As folks are beginning to arrive, good evening and we are talking about the troop 6000 that started in a shelter and inspire the world. You are in for an excellent time tonight and before we start thank you to everyone who made this happen and for all of you are showing up. And we really appreciate that. Housekeeping if you are logging in now you can see the speakers they cannot see or hear you. They can see your name. We want to hear what troop you are with. To ask the question it will be later in the evening use the icon. If you have a good question you can upload it. We are recording tonight look for audio and video versions. This could appear on cspan later and troop 6000 is available at greenlight bookstore. Com. We are working with the supplier warehouse for faster shipping so if you care about supporting independent bookstores tonight is a great way to show your support. We are offering five dollars off when you purchase with coupon code 6000 to get had a copy. Introducing speakers a visionary and Program Manager of troop 6000 specifically to serve girls and the homeless shelter system. After being homeless of five children there is a great need and benefit to be offered to girls and women and recognized by the dedication and received a proclamation from the city of new york for her Outstanding Service to uplift women throughout queens. And to break that stigma of homelessness. Talking with nikita stewart. And with Mental Health and Investigative Reporter and Editors Award joining after the washington post. And just a few weeks ago with homelessness and we are proud and excited to be here tonight. My daughter is a girl scout it such a great story. It is the inspiring true story of girls living in a shelter so we will start off with background and then she will take some questions. Take it away. Hello. And this goes way back before 2017 and spotting each other across the room and i had no idea to experience a problem with this. And in 2015 to take on social servitude on services. I would go to any shelter anybody invited me to. And then with a shelter in queens that have been made out of a hotel. I was surprised to see all of the girl scouts giving lunch. I didnt write anything that day. And then i met someone experiencing homelessness. And they sure were cute but now fastforward she was in the shelter system and then she came up with the idea for troop 6000. I will read to you a little bit the chapter called 6000. The truth needed a name. 1101. Although clever and easy to remember and the troops were numbered in the 1000. And 2,003,000 and Staten Island were 5000. But this trip was unique it belong to girls who did not know where they belong to. Given that the numbers had no fixed address doesnt matter where it was located to even be a shadow borough because i didnt want to acknowledge. At some point that 6000 and designated years earlier so the girl scouts of Greater New York settled on the name troop 6000. You realize this is big. This will be amazing. And then to recruit more girls or parent volunteers. And that momentum that they already achieved. Three days after the troop was officially named she had her anxiety as she accepted made on except to the proclamation who accepted at the annual celebration. She was an esteemed company. Including the faces of mlk junior my angelou and president barack obama. The celebration was held at the neighborhood and settlement house and a long time nonprofit. She stood on the stage. The proclamation made no mention she had a make it bigger than a girls and had a Ripple Effect to go on to build the Better Community not only her five children but those across the street and as she truly in which all of us with her service let it be known the majority leader of the new York City Council 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. [laughter] and then going back to the office and recruiting volunteer volunteers, printed them out i had my complete uniform on and i remember i thought what are you doing . Im putting out flyers and they said you cant put up anything on the wall. But i got permission and they said it was fine they said we will call to confirm. But just remember i took the elevator and each one i get off on all floors and im putting it up right when you can see it and then in the common area so we had those girls and i was trying to get the volunteers. I remember ordering food everything was set up. And no one came. I had all this food and no one was there. I said i would do a training. So i called her but it started 15 minutes ago and i said i have food. So she comes down the stairs and we are eating and says i will go over everything with you with a training video. So the training is done we will ask you some questions. [laughter] we get to a lot of that in the book. But also i am wondering come after that i showed up so what made you decide to let me follow you for more than a year and be inyourface and share intimate details of your life . It was hard in the beginning. Was like every time i Say Something she is writing in that notebook of hers. But then i think it was when we went camping for the first time. And the way that you interacted with the girls also. They started to feel comfortable around you. And shes genuine. So we came up with some questions. You are obviously a writer but what made you want to write about our story . From the very beginning. At the time early 2017 the mayor Just Announced the plan the city would try to open 90 new shelters and expand another 30 because there isnt enough capacity in the shelter system to accommodate the thousands of people for homelessness. And where the shelters were being placed getting the short end of the stick some didnt want any shelters there was a lot of conflict at the time over homelessness stand shelters and when i heard about the troops it was just like it feels different than Everything Else i have been writing about homelessness. So i immediately jumped on it. A check me a while to get in touch with gisele that then i did the initial interview over the phone. I said this will be a terrific story but now it is like scouts in action. And then it went viral and i thought i guess i should write a book and see what happens. I had no idea if troop 6000 would flourish or fail but i remember i sat down with gisele in the breakfast room but i said would you be willing to