As folks are beginning to arrive i will say good evening and welcome to nides on live interview with green light bookstore. We are so excited to host tonights event with bannon presenting her new look troop 6000 the girl scout troop that began in a shelter and inspired the world page youll be talking with the visionary behind troops 6000 gisele and her daughter karina. Therefore it really started just want to say huge thanks to everyone for making this happen all of our participants for being here the publishers and to all of you for showing up. Storefronts are closed and our community is still here. All of us are still here and we really appreciate that couple of housekeeping things. If you are logging in now you can hear the speakers but they cant see or hear you. They can see her name so they know youre here. You can use the shot icon to share comments and if youre in a girl scout troop want to hear what your viewer with that let us know. If you want to ask a question we will have a q a session later on in the evening and you can use a q a icon. You can click on that type in a question and if you see a really good question you can upload it and make sure we get to that question during the q a. Where recording tonights event to look for audio or video versions on channelside on it i think it may have parents who spend later on. Tonights featured look troop 6000 is available on we are working with our supplier warehouse. You care about supporting the careers of authors and the ongoing existence of independent bookstores is a great way to show your support for tonight we are offering 5 off on the future book when you purchase it or green light bookstore but he can use the code 6000 and apply your disk and a get a copy on march 27. Let me introduce our speakers tonight. Gisele burgess is a vision or Program Manager of troops 6000 girl scout per gram especially designed to serve girls in the new york city shelter system. Becoming homeless and living initial directive five children to thought theres a great need of etiquette for program like this to be offered to girls and women living in the shelter system issues and recognize for dedication by a committee and their local councilman and she has received a proclamation for the city of new york for Outstanding Service achievements in her committee and empowering and uplifting women throughout queens. Giselle and her daughter advocate for girls and women living in the shelter system and are determined to break the stigma of homelessness. Shall be talking with bannon. She was recognized for our coverage of Homelessness Mental Health on poverty pitches than a finalist for the investigative reporters and editors award. She joined her times in 2014 after working with the washington post. Nikita was with us a few weeks ago so we are proud and excited to have her with us tonight but ive been excited about this for a long time that my daughter is a girl scout and its such a great story so looking forward to hearing more. Troops 6000 tells the true story of the first Girl Scout Group founded were a group of girls opening queens new york and the response inspired. She will started off with a background in the book and a reading from the book and then she will be talking with gisele in korean and shall take questions from you. Nikita take it away. First of all thank you for having us tonight. Hi gisele and karina. One of the things i wanted to talk about tonight is that this story goes way back before 2017. We first saw each other across the room and 20 feet teen and i had no idea that you all would experience homelessness and i would end up writing a book about your journey. In 2015 i had taken on the beat of social services and poverty for the news york times and i decided i would go to any shelter that anyone ever invited me to. So a councilmember in queens invited me to go to a shelter in queens that had been made out of a hotel. I showed up and i was surprised to see all of these girl scout serving the thanksgiving lunch. Karina and her sisters were there and gisele was there and i didnt write anything that day. Just saw the inside of the shelter and met the women experiencing homelessness and while those girl scouts sure were cute. Fastforward a year later giselle was in the shelter system and then she came up with an idea for troops 6000. I will read to you a little bit from the chapter called 6000. The troop needed a name. Giselle suggested troop 1101 the zip code. Although clever and easy to remember the name would conflict with longheld traditions girl scouts were limited to four digits. The numbers that always correspond with the borough and the bronx the troops remembered in the 1000. Manhattan troops were 3000 queens troops were 4000 Staten Island troops were 5000. But this new troop was unique. The long to girls who did not know where they belonged. It would make sense to use the numbers normally applied in any of the five rows. Given that its numbers had no fixed addresses wasnt this troop of girls no matter where was located really like a floating borough in its own right or even a shadow broke because the rest of society was ignorant of or didnt want to acknowledge its residents but at some point girl scouts realized the 6000 designated years earlier for specialized troops like those for girls with special needs were no longer used and so the girl scouts of Greater New York settled on the name troops 6000. You realized this was going to be amazing. Giselle wanted to jump up and down but as usual worried dr. But what if she could recruit more girls and whether she could recruit volunteers and what if she could maintain the little bit of momentum she had already achieved . Three days after the troop is officially named gisele hedger anxiety and stood on the stage and accepted a proclamation from who selected her to be honored in the black History Month celebration. Giselle was proud of her heritage which included her fathers black southern roots. She was in the event that included the face of Martin Luther king jr. Malcolm x rosa parks maya angelou w. E. B. Dubois Nelson Mandela betsy called men and president barack obama but the celebration was held at the neighborhood settlement house were a longtime nonprofit of the same name held