Explore every episode of the podcast Friends In Deed Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 12 Safe Parking: Why it Works and Why We Should Support it! | 09 Dec 2025 | 00:36:11 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua discusses Safe Parking programs and talks with FID's new Director of Street Outreach and Housing, Giulianna LoMaglio, who has expertise in how successful safe parking can be for moving people from homelessness to housing. This is timely as Pasadena is in the midst of a debate about opening up a new safe parking location. Apply for FID's safe parking program: https://friendsindeedpas.org/programs/street-outreach/ Learn more about the program in LA: Closing music: Eric Clapton | |||
| 2025 - 11 Meet Opie: TWR Guest Who Went from College to the Streets to Grad School | 17 Nov 2025 | 00:38:20 | |
Grateful to move forward from the government shutdown, Rabbi Joshua speaks today with Opie, a woman in her 20s, who has a more unusual story than most guests who come to The Women's Room. She opens up about her early life in Tennessee, attending college, how personal challenges led her to California, where she found herself living in her car. You will have to listen to the episode to hear the rest of her story! Closing music: Eric Clapton | |||
| 2025 - 2 Live Conversation with Rep. Judy Chu: Potential Cuts to SNAP and Medicaid | 21 Feb 2025 | 00:18:12 | |
On this special episode, Rabbi Joshua welcomes Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28) to the Food Pantry, after her office reached out about coming to talk about potential federal funding cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is funded via the USDA, and provides low-income families food benefits to supplement their grocery budget. Rabbi Joshua and Rep. Chu discuss the dangers these cuts pose to so many Americans, including those coming to FID. Learn more about SNAP: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program | |||
| 2025 - 1 2025 Begins with Eaton Fire Destruction: 1st Podcast of the Year | 22 Jan 2025 | 00:16:53 | |
Welcome to 2025! Sadly, it didn't start well for folks in Southern California, including Altadena/Pasadena, where Friends In Deed is located. In this first episode of the year, Rabbi Joshua returns with an update on programs and operations post-Eaton fire. Listen to learn how FID is continuing to serve the most vulnerable in our community, and what they have been doing in response to the fires. | |||
| 2024 - 16 Families with Babies Living in Cars, Homeless Seniors Needing Dialysis: Short Update from Street Outreach and Housing | 05 Dec 2024 | 00:12:37 | |
Today, Rabbi Joshua spends a few minutes talking with some members of the Street Outreach and Housing team to find out the latest goings on. We hear about increasing numbers of families without homes, people starting to suffer from the cold, and, in some positive news, how there are new permanent supporting housing units becoming available. | |||
| 2024 - 15 Intersection between Homelessness and Domestic Violence | 27 Nov 2024 | 00:25:45 | |
Today, Rabbi Joshua sits down with Tunisia Offray, Co-Director of Shepherd's Door, a domestic violence resource center in Pasadena. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss not only how domestic violence affects homelessness, but Tunisia shares her own story, and how it led to the creation of the organization, by her mother, 25 years ago. | |||
| 2024 - 14 State of FID 2024 | 22 Nov 2024 | 01:17:46 | |
This week, Rabbi Joshua shares the full recording of the State of FID, which was a live event recorded on 11/20/24. You will hear from each of the program directors and leadership of Friends In Deed about all of the goings on for the past year, and how things have been going for the past few months. It also includes some initial insights into the new strategic plan. | |||
| 2024-13 All Things FID! A Update with Ryan Greer | 10 Oct 2024 | 00:29:31 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua checks in with FID's Senior Director of Programs, Ryan Greer, to hear about the latest in each program and to discuss the Measure A initiative that will be on the ballot in LA County this November. | |||
| 2024-12 Public Libraries and Estevez film 'The Public': Interview with Tim McDonald, Library Director for City of Pasadena | 18 Sep 2024 | 00:36:30 | |
