the wrong people, can do, the collateral damage that can be created by allowing somebody to live their lives without accountability. if i can do anything to change the narrative and to tell the truth, i need to do that because i don't believe the american people had the entire truth four years ago. ... see, i'm jessica and him one of the owners that relate and we are so excited to us nice events. this new book "girl scout troop

6000". and begin that shoulder and inspired the world. and her daughter karina is here as well. you're in for an excellent time tonight. before we start, what is a huge thanks for everyone for making this company. in all of for being here to publisher and for all you showing up. green light, our community is still here. all of us are severe. and we really appreciate that. couple of housekeeping things. if you are plugging in now, you can see the speakers but you can't see or hear you. they can see your name so they can see you. you can share comments. if your hair with a girl scout gross, we totally want to know what trip you're with. if you want to ask a question, we will have a q&a session later on the staff this evening. you can look at quicken the q&a button. we are recording tonight's event so look for audio or video

versions in our website and social media channels. this might appear on c-span as well. it did to note that this book "girl scout troop 6000" is available and green light store .com. and working with our supplier warehouse for best direct home tubing. so if you care about supporting the prayers of others in the ongoing existence of innovative bookstores, buying tonight feature book is that a really great way of showing your support. tonight we are offering $5 off if you purchase it from green light, player discounts five putting in "troop 6000". so let me introduce the speakers tonight. visionary and program manager "troop 6000", a girl scout program especially designed for girls in silver system. after becoming one herself and living initial herself with her five children. she saw it was great need and benefit her program like this to be offered.

she's been recognized for dedication by her community in her local councilman. she's received proclamations of the city of new york for her outstanding service and achievements in the community devoting her life into empowering uplifting what women in queens. she's advocating for girls and women living initial system and determined to break the amount of homelessness. colby talking to nikita stewart, and the recognized stewart in 2019 in a coverage of homelessness. mental health and property. the violence for the livingston award and invest in reported an editor's work. joins the new york times in 2014 after working at the washington post. and a few weeks ago, and interview about the book about homelessness. more really proud to have her with us here tonight. i've been excited about this but for a long time. my daughter is a girl scout. such a great story about chris kelly in new york city.

it tells about the first girl scout troop in the wide response. a little bit of a background of this book. she will be talking with others and then she will take questions from you. nikita: first of all thank you for having us tonight braided one of the things that i want to talk about tonight is that this story goes way back before 2017. although, we first spotted each other across the room in 2015 read i had no idea that you all but experience homelessness. i would end up writing a book about your journey.

in 2013, i had taken on the beta social services and poverty for the new york times. i decided that i would go to each shelter anyone invited me to. and so councilmember in queens, invited me to go to a shelter in queens that had been made out of a hotel. and so i shut up and am surprised to see all of these girl scouts serving the thanksgiving lunch. i karina and her sisters were there. and it didn't write anything that day. i just left, what's on the inside of the shoulder. and experiencing homelessness while this program scale something sure were cute.

fast-forward and a year later giselle was in the shelter system. and then she came up with an idea for "troop 6000". i will read from the chapter called 6000. the troop needed the name. giselle suggested troop 1101. the troops zip code. although clever and easy to remember, the name was traditions pretty girl scouts and city were limited to four digits. the numbers that always corresponded with the rose parade in the rocks of the truth in the 1000's. and when troops were to thousands and the troops were 3000. queen troops were for thousands in certain hunters for 5000. this teacher was unique.

most of us to do not know with a bullet. it wouldn't make sense to use the numbers normally applied to the troops in any of the five boroughs. even this member said was this troop no matter where it's located, really like a floating borough. in its own) or even a share of borough because rest of society was ignorant or didn't want to acknowledge its residents and at some point girl scout staff realized that the 6000 designated years earlier for specialized trips like this for girls special needs. there were no longer used. so the girl scouts of greater new york settled on the name, "troop 6000". you realize this is big. this is going to be amazing. the bill was to jump up and down. giselle does. but as you usual, bryce dumped her. why couldn't she recruit more girls or parent volunteers.

