People Know What They Need

People Know What They Need

From How To Citizen with Baratunde by iHeartPodcasts

April 17, 2025 · 7 min

About this episode

This episode explores how a community of young single mothers in Lexington, Kentucky, shaped their own support and leadership needs.

We’re told some people just need to be saved. But what people really need is to be needed. This community of young single mothers in Lexington, Kentucky reveals a version of this story. Full video viewing options for this story plus links to the Instagram and LinkedIn versions: https://newsletter.baratunde.com/p/young-mothers-asked-to-lead-and-they-did This episode features Tanya Torp, Executive Director of Step by Step , a nonprofit that chose to stop assuming what young mothers needed—and started  asking . These moms didn’t just receive support. They shaped it. They requested Narcan training. They showed up. They led. They built trust and built community. And in the process, they reminded us: People need dignity. Agency. The opportunity to contribute. More stories and updates: https://stories.howtocitizen.com 🎙️ This story series is a collaborative effort by Shira Abramowitz, Jon Alexander, Elizabeth Stewart, and Baratunde Thurston. Video produced by Alexa Lim. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Baratunde Thurston

Guest: Tanya Torp

Topics covered

  • community
  • young mothers
  • support
  • dignity
  • agency
  • leadership

Keywords

  • young mothers
  • community support
  • dignity
  • agency
  • Narcan training
  • nonprofit

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Step by Step

Places: Lexington, Kentucky

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