brooklyn troops were 2000. manhattan troops were 3000. staten island troops were 5000. this new troop was unique. it belonged to girls who didn't know where they belonged the. it made sense to use numbers normally applied to troops in

the other 5 boroughs given they didn't fix the dresses. wasn't this troop of girls no matter where it was located, in a floating borough in its own right and even a shadow borough but the rest of society is ignorant of or didn't want to acknowledge its residence. for specialized troops like those with special needs were no longer used. the girl scouts of greater new york settled on a name, troop 6000. realize this is big. this will be amazing, wanted to jump up and down but as usual, what if she couldn't recruit more girls? what if she couldn't recruit parent volunteers or maintain a little bit of momentum she already achieved. to hit her anxiety as she was on a stage and accepted a

proclamation from jimmy who selected her to be honored at his annual celebration. this included her father's black southern you roots. she was in a stage company, including the faces of martin luther king jr. malcolm x, rosa parks, w e b du bois, nelson mandela and president barack obama. the celebration, at the settlement where a long time nonprofit, the same name helps immigrants and use. there was on a stage by children and from the study side and troops. the proclamation made no mention of homelessness or troop 6000 but a reminder that people were expecting her to be great. bigger than eight girls.

a ripple effect, mentors go on to build a federal world and community. miss burgess is a role model to not only her 5 children but children across queens and whereas burgess enriched all of us with her service and the esteem of all new yorkers now therefore be it known jimmy van brainerd, the new york city council, honored burgess for her outstanding service and enduring contributions to the community. expectations were now in writing, she gave herself two weeks to find volunteers and recruit more girls. so, tell us what happened next. after that it was to keep on going.

i remember going to the office, recruiting volunteers, recruiting girls, printed them out at home that day, a deep blue uniform on, flyers in the hallways and the first flyer i was putting up, volunteers that is on the wall. they were fine and that was confirmed standing there in the hallway. but just remember, every flag to the elevator on each elevator or two elevators, getting off all floors and taking it that way, around the

breakfast area where everyone was getting there. we had those girls, i was trying to get the volunteers. i remember having a big lunch, food, trains and no one had all this food. and then it was trained for 15 minutes. they are coming down and talking about the training video and go over everything with you, then she is like i

will answer a couple questions. corey was not paying attention. we give to a lot of that in the book and wondering, after that i showed up and what made you decide to let me follow you for more than a year with details of your life. >> i remember every time you come around, being a skeptic, don't know what you learn from that but then seeing you, when you took from camping for the first time and interacted with the girls too, started to feel comfortable around you like she

is cool already and really genuine. that trip was a trip to remember. >> yes, yes. it is your turn. >> you want to ask a question? this one is -- i wanted to know you are obviously a writer and enjoy it but what attracted you to our story? >> well, from the very beginning at the time in early 2017 the mayor a downs -- announced a plan the city would open 90 new shelters around the city, expand another 30 because there wasn't and still isn't

enough capacity to accommodate homelessness. there was a lot -- upset about homelessness. shelters being placed. and homelessness and shelters. when i heard about the truth. it just feels different, homelessness in this moment in the city. i immediately jumped on it. took me a while, finally i got

in touch with her with an interview over the phone, a terrific story but the scouts in action. i was amazed at what i saw, went viral and writable can see what happens. i had no idea troop 6000 wood floors or fail. i sat down with the bill in the breakfast room, and allow me to be in your life and the life of your girls for i don't know how long. it would take at least a year and she said absolutely.

and she was secretly skeptical of what i was up to. i just am amazed at your canned or and honesty, and that goes for all of the other parents and girl scouts participated in the book. and allowed me to all of them and i interviewed families in atlanta and what is going on, but we all got through it. i hope readers see what i saw over 18 months. >> i have a question.

what was the most challenging moment for you? >> the camping trip was challenging in terms, didn't know whether troop 6000 would flourish or fail, oh no. what if "troop 6000" totally falls apart? that was hard. i could not be part of the story and could not interfere and there were times people would say things, not quite right, i was thinking about someone loses a job, family member needs to wire money and

please - i couldn't be like stop stop, that was the difficult part of watching people not being able to help but that i would have to use my journalistic tools, the tools of journalism to have an impact. >> what was your favorite part of the book to write? >> there were so many. i have several chapters that warm my heart, or are heartbreaking when i was writing them.

it ended up on the book and ended up being the beginning with haley who is karina's sister that was one of my favorite chapters. the chapter about first deciding if we were going to have the troop. in going around and picking up the flyers, the first chapter i ever wrote. ugly christmas letter -- i love man enough to be a girl scout.

