Ep. 2 - Dara Papel: Homelessness

05/23/17 • 64 min

In this episode of The Do Good Podcast, Shlomy and Marc speak with Dara Papel.

Dara has significant experience working with homeless individuals. She is currently a Site Director at Chrysalis, where she successfully leads her team of clinical and non-clinical staff who work directly with homeless and low-income individuals to help them reenter the workforce and gain a sense of purpose and self-sufficiency. Prior to working at Chrysalis, Dara was Program Supervisor at Beyond Shelter, overseeing and effectively implementing $2.5 million of Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP) funds within the Californian cities of Long Beach, Downey, Lynwood and Baldwin Park.

Dara speaks to us about homelessness policy in Los Angeles. We talk about the forces that contribute to the problem of homelessness. We talk about the challenges inherent in designing homelessness policy and possible solutions. And, we discuss what the future may look like in the fight against homelessness in Los Angeles and the United States.

If you are looking to better understand this complex, heartbreaking issue, Dara really gets into the weeds of homelessness. Check out our full show notes here.

In this episode of The Do Good Podcast, Shlomy and Marc speak with Dara Papel.

If you are looking to better understand this complex, heartbreaking issue, Dara really gets into the weeds of homelessness. Check out our full show notes here.

Previous Episode

Ep. 1 - Nick Melvoin: Education

In this episode of The Do Good Podcast, Shlomy and Marc speak to Nick Melvoin. Nick is currently running for a seat on the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) School Board.

Nick has a long history in education and education reform. He has served as a seventh and eighth grade English teacher at Markham Middle School, an LAUSD campus in Watts. Nick holds a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a Masters in Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University (LMU), and a law degree from the New York University School of Law. In addition to serving as a teacher, Nick has worked in the Obama White House with the Domestic Policy Council and the US Attorney’s office where he took part in various civil rights investigations as a legal clerk.

Nick speaks to us about education policy and his plans for improving LAUSD schools. He talks about the current public debate happening between the charter school movement and the teachers association. He talks about how people can get involved in education policy and help out. And, he talks about resources you can consult to become more familiar with education policy and the current problems facing our school system.

Whether you are deeply involved in education policy or a casual observer that just wants to become more informed, Nick provides some deep insight into the current challenges facing public education and offers some interesting proposals.

Full show notes for the episode can be found here.

Next Episode

Ep. 3 - Six Ways To Improve Your Political Conversations

Tired of political conversations with your friends and loved ones that end in screams and tears? In this special in-betweenisode, Marc gives his recommendations for improving our political conversations and making them productive. Why do our political conversations devolve into shouting fests? Why do they become contests in one-upmanship? And, when was the last time you ever heard someone say, “you know what you are right. I concede.” You don’t hear that. But, you should ... if the goal of these exchanges is trying to find the truth. But, unfortunately, our conversations tend not to be about finding answers. They are about defending your team. They are about defending your party. They are about defending your ego. The problem is that because of the way we conduct our political conversations: we are not learning anything and we are definitely not having fun, but we are creating a dynamic that I believe gets echoed in our national politics and our governance. We have a situation where in our private conversations and in our public conversations we have divorced policy almost entirely from politics; policy arguments from political arguments. And that's a problem for the proper governing of our country. Why? Because it is the policy that matters. It is the policy that makes the difference. It is the policy that does the good ... or the bad. So, why is this happening? And what can we do about it? Get the full show notes here.