Fordham Law alumna Jennifer Jones Austin ’93, CEO of antipoverty organization FWPA, was featured in Crains New York Business magazine.
How has your job changed since the election?
We all took a deep breath on [Inauguration Day]. There’s so much at stake. The social safety net has been at risk for some time. There’s not enough funding for food support, child care, Head Start and affordable housing. But it is at even greater risk if the proposed federal cuts go through.
A lot of the people you help are frustrated and scared. What can FPWA do?
For many years we’ve provided emergency grants to struggling individuals and families through The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. We’re looking into increasing emergency grants, especially to immigrants, who experience additional hardships.
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You’ve called on faith leaders to be more vocal about social issues. How can they leverage their pulpits?
Members of the faith community came out strong in our fights to raise the minimum wage and implement universal pre-K, but they can and should be doing more. They can mobilize their congregations and come together as cohorts. Imagine if thousands of churches took on the Trump agenda and organized to say no to policies aimed at the most vulnerable. Just imagine.
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Can you think of any silver linings in the present situation?
We’re finding that the community of social-service providers, advocates and human rights activists is aligned. For example, organizations that are not immigration-advocacy groups are coming together. We’re making the best we can of a challenging situation.