i love you are a powerful woman. read the whole thing. i love every chapter. >> you want to ask this question. what was the most difficult part to read about for others? >> i think the hardest part is reading the decisions i made in life though they are not all perfect i don't regret any of them. i learned from a lot of mistakes and a lot of challenges, i feel like it really made me who i am today,

persevering and determining to make something better for children and myself and being able to read, just reading everything i have been through and that was hard for me. >> altogether. everything, seeing it all come together. a series of events happening, sheltering our emotions. >> the way the book ends, my favorite part, don't give it away. what is interesting about that, when i was first outlining the book, i was always around even

as i was reporting, you would think obviously you are in a home and not sheltered, everybody knows that. they are no longer in a shelter so that's not a surprise. i thought the book would end when you finally found a home. more things kept happening and i actually think the events that occurred after finding housing whereas important and shows how fragile life can be, unexpected things that happen.

another obstacle. everyone needs housing. it is not the end of the story that you have more. >> definitely true. i wanted to make sure, the impact girl scouting has had for me. as a single mom, trying to find myself and learn how to raise my children and care for them the best way that i could without -- wasn't worth much. it came at such an amazing time and so grateful for the women i had in my life to push me into

girl scouting. making sure i was at these camping trips. seeing the changes they made and i made and the situation, taking all of that and selling my kid that is dirty, we are going to get over it and making sure everyone we came in contact with, the love and happiness. wanted everyone else to feel it as well. touching on the sense of committee, how important the committee is, makes a difference. it was a big change from walking into the shelter, i'm going to be here long enough to make friends, being able to say

hi to everyone, they look out for each other, i am grateful for that. >> i thought when i sit it out i want to follow the troops, thigh was going to be writing about homelessness through the eyes of girl scouts, what i ended up writing about was the sense of community, the sense of belonging, the desire to want to give more when you have the least. i wasn't a girl scout when i was a child. my family had to pick and choose. i always admired the uniforms,

these past 3 years i have been a big kid, learned all the songs, the girl scout promise and that was a great big move. the power of an organization like the girl scouts. i do worry now that we are in the pandemic, so many people lost their jobs and we know addictions are around the corner, more families are once again going to be joining the new york city shelter system. "troop 6000" is now in 20 shelters, there are 450

shelters in new york city. 100 of those are for single adults. more than half are for families with children. it needs to be served. >> what was happening, three different ways. and near 12,000 kids. 12,000 - a dream, it is great

for and in this pandemic, everyone is following up. it is important for people to know this continues. it is something so enormous. >> do some q and a. we will see which ones, maria asks what are the ages of the girls in the original troops and how are they doing?

>> the oldest is now, unfortunately the family is still in shelter. she's helping to go to college. one of the first stories in the pandemic in remote learning reached out to me, they have -- my sister doesn't have a device. we are not going to interview her because we are too close now. including a young man she didn't know who was in her shoulder.

doesn't have black eye. >> karen asks how many troop 6000s either? has expanded? >> they are similar to ours and maybe 7 or 8 other councils, the last i heard of, 7 or 8 adopted that. >> joann asks what is most meaningful you and why? [speechange] book. that was a lot of work and

answering the question. working to gather, the success that it has. >> lori asks does the project, what are the lessons you want to take away for any quality? >> i don't know if it changed, the perspective of someone who didn't grow up wealthy or his family had been on food stamps, free and reduced lunch. this is not foreign to me, but i think it reiterated what i

wanted to get across, that the public has a tendency to view homelessness as the man on the street with a cardboard sign. homelessness in new york city especially, people look like me, they are women, many of them black and hispanic, and so to me this shows that and also people are people. sometimes there are obstacles, the economic, education, unfortunately it ends in

homelessness and government is going to really think about housing policy around the country. >> this one is for giselle. what advice do you have for encouraging and recruiting female parent leaders in you and things like this? >> good one. for recruiting, i will always say food brings everyone to gather. having a meal, breaking bread with someone, sitting down and connecting with that person, finding a mutual - having the conversation and opening up with what i am doing, giving them to a tough situation, in a

better direction in life offering opportunities support and we are in a tough situation, what we mean on a little bit. we need to see down to earth and realize as fast as we can, stretching the importance of this. >> a couple more questions. you up for it? iris asks what girl scout level you are. >> i am a senior. >> heidi asks can karina talk about her living situation and how speaking out broke the stereotype of who homeless people are? >> it is the type of thing that

you don't really think about, what the meaning is, making a defense, the stereotype in new york city is you see someone going on a train or doing something and at first for me i was never really ashamed because i knew it was normal or natural, i thought they were going to judge me in a homeless shelter. i didn't want them to pity me so what i told them, a vote of confidence of the stereotype, people think it is not what it is.