In this special episode, Rabbi Joshua speaks with Tim McDonald, the Library Director for Pasadena. They discuss not only the value and importance of libraries in our communities and society, but also talk about the film The Public, and how libraries are central to the lives of people experiencing homelessness. FID is showing this film at their fall fundraiser in a few weeks. Learn more about the event, and the film, on the FID website. | |||
| 2024-11 Grants Pass City Council Meeting Debrief and Annual Report Highlights | 13 Sep 2024 | 00:23:40 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua shares an update on what transpired at the recent city council meeting around the Grants Pass decision and how it might affect those experiencing homelessness in Pasadena. If you want to learn more about the whole issue, visit the previous episode. | |||
| 2024-10 Preparing for City Council Discussion on Encampments | 06 Sep 2024 | 00:18:15 | |
In this short episode, Rabbi Joshua shares Friends In Deed's 'keynotes and solutions' study sheet that was submitted to city council in advance of the meeting on 9/9/24. Unfortunately, after requesting to be included in the official presentation to the council, and hearing an initial positive reception to the idea, in the end none of the local service providers were invited to participate. As such, the ideas in this podcast are the ones outlined on the sheet sent to the council. Immediate solutions include partnering with local motels to 'master lease' rooms for emergency shelter; there are several motels in Pasadena ready and willing to engage in this kind of agreement TODAY! | |||
| 2024-9 Grants Pass v. Johnson, Part II--Conversation with Tish Inong, Director of Street Outreach and Housing | 01 Aug 2024 | 00:22:21 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua continues the conversation about the Grants Pass decision, and specifically how this might start directly affecting our city of Pasadena. He welcomes Friends In Deed's Director of Street Outreach and Housing, Tish Inong, MPA, MSW, LCSW. | |||
| 2025 - 10 SNAP CUTS BEGINNING! A conversation with FID Food Pantry Director, Tim Nistler | 31 Oct 2025 | 00:24:19 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua is joined by Tim Nistler for a conversation about the impending cuts to SNAP benefits and how it is affecting our food pantry community. Tim shares the staggering new record of households in one week, and speaks about how you can help us serve those most in need. | |||
| 2024-8 Grants Pass v. Johnson, Part I | 26 Jul 2024 | 00:15:51 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua discusses the recent ruling by the Supreme Court, which overruled the 9th circuit in saying that 'camping' on the streets if you are homeless, even if you don't have anywhere else to go, does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, and can be punished with citations or arrest. This first discussion is with one of Friends In Deed's MSW interns, Joel Moss, who has been doing research on this case and following it closely. | |||
| 2024-7 2024 Homeless Count, Initial Thoughts from the Report | 26 Jun 2024 | 00:16:35 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua shares the highlights and findings from the recently released Pasadena 2024 Homeless Count report. In the next episode, he will bring on other folks to discuss the report and talk about what it means for the state of homelessness in our city. A link to the full report is included below. | |||
| 2024-6 Older Americans Facing Eviction is on the Rise | 20 May 2024 | 00:31:43 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua speaks with Stacey McCarroll, the Director of our Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance program, about the overall state of evictions in our community, and the rising rate of older Americans in particular. There is a link to the report that we discuss below. | |||
| 2024-5 Mental Illness is Real and Needs Our Attention: Conversation with Dr. Julie Moore | 29 Apr 2024 | 00:35:17 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua speaks with therapist and psychologist, Dr. Julie Moore, who has a private practice, but has been volunteering her services at Friends In Deed, offering twice a month walk-in sessions for both Street Outreach and TWR clients. This conversation covers a wide-range of topics around the area of mental health and how it relates to homelessness. And the answers are not always what you think they are. Please listen and share! | |||