immigrants. Giselle stood on the stage with their children and scouts from the Sunnyside Woodside troops to the proclamation made no mention of giselle workshopped 6000 but her minder for giselle that people were expecting her to be great for she had to make troops 6000 bigger than a girls whereas giselle urges work had a Ripple Effect the girl she recruits go one tube build a better world and community. Ms. Burgess is an incredible role model so not only to her five children but the children across queens and whereas giselle urges is enriched all of us with their service and is worthy of the esteem of all new yorkers now therefore be it known that majority leader of the new York City Council gratefully honored gisele for Outstanding Service and enduring contributions to the community. Expectations were now in writing. Giselle gave herself two weeks to find volunteers and to recruit more girls. So giselle tells what happened next. After that it was really time to hit the road and just keep on going but i remember going back to the office and i did a flyer recruiting volunteers and recruiting girls. Them out and got home that day. I had a complete uniform on and i had permission to tape the flyers in the hallways. The first flyer someone said what she doing . They said you cant put anything up on the wall. I said well i got permission in the supervisor said it was fine. I will call the supervisor to confirm. They said you can go ahead. Dismember ever single flyer was in the elevator and their two elevators. Im getting off on all floors and taken to the practice. The common area where everyone would eat up there and stuff like that. Nikita before, so is like retraining and talking with the following day. Please come and so i called her and said why are you in my room. Go ahead and give upstairs because i am screaming said okay. She said okay, i am coming down. We were eating and i am just talk to her. It and watching a training video. I will go over everything with you. It she said okay, i will be training. I will answer some questions. Cory wasnt paying attention. Right. [laughter]. We get a lot of that in the book. But i guess i am also wondering, so after that i showed up. What made you decide to let me follow you for more than a year and being your face. And share intimate details of your life. It was part of the beginning. I remember you would come around and just being a skeptic. Every time i would Say Something, she was writing a book. But then, seeing you, i think it was when we would shopping. For the first time. And sing the way that you interact with the other girls too. And started to feel really comfortable around you. And we thought she was cool. Shes all right. She is really genuine. It did a lot for all of us. As you will read the book, that trip was a trip to remember. Nikita so i guess it is your turn. So karina and i came up with questions. Statement quote wanted to know, youre obviously a writer. What attracted you to us really. What made you want to write about our story. Nikita oh goodness. While from the very beginning, at the time in early 2017. The mayor Just Announced his plan the city was going to try to open 90 new shelters spread the city. And then expend another 3030. Because there was just not in their still is not enough capacity in the new york shelter system to accommodate the thousands of people who are expressing homelessness. So there was a lot of people around the city were upset about homelessness. And where shelters were being placed. Some neighborhoods but they were getting the short end of the stick. Some neighborhoods who had zero shelters do not want any shelters. And so there was just a lot of conflict of the time over homelessness and shelters. And when i heard about the troop. In the shelter, i was like oh my goodness, this is like well it just feels different and Everything Else that i have been writing about homelessness in this moment. In the city so i immediately jumped on it. It took me a while to get in touch with giselle. But finally when i got in touch with her, and did an initial interview over the phone. But oh well, this is going to be a terrific story. But now i has to see the scouts in action. I was obviously amazed at what i saw. In a row the story. And then went viral and that i thought, i guess i should write a book and see what happens. I had no idea when the troop 6000 would flourish or whether it would fail. Troop 6000. I remember i sat down with giselle in the breakfast room and i asked her what you be willing to allow me to be in your life and the life of your girls for i dont know how long our unit i dont know how long this will take, at least a year. And she said absolutely. I thought wow, she was enthusiastic. The she was also skeptical of what i was up to. I am still amazed that your candor and honesty in allowing me into your life. And that goes for all of the other parents and girl scouts who participated in the book. When i say produce about participated, i mean, allow them allow me to follow them. And i to interview mamas and families and they were like what is going on. But we all got through it. And help the readers seat when i saw over 18 months. I have a question. During this whole time that you have gotten to know us and what has been the most challenging moment for you. Nikita the camping trip was challenging in terms of, because i didnt know whether troop 6000 would flourish or fail. Othello no. What if it falls part. All my gosh. So the most difficult part was, i cannot be part of the story. And i could not interfere. And there were times when people would Say Something and i would say, that is not quite right. Just thinking about someone loses a job. In a family members needs to wire money. And i thought, they will eat you up. Please dont go that way. And he couldnt say stop. So that was the difficult part of watching people. And not being able to help but knowing that i would have to use my journalistic tools, the tools of journalism to have an impact. [background sounds]. What was your personal favorite part of the book to write. Nikita there were so many. I have several chapters that warm my heart. Or are heartbreaking. And it when i was writing them. I thought oh my goodness. So course the opening