when she couldn't maintain a little bit of momentum she already achieved. three days after the trip was officially named, giselle and her anxiety as she on the stage and accepted the proclamation. they selected her to be at the black history month celebration. giselle is front of her heritage which included her father's black southern france. she was an esteemed company. the fires of the event including the face of martin luther king your, mathematics, wpb devoid, nelson mandela, betsy, ned president barack obama. the celebration giselle, and the settlement house, nonprofit helps immigrants and youth. giselle stood in the with her children. the proclamation made no mention of her homelessness. or for "troop 6000" as a reminder to her that people were

expecting her to be great. she had to make "troop 6000" bigger than a girls. whereas giselle had a ripple effect, the girl she recruit cement order, go on to build a better world and community. she's an incredible role model to not only her five children, the children across queens. and where as she has truly rich elements of her service, jesus worthy of the esteem of all new yorkers. now therefore, be it none that the majority leader of new york city council gratefully honored her. expectations for now in writing. giselle capers of two weeks to find volunteers. and to recruit more girls. so giselle, tell us what

happened next. >> it was really time to just keep on going. ended up going back to the office and recruiting volunteers giselle: i . the fires out and i got home that day and put on blues. i had a complete blue uniform on my scarf and suffered i remember the first flyer i was pulling out, i thought what you're doing. and the volunteers, said we can't put any stuff on the wall. they simply got permission. in the conference. in the middle of the sinful okay but had just remember. i literally, on each elevator,

and giving off and i'm giving them to you and then i'm handing them out to anybody can see. [inaudible]. so we have those girls for the series that we did. and i was trying to to the volunteers. i remember having a big lunch, had i had everything set up for them to come down. and trying to help me and no one came. i had all this food no one was there. and i remember i had spoken to the authorities. absent training following davison please come in a colorless it, if you come downstairs with this training. you know the take 15 minutes. she said okay yes, i'm just getting up. and she said i'm coming down pretty so she came downstairs. we are 18. i'm just talking to her.

and i wanted to go over everything with you. she's eating and then she said all right, i have a question. cory was not paying attention. >> i guess i have also wondering so after that, i showed up what made you decide to let me follow you for more than a year being your face and sharing the details of your life. giselle: it was hard in the beginning. i remember like every time he came around, i felt like you were a skeptic for your writing that book. but then dissing you, i think really when we went camping.

when we took the girls camping for the first time. and sing the way that you interacting with the girls two. i felt really comfortable around you. i thought well she is cool. she's really genuine. that trip to remember it's in the book. yes. so i guess it is your turn. so karina and i came up with some questions. speech of wealth i obviously, wanted to know what attracted you are made you want to invite us. nikita: so at the time in early 2017, the mayor just announced the plan that the city was going

to try to open up 90 new shelters run city. an expense another 30. because there was in the sill is in any capacity. enough capacity in new york city some system to accommodate the thousands of people who are experiencing homelessness. so there was a lot of people around the city were upset about homelessness. and when the shelters were being placed pretty some neighborhoods felt they were getting the short end of the stick written some neighborhoods had zero soldiers didn't want any. and so there was a lot of conflict at the time of her homelessness and shelters. and when i heard about the truth in the shelter. it was like oh my goodness, this is like it just feels different than everything else that i have been writing about business in this moment.

in the city and so, i immediately jumped on it. and it took me a while to get in touch with giselle. i'd finally want to get in touch with her and did an initial interview over the phone. i was like, this is going to be terrific story. now i have to see the steps in action. was obviously amazed at what i saw. anna broke the story went viral and i thought, i guess i should write a book and see what happens. i had no idea whether "troop 6000" was when floors or fail. remember santa down with giselle. this was in the breakfast room at the end and i asked her what you be willing to allow me to be in your life and the life of your girls.

