In this episode of How I Ally, host Lucinda Koza sits down with Beth Giannobile, a peer support specialist with Mom2Mom, a New Jersey-based helpline for caregivers of individuals with disabilities. Beth shares her powerful journey from caller to counselor and explains how peer support can break the cycle of isolation so many parents feel after a diagnosis.

Together, they explore the emotional toll of caregiving, the unique magic of connecting with someone who’s “been there,” and the importance of centering caregiver wellness. With insights from Rutgers Behavioral Health’s Matthew Buragina, this conversation shines a light on a model of care that’s quietly transforming lives.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, unheard, or alone in your parenting journey—this episode is for you.

In This Episode:

• How Mom2Mom matches callers with peers who truly understand

• What happens when the village shrinks—and how to rebuild it

• The power of lived experience in support services

• Why self-care is more than solo grocery runs

• The ripple effect of a single phone call

Resources Mentioned:

• Learn more: www.mom2mom.us.com

• Call the helpline: 1-877-914-MOM2 (6662)

• Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care: https://ubhc.rutgers.edu

Funded by:

New Jersey Department of Children and Families

Division of Developmental Disabilities

Claudia Charles-Sardine is a powerhouse appellate court attorney, but her most personal case? Advocating for her son, Justin, who is on the autism spectrum. In this deeply moving and inspiring conversation, Claudia shares how her legal training, faith, and Afro-Caribbean roots shape the way she mothers, fights systems, and builds community. From winning appeals to make sure her son gets the support he needs, to creating inclusive spaces in school and church, Claudia’s story is a masterclass in grace and grit.

Whether you’re a parent, professional, or both—this one will stay with you.

🔑 Topics We Cover:

• What it means to be an Afro-Caribbean woman in the legal field

• Navigating the special education system as a parent and attorney

• How advocacy begins at home—and extends to every child

• Letting go of shame and asking for help

• Creating access to faith, friendship, and belonging for neurodivergent kids

• The importance of sharing knowledge: “Each one, teach one”

🕰️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Meet Claudia Charles-Sardine: attorney, mother, advocate

02:00 – Growing up in Brooklyn in an Afro-Caribbean family

06:30 – Inside the appellate court system—and how it works

10:15 – Justin’s autism diagnosis: fear, faith, and fierce advocacy

14:45 – Winning an appeal for occupational therapy services

17:30 – The unseen burdens parents carry—and why we need safe spaces to vent

22:00 – A powerful moment of divine reassurance

26:00 – Why she celebrates the smallest milestones

30:00 – Empathy for all parents—and how her perspective has changed

34:00 – The social power of inclusion: from after-school to sacraments

42:30 – Building trust and support with your child’s school

46:00 – Her favorite mantra: “If I want my child to talk, I have to give him something to talk about”

👂 Listen If You’re…

• Parenting a child with disabilities

• Feeling overwhelmed in the IEP or therapy maze

• A professional learning to hold space for families

• Looking for real talk, spiritual grounding, and radical hope

📝 Connect with Claudia:

Want to reach out to Claudia? She welcomes connections from fellow parents and advocates.

📧 Email: claudiajcharles@gmail.com

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Lucinda Koza is joined by Dr. Lisa De La Rue—licensed psychologist, trauma specialist, and Chief Education and Research Officer at Urban Alchemy—for a candid conversation about parenting through trauma, the stigma surrounding formerly incarcerated mothers, and how healing becomes possible when we give ourselves permission to stumble.

Together, they explore the realities of reparenting yourself while raising children, the hidden mental health crisis in the fourth trimester, and the need to normalize delayed postpartum anxiety and depression. Dr. De La Rue also shares how Urban Alchemy is redefining community care—employing people with lived experience to lead the work of transformation in their own neighborhoods.

Whether you’re a parent, a survivor, or simply someone trying to understand the invisible barriers others face, this episode will move you, ground you, and remind you of the radical power of compassion.

🔑 Topics Covered:

• Reparenting while parenting: breaking generational cycles
• Trauma, addiction, and the incarceration pipeline
• The long shadow of postpartum anxiety
• Fatherhood and the subtle stigma against involved dads
• How Urban Alchemy is led by people with lived experience
• Creating systems rooted in dignity, not judgment
• What post-traumatic growth really looks like