| 2024-4 Living in Your Car at Age 70 | 16 Apr 2024 | 00:33:38 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua talks with Suzanne, a woman who has seen a great many challenges in her life, including cancer and the loss of her parents and siblings in just a few short years. Before getting sick, she was a successful paralegal with a solid career and a stable life. She tells her story of going from that place to living in her car for 2 years to finally getting back into housing. She has been a regular at The Women's Room and has been working at the Bad Weather Shelter this season. | |||
| 2024-3 My Dog is My Home: Emotional Support Animals Save Lives | 07 Mar 2024 | 00:44:37 | |
It is often said that "dogs are a person's best friend." This is certainly true, and perhaps more so, for our unsheltered neighbors experiencing homelessness. On this episode, Rabbi Joshua speaks with Christine Kim, founder of a non-profit called My Dog is My Home, which does advocacy work around the issues of emotional support animals specifically for the population living on the streets. In addition, he is joined by Nora Mathison, the current MSW intern in The Women's Room, who has focused her attention recently on the ladies who have dogs and how TWR can better support them. This is a really interesting conversation! | |||
| 2024-2 Anthony and His 7 year-old Chess Champion Son Get Housed! | 27 Feb 2024 | 00:44:12 | |
In this special episode, Rabbi Joshua talks at length with Anthony, a man our Street Outreach team worked with and helped get permanently housed. He has a pretty inspiring story, albeit difficult, which includes his incredible son winning chess tournaments while sometimes living in a motel with his dad. This is one you won't want to miss--and will want to share! | |||
| 2024-1 Bad Weather Shelter Reopening! | 12 Jan 2024 | 00:26:31 | |
Welcome to 2024! In this first episode of the new year, Rabbi Joshua talks about the Bad Weather Shelter as this is the first time we will be operating in 3 years! There is a new location, Trinity Lutheran Church, and so Rabbi Joshua has a conversation with Pastor Sharon Richter, who shares her faith journey and why the church is so supportive and excited to be the new host. | |||
| 2023-16 FID 2023 Recap | 15 Dec 2023 | 00:17:52 | |
For this final episode of the year, Rabbi Joshua shares some of the numbers and highlights of how our services were provided this past year. It was a record year in all of our programs, both in number of people attending and in the new ways we have been able to serve. Our staff has grown, our budget has grown, our visibility has grown, our volunteers have grown, we have new board members and we are in the midst of a serious strategic planning process. 2024 is set to be a big year! | |||
| 2023-15 It's Not Just a Job, it's a Spiritual Calling: Interview with TWR's Jane Armbruster | 08 Nov 2023 | 00:41:45 | |
We are back! After a bit of a hiatus, we are thrilled to post a brand new episode. After sharing some updates and highlights from the past few weeks, Rabbi Joshua has a wonderful interview and conversation with Jane Armbruster, The Women's Room Program Manager and Case Counselor. Jane shares deeply about her life story, which includes being a professional vocalist and stage performer, struggles with addiction and finding recovery, and how she made it to Friends In Deed. | |||
| 2025 - 9 Money for Ballrooms But Not SNAP | 23 Oct 2025 | 00:17:23 | |
Rabbi Joshua checks in on Day 22 of the government shutdown. On November 1st, without an agreement to reopen, millions of people, mostly children, will lose their SNAP benefits, which are commonly known as food stamps or EBT cards. Yet, there is apparently money for other things... | |||
| 2023-14 A Conversation with Los Angeles Times Columnist Steve Lopez | 19 Sep 2023 | 00:59:01 | |
In this very special episode, Rabbi Joshua has a wide-ranging interview with Steve Lopez, an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, who has been a columnist with the Los Angeles Times for nearly two decades. Mr. Lopez is the author of the book, The Soloist, which chronicles his journey with a man he met on the streets, Nathaniel Ayers, who was playing a 2-stringed violin in Pershing Square. In 2009, the book was made into a movie of the same title, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Ayers. Friends In Deed will be showing the film as part of their upcoming event, Stories from the Street, on October 14th. | |||
