Navigating Poverty: The Journey of the Working Poor

Empathy and Empowerment in Economic Challenges

What if economic justice isn’t about charity—but solidarity and investment? Harvard MBA Giselle Garraway shares how she left corporate America to found ThriveFunds, a platform that empowers working poor families with dignity-centered investments in their everyday lives. From a street sweeper chasing dreams of restoring a broken family to a working mom caring for both her husband and aging parents, Curtis and Gisele uncover how small, targeted support and investments can transform lives—and shift hearts across economic lines. They explore systemic setbacks and challenge some of the myths of meritocracy while asking: what does it truly mean to love your neighbor today?

(00:01) - Introduction

(02:48) - Gisele Garraway’s Story and Work

(12:42) - Investing in Working Families

(19:55) - Building Bridges Across Economic Divides

(36:15) - Systemic Aspects of Government Benefits and Poverty

(47:35) - Embodying Human Solidarity in Community

(56:11) - Credits

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Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
• Matthew Desmond’s Poverty, by America 
• Gallup Study: 50% in U.S. Fear Bankruptcy Due to Major Health Event
• USA Today: The average American is closer to being homeless than being Elon Musk
• The United Way’s research on Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed Americans
• Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
• Tom Holland’s Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World
• Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s Strength to Love

Scripture Passages About Caring for the Poor:

• Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)
• Psalm 146:5-7 (ESV)
• 1 John 3:17-18 (ESV)
• Deuteronomy 15:10-11 (ESV)
• James 2:15-17 (ESV)
• Isaiah 58:6-11; 13-14 (ESV)

More about ThriveFunds:

• Learn More about ThriveFunds
• Explore ThriveFunds model and Four Categories of Service
• Be Encouraged by ThriveFunds podcast
• Bio: Gisele Garraway

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