This Robin Hood Moment

What does it take to build a career when every step forward comes with a tradeoff—when choosing training means losing wages, when choosing stability means rearranging childcare, and when choosing your future means risking the little security you have today? For many New Yorkers, the road to stability isn’t a straight line—it’s a climb, one careful choice at a time. In this companion to our co...

What does it take to rebuild your life when you’ve fallen through the cracks—after the job is gone, the rent’s past due, and there’s no safety net to catch you? In New York City, the margin for error is razor thin—especially for low-income workers. One missed paycheck can mean eviction. One illness can mean job loss. One childcare emergency can unravel a household. For many New Yorkers, there is n...

What does it mean to chase opportunity when every step forward comes with a sacrifice? In New York City, the high cost of child care forces many parents—especially mothers—to make impossible choices between earning a living and being there for their children. For Marlyn, a mother of two in Inwood, balancing work, childcare, and her dreams for her family means constantly negotiating what she can af...

What happens when every choice you make for your child comes at the cost of another? For parents living in poverty, raising a child in New York City can feel like navigating an impossible maze of tradeoffs. Do you skip work to care for a sick child and risk losing your job? Do you buy groceries or pay for internet so they can finish their homework? Do you move into a more affordable apartment—even...

How do you feed your family when the cost of groceries keeps climbing, but your paycheck doesn’t? In Harlem, Monique has learned to stretch every dollar, every meal, and every ounce of energy to keep food on the table for her children. But when the price of basic groceries rivals the cost of a utility bill, the choice between eating and keeping the lights on becomes painfully real. In this episode...

What happens when eating well isn’t a choice—but a calculation? When the cost of food forces impossible choices, what would you give up to keep your family fed? In this episode, This Robin Hood Moment welcomes Leslie Gordon, President & CEO of Food Bank For New York City , to explore how rising grocery prices, stagnant wages, and looming federal cuts to programs like SNAP are reshaping the dai...

What does home mean when it’s always just out of reach? For Michelle, finding an apartment wasn’t just about having a roof over her head—it was about reclaiming a sense of security after years of uncertainty. With support from Anthos|Home , a Robin Hood-funded organization helping New Yorkers use housing vouchers to move quickly into affordable homes, Michelle finally found a place to settle and b...

What happens when keeping your home means so much more than paying your rent? Keeping your home in New York City takes more than just paying the rent—it takes navigating an invisible maze of systems. Affordable child care, steady employment, timely public benefits, and support in moments of crisis all determine whether a family can hold on to housing long term.  In this episode, we speak with...

What do you do when taking care of your health means putting your job on the line? For a Brooklynite like Wendell, getting sick came with a price he couldn’t afford. Without paid sick leave, every doctor’s visit meant lost wages—and the risk of falling behind on rent and bills. The result: a cycle of exhaustion, illness, and work that feels impossible to break. In this episode, Wendell shares his...

What happens when going to the doctor means risking your paycheck, your rent, or your livelihood? In New York City, getting sick can cost more than your health—it can cost you your paycheck, your rent, or even your job. For low-income workers who lack paid sick leave, time off for a doctor’s visit or recovery isn’t an option; it’s a luxury. That impossible tradeoff—between caring for your health a...

For people experiencing homelessness in New York City, getting a housing voucher like CityFHEPS should be the golden ticket to securing a permanent home. But often, that ticket leads to a dead end. The demand for affordable housing far outpaces supply, and even when apartments are available, families face overwhelming barriers—complex requirements, complicated processes, and landlords reluctant to...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. What does it really cost to raise a child in NYC? In this episode, with special guest Reshma Saujani—Founder and CEO of Moms First, Founder of Girls Who Code and bestselling author of Brave, Not Perfect"—we explore why current benefits fall short in covering the needs of families, especially in a city with such...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. Stable housing is not just a roof over a child’s head—it’s a critical factor for healthy physical, emotional, and cognitive development. In this episode, with guest Christine Quinn, President & Chief Executive Officer of Win, we examine an aspect of homelessness in New York City that’s rarely discussed: fami...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the groundbreaking work of the New York State Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC), established under the Child Poverty Reduction Act signed into law in December 2021. This initiative sets a bold goal of reducing child poverty in New York State by 50% by 2031...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In advance of Thanksgiving each year, Robin Hood collaborates with Columbia University to produce an annual snapshot of food hardship and assistance among New Yorkers. New York City has a robust network of food providers, including pantries, aimed to make access to food easier for those struggling to feed themse...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we delve into the unveiling of the newest affordable housing development in Inwood, what Robin Hood affectionately calls “New Stories,” showcasing the city's potential to create beautiful, affordable homes in innovative spaces. The spotlight falls on the Eliza Apartments, providing 174 affordabl...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we center the voices and experiences of those directly impacted by the recent surge in poverty across New York City, illuminated by the stark findings of Robin Hood’s annual Poverty Tracker report. With guests Greg Silverman, CEO of the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, and Robert Cordero, CEO...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we delve into the dire state of affordable housing. New York City is still the largest and most expensive rental market in the county. The rental vacancy rate has plummeted to a historic low of 1.4%; more than half of households are rent-burdened, thousands are on the brink of eviction, and a re...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your hosts Crystal Cooper and Kevin Thompson. In this episode, we delve into the staggering findings of the latest Poverty Tracker Annual Report, jointly released by Robin Hood and Columbia University’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy. The report reveals a historic spike in poverty rates across New York City, with an additional 2 million residents plung...

Welcome to "This Robin Hood Moment" with your host Crystal Cooper. January marks the beginning of the budgeting process for New York State and City, crucial for funding essential services and programs. Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams recently unveiled their proposed budgets, sparking intense analysis and advocacy. Join us as we delve into the implications for fighting poverty in NYC with Robin Hoo...

For 35 years, Robin Hood has channeled nearly $3 billion through grantmaking to feed, house, educate, provide training and placement, and much more for the millions of New Yorkers fighting their way out of poverty. From the very start, Robin Hood has been relentlessly focused on results, grounding its work in rigorous evidence and community voice so it can make the smartest bets and the greatest i...