For Evansville: Recent Episodes
For Evansville
Conversations with local experts and lovers of Evansville about how we can pursue the flourishing of our city together.
What do politics and the environment and the Church have in common? Loving your neighbor.
The Church in politics is a risky thing to say. But this episode with Councilwoman Mary Allen explores how followers of Jesus can navigate that space.
You may also know her as the owner of Sixth + Zero, the beautiful store on Main Street downtown Evansville that inspires us all to waste less and live more.
Bill Altman heard God speak to him in a factory. He went to college to be a missionary. Now he helps people plan how and where they’re buried. Sometimes life doesn’t follow the trajectory you intend, but as Bill puts it, "There’s beauty in every stage and in every place of your life.” In this episode we explore the question Can the Church be in the mundane?
Share your story beyond the pew in the comments or email us at connect@forevansville.org
Web developer. Preacher. Bass Player. Gardener. Car washer extraordinaire Dan Sullivan joins us to talk about the Chicken Pot Pie life (as opposed to the TV Dinner life... we'll let him explain that one).
Dan is one of those guys that seems to have mastered integrating his faith into every aspect of his life. He also loves to share stories. So that's what we do - share stories while weaving in the question - "What is God up to in this story, and how can I be a part of it?"
Sister Jane Michele has done something for the past 40 years.
In our Stories Beyond the Pew series, we listen to people share moments where it clicked: someone asked the right question, connections were made, the right book or sermon hit home. But what if you haven't had a moment like that?
In John Mark Comer's Practicing the Way, he says, "To be human is to change, constantly. Whether we are religious or not, we grow, evolve, fall apart, and come back together... So the question isn't 'Are you being formed?' it's 'Who or what are you being formed into?''
The way Sister Jane Michele treats others and views her purpose is clear that she's been sitting with the Lord every morning and evening for the past 40 years.
Gayla sees her cake shop as more than just a business—it's her ministry. Inspired by a friend's words that she could be a light on the corner, she shares many stories of how Gayla Cake has done just that.
Sometimes it takes a small word from a friend to remind us that what we're gifted at and what we're already doing is a part of what God is doing in the community.
Have your own story beyond the pew? We'd love to hear it! Share you story with us at connect@forevansville.org
Today we sit down with our own Communications Coordinator, Adrienne Gregurich. Growing up, she watched (and helped) her mom care for their neighbors, simply by meeting needs - big or small. These experiences taught her invaluable lessons about what it truly means to be a neighbor and how love is best expressed through actions.
These simple yet powerful gestures redefined her view of community and taught her how loving others can be a beautiful, everyday act of grace and kindness.
We gather leaders to address our city's greatest needs. We also like to invest in them and help them grow. What better way than to hear from our city's Mayor. Jonathan, our Executive Director, had the privilege of interviewing Mayor Stephanie Terry at the Global Leadership Summit this year.
We hope you're encouraged by her leadership and inspired to work together to make Evansville a place where everyone can flourish.
The first episode of Stories Beyond the Pew.
This new miniseries is a mission to help Christians and Churches discover the role they can play in addressing our city's greatest needs.
We're out of the gate with Hannah Bedwell, Sports Director for the Parks and Recreation Department. She talks about struggling with answering the question: "What do day to day sports have to do with the Kingdom of God?"
Do you have a story of the Church Beyond the Pew? Let us know at connect@forevansville.org
Sometimes we get the question "But what do you guys actually do?" We're really motivated and excited about advancing human flourishing in our city through the Church. But what does that look like for our team on a daily basis?
Join us in this special bonus episode as we reflect on the highlights of the past six months (did we cause some people to change careers?) and share what we've learned along the way through our favorite moments.
What's next for the podcast? Get a sneak peek into our next miniseries called Stories Beyond the Pew!
This is the last episode in our Liturgy of the Neighborhood miniseries! If you haven't had a chance to listen to the other episodes, we'd recommend doing that first.
The For Evansville team talks about their favorite moments of the series, and we've got some practical next steps for you.
- Read The Art of Neighboring and get to know your neighbors
- Watch our short film, Left Turn, about a middle class man whose assumptions about poverty are challenged by an unexpected encounter during his morning jog.
- Visit the Neighbors Helping Neighbors platform and find a project you and do and bring others alongside with you.
A Commuter Church is a church where the majority of attendees do not live within walking distance. 81% of Christians drive 6+ minutes to church.
So the reality is, most of us aren't neighboring alongside our church body. Or if we are, we're doing it somewhere we don't actually live.