for i don't know at least a year. she said absolutely. that will she's busy at stake. she was also secretly skeptical of what i was up to. still i am amazed that your candor and honesty in allowing me into your life. and that goes for all of the other parents and girl scouts who participated in the book. when i say participated means they allowed me to follow them. and i had to interview families. then like what is going on. we all got through it. i hope that readers see what i

over 18 months have come up with. karina: i have a question. during this whole time. what was the most challenging moment for you. nikita: camping. was challenging in terms of because i didn't know whether "troop 6000" was going to flourish or fail. i would think about. what if "troop 6000" totally falls apart. oh my gosh. it's hard. the most difficult part was, i could not be part of the story. i couldn't interfere. and there were times when people would say things and i would think that is not right or

forthright. i'm just thinking about when someone loses a job and a family member needs to wire money. and i thought please don't go through that service brief is the will eat you up read but it could be like hey hey, stop reading so that was a difficult part of watching people and not being able to help but knowing that i would have to use my journalistic tools flute tools of journalism to have an impact. host: what was your personal favorite part of the book to write. nikita: there were so many read i have like several, several

chapters that warm my heart. or are ready and i know that when i was writing them, i was like oh my goodness. so of course the opening of the book which almost didn't end up in the book. then it ended up being the beginning with haley who is karina's sister into the cells oldest daughter. that is one of my favorite chapters. the chapter about giselle first decided. we are going to try to have troops here and going around and putting up the flyers. it was actually the first chapter i ever wrote. the changed but it was the first chapter you for wrote salutes still due to my heart. i love ugly christmas letter.

in i love man enough to be a girl scout. and i loved, you are a powerful woman. just read the whole thing. i love every part of it. tell me what was your favorite. do you want to ask me a question. host: do i have more questions for you. i guess what was the most difficult part to read about this for others. >> i think the really the harness part for me to reverse the decisions i made life. although they are not all perfect, and don't regret any them. i have learned a lot from my mistakes and a lot of challenges. and if you like it is really

made me persistent and perseverance and really determined to make sure that i provide something better for myself. but being able to read, will just reading everything that they have been through and be able to close my eyes, hard. nikita: karina, was your favorite part. it. karina: probably when we were together and reestablish the trip. and everything was good. i like see it all come together because the whole book, there are parts where changing of events happening. just saying at the ending, that all come together. nikita: the way the book and this is my favorite part.

what's interesting about that is when i was first outlining the book, it kept changing because i was always around. even as i was writing, i was recording pretty see would think that obviously read home and not a shelter pretty so everybody knows that. there are no in shelters that is no surprise in the book. i thought the book one end with when y'all finally found a home. she found home and then more things kept happening. i actually think the events that occurred after finding housing just as important because it shows how fragile life can be

and how everything, there's just all of these unexpected things that happen in your life. where you're like oh my gosh, it's another obstacle. and so i think it is important for people to understand that every one needs help they should have a right to housing. sometimes is not the end of the story. many more. karina: on stress on the importance or the impact even before "troop 6000". as a single mom and trying to find myself. giselle: and to try to guess learn how to raise my children and care for them at the best way i could.

without feeling like i was not worth much. and it keep position amazing time. i'm so grateful for the women that i had in my life to push me into gross counting. and to make sure that i was at the camping trip and talking me into being a leader. i think the changes that they made that i made. and then save the situation and looking at the children taking all of that and be able to tell my kids that we are to get past this. making sure everybody became in contact with, felt that love and happiness. wanted everybody else to fill as well. and definitely testing on committees. how important it is no-shows makes a difference. such a big change from walking

into a shelter that everyone with appearance down. i'm not going be here long enough to make friends. and then filling in on that committee. and saying hi everybody were all sisters. we looked out for each other. and we advocated for each other. i'm grateful for that. nikita: i thought when i set out that i sent you down. i want to follow the troops. i thought i was going to be writing about homelessness the eyes of girl scouts. and when i really ended up writing about was the sense of community, this is of belonging. this desire to want to give more even when you have released. i was not a girl scout when i was a child my family had a big juice but we could afford.

at times girl scouts was not one of them. but i always admired the uniforms. i thought what would that be like. these past three years admitted beginning their lot. in the girl scout promise. [laughter]. it was a great big move. the power an organization like the girl scouts to bring joy to so many girls. it is so important and i do worry now that we are independently. and so many people have lost their jobs and we know that evictions are around the corner. and more families are once again going to be joining the new york city shelter system.

