May is Mental Health Awareness Month! To commemorate the month and continue ongoing discussions of the mental health crises facing youth today, WCA is releasing a new Ground Truthing podcast episode. This time, it's an episode from our podcast archives, featuring a conversation with Dr. Adam Weissman of the Weissman Children's Foundation, and the Child & Family Institute. Give this episode a listen to hear about mental health data from the past few years, and mental health programs currently...
May 14, 2025•14 min
Why are there mentions of Star Trek, the TV show “Killing Eve”, and ice skating in a WCA Ground Truthing episode about mental health in the Asian community? Join us for a powerful conversation with Dr. Teresa Hsu, Founder and Executive Director of SPEAK (a Supportive Place for Empowering Asian Americans and Kin), County Legislator David Imamura, County Legislator Jewel Williams Johnson, WCA Board President Ann Umemoto and podcast host Limarie Cabrera, WCA Director of Data, Operations & Finan...
Feb 18, 2025•42 min
Debora Barrios, a housing consultant at the Community Resource Center in Mamaroneck, speaks about her experience as a volunteer in WCA’s Court Watchers Program. Launched this summer, Court Watchers trains volunteers before sending them out to view landlord-tenant eviction courts in Westchester, and document their observations. The Court Watchers Program contributes to WCA’s continued advocacy efforts for child and family homelessness. WCA would like to thank all our Court Watchers, including our...
Jul 13, 2023•14 min
Jasmine Cabrera and Ja'Quan Wallace from the Youth Shelter of Westchester speak about their experiences with discipline, alternative programs, and community advocacy alongside four NYS youth justice bills: Solutions Not Suspensions, Youth Justice and Opportunities Act, Right to Remain Silent, and Clean Slate. They speak with Westchester Children’s Association intern Gabby Nanna, promoting WCA and YSOW’s upcoming Youth Justice Rally on February 23, 2023.
Feb 16, 2023•22 min
Michael Randall of the Fellowship between Bronxville High School, Mount Vernon High School, Yonkers Public Schools, and Sarah Lawrence College invited our executive director, Allison Lake, along with teachers from Mount Vernon and Yonkers to participate in a series of interviews about their investigation into the school-to-prison pipeline along with teachers from Mount Vernon and Yonkers. They graciously shared their podcast with us to send to you. Listen in to the "Separate and unequal" podcast...
May 19, 2021•27 min
Westchester Youth Speakers, Sandra Aderemi and Diego Rivera, speak about how they are active in their communities and striving for change for themselves and others during latest episode of Ground Truthing, a podcast by Westchester Children's Association. They speak about the importance of registering to vote, voting, and encouraging others to do the same. Listen in and subscribe to Ground Truthing for more! www.wca4kids.org/wca-podcast
Aug 18, 2020•27 min
Part 2 of our latest episode is full of important insight from our two guests, Dr. Lilian Reynolds and Karl Bertrand, child homelessness and race in Westchester County, New York. In part 1 of this episode, both of our guests discuss how data guides their homelessness work, why varying definitions lead to an inaccurate count of the homeless population, and how the history of race and racism impacts homelessness today. Dr. Lillian F. Reynolds is a social worker and homelessness liaison for the Mou...
Jun 23, 2020•23 min
WCA Podcast Season 3 Episode 2 - 'Ground Truthing' interview of Dr. Lilian Reynolds and Karl Bertrand regarding child homelessness and race in Westchester County, New York. Hosted by Erica Ayala In part 1 of this episode, both of our guests discuss how data guides their homelessness work, why varying definitions lead to an inaccurate count of the homeless population, and how the history of race and racism impacts homelessness today. Dr. Lillian F. Reynolds is a social worker and homelessness lia...
Mar 25, 2020•27 min
Interview with WCA's Advocacy Breakfast keynote speaker, Marc Dones, for our 1st episode of Season 3 for 'Ground Truthing'. Dones is the Executive Director of National Innovation Services that specializes in tackling complex problems and holding organizations and groups to bold solutions and outcomes. [Marc Dones' pronouns: They, Them, Theirs] Host: Erica L. Ayala
Oct 18, 2019•30 min
Welcome to Season Two of Ground Truthing, Westchester Children’s Association's monthly podcast where we offer policy insights from the ground up by featuring community voices from Westchester county. Hosted by Erica Ayala. This episode, we chat with Karen Blumenthal. Karen will soon retire after 25 years working as a policy advocate at Student Advocacy. Karen has been at the forefront of the code of conduct conversations happening throughout the county. We break down the history of codes of cond...
Jul 29, 2019•37 min
Nicholas Kristof has been a columnist for The New York Times since 2001. Over his career, Kristof has won two Pulitzer Prizes, along with many humanitarian awards. This year, he will receive the Edith C. Macy Award for Distinguished Service at the Westchester Children’s association Spring Benefit. Ahead of our May 21st event honoring Kristof, he sat down with WCA executive director Allison Lake and Project Manager Erica Ayala to chat about his work, various policy issues impacting Westchester Co...