| 2023-13 "It's Like Heaven" A Personal Story of a Guest in The Women's Room in Her Own Words | 23 Aug 2023 | 00:14:26 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua talks with Ondina, a guest in The Women's Room who worked with our staff first to find a domestic violence shelter for safety, and then locate permanent housing. Ondina is an inspiring and energetic woman who shares her story with passion, emotion and immense gratitude. You can't help but be moved listening to her share her journey in her own words, telling us that TWR is "like heaven." | |||
| 2023-12 Renting in California? Either make $44/hr or work 3 minimum wage jobs! | 18 Aug 2023 | 00:28:03 | |
In part 2 of the conversation about the National Low Income Housing Coalition's report, 'Out of Reach," Rabbi Joshua dives into the wage rate needed to live in and around Pasadena, which is 3x the rate of the minimum wage! The statistics aren't pretty, but they are real. | |||
| 2023-11 Don't Make $24/hr? Good Luck Renting a 1-bedroom home in America | 11 Aug 2023 | 00:21:43 | |
In the first of a multi-part series, Rabbi Joshua begins to unpack a report called 'Out of Reach,' published annually by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, which tracks the cost of rentals in every state, and compares them with the wage rate need to afford a modest one or two bedroom home. This episode focuses nationally, hence the title of 'Don't Make $24/hr,' and lays out the report's approach and the history of this organization. SPOILER ALERT: In California, the wage rate is at minimum double the national rate. | |||
| 2023-10 The Demographic of the Forgotten: A Conversation with FID Substance Abuse Specialist Olivia Esteb | 28 Jul 2023 | 00:26:01 | |
We are back after a few weeks hiatus! On this episode, Rabbi Joshua talks with Olivia Esteb, the Substance Abuse Specialist on our Street Outreach team, who shares her story of growing up in Pasadena, having health and personal challenges as a kid that led her to a dark place, heroin addiction, homelessness, prison. And how, after many stints in rehab, love from her family and support of therapists and mentors, has found her way back to a stable, sober life, a wonderful marriage, motherhood, and a career helping those in need, just like she was. It is an inspiring and moving conversation. | |||
| 2023-9 "It Won't Happen to Me": One Woman's Story on the Streets | 09 Jun 2023 | 00:24:44 | |
For this very special episode, Rabbi Joshua speaks to one of the guests in The Women's Room, who opens up about her life and experience of being homeless for the past 5 years. Having had a stable upbringing, a career and loving parents, the death of her mother sent her into a downward spiral, causing PTSD, which led to the loss of jobs, inability to pay rent and eventually homelessness. The idea that "it can be anyone" has never been more palpable. | |||
| 2023-8 Hope Amidst the Struggle: Homelessness, Women, Mortality, and Mental Heath in Pasadena | 16 May 2023 | 00:38:21 | |
Continuing with Mental Health Awareness month, Rabbi Joshua is joined by two experts, and local celebrities in the work of homelessness and housing, Dr. Joe Colletti and Dr. Sofia Herrera. In this wide-ranging conversation, we hear about the latest data from around the state; a focus on women and their unique struggles; the benefit of tiny homes and transitional housing; the difficult aspects of dying on the streets; and close with where they each find hope and faith in the work. There is a lot to learn! We finish with a special song, so listen to the end. | |||
| 2023-7 "Don't Call Me Crazy!" Mental Health and Homelessness, Myths and Facts | 04 May 2023 | 00:28:21 | |
May is Mental Health Awareness month, so Rabbi Joshua is talking with Tish Strickland, Program Director of FID's Street Outreach and Housing. Tish is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a speciality in mental health. The conversation covers mental health stigmas, trauma-informed care, street medicine opportunities and how we best care for, and offer treatment to, those suffering on the street. Please share this important episode with friends and family. | |||
| 2023-6 Leaving the Narrow Places: Passover, Expansiveness and Homelessness | 11 Apr 2023 | 00:27:13 | |
In honor of the holiday of Passover, Rabbi Joshua discusses the concept of leaving the narrow places, a key theme, as it relates to our thinking around homelessness and potential solutions. We need to have a more expansive approach to using empty building for housing; empty storefronts for mental health clinics; closed nursing homes, hospitals and motels for bridge and interim housing. This episode explores the spiritual concepts and applies them to current challenges. | |||