and "troop 6000" is now in 20 shelters. there are 450 shelters in new york city. and they 100 of those are single adults. so more than half of the lever for families with children. so that should tell you that there are many of the girls who also need to be served. giselle: can plug into friday do go to girl scouts .org and for troop 6000. you can do voluntary and being able to join me force. and please fire cookies. and of course, there's some art like 12000 kids initial persistent at this point. nikita: is like 12 thousands who

are there. karina: so it's a dream for us to be able to reach all of these girls. nikita: were still having meetings. muffling virtual meetings. and "troop 6000" needs families. were making sure that everyone is there and were following up with the girls and their families. i think that is really important. this continues this was something that started so small and turn into something so enormous. and we want to be able to continue that. nikita: are we going to do some q&a's. the questions are pouring in.

host: gauges of the girls from the original troop now and how the girls doing. nikita: the oldest is now 18. and she is going to be graduating. unfortunately her family still in shelter. and she hoping to go to college. stay in touch. in fact she gives sweet story ideas. one of the first stories i did in the pandemic was about remotes morning and it was big because she reached out to be incentive, what am i going to do. my sister does not have the bike. this will be horrible for students. and i said well this is the story. so if you interviewed her. but were too close now.

but i found the children interviewing and including a young man she didn't even know he was in her shoulder. still does not have wi-fi. giselle: and are still talking to him. that's awesome. and how many troops are there or has it expanded is a no later city. nikita: there are other programs. so i think we have seven or eight. lesson heard of. that they have been adopted a similar program is ours. host: what badge was most meaningful for you and why.

karina: probably one of my badges leading. [inaudible]. host: because of that journey. it. karina: yes because of the risk. and then reading the book and answer the questions pretty and so like that project in working together. that was my favorite match that i have. host: boarding passes, this project may be this is for you nikita. visit effect how you view poverty new york city. what is the lessons that you want readers to take away from our city and equality for their lessons. nikita: under no if changed my view. i think i really came in with the perspective of some one who did not grow up wealthy. ... ...

who have families and so to me this book again shows that and also you know people are people and sometimes there are obstacles and economics of

education and unfortunately it ends in homelessness and at this point i think our government is going to have to really think about policies not just in new york city but around the country. >> i think this one is for giselle. allison asked what advice do you have for encouraging and recruiting female parent leaders like you in roles like this? >> a good one. first of all i will always say food brings everyone together so breaking bread with some month and just sitting down and being able to connect with that person and finding some type of neutral conversation and opening up to this is what i'm doing and this

is important to me because giving them life support. this is a tough situation for the women and girls in right now and we need an outlet for them to send them in a better direction for life. when we are in a tough situation we look for that person to lean non-for a little bit. so being able to express that and just being down-to-earth and again stressing the importance of leading girls and women to be better teachers. >> i have a couple more questions for you. are you up for it? >> yeah. >> i want to as well girl scout level you are? >> i'm a senior. and then heidi asks ken karina talk about the bravery of

speaking out about her living situation and how it will break the stereotypes of who homeless people are? >> when i was in the system i was really young. i was in the fifth grade and if the type of thing that kids don't think about. they don't know what the meaning is so whenever you tell someone like a oh i'm homeless they will think you live on the street because the stereotype in new york city and around the world as you see someone sitting outside with a box asking for money or going on the train and doing something. at first for me i was never really ashamed i guess because i know was something that was normal and natural. i thought they were going to -- because i was a homeless person and i don't like to be pitied. i didn't want anybody to. me so when i did end up telling them there was an understanding

and it broke the stereotype because what people think it is not what it really is. >> this one is for megan and i think it's maybe for all of you. what is your favorite scouts on? >> the first song i ever learned in girl scouts. we went to camp and we were singing and all the girls were singing. and i said that's the coolest song i've ever heard. >> this song where the worm ate the leaf. when i first joined girl scouts a lot of my older friends were there so we made a version for

my mom about it was saying how the one kept eating and it was as big as the world or something like that. [inaudible] >> i am partial to --. >> we will have to have a sing-along after this. >> another person as what does it mean to have this program in your community and not at her through the school? >> a good one. for me i guess, it's very conflicting for me. i didn't have these programs in school.