>> this one is for megan. what is your favorite scout song? >> my favorite is the moose song. the first i ever learned in girl scouting. meredith's daughter dorsey went to camp. >> what about yours? >> really big again, during girl scouts, a lot of older friends are there.

and more and more kids. >> what about you, nikita stewart? - >> going to have to have a single one after this. >> another person asks -- not at or through the school. >> very conflicting for me. and homelessness population, and other types of programs in the same situation in these

committees. to build it where we live and work every day, it was our home and safety. >> one more here and we talked about this earlier and how is troop 6000 operating given technology issues and shelters. >> grateful to say the majority of the girls we are serving to have devices at the suspected time and the amount of children, we have issues where girls going to private school

don't have that and we are fortunate enough to have donors and funders, if you need anything you donate to blacktop and they are able to see, it is a big issue, something we are trying to work on and handle that and it is challenging and a lot -- we are able to offer assistance, have a challenger and need help and provide for those. >> we are winding down on audience questions.

can a woman - here's one from allison. what events did your do you want to do with troops across the city, to talk about the issues of homelessness for others? >> other troops? >> i guess so. where they interacting with other girl scout troops. and get a message across. >> the events in the book, was always a little awkward, the first camping trip when girls were interacting with troops

from around the city and giselle didn't want - she just wanted them to be girl scouts, the camping trip, troop 6000, my story went viral, and the girls and leaders didn't -- troop 6000, 1000, 2000, what is troop 6000? a bus troop? so there have been more education through greater new york. >> not all the girls know they

are living in a shelter, we don't want them to feel -- to go out there and now you are wearing this label and when you have their older girls able to speak with them, takes time to be with older girls and express what they are feeling and have this opportunity, we want to advocate for other girls and inform other girls in troop

6000, and and and -- -- >> a transition party who works with troop 6000. they move out of shelter and a message when girls are joining the program setting out -- keep in touch and once where they moved out, send them a beautiful welcome into the house, activities or things for girls to decorate their rooms and keeping contact with them,

and very few, with that type of thing. or what they should do as well. and the next two weeks. at troop 6000 to join in on that meeting, to keep in contact. >> in the asks what would karina's message be to give experiencing homelessness now and what would giselle be? >> i don't think it is something to be ashamed of. you don't like to be pitied. don't think you should listen to what people are saying and

it is the reason behind it. the reason is something bad. >> my advice would be i continuously tell my children and all the girls it doesn't say who you are, where you come from, i was scared and you have to be strong and brave for your children. and and what this is is an adventure. and and how important they are,

and when you have family to lean on that is to support others. and -- in your research as a reporter, to guard against homelessness such as financial literacy, those are entire answers. >> financial literacy. and we have to start with demanding, people should demand higher wages it starts with people making a living wage,

and your rent, the average rent, a voucher for $1,300,300, if i can find more than studio apartment, it is just impossible. single mothers or single fathers. and telling people what they worth. >> i want to close out asking

what is next for you. talk about your goals and ambitions for "troop 6000" and nikita stewart, talk about what you are working on now. >> my goals for "troop 6000" are to reach all girls, that is my biggest goal, i'm determined to help and everything i can. and people tell me that, making sure the team is able to expand, donations go a long way to build a bigger and stronger

theme and for myself, as much as i would like to be part of girl scouts for the rest of my life. i am running for city council and that is my next goal for myself and working on that now. >> i can't top running for city council. working on public stories, hopefully you will see soon looking at the food lines that have been stretched around the city. never thought there would be a food line. what is happening with child

welfare in the pandemic, and and and teachers and coaches, and you will read about that. >> and anywhere you can find books and support the work of the troop and nikita stewart's wonderful reporting. have a great evening. >> we are featuring booktv programs as a preview of what is available every weekend on c-span2. tonight starting at 8:00 pm eastern former defense

secretary robert gates and james mattis look at us power since the end of world war ii. enjoy booktv on c-span2. >> postmaster general lewis j dejoy will testify on u.s. postal service operations during the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020, before the senate homeland security and governmental affairs can, live coverage on c-span. on monday, he testified before the house oversight reform committee.