City of Kalamazoo issued the following announcement on Oct 21.
Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo (SPK), the City of Kalamazoo’s initiative to share prosperity more broadly in our community, has launched the City’s first ever podcast. The Shared Prosperity Podcast examines issues that unlock or block people’s opportunity to thrive, prosper, and exit poverty. Episodes incorporate community and economic development elements and include local and national guests. It is geared toward community members, practitioners, and anyone interested in learning about the nuances of this work and hearing stories that are connected to the issues.
The Shared Prosperity Podcast is hosted by Kevin Ford, the City’s Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo Coordinator. Neighborhood Business and Special Projects Coordinator Melody Daacon co-hosts.
Six episodes are currently available to stream, featuring guests like Gwendolyn Hooker of HOPE thru Navigation, Community Activist Ed Genesis, and the Kalamazoo Promise’s Director of Community Collaboration Cyekeia Lee.
The most recent episode was released October 20 and features Roosevelt Flemming, owner of The Drip. He provides powerful testimony about experiencing housing instability in two different states, system gaps, and his journey to entrepreneurship while raising a child.
The next episode will include a discussion with Upjohn Institute Senior Economist Tim Bartik and Executive Director of Kalamazoo County Ready 4s Kristyn Buhl-Lepisto.
“Poverty is a complex adaptive system,” explained Kevin Ford, “but we often oversimplify the causes and potential solutions to truly construct family wellbeing and achieve systemic change. We’re looking to raise awareness on the many elements that make up this work and elevate the conversation within our community through this popular communications channel.”
“My hope for this podcast is to build trust with our listeners, many of whom are our city residents,” added co-host Melody Daacon. “Our intention is to offer a platform for leaders in our community to discuss difficult systemic issues at a table together in person. I believe this is our work.”
To subscribe and follow the podcast, interested listeners can access the following podcast apps - Apple, Google, Spotify, Radio Public, Pocket Casts, and Breaker. You can also visit Public Media Network at https://www.publicmedianet.org/podcasts#/ to listen.
Listeners of the podcast can contact the show hosts at spk@kalamazoocity.org to provide feedback and ideas for the podcast or to suggest guests for the show.
About Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo
Shared Prosperity Kalamazoo was created in 2014 when the Kalamazoo City Commission made poverty reduction a priority for the City. SPK leads these efforts and emphasizes not just reducing poverty, but truly extending prosperity to all Kalamazoo residents. With funding from the Foundation for Excellence, SPK has expanded its two-generation approach and helped fund eight local organizations providing two-generation programming including neighborhood-based workforce development, homeownership, expanded childcare access, and family educational programming. SPK has previously helped fund a pilot Certified Nursing Assistant training program at the Northside Association for Community Development, a STEAM program for youth in the Eastside Neighborhood, an income tax assistance program, and support for residents reentering our community after being incarcerated.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up