In this third and final installment of our "Art of New Jersey" series, we consider the impact of Netflix and Lionsgate's $1+ billion studio investments and their potential to transform New Jersey into the "Hollywood of the East."

Guests Jen Becker from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, film producer and state film commissioner Carol Cuddy, and Tom Hall from Montclair Film discuss how these major entertainment industry developments could create thousands of jobs and generate billions in economic impact.

The conversation explores the broader workforce development opportunities the studio investments present for communities across the Garden State.

Related links:

NJ Film & Digital Media Tax Credit Program: ttps://www.njeda.gov/film/

NJ Film Works Grant Program: https://www.njeda.gov/new-jersey-film-works-grant-program/

NJ Film Ready Program: https://www.nj.gov/njfilm/filmready-nj.shtml

NJ Film Commission: https://www.nj.gov/njfilm/

NJ-411 Production Services Directory: h=ttps://www.nj.gov/njfilm/production-psd.shtml

Montclair Film Education & Training programs: https://montclairfilm.org/education/

We often talk about how the arts feel good, but what if they could benefit our health?

In this episode, we sit down with Aly Maier Lokuta, Assistant Vice President of Arts & Well-Being at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), to explore how creative expression is being used to improve mental, physical, and social health across New Jersey.

From launching New Jersey's first arts prescribing program to co-founding a groundbreaking research lab with Rutgers, NJPAC is helping shape the future of the arts in healthcare.

Aly shares how New Jersey’s anchor art institution is connecting communities through restorative and innovative programs. 

You can learn more about NJPAC’s work at the intersection of art and well-being at njpac.org/well.

This is the first installment in our Jersey Gives a Damn Podcast series on the Arts in New Jersey. With help from our guests, we better understand the arts landscape in the state: what makes our art scene special, what value it brings, and how arts, artistry, and arts organizations are faring in a state which has been in the shadow of its neighbors, New York and Philadelphia, but that has an identity and vibrant history all its own. And we learn that art's value is not just in the beauty and enjoyment of the art itself, but in how it plays a critical role in strengthening and holding up communities—including in surprising ways. You'll like this episode.

Our host, Aaron Turner, is thrilled to be joined by Lynne Toye of the NJ Arts & Culture Renewal Fund; Adam Perle, President & CEO of ArtsPrideNJ; and Alysia Souder, Executive Director, the Institute of Music for Children.

Learn more about their organizations here:

https://njartsculture.org

https://artpridenj.org

https://www.instituteofmusic.org/

In this episode, we shine a light on family homelessness, one of New Jersey’s more urgent but often overlooked social challenges.  When most people think about homelessness, they might picture a single adult on the street. But the true face of homelessness is often much younger, much more vulnerable. It's children clutching worn backpacks, parents working multiple jobs but still unable to secure stable housing, a mother and her two children living in cars, shelters, or cycling between temporary spaces.

We explore the complex web of economic challenges, systemic barriers, and personal struggles that push families to the margins.  And we hear from two experts on the front lines working to create meaningful solutions: Taissa Kelly, CEO of Monarch Housing Associates, and Mike Callahan, Director of the New Jersey Office of Homelessness Prevention.  

This is a difficult issue, but there is some reason for hope.  

Learn more about our guests and their organizations here:

https://monarchhousing.org

https://nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/dhcrohp.shtml

In recognition of Veterans Day 2024, we're hosting a dedicated conversation examining the current state of our nation's veterans and the critical support they need. This episode shines a light on the significant challenges facing many veterans, including:

To dive deeper into these issues and discuss solutions, our host Aaron Turner, CFNJ's Chief Philanthropic Officer, sits down with Matthew Ellison from The Patriot Fund and Joe Brooks from the Veterans Multi-Service Center - two leading organizations providing vital support to veterans in New Jersey.

This conversation serves as an important primer on the challenges veterans face and the organizations working to address them. We encourage you to learn more about the services offered by our guests' organizations:

The Patriot Fund: https://patriotfundinc.org Veterans Multi-Service Center: https://www.vmcenter.org

By shining a spotlight on veteran's issues, we hope to inspire more people to get involved and support those who have sacrificed so much for our country.

97% of domestic violence survivors say that concern about leaving a pet was a factor in their decision to leave an abusive situation. Yet, only 17% of domestic violence shelters accept pets.

Emergency sheltering for victims of domestic violence is a critical need. Not everyone has access to the homes of family or friends as a means to find safety.    

Not enough shelters in New Jersey allow pets. And that needs to change.  

