Red Bean Baby

For our final episode of season 1, meet CEO of Covenant House International, Bill Bedrossian. Listen as he and Gioia discuss how his passion for ending youth homelessness has evolved and what’s driven him towards his current role, as he encourages listeners to engage in the work that each Covenant House site implements.  https://www.covenanthouse.org Instagram: @Bill_Bedrossian Prior to his role a...

Listener Advisory: This episodes contains conversation around Hurricane Katrina, including death, trauma and crisis. Please listen with caution and take care of yourself.  Ms. Ebonee Craighead, Tasia Stewart, Jane Helire, Shelita Lomax, Wyatt Hines, Gioia Barconey discuss Hurricane Katrina and its long lasting impacts from youth to adults. Sharing memories from 2005 that seem like they happened ye...

Meet Ms. Tasia Stewart, a doula from the member-owned and -operated Birthmark Doula Collective. She explains just exactly what a doula is and does, and how their services impact the young pregnant people at Covenant House. https://www.birthmarkdoulas.com/   Instagram: @birthmarkdoulas Tasia G. Stewart Bio: Tasia G.Stewart (she/her) is a mother of two beautiful children and four dogs. She is curren...

Gioia talks with Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, a Board-Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist (OB-GYN) and the Medical Director of the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative (LaPQC). Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell discusses being an OB-GYN in the Louisiana area, including being a public health and quality improvement professional. She also highlights important health facts for obstetrics and gyn...

Mr. Levar from Fathers on a Mission talks to Gioia about the work he does and how he supports young fathers. Their mission is to “promote responsible committed fatherhood through education, strong relationships, holistic health, and socioeconomic education.   https://www.fathersonamission.com/ Mr. Levar's bio: A proud native of Baton Rouge and a member of the Capitol Senior High School class...

Kate Parker of Kellogg Foundation discusses their incredible investments in maternal-child health in the New Orleans area and how, as funders, they learn from families and the communities themselves.  https://www.wkkf.org/ Red Bean Baby talks about a lot of difficult, potentially triggering things. Take care of yourself and your mental health. Learn about more resources here on our website ( https...

Meet Kyla, a young, pregnant mom in the Maternal Pathways housing program. She tells her story about how she came to join Maternal Pathways and her experiences while pregnant, including with her doula and prepping for a safe and healthy delivery. Art and Gofund me link soon to come Red Bean Baby talks about a lot of difficult, potentially triggering things. Take care of yourself and your mental he...

Melanie Richardson, co-founder and Executive Director of Training Grounds, discusses how her organization creates quality learning experiences for children in the first five years of life to support healthy brain development. Melanie’s passion lies in supporting parents with understanding child development so they can help their children flourish. She co-founded TrainingGrounds and the We PLAY Cen...

Ms. Jenni from The Parenting Center at Children’s Hospital and Ms. Sue from Devoted Dreamers Foundation stop by to talk about supporting young parents and how important connection is to youth.    https://www.chnola.org/services/the-parenting-center/ 504.896.9591  Instagram: @chnolaparentingcenter https://devoteddreamers.org/ Instagram: @devoteddreamersfoundation Jenni Watts Evans has been involved...

Gioia sits down with Ms. Kimberly Novod, Founder and Executive Director of Saul’s Light. Ms. Novod and her husband founded Saul’s Light after losing their son after he was born prematurely. Saul’s Light seeks to support NICU families and those that have lost a baby, in addition to promoting policies to protect families and babies and improving perinatal health outcomes. Saul’s Light info: https://...

Nurse Nikki Greenaway, a nurse practitioner with Blooming Maternal Health, is passionate about improving the pregnancy experience and maternal health outcomes, especially for Black mothers.  Nurse Nikki, is a wife, mother of three, Nurse practitioner and lactation consultant. Nurse Nikki is the founder and owner of Bloom Maternal Health. Bloom is a community based medical practice that provides pr...

Welcome to the Red Bean Baby podcast, hosted by in-house expert on all things Covenant House, maternal health, youth homelessness and so much more, Ms. Gioia Barconey. Listen in as she and the Director of Youth Support Services, Ms. Ebonee Craighead discuss how Gioia came to host Red Bean Baby, as well as what to expect for future episodes with some exciting guests in store.  Red Bean Baby talks a...

Meet Rheneisha Robertson and Dr. Deidre Hayes as they discuss their paths to Covenant House and their vision for maternal health in the New Orleans community. From public health initiatives to one-on-one-relationships, they explore the power of community in supporting young families. Red Bean Baby talks about a lot of difficult, potentially triggering things. Take care of yourself and your mental...

Hosanna, a Covenant House social worker, joins Gioia to talk about substance use among youth and specifically those facing homelessness and who are pregnant. Resources for individuals living with substances:  https://ldh.la.gov/page/1429 https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/ This link is for information on what is and isn’t safe to consume during pregnancy Red Bean Baby talks about a lot of diffic...