May 03, 2019•37 min
This month, our guest is John Tolomer, President and CEO of Westchester Bank. John has 40 years of experience in the banking industry and it all started with an internship. Since then, John has focused on paying it forward! In 2016, Westchester Bank became a key funder of the READI Campaign, a job readiness program for youth entering the workforce. We also discuss how Westchester Bank diversifies its community efforts by engaging its employees. Partners like John Tolomer are a vital part of our ...
Apr 01, 2019•22 min
On Season 2, Episode 2 (Part II) of Ground Truthing, we welcome Reverend Dr. Jim Bostic to the show. Dr. Bostic is the co-chair of the Yonkers My Brother's Keeper initiative, one of 10 MBK communities recognized by the Obama Foundation as a National Impact Community, the highest tier of the first-ever MBK Community Challenge Competition. In Part II of this two-part interview, Dr. Bostic discusses the collaboration with Yonkers MBK and the Yonkers Basics model. In this episode, we also hear from ...
Feb 19, 2019•29 min
On Season 2, Episode 2 (Part I) of Ground Truthing, we welcome Reverend Dr. Jim Bostic to the show. Dr. Bostic is the co-chair of the Yonkers My Brother's Keeper initiative, one of 10 MBK communities recognized by the Obama Foundation as a National Impact Community, the highest tier of the first-ever MBK Community Challenge Competition. In Part I of this two-part interview, Dr. Bostic talks about the Yonkers MBK initiative and its impact on the fourth largest city in New York State. A lot of the...
Jan 03, 2019•27 min
In 2013, the Westchester Children’s Association launched the Vote for Kids campaign that aims to elevate Westchester’s children and youth to the top of the public agenda among candidates, elected officials, media and the general public during the upcoming elections. Vote for Kids provides tools to help child advocates, parents, caretakers or community members – keep children’s issues at the forefront of this election cycle. In the past, the campaign has reached out to politicians, asking how the...
Oct 31, 2018•16 min
We are gearing up for the second season Ground Truthing, set to launch next month. Until then, enjoy a special BONUS EPISODE ahead of our Vision 0 to 3 Conference on Tuesday, October 16 at the Doubletree Hotel in Tarrytown, NY. Margie Orell, executive director of The Frog Rock Foundation (and WCA Board Member) joins us to discuss the upcoming event, and its importance on the zero to three population in Westchester County. To register for the event, visit http://bit.ly/vision0to3registration. Con...
Sep 21, 2018•12 min
The first season of Ground Truthing has focused on creating positive learning environments for children in Westchester County. We would be remiss to omit the issue of gun violence before closing out this season. Earlier this year, students across Westchester County organized several rallies in support of the national March For Our Lives movement. Westchester Children's Association staff and board members were on-hand to support and learn more about the rally from the student speakers and student...
Aug 08, 2018•19 min
Listen to a short interview with Daniel Marshall, rising senior at Irvington High School and rally organizer. Daniel talks to GPS4Kids Project Manager Erica L. Ayala about organizing the June 20th March for Refugee Children, using social media to mobilize his peers, and the importance of voting to enact change.
Jun 26, 2018•4 min
This month, we are joined by Katie Pfeifer, the Director of Programs & Evaluation at Volunteer New York. Katie brings a strong professional and volunteer service background to Volunteer New York!. In her current role, she ensures the organization is on track to meet grant deliverables and evaluates program impact. Katie also oversees the Job Readiness Through Volunteerism program, a program designed to increase awareness of job seekers of the valuable role volunteering can have on the commun...
May 23, 2018•19 min
This month, we are joined by Danny Bernstein, the Executive Director of Backyard Sports. Backyard Sports was created to bring these powerful youth sports experiences to today’s aspiring young athletes. In 2010 Danny launched Backyard Sports Cares, a not for profit 501(c)3 which brings youth based sports development programming to at risk and special needs children in the Westchester community. In 2011, the program received the Rosemarie Siragusa Award for Youth Activity Achievement from the West...
Apr 18, 2018•21 min
Welcome our third episode of Ground Truthing, a Westchester Children’s Association podcast where we offer policy insights from the ground up. For the month of March, we are joined by Cheryl Hunter-Grant. Ms. Cheryl Hunter-Grant, is a lifelong child advocate who has worked in the field of Maternal, Child and Family Services for more than 35 years. Cheryl earned a Masters of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work in New York City, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simmons Co...
Mar 21, 2018•28 min
We are joined by author and Raise the Age advocate Jim St. Germain on the latest episode of Ground Truthing. At the age of 15, Jim found himself in trouble with the law, just months away from his 16th birthday. Had he been a few month older, he would not have received the rehabilitative services that he did. Today, Jim is a college-graduate, father, author and chairperson of a nonprofit organization called Preparing Leaders of Tomorrow (PLOT). On this episode, Jim tells his story and why he cont...
Feb 21, 2018•26 min
Welcome to the first episode of Ground Truthing, a Westchester Children’s Association podcast where we offer policy insights from the ground up. This month, we will discuss the state of early childhood education through the perspective of Carol Robinson of the Greyston Early Learning Center. Robinson began as the Director, Early Education at Greyston in 2015. During her time, she expanded their infant program and formed new partnerships and enhanced curriculum. Recently, it was announced that Gr...
Jan 24, 2018•29 min
