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Jessica Lefkowitz, founder and executive director of homeless street outreach org Hearts for the Invisible, discusses how she grew the group from a grassroots effort to the lead agency for street outreach in Mecklenburg County and what it means to put a focus on mental health when serving people experiencing homelessness.

Melissa Knicely, communications and outreach manager with Animal Care & Control, joins to discuss the upcoming Steps for Shelter Pets event before diving into more detail about animal welfare in Charlotte.

On episode 102, Charlotte City Council District 5 representative JD Mazuera Arias drops by amid a big week in local government news, including a surprise vote to rescind the city's support for the I-77 toll lane project and taking an anticipated step forward toward a potential moratorium on data centers.  Editor's Note: A production error during the recording of this episode negatively impacted the sound quality, making it sound more like a Zoom meeting than a sit-down interview in a studio, despite the latter being the reality. Though it's not up to our usual standards, we decided to publish due to the timeliness of the topics discussed rather than reschedule and record again. Our apologies for the poor sound quality.

Charlotte rapper Erick Lottary has been on quite the journey since first taking up golf during COVID. We talk about how creating content on the course has turned him into a nationally recognized influencer in the space in the lead-up to next week‘s Truist Championship.

Carolina Migrant Network founders Stefania Arteaga and Becca O’Neill discuss their work in legal advocacy and immigration rights during the first year of Donald Trump’s second presidential term.

Rod & Karen Morrow, co-hosts of ‘The Black Guy Who Tips,’ talk about their 15-year journey in podcasting and how media has evolved for better or worse in that time.

Charis Blackmon, executive director of West Side Community Land Trust, discusses her work in obtaining, developing, and preserving affordable housing in west Charlotte.

NC Health News reporter Rachel Crumpler visits the studio to discuss her recent reporting on a federal lawsuit that claims teens at a juvenile detention center in Cabarrus County are being locked alone in rooms for up to 24 hours at a time despite state officials’ own acknowledgment of the practice's detrimental harms.

Currently running to represent NC House District 105 in southeast Mecklenburg, Nicole Sidman discusses how the infamous party flip that Tricia Cotham pulled on her voters inspired Sidman to run against Cotham when the new congressional districts were drawn.

NC Rep. Terry Brown Jr., representing District 92 in southwestern Mecklenburg County, discusses the upcoming elections and some of the priorities within his district, from the airport to the West Boulevard/Steele Creek Road corridor.

Former Charlotte City Council at-large rep and Mayor Pro-Tem Braxton Winston discusses his journey from activism to local politics and his current campaign to become North Carolina’s next Commissioner of Labor.

NC Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams of the 73rd District in Cabarrus County discusses her reluctant entrance into politics as a member of Harrisburg Town Council, her first term in the NCGA and a number of other topics related to the upcoming elections.

Jordan Lopez, NC Rep-Elect for the 112th District in east Charlotte, discusses his choice to enter the race at age 25, his priorities once he takes office and a number of other topics related to the upcoming elections.

Sil Ganzo, founder and executive director of ourBRIDGE for KIDS, discusses her organization's latest project, the Charlotte Is Home Center, to provide refugee and immigrant neighbors with wraparound legal, health care and educational services in a single space.

Theresa McDonald of community advocacy group Derita Matters joins the podcast to talk about the changing face of Derita as the north Charlotte neighborhood prepares for a surge in development with the coming construction of the Red Line.