This is an issue the Community Foundation of New Jersey has leaned into thanks to a generous donor, Karen Lindemann, who left CFNJ a bequest that was designed to ensure that considerations around pets would not stop survivors from seeking help. In Karen’s memory, the Community Foundation has launched an ambitious goal to ensure that at least one domestic violence shelter in each of New Jersey’s 21 counties is outfitted to include survivors and their pets. 

Important Links:  

 New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence https://njcedv.org/

180 Turning Lives Around https://redrover.org/the-purple-leash-project/

Red Rover https://redrover.org/

Red Rover Purple Leash Project https://redrover.org/the-purple-leash-project/

20 by 2025 - 25% of domestic violence shelters become pet friendly by 2025 https://25by2025.org/

NJ Statewide Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-572-SAFE (7233)

The U.S. is ranked 64th in maternal mortality, putting us behind Russia, Tajikistan, and Albania, among others, and about tied with Iran.  Maternal health statistics in New Jersey are also bleak.   The state has the fourth highest maternal mortality rate out of the fifty states; only Indiana, Georgia and Louisiana have higher rates. And when looking at the demographic breakdown of the rates in New Jersey, Black women experience seven times the rate of death from pregnancy-associated causes compared to their white counterparts.

With guest Ria Rodney from NurtureNJ, we learn why, in a country that spends more on healthcare than any other, mothers are dying at rates unseen in other developed nations.  She helps peel back the layers of this complex issue, why it disproportionately affects women of color, and what is being done about it here in New Jersey – and there are glimmers of hope.  

Find out more about NurtureNJ:  https://nurturenj.nj.gov

In our first Throwback Thursday, we are re-posting our popular episode “Are the kids alright? A look at teen mental health in NJ.”  Recent developments nationally and in Trenton point to the continued urgency around mental health for our teens.  We invite you to listen (again).

Forty-two percent of New Jersey teens have reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks in a row. Two-thirds of teens in the US who experience a mental health challenge don’t seek help. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 15 and 19. 

These alarming statics point to a real problem. In this episode, we hear from experts on what is driving this epidemic of worsening mental health, particularly among young people in New Jersey, what signals to look for, and what can be done to change course.   

We discuss the topic in two parts. First with Robert Kley and Jaime Angelini, leaders from the ⁠Mental Health Association in New Jersey⁠ who share some of the foundational pieces around mental health for young people. We then hear from Jackie Looby from ⁠Cornerstone Family Programs⁠ for a deep-dive on an innovative, evidenced-based program called “Teen Mental Health First Aid.” Jackie is joined by Azaria and Andrea, New Jersey high schoolers who have been trained in Teen Mental Health First Aid and seen its impact on their peers.  If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988.

New Jersey has had a fraught history with foster care.  Many of our listeners will remember the 2003 death of 7-year-old Faheem Williams due to neglect.  His body was found in a locked basement in Newark alongside his two brothers who were starving but still alive. 

This tragedy led to a large settlement garnering national attention. It also led to major structural and programmatic reforms, including an outside expert to monitor the state’s foster care reform efforts, a process that formally ended in March of this year. 

As Lilo Stainton writes in NJ Spotlight: Two decades after the original settlement was crafted, New Jersey is considered a national leader in child welfare, according to some metrics, with a child protection system focused on keeping families safely together, whenever possible. 

On today’s episode we have a conversation about the foster care system in New Jersey. We are joined by leaders from some of New Jersey’s most reputable organizations:  Liza Kirschenbaum of CASA of NJ and Edith Fiato of Roots & Wings.  

We cover the basics of foster care in the state (some of which will surprise you), what challenges the system continues to face, and how youth experiencing the system are faring.  

Thanks for listening.   

More about our guests’ organizations:

CASA of New Jersey: www.casaofnj.org;  To volunteer: https://casaofnj.org/steps-to-volunteer-casa/  To donate: https://casaofnj.org/helpachild/

Roots & Wings:  https://rootsandwingsnj.org/   Edith Fiato can be reached at [email protected] to set up a meeting or tour their office.

Please also see another worthwhile organization focused on supporting foster families and youth in foster care:  NJ Angels https://www.newjerseyangels.org

‘America has lost one-third of its newspapers and two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2005’, according to a Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism study.   

At the current pace, the country is on track to have lost 3,000 newspapers in the last twenty years, with fewer than 6,000 remaining.  

Beyond the obvious information vacuum and lost jobs, studies show that the decline in local news leads to increased political polarization, more political corruption, and a greater risk of misinformation filling the void. 

To talk about these changes -- and ways we might reverse these trends in New Jersey -- we speak with Chris Daggett from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, which provides financial resources for local news and information providers, and Kenny Miles of the Trenton Journal, an independent platform that specifically addresses information gaps and amplifies voices in New Jersey’s capital city.

For more info on our guests, their organizations and related efforts: