This episode marks the 10th season of AudioFiles! In our first episode, we hear the latest on small businesses and community projects coming out of the pandemic. We’re joined later on by food policy specialists to help us understand the historic increase in SNAP benefits, and a community gardening expert on “activist gardening.”

Also in this episode:

  • 1. Reporter Hannah Fullmer follows DeVaughn as she uses her newly renovated bookmobile to serve her community—bringing books and better representation to her neighborhood.

  • 2. Denny Jacob reports on how the market is attracting vendors from the Bronx and beyond.

  • 3. Reporter Olivia Bensimon spoke to drivers outside City Hall on their second week of a 24/7 picket about their debt and what would happen if the City doesn’t find a way to support them.

  • 4. Reporter Hannah Fullmer talks with 45th St. Composter Victoria Costa about the future of the group.

  • 5. Yessenia Moreno covers the 4th annual Brooklyn Brujeria Festival, an event honoring diasporic music, dance and spirituality in Latinx culture.

  • 6. Angela Palumbo reports on how some NYC students have opted to commute to classes to avoid living in the most expensive city.

Host: Jared Wright

Lead Producer: Sarah Molano

Associate Producer: Aaron Tremper

Reporting by Denny Jacob, Hannah Fullmer, Vanessa Ague, Angela Palumbo, Olivia Bensimon, and Yessenia Moreno

Engineer: Chad Bernhard

Guest: Gil Lopez, Alexina Cather, and Dr. Charles Platkin

Editors: Kalli Anderson and Maggie Freleng

Music by Aaron Tremper, Victor Guerrero and Clark Adomaitus

Photo by Yessenia Moreno

Check out our reporting on Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/newmarkjschool/sets/audio-fiies-2021