That's why we sat down with John Heflick, Local Engagement Lead at Crossroads Christian Church and Patti Lahay, Crossroads' Advocacy Team Leader for Glenwood Kids. Crossroads is one of the largest commuter churches in Evansville, and they've been involved in the Glenwood neighborhood for a long time.
They share insights and stories about doing neighborhood work in a place that your church isn't in, and why building trusting relationships is where the work has to begin.
Liturgy. It's one of those churchy words where some Christians know exactly what it means, some think it's not a part of their denomination, and some don't know what it means at all. You're not alone! In this episode Austin Maxheimer, Love Your Neighborhood Director at Community One and author of Neighborhoods & Jesus, walks us through what liturgy means and how it can apply to the neighborhood. Spoiler alert - liturgy has something to do with formation - so Austin talks about how doing neighborhood work transformed his heart way more than all of his knowledge about neighborhood revitalization. And his research backed his own experience.
Let us know what you think!
"I want the neighborhood to fight for us to stay."
Do you have too many volunteers? We sure don't run into anyone who does. But Pastor John Culbertson and Neighborhood Liaison Kelly Fehrenbacher of Hope City Church may have just figured it out. What happens in the church during weekend services informs what happens in the neighborhood during the week, and vice versa. This intentional, cyclical culture has cleared a path for neighborhood transformation.
Tune in for inspiring stories and deep convictions to bring transformation to a neighborhood.
Care about Neighborhood Revitalization? Learn more
Are neighborhood revitalization efforts evangelism? Should you measure the success of a church by its attendance? Is a church crazy for stopping their most successful event?
Join the discussion with Kelli Ward, Operations and Outreach Pastor at Renew Christian Church and the President of Lamasco Neighborhood Association, Fred Mulfinger. In this packed episode, we cover topics from collaboration between churches, businesses, and nonprofits to micro-galleries all centered around what it looks like for a church to engage its neighborhood.
Show Notes:
Renew Christian Church
Community One Neighborhood Revitalization
Love Lamasco
Liturgies are formulas for worship.
Neighborhoods are big enough for us to have the potential to live, work and play but small enough for us to be known (The New Parish).
We're kicking off our new season with a mini-series where we explore what daily rhythms and practices you should adopt to pursue bringing love, justice and purpose (aka: God's Kingdom) to your neighborhood.
We'll share stories of churches and organizations already doing great work, what to do if you aren't in a neighborhood, and answer any questions you may have.
We'd love to hear from you. Reach out to us at connect@forevansville.org
Josh Calhoun is the Executive Director of Hope of Evansville. Today spends his time working with low-to-moderate income households to break down barriers to homeownership.
This was not always how he thought his life would end up. When he was a young person living in the Akin Park neighborhood in Evansville, Josh had aspirations of being a drug dealer, and eventually had a plan to rob a bank.
Something changed for Josh when the people around him started supporting him and encouraging him to see beyond his current circumstance and pursue a different dream.
Logan Miller and For Evansville produced a film where Josh is telling this story to his sons and we are premiering this film on January 18th at Imagine Evansville.
This episode goes a bit deeper into the creation of this film, and why Logan, Josh, and For Evansville wanted to make sure this story was told.
Check back after January 18th for a link to watch the film and share it.
We can't thank you enough for listening and joining with us this year on the For Evansville Podcast. We're really proud of our work from 2023, and we are also really excited for the ambitious new goals we are setting for 2024 and the years following.
In this episode, we talk about our new strategy that will lead toward that ambitious goal and why we think it can make an impact throughout our city. We also spend some time celebrating the work we've been able to join in this year.
We invite you to learn more about our new strategy at forevansville.org/forward
When is the last time you saw the Ohio River? When is the last time you saw it because you were walking by it?
As For Evansville seeks to advance human flourishing, we wanted to talk about how a new riverfront project advances human flourishing in Evansville. It’s a lot more complex than you might think. We talk about things like providing equal opportunities to live, work and play by the river, the benefits of giving the community a place to interact with people from different ages and socioeconomic backgrounds than their normal circles, and the positive physical and mental health implications of a beautiful space.
We wanted to hear from the people behind the project - so in today’s episode - Jonathan sits down with Candace from Evansville Regional Economic Partnership, and Anna - a Landscape Architect at Sasaki, the company that oversees the Riverfront Development Project.
You can learn more about the Ohio River Vision and Strategic Plan website.