allow me to be in your life and the life of your girls and said absolutely. But i am still amazed at your candor and honesty and allowing me into your life for all the other parents and girl scouts that participated and i mean allowed me to follow them. That we all got through it and i hope the reader see what i did over 18 months. I have a question. During the whole time you have gotten to know was what is the most challenging moment for you . The camping trip was challenging in terms because i didnt know if troop 6000 would flourish or fail. Oh no. What if it falls apart . That was the most difficult part. When people say things thats not right. And then to eat you up. And not being able to help but know i would use my age and realistic tools. What is your favorite part to write . They were heartbreaking oh my goodness. Of course the opening of the book almost didnt end up in the book. It ended up being the beginning. That was one of my favorite chapters. And then gisele first decided we will have the troops here to go around that is the first chapter i ever wrote. It change but still the first chapter i wrote. That is dear to my heart. And i love man enough to be a girl scout. And i love you are a powerful woman. Just read the whole thing. [laughter] do you want to ask me a question . To i have more questions for you . Yes. What was the most difficult part to read about yourself or others . I think the hardest part was the decision that i made in life although they are not all perfect, i dont regret any of them. I have learned from a lot of mistakes and challenges i had a nice. It made me who i am today. And then to make sure i provide something for myself. But just reading everything i have been through. What is your favorite part . When we were all together and then mommy finally established a troop. I like to see it all come together. It was all put in motion with a series of events. And then just to see again have a happy ending. That is my favorite part. The way the bookends is my favorite part. Dont give it away. When i was outlining the book come it kept changing because i was always around. Even as i was writing i was reporting. So you would think obviously you are in a home and not in the shelter. That is not a surprise in the book. But i thought the book would end when you finally found a home. But you found a home and then more things kept happening. I think the events that occurred after finding housing were important because it shows how fragile life can be. There all of thes unexpected things that happen in your life. Its important for people to understand Everyone Needs housing but sometimes thats not the end of the story but you need more. And the impact it has had. And a single mom trying to find myself and who to turn to and raise my children and care for them the best way that i could without feeling that i wasnt worth much. I am so grateful for the women and always to make sure but then to see the changes that they made and into the situation and to take all of that its a journey. We will get over it and get past it with that love and happiness. And definitely touching on community and it really makes a difference. It is such a big change walking into the shelter that i wont be here long enough to make friends and then to say hi to everyone we are all sisters and family members and looked out for one another. I am grateful for that. I thought to sit you down i wanted to follow the truth. I thought that would be homelessness through the eyes of girl scouts but i ended up writing about the community and a sense of belonging and the desire to want to give more even when you have the least. I wasnt a girl scout as a child. Family had to pick and choose what they could afford and girl scout was not one of them. But i always admired the uniforms. What would that be like . But i have learned a lot and i have learned all the songs. But the power of an organization to bring joy to so many girls is so important. Now i worry were in a pandemic and so many people have lost their jobs and evictions are around the corner and once again they will be joining the new york city shelter system and troop 6000 and is now in three shelters. There are 450 shelters in new york city 100 are single adults but more than half are for families with children. So that should tell you there are many other girls who also need to be heard so if you do go to girl scouts you can support troop 6000 by volunteering, to donate cookies. Please by your cookies. And then with 12000 kids in the shelters . Those that are at girl scout age. And the ones that we do have we are grateful we are Holding Virtual meetings and trying to meet with them during the pandemic we are family and making sure everyone is taken care of. Its important for people to know even our founding girls are continuing in this was something so small and turn to something so enormous. Should we do some questions . They are pouring in. What are the ages of the girls of the original troop now and how are they doing . The oldest is now 18. She will be graduating. Unfortunately her family is still in shelter. She is hoping to go to college. We stay in touch. In fact, one of the first stories i did in the pandemic was about Remote Learning because she reached out to me to say oh my goodness what will i do . This will be horrible for students. We are to close now but i found other children and one that she did not even know that was in her shelter and still doesnt have wifi. Have any troop are there . Is that other councils have adopted the program. I think we had may be seven or eight other councils. Those that have adopted similar programs. What dad was the most meaningful and why . Probably one of my badges of the journey because that was a lot of work. Did this project affect how you view poverty in new york city . What lessons did you take away . I dont know if it changed my view. I think they are ready came in with the perspective of someone who didnt grow up wealthy or had been online food stamps. So this was not foreign to me. But i think it reiterated what i wanted to get across is that the public has a tendency to view homelessness with a man on the street with a cardboard sign and in new york city especially they look like me. And it shows people are people and that there are obstacles and education and unfortunately it ends in homelessness