Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Matt Starkey: Art, Advocacy, and the Fight to Keep Children Safe
Description
What does it mean to tell the story of an organization that protects the most vulnerable children in your community — without exploiting those children's stories?
That critical question sits at the heart of Matt Starkey's work. As the Public Information Officer and Community Events Coordinator for Athens County Children Services, Matt serves as the bridge between the agency's essential work and the public that funds, supports, and depends on it.
In Episode 6 of The Anna Jinja Show's ACCS season, Matt joins host Anna Jinja and assistant producer Lizzi Montanti for a masterclass conversation about ethical storytelling, public transparency, and what it truly takes to keep children safe.
Matt speaks with incredible clarity and conviction about several core themes:
- On community reporting: "The only way we do our jobs is if people tell us when something's happening. Listen to children. And if you hear something that doesn't seem right — report it. Err on the side of caution."
- On the power of showing up: "It takes someone reaching out to a child consistently. Sometimes they slap your hand away. But you keep reaching."
- On what art can do that a fact sheet can't: Matt describes how the agency's iconic community mural — designed alongside five local high school students — was built to spark genuine emotion. "We don't need you to think about when KidFest is. We want you to drive by and feel happy."
The episode also features a cool milestone: the debut collaboration between Athens Poet Laureate (2020–2022) Wendy McVicker and folk singer-songwriter Bruce Dalzell. These two pillars of the Athens arts community had never worked together before but came together here to debut an original piece created in response to ACCS's mission.
This is a cornerstone episode of the ACCS season of The Anna Jinja Show — a brilliant intersection of child welfare, poetry, music, and vital community conversation.