we have a homelessness population and their a lot of children and i'm sure there are other types of programs who are in the same situation so to be able to build up where we lived and worked every day meant a lot to me. that was our home and our territory. >> okay one more here and i was wondering about this too pretty talked about this earlier. how are you operating in the pandemic given the technology in the shelters. >> a majority of the girls we are serving to have connection at the time. i know it's hard to get devices given the amount of children

that are there and we have issues where girls may be aren't going to public school and maybe going to private school and they don't have that. the one thing is we are fortunate enough to have donors and thunders who have been able to say hey if you need anything for your girls we donated we can help out and we have had donations of laptops. it's a big issue and something that we are always trying to work on an figure out ways to handle that but for now it is challenging and a lot of our parents are using their hotspots on their phone and so they are able to at least offer assistance. we do check on our families and they may let us know they need help and we find ways to provide

programs. >> i think we are winding down on audience questions. actually their couple more that came in. a lot of folks want to share their favorite songs. this is a repeat after me song. and here's one from allison. what kind of things you want to do across the city? did troop 6000 want to talk about issues of homelessness with others'? >> like other troops? >> i guess so. interacting with other girl scout troop said that if you like a thing where you were trying to get a message across? >> well i know just the event in the book that was always a

little awkward especially that first camping trip when the girls were interacting with troops from around the city and in fact gisele didn't want to even really, she just wanted them to be girl scouts on that camping trip and it's funny because troop 6000 oh my story went viral but everyone that does not read the news so a lot of the girls and even leaders didn't know. they were like troop 6000? weight. what is cheered 6000? i think now there has been more education throughout greater new

york about troop 6000. >> not all of our girls know that they are living in a shelter. some of them don't know that -- this is where they live so we don't want them to feel that they have a label. we don't want to put them in that situation and you have older girls that we are able to speak with them and mentor them and we have a licensed social worker that takes time out to talk to the older girls and let them express how they are feeling and give feedback and give them an opportunity. we have a group that are like yeah we want to inform other girls that are injured 6000 how important it is in and then you have girls who maybe don't want to let people know that they are

in troop 6000 that they are enjoying the fact that they have a community around them and that's pretty much it. for the most part these girls aren't any different than any traditional troop and i want them to feel that too. >> kind of a connected question. other girl asked how did the girls stay connected with troop 6000 once they leave? are you able to see the girls? >> wee bit transition coordinator who works with troop 6000 her job is to keep in contact with families after they have moved out of the shelter but what we have done is created a keep in touch with me form and once they leave or they move out we are notified by leaders and staff and we send a welcome to your new home packet and activities and things for the

girls to decorate their rooms. we keep in contact with them and depending on where they are coming from [inaudible] so we are definitely keeping in contact with them. we actually have a transition girl. once he moved out they will ask to be meeting next week so he screwed that has moved out of 6010 joined our meeting is to coordinate her and she will hold weekly meetings with the girls at this time. >> lindsay asks what would karina's message be for kids experiencing homeless -- homeless is now in what would gisele's advice be as apparent? >> i don't do get something you should be ashamed of. don't let anybody.

you i guess and i don't think you should listen to what other people say preview know who you are and you know what you are going to do. there's a reason behind it. >> my advice i continuously tell my children and all the girls in troops 6000 that it doesn't say who you are or where you come from and then being in a shelter to making sure, it's scary but i was scared and you have to be strong and you have to be brave for your children but i had never been through the this situation before and i didn't know what to expect. people ask asked questions in you don't know would answer to give them. i guess how you are expressing it, tell your kids that it's just an adventure and this is a season in your life rages like a

season that will change and it will pass and remind your kids and your children that their worth and how important they are and even though it's a rough situation be grateful that we have each other and we have family to lean on and being able to support others. and treat others with the kindness and the love that you would want to be treated with. >> here is one more for nikita. what areas in your research as a reporter that women can be strengthened to guard against homelessness such as literacy? >> we talk about financial literacy and if you don't have any money to budget with that's hard so i think we have to start with, i say we, people should

