Homeless to Lawyer

Join us for a special holiday episode of the Homeless to Lawyer Podcast. Pastor Chuck Blair is the dynamic, charismatic, and spiritually engaging founder of New Church Live, one of the leading churches in the Philadelphia area around online community and services. Our conversation will focus on the importance of service and gratitude all year round and explore why we feel the need to serve, especially during the holiday season. While the holiday season can be incredibly joyful, it can also be very sad and challenging for those struggling with personal issues, and we discuss how to best support each other during this time of the year. Lastly, we discuss how the New Year is an opportunity for renewal and a fresh start, both personally and spiritually. 

Linda A. Kerns, Esq. is a well-known election law expert who practices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In this episode, we discuss how she became involved in election law, what an election attorney does, and the vital role she plays in helping elections be more transparent.  Ms. Kerns discusses how she came to represent The Donald Trump for President 2020 Campaign and about the issues of election integrity and issues of voter suppression.     

Randy Robinson is a political consultant and government relations liaison for M R Strategies, LLC and RRR Consulting, LLC. Randy has a proven record of success in planning and leading comprehensive strategies in support of candidates and/or organizations' goals and objectives. Randy is also an On-Air Political Contributor for Fox 29.   This episode discusses Randy's journey into the political world, becoming a Black Republican, and the issues and concerns he has about the current state of the Republican Party.  We speak about his commitment to the black community and his involvement with the National African-American Gun Association, and his advocacy around promoting responsible gun ownership for black gun owners. Lastly, we discuss which party has the best solutions to today's most pressing social issues.  

Ira Anthony Evans is a Gifted Celebrity Makeup Artist based in Philadelphia, PA. This podcast focuses on his passion for beauty and how he used it to become a successful self-taught makeup artist. This conversation discusses the standards of beauty in today's social media world, helping women to find the best version of themselves, and how he is growing his brand to be not only an incredible artist but also a successful business person. Ira discusses the challenges that he has had as a gay black man in the beauty industry and how he is using those experiences to move his business forward into the future.

Jeffrey Sitcov is President & Founder of Doors of Change (also known as Photocharity). For over 20 years, Jeffrey has been leading an amazing group of committed volunteers to help homeless youth ages 17-25 get off the streets in San Diego and 13 different states. Over this time, the group has helped over 15,000 homeless youth, helped place over 2,300 homeless youth in long-term safe housing, and developed an award-winning music and art program ("Taking Music & Art to the Streets") that has benefited more than 8,300 homeless youth. Elton John, Billy Joel, The Rolling Stones, Carlos Santana, B.B King, and many others have supported Doors of Change. Jeffrey has received awards locally and nationally, including the Channel 10 Leadership Award, Torrey Pines Bank Circle of Excellence Award, La Mesa Rotary "Peacemaker of the Year Award," and the Jewish Family Services Volunteer of the Year Award. He was also a semifinalist for the national Volvo For Life Award. Jeffrey speaks about why helping homeless youth has become such a passion and what it takes to end the cycle of homelessness successfully. 

Sister Mary Scullion has been involved in service work and advocacy for homeless and mentally ill persons since 1978. In 1989, Sister Mary and Joan Dawson McConnon co-founded Project HOME (Housing, Opportunities for Employment, Medical Care, Education). This nationally recognized organization provides supportive housing, employment, education, and health care to enable chronically homeless and low-income persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Under their leadership, Project HOME has grown from an emergency winter shelter to 900 units of housing, three social enterprises, the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Lab, which is a catalyst for education and employment, and the Steven Klein Wellness Center.

Alfonso Geiger has been a resident of Project HOME for eight years. He is a Peer Support Specialist at Northeast Treatment (NET) Centers, where he supports individuals in their recovery journey. He is also an active member of Project HOME's Advocacy Committee and Speakers Bureau.

Sister Mary and Alfonso discuss the vital work of Project HOME, how we can support those experiencing homelessness, and what community members can do to be more educated on the issue. Alfonso also has a raw and honest conversation about how he ended up on the streets, the life lessons he learned along the way, and why it's important for him to pay it forward by sharing his success story. The issue of homelessness is personal to me because of my own family's experience living on the streets, so this discussion focuses on finding solutions to homelessness and providing grace, kindness, and support to those experiencing homelessness. Because as the motto of Project HOME states: "None of us are home until all of us are home. 

Gina Rubel is a communications expert, former litigator, three-time book author, and CEO of the nationally renowned legal marketing agency, Furia Rubel Communications. On top of that, she's also the mother of two college-age children and an avid community volunteer. Gina discusses her journey from practicing attorney to being a Public Relations Diva and the pride of celebrating 20 successful years of her company Furia Rubel. The discussion then turns to the services she provides to her clients, with a particular focus on the world of social media. We discuss the importance of social media and the pitfalls that individuals and businesses need to be wary of because the influence that can be given by social media prominence can be taken away if social media is misused in the form of cancellation. Gina's values are reflected in one of her favorite books, "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. We discuss how following those rules has helped her find personal and professional success. 

In 2017, Peter Urscheler was elected the youngest mayor in the 169-year history of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, at the age of 34. Mayor "Pete,"  as he is affectionately known, is an innovative leader. While he is an unabashed cheerleader for his community, he also tackles some of today's most challenging issues like community/police relations and homelessness in an area that is becoming increasingly affluent. There is a fear that it will become unaffordable for some people who may have previously called Phoenixville, PA, home. Mayor Pete discusses how his diverse ethnicity and supportive parents made him the leader he is today, caring for his elderly father during his race for Mayor and how it impacted his time as Mayor and the lessons he learned. When there is a significant political divide, it's refreshing to speak with a politician who represents everyone in his community regardless of whether they agree with him or not.  While it's easy to focus on all national issues, don't forget that "All Politics Is Local."  

Yasmine Mustafa is a social entrepreneur and the CEO & Co-Founder of ROAR for Good, a mission-driven technology company dedicated to cultivating safer workplaces. The patented platform protects at-risk hotel and healthcare workers from harm by using wearable panic button technology to summon help with one touch of a button. Yasmine speaks compellingly about her journey from undocumented to tech guru, the challenges of being a successful woman leader in the technology spaces, and how being a woman of color has informed her mission of combating violence against women. 

Wesley R. Payne, IV is the 95th Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association and an experienced trial attorney with over 30 years of advising clients on complex litigation matters. In this edition of the Homeless to Lawyer Podcast, Chancellor Payne discusses his background and what lead to his career in law, his involvement in numerous charities with a special emphasis on helping those experiencing homelessness, and his commitment to increasing Diversity and Inclusion within the legal profession. The mission of the Philadelphia Bar Association is to serve the profession and the public by promoting justice, professional excellence, and respect for the rule of law. In so doing, the association strives to foster understanding of, involvement in, and access to the justice system. The Bar Association is the oldest association of lawyers in the country and recently celebrated its 220th Anniversary. Chancellor Payne discusses leading during such challenging times and how he and the Philadelphia Bar Association can best support lawyers.