>> good evening welcome to this live online talk we are so excited to host tonight's event with nikita stewart the girl scout troop to talk with the visionary and you are in for an excellent time tonight i just want to say huge thanks everyone to make it happen for being here and the publishers all of you for showing up the community is still here and we really appreciate that. with housekeeping much of the

q&a section and then if you see other questions you can upload it to make sure we get to that question we are recording tonight's event so look for a/v versions this could appear on c-span as well and the trip 6000 is available for sale from greenlight bookstore. for fast to direct home shipping with the careers of authors in the ongoing existence of independent bookstore that's a great way to show your support we are offering five dollars off tonight if you purchase through our website so get the

copy for dollars off between now and march 27 use code 6000. the girl scout program specifically designed for girls in the new york city foster system after becoming homeless living in a shelter that there is a great need a benefit for a program like this to be offered in a shelter system recognized for her dedication by her community and received a proclamation from the city of new york for her outstanding service they continue to advocate for girls and women living and determined to break the stigma of homelessness talking to nikita stewart and the news women's club recognized were in 2018 for her coverage of homelessness and mental health and poverty. finalist of the livingston

award and joins in your times after working in a "washington post" and then to interview another book about homelessness so we are excited to have her with us here tonight i have been excited about this book for a long time my daughter is a girl scout looking forward to hearing more. trip 6000 is the inspiring true story and the amazing issue and with some background on the book and to talk with giselle and karina and take some questions from you to take it away. >> first of all thank you for having us tonight. so little things i want to

talk about tonight the story goes way back before 2017 for spotting each other across the room in 2015 to experience homelessness and then end up writing a book about your journey so in 2015 i took on the social services poverty for "the new york times" that i word go to a shelter that anyone invited me to so the councilmember in queens invited me to a shelter in queens made out of a hotel.

karina and her sisters were there and i didn't write anything that day that i saw the inside of a shelter i saw women experiencing homelessness. fast-forward one year later she was in the shelter system and came up with an idea and reading from the chapter called 6000. >> the troops needed a name that was the zip code of the

clever and easy to remember with long-held traditions girl scout limited to four digits it always corresponded with the borough in the bronx they were numbered in the one thousands the trip was 2000 manhattan troops were 3000 queens with 4000 in staten island with 5000. with this was unique it belong to those who did not know they belong it would not make sense to use those in any of the five boroughs given they had no fixed addresses the matter where it was located in its own right or even the shadow borough because the rest of society didn't want to knowledge the residents and at some point the staff realize the 6000 designated years earlier for specialized troops

were no longer use of a girl scouts of greater new york settled on the name trip 6000 you realize this is big and will be amazing just went to jump up and down with her she couldn't recruit more girls or volunteers or to maintain the momentum she already achieved three days after it was officially named and accepted a proclamation has selected her to be honored at the annual black history month heritage with the black seven roots and an esteemed company and including the face of martin luther king jr. junior rosa parks nelson mandela and

president barack obama the celebration was hailed as a settlement house to help immigrants and use standing on the stage the proclamation made no mention of the homelessness and is a have to make sure 6000 bigger bed in a girls. and then to go want to build a better world and community as a role model that only from the five children eventually wishes with your service and with the esteem will it be known the majority leader of the new york city council

quickly honor the service and entering contributions and the expectations are now in writing she gave herself two weeks to find volunteers and to recruit more. so tell us what happened next. [laughter] >> and then recruiting volunteers and printed them out at home that day and all the balloons have a complete uniform on and then when they said you doing?

is that you can't get anything on the wall is that i got permission they said it's fine. i called to confirm this it's okay go ahead but every single flight to the elevator there are two i'm getting off on all floors and putting it right when you walk off the elevators you can see it. and that in the common area. i ordered food i had everything set up and then no one came i had all this food and no one was there.

and then the following day please come and i said i have food and then they said i'm coming down. i will go over everything with you and she says okay and then we get to a lot of that so then i show up so what makes you decide to vote for more

than a year and the in-your-face ensure the intimate details of her life? >> it was hard in the beginning i remember every time you come around to be a skeptic every time i say something about what you might do that no book but then just saying you was when we went camping for the first time. and seeing you interact that we started to feel really comfortable that she is core. and she is genuine. so that's a trip to remember. >> so i guess that it's your turn.

