The Invisible Americans

This episode of The Invisible Americans podcast explores efforts to support underserved communities facing poverty and health crises. Guests discuss the financial toll that cancer treatment can take and the critical role of nonprofit organizations in filling gaps. Amy Sutton of Crossroads4Hope shares how her organization helps cancer patients and families access care, manage distress, and improve...

Our hosts speak first with Hope Wollensack in Atlanta. She discusses the $30 million fund called The GRO Fund that provides monthly cash assistance to mothers in need. This program is inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of guaranteed income. Named "In Her Hands," the program aims to empower mothers economically, reminiscent of King's belief in individual dignity and s...

“The progress on that child tax credit is an incredible tribute to activism.” - Robert Gordon On this episode of “The Invisible Americans Podcast,” hosts Jeff and Carol talk to policy advisor Robert Green about the Biden Administration’s stance on the Child Tax Credit. Then they talk to Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, co-founder of grassroots group MomsRising, and Meredith Dodson, senior director of publ...

Full debate and vote on HB 7024, which includes updates to the Child Tax Credit. Welcome to Season 2 of  The Invisible Americans Podcast . The Invisible Americans Podcast is a non-profit communications organization. Its mission is to end child poverty. The podcast is hosted by Co-Presidents Jeff Madrick and Carol Jenkins. Music for this and all episodes is provided by Bridget St. John. Audio editi...

Champion of children across the country, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) sits down with co-hosts Jeff and Carol to discuss the impending vote on the Wyden-Smith Tax Deal. The congresswoman shares her thoughts, her hopes for the future, and her intentions with this legislation. Welcome to Season 2 of The Invisible Americans Podcast . The Invisible Americans Podcast is a non-profit communications organiza...

Tune into our final episode of season 1 with this panel event in conjunction with the CUNY Graduate Center . Experts Karen Sander, Carol Jenkins, Janet Gornick, Kathy Edin, Regina Baker, and Zachary Parolin explore early childhood education, labor market dynamics, and the profound physical and cognitive effects of poverty on children. Together, we emphasize the urgent need for policy changes and a...

Welcome to a special edition of "The Invisible Americans" podcast, where we dive deep into the critical issue of child poverty and explore transformative solutions. In this episode, we have the honor of hosting a keynote speaker and a panel of distinguished guests, each offering unique perspectives on the complex landscape of poverty in America. Our keynote speaker is David Ambroz, a ren...

Hosts Jeff and Carol talk with the three authors of The Injustice of Place , published in 2023 by HarperCollins. Dr. Kathryn Edin, H. Luke Shaefer, and Timothy J. Nelson discuss their research and how they plan to light the way forward. "The unfolding revelation in  The Injustice of Place  is not about what sets these places apart, but about what they have in common—a history of raw, intensiv...

Join our hosts Jeff Madrick and Carol Jenkins for this recording of the live convening in partnership with The Roosevelt House . In support of nearly 13 million American children living in poverty, we invite you to listen to the first of three critical discussions about soaring rates of deprivation—and how we can stop child poverty now. Join columnist and Nobel Prize laureate Paul Krugman , social...

Senior policy analyst Dr. Nikhil Goyla tells Carol and Jeff about his experience writing a book profiling three young boys growing up in poverty in Philadelphia. Then he offers what he sees as a path to poverty eradication. Then high school senior Shrusti Amula shares how she saw a gap in her community and filled it by starting a nonprofit at only 13 years old. She focuses on reducing food waste a...

Our hosts talk to two people who are working to end hunger and poverty in the United States. First, Jenique Jones talks about her work with WhyHunger, an organization with a multifaceted approach to their mission of ending hunger. Then David Ambroz shares his personal story of childhood homelessness, foster care, and his journey out of those circumstances. He's an author, an executive at Amazo...

Our hosts chat with two authors and their individual work on homelessness. First up, novelist Jennifer Egan talks about her work with the unhoused in New York and her time spent as a journalist covering this issue. Then, Ethan Goodey talks about his life as a teen experiencing homelessness, how he overcame the odds, and his children's book Finley Finds Home. For more detailed show notes and a...

