Why access to affordable child care changes a community?

Finding accessible, high‑quality child care can feel overwhelming for many families across Jefferson County. With annual costs exceeding $11,000 per child, child care can consume 10–20% of a household’s budget—placing pressure on parents with young children (according to the Kentucky Lantern).

In this episode, Reylene Robinson, Executive Director of Thrive by Five, joins the conversation to unpack why child care is more than a family issue—it’s an essential infrastructure for housing stability and Kentucky’s economic future. Reylene shares about Thrive by Five, one of the community’s newest nonprofits, and some innovative solutions to the child care system.

Did you know that nearly half of Louisville's renters are cost burdened—spending more than 30% of their income on housing and utilities?

In this podcast episode, Tony Curtis, the Executive Director of Metropolitan Housing Coalition, breaks down what happens when there’s a lack of affordable and accessible housing. Every day, families struggle to keep a roof over their heads while wages stagnate.

In MHC’s 2025 Report, Tony shares the drivers behind an increase in housing instability shaping our city, the latest trends in housing and wages, and three keys to housing success moving forward.

Check out MHC’s latest initiative, www.roofoverourhead.org/

St. Vincent de Paul Louisville Executive Director and CEO Dave Calzi discusses policy and life with Metro Council Member Jecorey Arthur.

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Donna Russell’s journey is one of perseverance. She had to expand her education and career as a single mother raising two children all the while ensuring they had a roof over their heads. As St. Vincent de Paul Louisville’s newest Board Member, Donna has lived experience with avoiding eviction and finding affordable housing.

SVDP CEO Dave Calzi sits down with Donna to hear her story. She also talks about joining the SVDP Board of Directors and her frontline role as a Clinical Therapist at Volunteers of America's Freedom House.

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If you've always wondered how we grew from the small beginnings of gathering inside a church basement in 1853 to housing 450 nightly and feeding 330 people daily, then lean into this podcast. We condensed 170 years of history into one episode!

This podcast is truly special because we’d love to take you on a history tour as we celebrate our 170 year anniversary, especially because you are the ones who have invested so much of your time, talents, and treasures towards this mission over the years. You can also watch now!

Watch: https://youtu.be/qmQ8jDbzSXI

To help us, our CEO Dave Calzi spoke with longtime Board Member and former Executive Director Jim Williams, Director of Conference Affairs & Volunteer Services Donna Young, and Board Member and history guru David Neill.

Here's our guided tour through SVDP Louisville's history:

• How did the roots of SVDP Louisville begin in the basement of a local Catholic church?
• The "conferences" are the heart and soul of SVDP. What are they exactly?
• How did the Shelby Park campus come together in the early 1980s to now being the #1 recipient of 2-1-1 calls for those in need?
• SVDP's national mission beyond Louisville, which has been responding to natural disasters longer than the Red Cross
• Find out how you can get involved in the 27th annual Santa Shop!

To learn more, visit https://www.svdplou.org/.

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St. Vincent de Paul Louisville host Dave Calzi talks about the Shelby Park neighborhood, its history and current developments, with former Shelby Park Neighborhood Association President Chip Rogalinski. The development of the neighborhood, its rich diversity, and St. Vincent de Paul Louisville's role as a neighbor in Shelby Park are discussed.

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Louisville Metro Homeless Services Director Susan Buchino discusses the current issues that are fueling houselessness in the community. Affordable housing, poverty, and her role as the new director are all covered. Join us for a fascinating look at houselessness in Louisville Kentucky.

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Have you ever had one of those days? Well, Whitney Austin had herself a day on Sept. 6, 2018. In our 26th podcast episode, she opens up about her survival story during the mass shooting in the lobby at Fifth Third Bank Headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

For Whitney to survive after being shot 12 times is a miracle in and of itself, but even more incredible is how she started the nonprofit Whitney/Strong less than a month later to find common ground to end gun violence. You can download to listen, or watch now!

Watch: https://youtu.be/kX_LSr_M1yY

Our CEO Dave Calzi sits down with Whitney to talk about these topics:

• What kept her fighting on that fateful day in 2018, and how the trajectory of her life changed from that moment on?
• Whitney cofounded the nonprofit Whitney/Strong, whose mission is to find common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions. She shares the initiatives her organization has spearheaded to create a safer community. This includes advice for parents on how to talk to their children about this tough topic.
• Gun rights are a divisive topic across America. Sometimes we can feel like we must choose a side—to have a gun or not to have a gun. Whitney shares the stance she believes people should take in terms of gun rights.
• Mass shootings can be a loaded term that we may not fully or accurately understand. Whitney reveals what she's learned about mass shootings in our country and encourages our audience to read "The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic."
• Whitney opens up about the aftermath and how she found healing from trauma, grew in her mental health, and leaned into close relationships during that season of her life.

To learn more, visit www.whitneystrong.org/.

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