Making It Here

It’s the holiday season, and we know conversations with family can sometimes be… challenging. Whether it's addressing a longstanding disagreement, bringing up a sensitive topic, or simply trying to express our own thoughts and feelings, these interactions can be difficult and emotionally charged. But with the right approach, they can also be an opportunity to better understand one another.

In this episode we hear from journalist Felipe De La Hoz about good ways to handle conversations about issues that New Yorkers face today.

Advice for hard holiday conversations: https://epicenter-nyc.com/advice-for-hard-holiday-conversations/

Need help getting an MPV vaccine?: reach out at [email protected] 

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Cup has drawn a lot of attention this year, but not for the reasons it usually does. The host nation of Qatar has been accused of human rights abuses connected with the construction of the facilities. 

Despite that reality, the purpose of the games has always been to bring people together. And in my experience it has. Almost a year ago some family members and I made the decision to go to the World Cup. We’re a big soccer family and the trip has been a life-long dream – especially for my grandparents who live in Mexico City and haven’t traveled beyond North America until this past week. 

Need help getting an MPV vaccine?: reach out at [email protected] 

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like any year, this year has been challenging for many of our neighbors. We’ve seen a surge in MPV cases, inhumane conditions at Rikers Island, immigrant women in Brooklyn being exploited by their employers. Our neighbors have experienced hate crimes, hunger, and housing insecurity. 

But at the same time, we’ve witnessed so many New Yorkers showing up to help one another. Nido de Esperanza is helping new mothers with child care, Da Homeless Hero is pushing for better conditions in shelters, and food pantries are feeding those in need. Every day, we’re thankful to be a part of a city full of people that want to make a difference.

Small biz owners tell us what they are thankful for this year: https://epicenter-nyc.com/small-biz-owners-tell-us-what-they-are-thankful-for-this-year/

Need help getting an MPV vaccine?: reach out at [email protected] 

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Division Street and Marcy Avenue meet in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood. To some, this intersection is known as La Parada, or “The Stop.” It’s a day laborer hub that attracts undocumented immigrant women looking to find work as housekeepers. But while La Parada is, in a way, a very flexible workplace, the women are easily exploited by their employers. 

In this episode we talk to Maria Valdez who leads ‘Liberty Cleaners’, the house cleaners workers’ rights organization within the Workers Justice Project.

The women of La Parada: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-women-of-la-parada/

WJP: http://www.workersjustice.org/

CDC on MPV during pregnancy: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/clinicians/pregnancy.html

Need help getting an MPV vaccine?: reach out at [email protected] 

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Reuben King was growing up on the Caribbean island of Dominica, his family owned a farm that didn’t have electricity. That meant no refrigerator, instead they’d keep water cool and store it in a clay vessel. He didn’t pay much attention to the making of the vessel until fell in love with the art of pottery making. Now, King owns Brooklyn Clay Industries, a teaching studio where people of all ages and skill levels can learn about ceramics. 

Small Biz Spotlight: Brooklyn Clay Industries: https://epicenter-nyc.com/small-biz-spotlight-brooklyn-clay-industries/

Brooklyn Clay Industries: https://www.brooklynclayindustries.com/

JYNNEOS FAQ: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/monkeypox/jynneos-vaccine-faq.pdf

Need help getting an MPV vaccine?: reach out at [email protected] 

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to President Biden, sits down with Jeanne Pinder, founder and CEO of ClearHealthCosts, a partner with Epicenter-NYC in the Vaccine Equity Partner Engagement grant program with the Fund for Public Health of New York City. The two discuss the slow rollout of Covid-19 booster shots.

We asked Dr. Anthony Fauci how to fix the slow booster rollout: https://epicenter-nyc.com/qa-with-dr-anthony-fauci/

Need help getting an MPV vaccine?: reach out at [email protected] 

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When many people think of the MAGA movement’s followers, they likely picture rural conservatives in southwestern or Rust Belt states, or maybe New Yorkers on Long Island or upstate, but that’s not necessarily the case. While New York City itself remains a blue bastion, the movement has made inroads.

Journalist Felipe De La Hoz, who recently wrote about the rise of MAGA in New York, says that all of this is both puzzling and concerning for New Yorkers who see a rising tide of what seems like a dangerous and aggressive form of anti-democratic thought. In this episode Felipe discusses why we’re seeing this shift.

The rise of MAGA in New York: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-rise-of-maga-in-new-york/

Voting information: https://vote.nyc/ 

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

MPV Information: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/monkeypox-when-sick.page

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For months now, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has been sending buses of migrants to the city. While the idea of asylum seekers being taken from the border region to destinations in the northeast is not new, the difference now is that this is being done explicitly without coordination. And oftentimes there is little - if any at all - input from the migrants themselves. The city’s initial reaction was to funnel people into shelters. But many say the move is overburdening what was already a system stretched thin.

I talk to Shams DaBaron, also known as Da Homeless Hero, about what the shelter system was like prior to the influx of migrants and how it’s changed.

Follow Shams DaBaron: www.instagram.com/dahomelesshero

Find your local representative: mygovnyc.org/

CDC monkeypox vaccine information: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/interim-considerations/jynneos-vaccine.html

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve been tuning into our podcast, or reading our newsletter, then you probably already know about the long lines food pantries have been facing as the pandemic wears on. Still today, hundreds of our neighbors continue to line up in search of groceries. It’s mainly thanks to volunteers that they return home with a bag of food. And while the job is fulfilling, it’s hard work.

In this episode we talk with two volunteers from food pantries across Queens to learn more about what a typical day looks like for them, what challenges they face, and what they need the most right now.

SACSS: https://www.sacssny.org/donate/

ICNA Relief: https://icnarelief.org/product/hunger-prevention/

Queens Community House: https://www.qchnyc.org/donate/make-gift

Sign up for Monkeypox text message updates: https://joinsubtext.com/epicenter-nychttps://joinsubtext.com/epicenter-nyc

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Epicenter-NYC and UBS recently hosted a panel on the next generation of Asian-American entrepreneurship. Discussions centered around creating and planning for generational wealth. Panelists included Anjula Acharia, the CEO of A-series Investments and Management, Lucy Yu, the owner of Yu and Me Books, Anshu Prasad, the CEO and Co-Founder of Leaf Logistics, and Sean Ro, the Co-Founder of Lunar Seltzer. The conversation was organized and moderated by USB’s Bianca Benedetti-Fang, and Epicenter NYC’s S. Mitra Kalita.

Anjula Acharia: https://twitter.com/anjulaacharia

Lucy Yu/Yu and Me Books: https://www.yuandmebooks.com/

Anshu Prasad/Leaf Logistics: https://leaflogistics.com/

Sean Ro/Lunar Seltzer: https://www.drinklunar.com/

CDC monkeypox vaccine information: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/interim-considerations/jynneos-vaccine.html

Sign up for Monkeypox text message updates: https://joinsubtext.com/epicenter-nychttps://joinsubtext.com/epicenter-nyc

Epicenter-NYC membership: https://epicenter-nyc.com/the-case-for-epicenter-membership-one-auntie-to-another/

Our intro music: http://karavikamusic.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.