“Poverty for children in America is not some accident. It’s a policy choice.” -Sen. Cory Booker The so-called CTC 6 held a press conference today to discuss the staggering increase in levels of child poverty, due in large part to the withdrawal of the Expanded Child Tax Credit. The CTC 6: Rep. Rosa DeLauro ( who was a guest on Ep. 4 ) Sen. Michael Bennet ( who was a guest on Ep. 13 ) Sen. Sherrod...

In this episode, we discuss child trafficking and child abuse. If you or someone you know needs help, call the Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 800-843-5678. Please listen with care. Our hosts first talk to Melanie Thompson about her firsthand experience with child sex trafficking. She discusses not only how she was trafficked, but how systemic gaps in the foster care system make it...

In this episode, we discuss suicide. If you are having thoughts of self-harm, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at phone number 988 . Please listen with care. First up, Jeff Winton shares the story of how his nephew's death inspired him to start Rural Minds, which provides mental health assistance to those living in rural counties across America. Then fashion icon Dapper Dan tells th...

In today’s episode, Jeff and Carol talk with Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women and Families, about LGBTQI+ families living in poverty. Then they talk to Abby Leibman, president of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger about food insecurity, particularly in the military. For more detailed show notes and a full transcript,  ⁠see the Podcast page on the Invisible Americans we...

In this episode, our hosts first talk with Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado. He hopes to reinstate the Expanded Child Tax Credit through his American Families Act. Then our hosts talk to Holly Fogle, who is doing the simple work of providing cash to those who need it most -- $1,000 a month for the first 1,000 days of a baby's life. Her foundation, The Bridge Project, wants to prevent poverty...

We are pleased to bring you this special edition of The Invisible Americans podcast. On July 13, 2023, the Senate Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight met to discuss the Child Tax Credit and its impact over the last quarter century. Around the 44-minute mark, listen to an exchange between known critic Sen. Ron Johnson and Sen. Bennet that lasts around 15 minutes and explores various complexi...

In this episode, we talk to Kathy Haycox about how Habitat for Humanity works in New York City: "We're a simple mission with a very complex methodology for delivery it." The scope of what Habitat for Humanity does may surprise some listeners, and we discuss how this broad portfolio lifts families and children out of poverty. Then we talk to Celinda Lake, polling expert, about the pop...

One in four children in this country is the child of an immigrant. Over 100,000 children in New York State have at least one incarcerated parent. In this episode, we discuss these two vulnerable populations with experts Wendy Cervantes of the Center for Law and Policy and Dr. Alethea Taylor of Hour Children. With her work in immigration, Wendy talks about how policies around immigrant parents excl...

On today's podcast, we are pleased to present a recent press conference on child poverty by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and a conversation with Kate Breslin, head of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy . In her press conference, Gov. Kathy Hochul announces investments in childcare aimed at reducing child poverty in New York State. Then Kate Breslin speaks with the hosts about the...

Black. Queer. Muslim. Disabled. A political refugee from Liberia. In foster care at age 8 in Minnesota. Founder and Executive Director of Atlas of Blackness. Lucina Kayee certainly had the deck stacked against her, but she has taken this life experience and dedicated it to helping protect vulnerable youth and reform foster care--and the communities where foster children come from. Our guest today...

Social Security is a key anti-poverty policy in the U.S. that lifts millions of children out of poverty -- yet most of us think of it only as a retirement program. Also, did you know that poverty is a killer? Dr. Brady tells us how he found that poverty kills 10 times more people than homicide. Our guests: - Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings | Founder, President, CEO of Global Policy Solutions - Dr. D...

Everyone can do their part to eradicate childhood poverty. Dads need to champion policies related to supporting families, and anyone can contribute their time, treasure, or talent to help local nonprofits serving the unhoused. Our guests: Representative Dan Goldman (NY-10) Deborah Koenigsberger, founder of Hearts of Gold and the Thrifty HoG Rep. Goldman discusses his work founding the first Dads C...

Lifting children out of poverty requires whole child, whole community, holistic policies. Our guests: Kercena Dozier, Executive Director of the Children's Defense Fund New York Alissa Quart, author and Executive Director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project Dr. Rita Hamad, social epidemiologist and family physician in the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and the Departme...