>> obviously a writer so what made you want to write about our story? >> goodness. from the very beginning, at the time and early 2017, the mayor had just announced the plan that they would try to open and 82 shelters around the city and expand another 30 because there isn't enough capacity in the shelter system to accommodate those thousands of people so a lot of people were upset about homelessness shelters were being placed that they were getting short and of the stick they didn't

want any shelter so there was a lot of conflict at the time over homelessness and shelters and to hear about the truth and the shelter it was like oh my goodness it just feels different everything in this moment so i immediately jumped on it and allows me to get in touch with giselle and did that initial interview over the phone that this will be a terrific story but now to be in action. i was obviously amazed at what i saw and what the story so i

should write a book and see what happens. would flourish or fail. and then was with giselle word you be willing to allow me to be in your life and in the life of your girls? and over how long at least one year and she said absolutely. and then to be skeptical i am still amazed where the candor and the honesty that goes for all of the other parents in

the girl scouts that participated and allows me to follow them in from atlanta and what is going on? >> the question. and in the most challenging moment for you? >> and the camping trip was challenging because i didn't know if trip 6000 will usually fail. what if it falls apart?

so that was hard in the most difficult part is that i could not be part of the story and i could not interfere and there were times i would say that's not quite right or just thinking about our little family member that needs to wire money. and then to say stop. so that was the difficult part of watching people and knowing that to have my journalistic tools.

>> what is the favorite part of the book to a? and with several chapters that were my heart that was writing them and oh my goodness so of course the opening of the book and haley who is her oldest daughter that was one of my favorite chapters and the

chapter about first deciding we will try to have the troop here with suppliers that was the first chapter that i ever wrote so that is still dear to my heart fly man enough to be a girl scout and i love her powerful woman. >>. >> linseed i have more questions for you? >> what was the most difficult part to read about yourself or

others? >> the hardest part is the decision and i have made in life although they are not all perfect i don't regret any of them and i have learned from a lot of mistakes and challenges it had in life and it made me who i am today, persistent to persevere and to make sure they provide something for myself but just reading everything i've been through. >> what is your favorite part? >> probably when we were all together and then to establish a troop.

i like to see it all come together. and with the series of events and then it was a happy ending. >> the way the book ends is my favorite part. >> don't give it away. what is interesting about that it kept changing because i was always around. so you would think so you're in a home and not in the shelters everybody knows that you are no longer in a shelter. so that is a surprise from the book. but i thought the book would

and when you finally found a home that you found a home and then more things kept happening. and i actually think the events that occurred after finding housing were just as important because it shows how life can be and all of these unexpected things that happen in your life where you say oh my gosh another obstacle. it's more important to understand that everyone needs housing and has a right to housing but sometimes it's not the end of the story but you need more. >> and i wanted to make sure

and the impact for me even more than troop 6000. as a single mom and trying to find myself and to learn how to raise my children without feeling like i wasn't worth much. and i'm just so grateful for the women that i had in my life. and those to always make sure to become a leader. and to see the changes that we made and in this situation and then to tell my kids this is a journey we will get over and get past it and when we came

into contact with all the love and happiness for me when everyone else as well so it really shows it makes a difference was a big change from walking into a shelter and i will not be here to make friends and then building that community to say hi to everyone that we were all sisters and family members and looking out for each other. so i am grateful for that and then to follow the troop so that will be writing about homelessness writing about the girl scouts and what i really

and it up writing about was community and a sense of belonging and a desire to want to give more when you have the least. i wasn't a girl scout my family had to pick and choose what we can afford at the time and girl scouts was not one of them. and then i think what would that be like? than these past three years i have learned a lot and all the songs and. [laughter] so it's the power of an organization like the girl scouts to bring joy to so many

girls and i do worry now we are in a pandemic and so many people have lost their jobs and evictions are around the corner and more families are once again going to be joining the new york city shelter system. and to 6000 is now in 20 shelters one - - troop 6000 is in 20 shelters but their 450 shelters in new york city and one hundreds of those a single adult more than half of for families of children. so that should tell you there are many other girls who also need to be served.

>> and then to support troop 6000 volunteering and being able to donate of course the now somewhere of both housing kids? >> 12000 who are of age. and then to reach all the girls the ones that we do have a grateful we are staying virtual meetings during the pandemic and troop 6000 means family and we're just being sure that we are following up with the girls and families. i think that's important for people to know that this continues as something started so small and then to continue

that. >> let's do some q&a. the questions are pouring in. so what are the ages of the girls from the original troops now and how are you doing? >> the oldest is now 18 and will be graduating unfortunately her family is still in a shelter. and she is hoping to go to college. we stay in touch, in fact one of the first stories that i did in the pandemic was about

remote learning because she reached out to me and said oh my goodness what will i do? this will be liable for students. i could interview her because her to close now but i found that the children including a young man she did not even know who is in her shelter which still doesn't have wi-fi. >> karen asks how many troop six thousands are there? >> others have a program maybe

we have seven or eight other councils. that's a lesson i have heard of that have adopted a similar program. >> web address the most meaningful for you and why one of my badges for completing my cadet. that was a lot of work for reading the book and answering the questions. >> to this project affect how you view poverty in new york

city where the lessons you want people to take away? >> at nova change my a view from my perspective of someone who didn't grow up wealthy of food stamps or free and reduced lunch and this is not foreign to me. and it reiterated what i wanted to get lost public has a tendency to view homelessness as the man on the street with a cardboard sign and in new york city especially with many women who were black and hispanic and

this shows that and also people are people. and there are obstacles and the economic education and unfortunately it ends in homelessness. and at this point the government will really have to think about housing policies not just new york city but around the country. >> what advice do you have for encouraging and recruiting female parent leaders like you in a row like this?