| 2023-5 Keeping the Poor in Poverty: Payday Loans, Overdraft and Check Cashing Fees | 22 Mar 2023 | 00:31:52 | |
Today, Rabbi Joshua shares the wisdom and thoughts of Matthew Desmond, Professor of Sociology at Princeton, who has a new book called Poverty, By America. His previous book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, won the Pulitzer Prize. Learn about the billions of dollars collected each year from the poorest Americans by the fees and interest rates they get charged. The "War on Poverty" has been an abysmal failure, but there are some basic solutions to finally winning, and ending systemic poverty in our country. | |||
| 2025 - 8 Government Shutdown and Funding Housing | 10 Oct 2025 | 00:18:18 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua checks in on day 9 of the government shutdown to highlight how this will potentially begin to affect the most vulnerable in our country, and how the current budget proposal includes sweeping cuts to the Continuum of Care funding for housing. In addition, he shares some thoughts from recent books on homelessness and poverty, including a clip from scholar Matthew Desmond. Listen and share! National Alliance to End Homelessness Matthew Desmond on The Jon Stewart Show Closing music: Eric Clapton | |||
| 2023-4 Exploring the Homeless Count with Jenni O'Reilly-Jones, Pasadena Housing Department | 24 Feb 2023 | 00:37:26 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua discusses the recent homeless count, which is a national "point-in-time" count that seeks to identify as many of those living without shelter in the cities across our nation. We are joined by the Pasadena Housing Department's Homeless Programs Coordinator, Jenni O'Reilly-Jones, who shares her knowledge and expertise about the count itself, as well as the data they are looking for as they prepare the report. The 2023 report will be released in a few months. | |||
| 2023-3 "It Could Be Any of Us": Stories from the Street | 03 Feb 2023 | 00:13:06 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua speaks to a few people at our Bad Weather Supplies distribution, including a 71 year-old Pasadena native living on the streets, and one of the Azusa Pacific Nursing students that provide care each Thursday night. The title of this episode comes from a story related to us by the groundskeeper at First United Methodist Church; be sure to listen until the end. | |||
| 2023-2 Emergency Motel Program: Updates, Info and Potential Solution | 26 Jan 2023 | 00:17:41 | |
With the winter months bringing cold and rain, Friends In Deed is operating its Bad Weather Supplies distribution, and emergency motel program. With all of the press about this last week, Rabbi Joshua wrote an op-ed in Pasadena Now, which he expands upon in this episode. One potential solution: like the city of LA, might there be a motel open to a master leasing contract that would offer all of the rooms, year-round, for clients transitioning to permanent housing. | |||
| 2023-1 Rent Control Comes to Pasadena: A Conversation with Peter Dreier and Ryan Bell | 17 Jan 2023 | 00:34:21 | |
Recorded on MLK Day, Rabbi Joshua welcomes Dr. Peter Dreier, E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics at Occidental College, and Ryan Bell, Southern California Regional Coordinator at Tenants Together, to discuss the recent passing of Measure H, a Pasadena ballot measure approving rent control. Both Peter and Ryan were active in the organizing effort that helped pass this measure, and the conversation discusses rents control in general, what this measure means for the city, and how Dr. King's work on Fair Housing is directly related to this issue. | |||
| 2022-26 Budgets are Moral Documents | 25 Dec 2022 | 00:16:31 | |
Rabbi Joshua shares some thoughts about President Biden's newly released strategic plan to end and prevent homelessness, $8.7 billion, especially as it relates to the newly passed Pentagon budget, $858 billion. | |||
| 2022-25 Food Pantry Numbers are Skyrocketing! | 08 Dec 2022 | 00:17:14 | |
This week, Rabbi Joshua talks with FID Food Pantry Director, Tim Nistler, to hear more about the very large increase in households that are coming each week, how we are doing on food, and what he shared with 11th graders at Polytechnic High School last week. | |||
| 2022-24 More Interim Housing Needed! A Conversation with Anne Miskey, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services | 02 Dec 2022 | 00:24:16 | |
