Building a Workforce System That Works for Families with Anthony Barrows

Anthony Barrows, Executive Director of ⁠Lift New York⁠ and longtime advocate for economic justice and systems reform, joins ⁠Greg Morris⁠ for a conversation about poverty, public systems, and the role community plays in helping families thrive.Drawing on his own experiences growing up in public housing in Boston, navigating foster care, and relying on social support systems as a young person, Anthony reflects on how these experiences have shaped his work and worldview. Now leading Lift New York, he focuses on helping families build economic mobility through coaching, direct cash support, and community-centered approaches rooted in what Lift calls “Hope, Money, and Love.”Greg and Anthony discuss the realities of chronic scarcity, the importance of lived experience in shaping policy, and why dignity and trust must be central to anti-poverty work. They also explore the long-term impacts of welfare reform, lessons learned during the pandemic, the challenges facing immigrant and working families in New York City, and what meaningful systems change could look like under a new administration focused on economic justice.Produced by: Manhattan Neighborhood NetworkPublished by: New York City Employment and Training CoalitionTopics: economic justice; poverty; foster care; public benefits; workforce development; family support; behavioral science; lived experience; economic mobility; community building; social policy; New York City