the shadow of its neighbors, New York and Philadelphia, but that has an ident...

In this episode, we shine a light on family homelessness, one of New Jersey’s more urgent but often overlooked social challenges.  When most people think about homelessness, they might picture a single adult on the street. But the true face of homelessness is often much younger, much more vulnerable. It's children clutching worn backpacks, parents working multiple jobs but still unable to secure s...

In recognition of Veterans Day 2024, we're hosting a dedicated conversation examining the current state of our nation's veterans and the critical support they need. This episode shines a light on the significant challenges facing many veterans, including: 22 US veterans commit suicide every day More than 40% of female veterans report experiencing military sexual harassment or military sexual traum...

97% of domestic violence survivors say that concern about leaving a pet was a factor in their decision to leave an abusive situation. Yet, only 17% of domestic violence shelters accept pets.   Emergency sheltering for victims of domestic violence is a critical need. Not everyone has access to the homes of family or friends as a means to find safety.       Not enough shelters in New Jersey allow pe...

The U.S. is ranked 64th in maternal mortality, putting us behind Russia, Tajikistan, and Albania, among others, and about tied with Iran.  Maternal health statistics in New Jersey are also bleak.   The state has the fourth highest maternal mortality rate out of the fifty states; only Indiana, Georgia and Louisiana have higher rates. And when looking at the demographic breakdown of the rates in New...

In our first Throwback Thursday, we are re-posting our popular episode “Are the kids alright? A look at teen mental health in NJ.”  Recent developments nationally and in Trenton point to the continued urgency around mental health for our teens.  We invite you to listen (again).   Forty-two percent of New Jersey teens have reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks in a row. Tw...

New Jersey has had a fraught history with foster care.  Many of our listeners will remember the 2003 death of 7-year-old Faheem Williams due to neglect.  His body was found in a locked basement in Newark alongside his two brothers who were starving but still alive.  This tragedy led to a large settlement garnering national attention. It also led to major structural and programmatic reforms, includ...

‘America has lost one-third of its newspapers and two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2005’, according to a Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism study.    At the current pace, the country is on track to have lost 3,000 newspapers in the last twenty years, with fewer than 6,000 remaining.   Beyond the obvious information vacuum and lost jobs, studies show that the decline i...

We are switching things up a little for this episode. The Community Foundation of New Jersey has started a webinar series that brings in multiple experts for deep dive conversations on important topics. This webinar – presented here as a podcast – focuses on human trafficking, which is a problem globally and in New Jersey. The topic is both heartbreaking and incredibly complex, but our expert gues...

The drop in reading scores of US children post-COVID dominated the headlines in Summer 2023 – with reading scores down in nearly every state. Unfortunately, low reading scores pre-date the pandemic, owing to intractable challenges in too many communities. “Dire,” “jarring,” and “ominous” is how one report talks about reading proficiency in New Jersey. Only a little more than 40 percent of New Jers...

Forty-two percent of New Jersey teens have reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks in a row. Two-thirds of teens in the US who experience a mental health challenge don’t seek help. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 15 and 19.  These alarming statics point to a real problem. In this episode, we hear from experts on what is drivin...

Eva Turbiner is a public health legend, having led one of New Jersey’s largest health centers serving the un-insured and under-insured, Zufall Health, for 16 years.  In this episode, Eva offers the listeners an overview of the population health needs in state, particularly for those on the margins not being served by the larger healthcare system. During her tenure at Zufall, the organization expan...

Jim is the Executive Director of Covenant House New Jersey, which has for 30 years been serving homeless and trafficked youth between the ages of 18  21, operating in 5 cities across New Jersey – Newark, Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Elizabeth, and Montclair.  Services include providing intermediate and transitional housing for young people and a suite of other supportive services – a continuum of c...

Pastor Pam is a force of nature and an advocate for building the resiliency of New Jersey’s youth, the justice-involved, the unemployed, the under-employed, and other underserved populations and fragile families.  She founded Communities in Cooperation (CIC), an organization that strengthens communities through Family & Individual Assistance Programs, Job Readiness & Employment, Utility As...

Mark unpacks the main drivers of food insecurity nationally and in New Jersey, talks through some common misconceptions around the issue, and highlights the most promising interventions.  Mark also shares his personal and professional journey to this imporant work.    At the end of the episode Mark has two book recommendations for those interested in social impact work:  1) Tat...

Ryan shares with listeners the big social justice issues of the day - in New Jersey and nationally - and how his organization is driving change.  He also lays out how donors and citizens can engage with this work and make a difference.