May 20, 2023
35 Years of Fighting Poverty: Hear From Our Experts
Robin Hood is celebrating 35 years since its founding and catching up with in-house experts about the milestones that have defined us throughout more than three decades of fighting poverty in New York City. Hosted by Robin Hood’s Kevin Thompson and Crystal Cooper, listeners will hear a range of topics from Robin Hood’s Relief Funds to Policy and Advocacy to Management Assistance.
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 impact. Through these years, Robin Hood has grown into a poverty-fighting giant, with its deep knowledge of the conditions that keep New Yorkers down and the fight for resources they need to get ahead.
We had in-depth conversations with the people who drive Robin Hood’s boots-on-the-ground work across all five boroughs. In these “Robin Hood Moments” you’ll hear stories from Robin Hood’s leaders about their unique frontlines in New York City, and the milestones and strategies that really fuels their fight.
Emary Aronson on Relief Funds: 9/11. Superstorm Sandy. COVID-19. Robin Hood has been at the frontlines for them all. Mobilizing hundreds of partners, distributing $230M, getting New Yorkers back on their feet. Emary Aronson, Robin Hood’s Chief Knowledge Officer reflects on 24 years of NYC resilience.
Lori Boozer on Mobility LABs: What happens when community voice drives the development of new solutions to poverty? Lori Boozer, Managing Director of Mobility LABs, talks about one of Robin Hood’s boldest, smartest bets—spurring NYC communities to develop their own poverty-fighting solutions.
Chansi Powell on Advocacy and Public Policy: There are countless hurdles in the lives of people trying to escape poverty. Government can help. Smart policy can help. Chansi Powell, Director of Policy and Advocacy, describes how Robin Hood identifies opportunities to remove barriers for New Yorkers trying to get ahead.
Christopher Caruso on Education: There are countless hurdles in the lives of people trying to escape poverty. Government can help. Smart policy can help. Chansi Powell, Director of Policy and Advocacy, describes how Robin Hood identifies opportunities to remove barriers for New Yorkers trying to get ahead.
Deborah Sakellarios on Management Assistance for Nonprofits: It can be tough out there for poverty-fighting organizations. Robin Hood not only funds, but also helps nonprofits build their resources and leadership so they can continue to do what they do best—give every New Yorker a fair shot. Learn about Management Assistance from Deborah Sakellarios.
Amber Oliver on Powering the Next Generation of New Yorkers: How can low-income NYC students unlock their futures and get ahead? Amber Oliver, Managing Director of the Robin Hood Learning + Technology Fund, explains the importance of teaching computational thinking and blended literacy so that students can chart their way of poverty into a thriving future.
Sergio Marrero on Community-Driven Technology Development: There is so much technology can do for people experiencing poverty. Sergio Marrero, Managing Director of Blue Ridge Labs, explains the importance of community input in developing effective tech and how BRL has driven poverty-fighting innovation since 2014.
Pam Davis on Accessing Public Benefits: Public benefits—housing, food stamps, transportation, and cash assistance—are critical for the fight out of poverty. Pam Davis, Senior Program Officer of Benefits Access, discusses how Robin Hood has helped generations of low-income New Yorkers source the benefits they need to get ahead.
Susan Sack on Nonprofits and New York Real Estate: Over 2M square feet of NYC real estate has been funded to fight poverty. Susan Sack, Robin Hood’s Managing Director of Real Estate, explains the importance of good facilities for supporting good work—elevating New Yorkers out of poverty.
Emary Aronson on Education Choice and Charter Schools: Why is the charter school option important in NYC? Why did Robin Hood get involved in the push to secure and sustain them? Emary Aronson, Chief Knowledge Officer, discusses Robin Hood’s decades of investment in education and the importance of charters in the public school system.