After having COVID for 11 days, Rabbi Joshua is back with a new episode! In a wide-ranging conversation, he speaks with Anne Miskey, CEO on Union Station, the largest homeless service provider in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. In addition to learning about the new projects Union Station is working on, Anne and Joshua discuss the barriers to the vexing problem of no interim housing available in Pasadena, along with some potential solutions. This is a hard-hitting episode you won't want to miss! | |||
| 2022-23 Hypomania: Fewer Choices, More Generosity | 03 Nov 2022 | 00:25:47 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua returns to a theme that he has been thinking about for decades: do we really need hundreds of types of breakfast cereal, dozens of brands of toothpaste, aisles full of the same condiments? In 2005, he delivered a talk on the theme of hypomania and how this creates a level of paralysis based on too many choices. This episode closes with a piece of a TedTalk from Professor Barry Schwartz based on his book, The Paradox of Choice. | |||
| 2022-22 Food Costs and Evictions | 14 Oct 2022 | 00:16:07 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua shares some information about the rising cost of food, bringing in pieces of a segment from Yahoo Finance, and how these increases are affecting the lives of a few families facing eviction that Friends In Deed has helped recently. It is scary times for those living dollar to dollar. | |||
| 2022-21 The Women's Room Turns 15! | 16 Sep 2022 | 00:19:31 | |
This week, Rabbi Joshua celebrates the 15th birthday of The Women's Room, a very unique program at Friends In Deed: a day refuge for homeless and at-risk women. He talks with guests, staff, and volunteers as they share their thoughts, appreciation, love and joy for being a part of this special program. Please listen, and be prepared to have your heartstrings tugged. | |||
| 2025 - 7 Trying to Count People: Conversation with Jennifer O'Reilly Jones on 2025 Homeless Count | 12 Sep 2025 | 00:33:58 | |
Today Rabbi Joshua is joined by Pasadena Housing Department's Homelessness Coordinator, Jenni O-Reilly Jones, as they discuss the results from both the 2024 Annual Homeless Count and the 2025 Point in Time Count. There are some positives to report, and of course, many challenges to overcome. Read the full presentations here: https://www.pasadenahomelesscount.org/ Pasadena City Services Line (for resources) 626-744-7311 | |||
| 2022-20 Pregnant Woman in a U-Haul, Single Moms in Cars | 09 Sep 2022 | 00:13:06 | |
In this episode, Rabbi Joshua offers a sobering commentary about some of the stark realities seen this week by the FID Street Outreach Team. As the title says: they had single moms with toddlers sleeping in their cars, and a pregnant woman staying in a U-Haul, coming for help. He discusses these tragedies through the lens of our budgets being moral documents. | |||
| 2022-19 Stories from the Street: Two Guys on the Street | 26 Aug 2022 | 00:15:21 | |
Today, Rabbi Joshua goes out onto the streets of Pasadena to look for some folks who might share a bit about themselves. It was slightly more challenging this time, but he was able to chat with two guys: a talkative one who is struggling with addiction, and a quiet one who was a bit shyer. Both of them are examples of why we need more supportive services, and interim housing, in our city. | |||
| 2022-18 Street Outreach Deep Dive with Program Director Tish Strickland | 04 Aug 2022 | 00:25:20 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua sits down with FID's new Director of Street Outreach and Housing, Tish Strickland, to learn more about her background, experience, and her vision for the program and how she sees the work of homeless services in general. It is a wide-ranging conversation that touches not only on the program and statistics, but about the philosophy, terminology, challenges, and rewards of working with our most vulnerable neighbors. | |||
| 2022-17 Talking about Tiny Home Villages, Again | 08 Jul 2022 | 00:13:46 | |
On this episode, Rabbi Joshua borrows a technique from the podcast 'The Daily,' and narrates an article that he wrote for the Pasadena Now online news site about the idea of creating a Tiny Home Village in the city of Pasadena. Activists and residents are still working hard to get this idea, which has been successful in many parts of LA, to merit a discussion at the full City Council meeting. | |||