Do you feel restless from the tension between your dreams of what you think the Church could be and the reality of what your church experience is? You're not alone.
In our conversation with Tim Soerens, author of Everywhere You Look: Discovering the Church right where you are, we talk about the importance of asking the question, "What is the Church for?"
This hopeful and thoughtful episode has us looking forward to the future of the Church and how we all (not just pastors/leaders) have to daily ask "What is God doing here, right where I am, and what's my role in this?"
Show Notes:
Tim's book: Everywhere You Look
The Patient Ferment of the Early Church (book)
S3 Ep13: People Trust Jesus But They Don't Trust the Church
Join our email list so you don't miss Tim coming in January!
The Church is and should be a vital part of the community. Its collective impact should be seen and felt by everyone. But as we explored in previous episodes, the stats show that currently isn't the case. So what can we do?
In this episode, we want to discuss communication within your church. As our team comes from a Church Communications background, we talk about how everything you say, do, and even how you decorate communicates something. We also share some pretty bad (but funny) communication fails when we worked for our churches.
We want to help! Part of our job is listening to the needs and dreams of churches and church leaders. If you want our thoughts or help with your specific church and what it communicates, reach out to us! We'd love to connect with you at connect@forevansville.org
CEO of Leadership Everyone, Lynn Miller Pease discusses the inclusive process of VOICE sessions, where all voices are valued equally, and the importance of diverse perspectives and historical awareness in shaping a brighter future. These sessions collect valuable census-like data as well as the ideas, dreams and visions of participants. This data can be used for a number of amazing things, but you'll have to listen to the episode to find out its full potential.
Join us as we talk about the value of active listening, and the excitement of connecting with a community united by shared dreams.
Join us for the
Regional VOICE Reveal
September 14 @ 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Old National Events Plaza Ballroom
More info and RSVP HERE
71% of Americans have a positive opinion of Jesus, while 47% of Americans have a positive opinion Churches in their community.
What's the disconnect?
Since our mission is to advance human flourishing through the Church - this stat from the Barna Group really stood out to us. Why don't people have a positive opinion of Churches? What can the Church do about it? What can we do about it? Do our churches not reflect Jesus?
All these questions led our team to turn the podcast mics on and hash it out. We want you to join in the conversation - so head on over to instagram or youtube and let us know what you think - what could help change people's opinion of churches?
Notes:
Barna Study (Nationwide)
Faith and Flourishing Study (Local)
Earlier this year, the U.S Surgeon General released a report titled "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation."
Isolation seems like a problem for individuals, but it actually affects every aspect of our community.
In this episode, the For Evansville Staff sat down to discuss points in the report we found relevant to our work.
We wanted to answer the questions:
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What can our listeners do about it?
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What can the local Church do about it?
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And how to change the question from "How do we get people connected?" to "How can we get people to connect with each other?"
Show notes:
U.S Surgeon General's Report: "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation."
"When you bring people together around food, you create community - you create love."
Our guest this week is Robin Mallery, former Executive Director of Urban Seeds. Her passion is food. Not just eating it, but bringing food justice into our community. That can mean a lot of different things - so she helps us unpack ideas from seasonal eating to local farmers to fighting for food equality for people whose nearest food source is a gas station.
A flourishing person and a flourishing city has access to healthy foods, so if we want to make Evansville a place where everyone flourishes, we have to look at the healthy food gaps in our area.
Sometimes we hear stories happening in Evansville that we had no idea were happening. So we bring in the people involved to share them with you. This episode is no exception as we sit down with Sergeant Josh Brewer and Officer Mario Reid.
They're involved with a number of programs in our community like mental health, homelessness, and addiction. Together they sit down and talk about the idea of Community Policing - what is it, who is involved, and does it work?
"If we know our neighbors better, think how much stronger our community would be." - Mayor Winnecke
When you have a podcast about being for Evansville, it's pretty much #goals to get the Mayor of Evansville on. Well, we're excited to announce we've achieved our goal with this episode featuring special guest Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.
As he wraps up over a decade of service to our city, we sat down with him to talk about what he's learned, what he's proud of, and what makes Evansville stand out from other cities.
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Follow for more content every other week, and join the conversation on instagram or facebook or reach out to us at connect@forevansville.org
At For Evansville, we inspire, align, and empower Christians to pursue common good in our city. So what happens when those Christians need to work alongside others that practice different faiths, or don't have a faith at all?