demand higher wages. it starts fair with people making a living wage. when you make now $15 an hour and your rent, the average rent is like i guess the city gives you a voucher for 1300 something dollars and it can go a little higher but i would ask any of the renters who were in new york city if they can find more than a studio apartment for some of the prices. it's just impossible. it's just impossible. when we talk about arming households led by single mothers

are single fathers we have to start with talking about paying people what they are worth. >> i want to maybe close out by asking both of you about what is next for you. giselle can you talk about your ambitions for troops 6000 for yourself and nikita can you talk about what you are working on next or what you are working on now? >> my goal for troops 6000 obviously is -- [inaudible] i'm determined to help in any way that i can and we are able to support these girls. i know i dream big. and then making sure the team is able to expand. donations go a long way.

and to build a stronger and bigger team so we can support the program for the girls and for myself as much as i would love to be a part of girl scouts for the rest of my life i will always be a leader but i am running for city council in my district and so that is my next goal for myself and i'm working on that now. >> that's so great. >> i can't talk running for city council. i'm not running for city council. i can tell the story that you will hopefully see soon one looking at the food lines that stretched around the city that so many people who never thought they would be in a food line, they are in them now and i'm working on the story about

what's happening with child welfare in the pandemic and what's happening with parents who are trying to get their children back who were moved before the pandemic and how children, some children are experiencing abuse at this time and they don't have teachers and coaches that would usually have an eye on them and seeing what's happening to them. that is pretty heavy and you will read about that soon. >> thank you both so much for the amazing work that you do in your field and i'm so glad you got to know each other so that we could get this book. "troop 6000" you can get it at rajon rondo.com or anyone that sells books and support the work of this wonderful group and

nikita stewart. thank you so much for watching. have a great evening. >> i make stuff that nobody needs. i make art and stuff that nobody needs. as a matter fact in d.c. i used

to teach at glen echo park. for c-span viewers if you have been to glen echo park i was the one that taught you how to mick a paperweight. i was in my studio and trying to sell a piece of glass and i lost the sale because i can take an american express card heard i was angry. i just lost this great windfall and i was talking to the lady and talking about one of these devices. i have this attitude toward devices like this which this device is a magic device but it turns into anything i want. if i want to turn into a television it becomes a television and it turns into a map or a radio in it will turn into that vote. literally tomorrow it will turn into that book if you wanted to. it didn't turn into a credit card. and so i was angry but i was also motivated to fix that.

i called and i said let's make our iphones credit card. >> the name of the book is the innovation. what is an innovation. >> and how did you learn about that? mitt and innovation. >> is not something we knew knew about do we started square but it's probably the most powerful phenomenon that i have seen in business and we stumbled across it but the innovation. >> is simply a way of interweaving inventions together sometimes very simple inventions but put enough together and they start to take on their own life and they create new industries so if you look there out history at great industries that have started almost always there's an innovation. >> at the beginning to it when we started square i said i want to build an innovation. >> that i had no idea that this was happening and as a matter fact i wrote this book and i've

been having people review it like yourself and one of the greatest compliments i got was from a very successful entrepreneur. he is interviewing me and we are in his living room and he has a painting on the wall of my house. so i'm all intimidated and he asked me about the book and he finally said you know i wish i had known this when i was 20 years old. i'm like me to but it turns out that there's this thing that happened, this process that can happen when you start to solve the perfect album something that has not been solved before because most of what we do is copy it and most of our tools, training and comfort is with solutions that exist. when you get out of the world of copying you can build something that is truly different but the process is different.

it creates this thing called an innovation. >> if you build an innovation. >> at least in my studies your company will dominate the world. it will run whatever business you are in. good evening and welcome back to live at home. this evening we are delighted to have as our guest congressman eric swalwell who is joined in conversation i prize-winning journalist. congressman swalwell has just published his first book "endgame" inside the impeachment of donald j. trump and france's is the editor-in-chief of -- and newly launched two wonderful books including book of the year. we are delighted to have them with us