of the book, which almost did not end up in the book read and then it ended up being beginning with haley who is sister and she to sales oldest daughter. That was one of my favorite chapters. The chapter about gazelles first deciding, we are going to try to have the troop year. And going around and putting up flyers. That was actually the first chapter i ever wrote. Now changed but it was the first chapter ever wrote. So that is near and dear to my heart. And i love week christmas sweater. And i love man enough to be a girl scout. And i love, you are a powerful woman. Just read the whole thing. Love every chapter. [laughter]. What was your favorite. And trent do you want to ask a question. Lets see, do have more questions for you. I guess, what was the most difficult part to read about yourself or others. I think the hardest part for me is knowing the decisions i have made in life. Although they are not so perfect, i dont regret any of them. I have learned from a lot of mistakes and a lot of challenges. And if you like it is really made me who i am today. Persistent inperson parent just really determined to make sure that you provide something under for my choices. Just reading everything that i have been through and being able to close my eyes and put myself there again. Sue and karina, what is your like favorite part. My favorite part pretty probably, we were altogether. And everything, seeing an old come together. Theres throughout the whole book, theres the emotions, with a series of events that was happening. And they were happening with us as well. And then seeing it again at the ending. Nikita yes that is my favorite part. When the begin this is my favorite part. Suet you know is interesting about that is when i was first kind of like outlining the book. It kept changing because i was always around even as i was writing. I was recording. So you would think that obviously would in a home not in the shelter. Everybody knows that. They are no longer in shelters. It is written in the book. I thought the book would end with when yall finally found a home. That you can home and then more things kept happening. I actually think the events that occurred after finding housing were just as important because it shows how fragile life can be and how everything, theres just all of these unexpected things that happen in your life. Really, gosh, yet another obstacle. And so i think it is important for people to understand that Everyone Needs housing and they have a right to housing. But sometimes that is not the end of the story. That you needed more. Just need more support. That is definitely true. I wanted to make sure that we talk about the importance are on the impacts the girls counting has had for me. Even before then. As a single mom and trying to find myself and trying to find out i guess learned how to raise my children and care for them and do the best i could. Now feeling like i was not worth much. And he came as such an amazing time. Im so grateful for the women that i had in my life to push me into girls counting. And for always making sure that i was transferring into becoming an leader. And sing the changes that they made that i made. And then saying the situation and then ending up in the shelter. And taking all that and tell my kids, this is a journey and we will get over it. Making sure that everyone continues to hold that love and happiness that we want to give to everyone else. We wanted everyone else to fill it as well. And definitely how important the committee is. It really shows makes a difference. This quite a big change from walking into the shelter and everyone for their heads down. Im not going to be here long enough to make friends. And then building that committee and being able to say hi to everyone. We are all sisters and family members. We all looked out for each other. I am grateful for that. Nikita i thought what i set out tonight center down. I want to follow the truth. I thought it was going to be writing about homelessness through the eyes of girl scouts. And what i really ended up writing about was the sense of community, the sense of belonging. This desire to want to give more even when you have the least. I was on a girl scout. My family going to have to pick and choose what we could afford. At the time, girl scouts was not one of them. But i always admired uniforms. The thought wont that be like. These past three years, and learned a lot. Ive learned all of the songs. The girl scout promise. [laughter]. And so, yes. The power in organizations like the girl scouts to bring joy to so many girls. That is so important. I do worry now that were in in the pandemic, and so many people have lost their jobs we know that evictions are around the corner. And more families are once again going to be joining the new york city shelter system. And as troop 6000 is now in 20 shelters. Troop 6000. There are 450 shelters in new york city. I think about 100 of those are for single adults. So more than half i believe are for families with children. That should tell you there are many of the girls to also need to be served. Yes like a look in there too. If you do joint girl scout, you can support troop 6000. Through volunteering, being able to donate. Any like cookies. Please by your cookies. And of course, the numbers near 12000 kids that we have in the system right now. Actually its more like 12000 who are actually of girl scout age. Sews a dream for us to be able to reach all of these girls treated the ones we do have, im grateful. That we can meet them. Were Holding Virtual meetings with these girls. And troop 6000, these families were making sure that everyone is okay and were following up with her girls her family sprayed i think that is really important for people to know two. This was something that started but something so small in terms of something of so enormous. We want to be able to continue that. Nikita we going to do some q as. We have some questions. They are pouring in. It. Nikita oh boy. We will see which ones people have uploaded and we were start with those. So more anna, asked what are the ages of the girls from the original troop now. And how are the doing. Nikita the oldest is now 18. She is going to be graduating. Unfortunately, her family is st