Today, we sat down with Zac Parsons from Honey Moon Coffee Co. to talk about pursuing common good together. What does it look like to bring your whole self to something and feel like you don't have to compromise your beliefs?
Thanks for listening! As always, like, subscribe and leave us a comment! Catch us for more conversation on our instagram account @forevansville or reach out to us directly at connect@forevansville.org
For Evansville has a strong history of uniting the Church for the flourishing of the city. Last year, 81% of Church leaders we surveyed said they began addressing a community need because of For Evansville. 53% said they did so in collaboration with another church.
Now we're adopting an even more focused and hands-on approach to advancing human flourishing through the Church. We see this updated vision, mission, and strategic plan as a more focused expression of the change we've been pursuing from the beginning and the natural next step for For Evansville.
In this episode, Jonathan Boettcher, Sarah Inman, and the For Evansville Board Chair, John Benton, talk about where this new language came from, and how we hope to pursue it within our city in this exciting future.
You can read the updated language here:
https://www.forevansville.org/aboutus
- DeAndre Wilson - Onboarding Manager, Bedford Collab
- Scott Massey, Founder and CEO, GroPod
- Rasheedah Ajibade, Chief Program Officer, Memorial Community Development Corporation
- Serita Cabell, Executive Director, Memorial Community Development Corporation
Get connected with Neighborhood Revitalization
"We believe that to be a good, valued member of the community, we can’t just sell pizza. We have to give back. We have to contribute in ways that are tangible and make a difference." In 2021, Evansville voted for Azzip as not only the best pizza in town, but also the best business that gives back. We’re always looking to celebrate and share stories of people and organizations that are for Evansville.
As personal fans, we wanted to sit down with Andy Niemeier, Co-CEO of Azzip, and talk about their continually growing reputation. Not surprisingly, we were met with a story about the mutual relationship between the community and a local business.
azzip #pizza #Evansville #community #business #supportlocal #eatlocal #localbusiness #innovation #employeedevelopment
"We're not going to change their life. We're going to give them tools to change their own life."
Have you ever noticed that you see homeless men a lot more than homeless women? Yet on any given day, Evansville averages about 300 homeless men and 200 homeless women. Why don't we see them?
In this episode, we sit down with Katrinka, the campaign manger for the future Susan H. Snyder Center for Women and Children. We talk about everything from why we don't see women and children as often as the men, what wrap-around care for women looks like, and who needs to get involved to make it work.
Show Notes:
Support the Susan H. Snyder Center for Women and Children: email Katrinka
Evansville Rescue Mission
State of Evansville Report
If you're a parent, grandparent, caretaker or involved with kids in any way, you know Evansville has a child care problem. And the problem is multi-dimensional - lack of child care workers, high prices, high turnover rates, etc. It seems like a reoccurring theme at this point. Almost every guest we have points to early childhood development as the starting point of many issues in our community. So in this episode, we sit down with Aleisha Sheridan, the President and CEO of Building Blocks to talk about the accessibility, affordability and quality of early childhood care. Why is it so important, what are the barriers our city faces, and what can we do about it?
Show Notes:
Building Blocks
Related Episodes:
S1 Ep5: Helping Kids Succeed Whatever It Takes
S2 Ep6: Disrupting Evansville's Preschool to Prison Pipeline
We like to say Evansville is an ecosystem of neighbors. When people struggle, our whole city struggles. In this episode we look at the two systems of Affordable Housing and Education. Beth Folz, the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity and Sheila Huff, the Director of Strategic Engagement at EVSC discuss how unstable housing affects education and how education affects the perception of the housing crisis. In short, we all need to be more educated and empathetic when it comes to these complex issues.
Show Notes:
Habitat for Humanity Evansville
Podcast Episode: Disrupting Evansville's Preschool to Prison Pipeline
Podcast Episode: When your Neighbor need a House
School Partnership film: Fragile Strength
“We want to make a bunch of money and give a bunch of money away.”
In this episode, we are joined by the CEO Ben Schmidt, and HR Director Ryan Nunn of CrossPoint Polymer Technologies. They share their heart for valuing every person that works for their company, regardless of their role, position, or background through open communication and mutual respect.
But they don’t stop there. They ask their employees what kind of impact they want to have in their community, not just their job, and discovered there was a common denominator amongst their employees to support Evansville’s kids. This inspired them to reach out to local schools, develop trust and partnerships to meet tangible needs to help students and teachers to be successful.
