Introduction
What does it truly mean to accompany the most vulnerable among us? In this pivotal episode of Goodfaith, Stephanie Peddicord sits down with Marlene Lao Collins, a leader with decades of experience in social justice and advocacy, to spotlight the very real challenges facing communities in New Jersey—and the hope that faith and action can bring.
Podcast Highlights
1. The Local Impact of National Decisions
Much of our news cycle focuses on national headlines, but Marlene—drawing on her background in public policy and service—reveals just how closely these decisions hit home.
“What happens at the federal level—budget cuts, executive orders—ripples down painfully fast for organizations like Catholic Charities. People are forced to go without food, housing, health care. That’s not abstract. That’s our neighbors.”
[00:20:43]
2. Beyond Charity: The Call to Accompaniment
Marlene’s journey, rooted in her Franciscan upbringing, is all about “accompaniment”—walking beside those in need through crisis, not just providing handouts, but holistically meeting people where they are.
“Our mission focuses on poverty, individuals that are poor and vulnerable. That’s our primary population… we try to address their needs holistically.”
[00:12:30]
3. The Fabric is Fraying—And So Is Hope
As government support wanes and needs spike post-pandemic, Marlene paints a vivid picture of what’s at stake:
“The supportive programs… disappear/slash are vastly reduced, and the ability for you to access federal and state funds to provide these services is going down—way down—potentially, at the same time that the need is spiking.”
[00:30:33]
4. A Lived Faith
Marlene’s personal story interweaves her work and spiritual journey, modeling what it means to “cling to Jesus like a child” even when facing overwhelming odds.
“Our Catholic faith is awesome and calls us to do the best things, in our communities… There’s a lot that’s happened in my personal life. My go-to is Jesus.”
[00:45:18]
5. What Can We Do?
You don’t have to be a social worker to make a difference. Marlene challenges parishes and individuals alike to step up:
“If you have a plan, it’s a little bit better… Be a reflective listener, encourage [immigrant families], learn their stories. If you want to talk about doing something—pick a topic. Be intentional.”
[00:53:17]
Key Quotes
- “It is our faith in Jesus, first and foremost, and our belief in the gospel that should guide our actions.” — Stephanie Peddicord [00:01:59]
- “When you have a personal relationship, it’s a lot less easier to go by the rhetoric and demonize a group of people as if they were all the same, when they are not.” — Marlene Lao Collins [01:00:48]
- “That accompaniment process that our human service organizations have honed over decades of work… you start to pull the pieces out and the whole thing comes unraveled.” — Stephanie Peddicord [00:37:36]
- “Name them.” — Marlene Lao Collins, reflecting on knowing the poor personally [01:01:27]
- “Let God worry about it. We gotta go to work. We gotta continue to do what we do best.” — Marlene Lao Collins [00:43:08]
