he·ro
/ˈhirō/
noun
a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
Not all heroes wear capes (although COVID has definitely brought the spandex back).
Most heroes walk among us, shop alongside us, wait in the school pickup lines next to us.
And while they do the ordinary, they are also doing things that are quite extraordinary.
In our first Hometown Heroes episode we talk to Jessica Reinmann, CEO of 914Cares, a local Westchester, NY mission-based 501c3 nonprofit organization focused on supporting people in the community with their basic human needs. We hear about Jess’s founder’s journey, how she launched a nonprofit with young children, and why she decided to take the leap of faith out of the corporate world and into a life of service. Jess talks about the disparity of wealth in the 8th most affluent county in the United States and the plight of women, and mothers especially, in the pandemic. We take a somber look at some eye-opening statistics and talk about how everyone can help, in ways big and small, and be a part of real change. No topic is off limits as we examine everything from the systemic issues that create and perpetuate poverty and inequities in this country to managing community expectations. And beyond that, why it’s okay to not want to be a stay at home mom (and okay to be one if you want).
Episode highlights:
- It’s okay to not want to stay at home with your kids. Being a stay at home parent is not for everyone.
- You are allowed to leave companies and situations when they stop being a good fit for your life and your lifestyle.
- There are systemic and infrastructural failures in this country that need to be addressed in order to truly achieve equitable access and opportunity and resources and support for all segments of the population, not just some.
- in affluent communities, and across much of the United States, there is a shrinking middle class, and a growing disparity in the socioeconomic classes present in said communities. 40% of the mothers who gave birth in Westchester, the 9th wealthiest county in the United States, were on Medicaid, for which they must live below the poverty line in order to qualify.
- Did we mention it was okay to not want to stay at home with your kids?
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Moms At Work is the official Jobs.mom podcast, hosted by Founder & CEO Zabeen Mirza – you can visit Jobs.mom to subscribe to the newsletter and to listen to all podcast episodes.
To nominate a guest for the Moms At Work podcast, email press@jobs.mom