Show notes:
Support the Podcast
Watch our short film, Fragile Strength, about the importance of school partnerships
Questions or comments for Ben, Ryan or our team? We'd love to talk.
"I believe we can change Evansville one relationship at a time."
It's Black History Month, and Evansville is celebrating with a Unity Concert on February 19. We're kicking off Season 3 with an interview with the Unity Concert choir director, James Hamler, and Renew Christian Church's Music and Technology Pastor, Ryan Stapleton.
In this episode, we talk about Gospel music as an art form, it's history, and how it was a part of history and culture in America. And James and Ryan discuss the importance of unity not only racially, but across denominations and generations.
Unity Concert Details:
Website
Concert: February 19, 5:00 PM, Old National Events Plaza, Free
Choir Rehearsals: February 15-18, Nazarene Baptist Church, sign up here
African American History Museum
Show notes:
Support the Podcast! forevansville.org/podcastpartner
Spectrum Dynamic Exhibit: https://emuseum.org/changing-exhibitions/2022-spectrum-dynamic
Optimal Rhythms: https://optimalrhythms.org/
Questions or comments for Karen, Casey or our team? Shoot us an email at connect@forevansville.org
Phillip Boyd, Senior Case Manager at the Evansville Rescue Mission, is the perfect person for the job. Having walked through addiction, and continuing long-term recovery, he truly understands the men coming through the doors seeking addiction. In this episode, he shares his story of addiction, recovery, and the people, programs, and collaboration it takes to help people struggling with addiction, mental wellness and homelessness.
Phillip’s time with us was extremely enlightening and we know you’ll be inspired by him and the organizations he collaborates with to make Evansville a city where everyone can flourish.
Show notes:
Support the Podcast! forevansville.org/podcastpartner
State of E Report forevansville.org/stateofe
Questions or comments for Phillip or our team? Shoot us an email at connect@forevansville.org
Did you know Evansville has the number one Kindermusik program in the United States and the second best program in the world? In this episode we sit down with Jeremy Seger, Kindermusik Educator and Board of Directors Chair of The Isaiah 1:17 Project [an initiative to support Foster families] to talk about the importance of connection for children, and how that sets a course towards emotionally healthy adults.
Foster Care is a big issue for our region, and 50% of foster parents quit within the first year if they don’t have wrap around care. Jeremy gives practical and easy examples of how we as a community of individuals and businesses can provide support for Foster families.
Questions or comments about this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at connect@forevansville.org
Show Notes
Join the work around Foster Care
Isaiah 1:17 Project
Kindermusik
Our State of E Report is here! In this episode, we sit down with John Benton, the Director of Cradle to Career Continuum at Dream Center Evansville and a lover of all things stats and data. It's because of his hard work compiling all the data for us that the report exists. Together, we discuss the overarching themes, what stood out to us, and honestly, what made us cry.
We've taken our findings and summarized it into five areas of opportunity. They represent some of the most crucial building blocks to a flourishing life. If a person or family struggles in one of these areas, they will likely face a number of significant challenges. Likewise, when we work to better our city in these five areas, we empower people and families to pursue stability and flourishing for themselves and for Evansville.
Over the next few months, we'll deep dive into each area of opportunity.
Show Notes:
Download the full State of E Report and the poster, visit forevansville.org/stateofe
We'd love to hear from you - what kind of podcast episodes would you like to see in the future to further unpack this data? Are there any points that you want to hear experts discuss? Let us know at connect@forevansville.org
John Benton, director of Cradle-to-Career Continuum at Dream Center shares a story of a tenant and how she views herself and her family based on her circumstances. What if you judged your neighbors' circumstances in such a way where you were valuing and dignifying all persons?
For Evansville's next Imagine Evansville event is September 15, 2022 you can get tickets at forevansville.org/imagine
We'll be back to our regular podcast episodes next week, with John Benton again discussing our State of E report. You can download the 2022 State of E at forevansville.org/stateofe
"If the school system is healthy and thriving and flourishing, the city will be the same." Roseyn Hood is the Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Officer for the Evansville School Corporation, and Joann Hunter is the Co-Leader of And How are the Children Evansville. Together, they sit down with Jonathan to discuss equity among all students in Evansville, and how the community needs the schools to thrive, and how the schools need the community to thrive.
For Evansville's next Imagine Evansville event is September 15, 2022 you can get tickets at forevansville.org/imagine
We'll be back to our regular podcast episodes in soon to talk about our city's needs and dreams highlighted in our upcoming State of E Report, which you can find at forevansville.org/stateofe.