>> first of all having a meal breaking bread with someone and then to find and then to open up it's an important to me that is a tough situation with that direction in life and we all pretty much need that and we need that person to lean on for a little bit. and then to be down to earth with the importance for better

futures. >> what level are you? >> i am a senior. heidi ask and karina talk about the bravery to speak out about her living situation to break the stigma and stereotype of homeless people are? >> when i was in the shelter system i was really young. was in the sixth grade. if you tell somebody that you homeless because the stereotype and in new york city asking for money are going on the train so i was

never ashamed because it was normal and natural. i do think they would judge me because i was in a homeless shelter. so is that through the confidence what people really think it is is not what it is. >> what is your favorite scout song? [laughter] >> and then just to break out

and singing elizabeth kolesar i ever heard. >> i like the one about the worm but i like to because i first joined girl scouts my older friends were there and would say how the worm kept eating so is as big as the world it was like my mom having kids was like more and more kids. [laughter] >> i am partial to blood sugar. >> we have to have a sing-along after this.

>> what does it mean to have a program in your community not asked tour through the school? >> for me it's very conflicting for me. but we do have a homelessness population. and then where we were every day. because that was our home. >> and i was curious about

this how is it operating during the pandemic with the technology issues and shelters? >> i'm grateful to say the majority of the girls that do have devices and then we have issues and then if you need anything with the donation to see if we can get supplies to the girls.

and that we try to work on and ways to work on that and it is challenging and are you saying that are hotspots and then we are able to provide programs. >> i think we're winding down on the audience questions. a lot of folks went to share their favorite songs. >> so what do you want to do across the city does troop 6000 want to talk about the issues of homelessness with others?

>> what other troops? interacting with other girl scout troops of that was a thing trying to get a message across? >> i know from the events in the book the first camping trip when they were interacting with troops from around the city and giselle she just wanted them to be girl scouts. to say troop 6000, yes but everyone does not read the news.

a lot of the girls and leaders like troop 6000? what is troop 6000 and? so i think now there has been more education about troop 6000. >> they don't all hope they are living in a shelter with ashes with a live so we also want them to feel like we want you to go out there and also put them in a situation when you have your older girls then to have a licensed social worker on staff and how they

are feeling and then they take this opportunity and then to inform those that are in troop 6000 and how important it is and that is pretty much it. and not to be any different than any traditional. >> a connected question how do you stay connected when they leave the shelter? >> yes. we have a transition coordinator and her job is to keep in contact with them and then to create a method and

then notified by leaders we have them a beautiful welcome to your new home package and activities and things for the girls to decorate their room and we keep in contact and to defend they are coming from there based on traditional troops depending on where they moved to as well so we've definitely been in contact with them and we actually have tradition girls they will actually be meeting next week and then go to troop 6000 with the transition coordinator.

>> what word the message be to people experiencing homelessness now would your advice be to parents? >> don't let anyone put a label on you or to be pitied you know who you are so don't assume the reason is something bad. >> my advice would be i continuously tell my children in troop 6000 that homelessness does not defined them doesn't say who you are or who you come from that i was scared you have to be

strong and brave for your children i've ever been to the situation before you don't know what answers to give them but be mindful of how you are expecting it that this is just and adventure it comes in a goes it will changes and will pass to remind them of their worth and how important they are and even with our situation to be grateful they have each other to lean on and then to support others and to treat them with that and return. >> what areas have you found in your research as a reporter

they need to strengthen to guard against homelessness. >> we always talk about financial literacy and budgeting if you don't have any money to budget with that is hard so we have to start that people should demand higher wages and start their with people making a living wage. so now making $15 an hour and the average rent i guess the city gives you a voucher for $1300 you could go a little higher than i would ask any of the renters if they could find

more than a studio apartment. it's just impossible so when we talk about arming households led by single mothers or fathers, we have to start with talking about paying people what they are worth. >> i want to close out asking what is next for you? can you talk about your goals and ambitions for troop 6000 and or what you are working on next? >> my goal for troop 6000 that

for me is the biggest school in my dreams for any way that i can. i know i dream big sometimes and then to make sure that they can expand and donations go a long way that they are able to support the programs for the girls and then for myself i would love for the rest of my life i will always be a leader but i am running for city council in my district and that is my next goal for myself and i'm working on that now. >> that is so great i'm not

running for city council but i am working on a couple of stories. [laughter] looking at the food line they are in them now and also working on a story about what is happening with child welfare and the pandemic and parents who are trying to get their children back and some children are experiencing abuse at this time and they don't have teachers and coaches when we have an eye on them to see what is happening to them. that's pretty heavy and he

will read about that. >> thank you for the amazing work that you can do troop 6000 to support the work of the troops and the wonderful recording thank you again. >> have a great evening.