Hear Logan's talk on the value of art and beauty in a flourishing city, recorded at the January 2022 Imagine Evansville event in downtown Evansville.
The second Imagine Evansville event is coming September 15th! Learn more and get your ticket at www.forevansville.org/imagine
We'll be back to our regular podcast episodes in a few weeks to talk about our city's needs and dreams highlighted in our upcoming State of E Report!
It feels good to volunteer, but sometimes, the things we do to help have unintended consequences. In this episode, we sit down with Gina Gibson, CEO of the Evansville Christian Life Center, and Catherine King, CharityTracker Manager to talk about the idea of toxic charity - what is it, and how do we find ways to give our neighbors a hand up, not a handout? Together we explore what makes helping meaningful and life-giving for both the volunteer and the recipient.
SHOW NOTES:
Explore the work at The Evansville Christian Life Center
Is your church or non-profit interested in joining the CharityTracker network? Get more info here.
Plants in space, vertical farming and growing produce in your house Keurig-style seems straight out of a science fiction novel. But it’s actually straight out of Evansville. Today’s guest, Scott Massey, is the co-founder and CEO of GroPod. Using his understanding of technology and agriculture, GroPod wants to give people the tools and knowledge to empower everyone to grow pure produce in their home or neighborhood. This potentially world-changing technology is being developed right here in Evansville.
“It’s not just that we are in Evansville, it’s thanks to Evansville that we are here,” said Scott. “We couldn’t have seriously done this without the existence of this city.”
Show notes:
Follow what GroPod is up to!
Questions or comments for Scott or our team? Shoot us an email at connect@forevansville.org
In a time where our country seems more focused on our differences, we want to share a story of how an Evangelical leader and a political leader (specifically, the openly gay mayor of Portland, Oregon) realized they could do a lot of good together. In our interview with Kevin Palau, he talks about how despite their differences, both communities had to learn that you don’t have to sacrifice what you believe in to participate in common goals for the good of the city.
Show Notes
Read the full story in Kevin's book, Unlikely: Setting Aside Our Differences to Live Out the Gospel
The phrase "Preschool to Prison Pipeline" sounds pretty alarming. Fortunately, we have a lot of great organizations and individuals, like our guest Joann Hunter, walking alongside kids to disrupt the systemic problems that cause a pipeline like this to happen. But it doesn't end there. You can also help disrupt the pipeline by getting involved, or as Joann puts it, just showing up. Love disrupts everything.
In this episode we hear Joann's story about how it took a village to raise her, and how that inspires her to serve her community and be that caring adult for others. You'll leave this conversation feeling inspired to just show up for others and disrupt the pipeline in your circles of influence.
Show Notes
And How are the Children Facebook Page
Imagine Evansville Talk: Pursuing Justice
Despite being torn down 9 years ago, Roberts Stadium is still talked about as Evansville's beloved arena. But if you loved Roberts Stadium, does that mean you have to hate the Ford Center? In this episode, we talk about why people still love talking about Roberts Stadium, constructive criticism vs. complaining, and a healthy way to think about our city as it changes and grows.
We'd love to hear from you! Send us a message at connect@forevansville.org
You read the title correctly - this week our guest, Ubi Ntewo talks about not only why we should discuss politics, religion, and other hard topics with people, but why it’s necessary.
Ubi himself covers some pretty hard pills to swallow in this conversation like why you shouldn’t actually “agree to disagree” and that pastors should be unified in their theology.
If you’re part of Evansville’s faith community, check out the Prism & Light Experience this May at lockunited.org/prism-light
Take a quiz with us! In this Episode, we test our Evansville knowledge by taking Evansville Living Magazine's "How well do you know Evansville?" quiz. We were surprised at Evansville's contribution to the world! After the quiz, we wrap up by discussing why it's actually important to know things about our city. Spoiler alert - you can't love what you don't know.
Let us know how you did, or any other comments at connect@forevansville.org
“Our ceiling is their floor.”
Theophilus Akai hails from Ghana, West Africa, and after living in multiple states in the U.S., he settled in Evansville - and loves it! Theo has a passion for music and creating spaces for people, especially kids, to learn and grow. His thoughtful commentary on exposing kids to all sorts of opportunities, not just music, inspired us to dream of ways we can invest in the younger generations to help them be for Evansville.
We have to add - we’re a bit starstruck with Theo at the moment, as you’ll hear his guitar work behind UG SKywalkin representing Indiana on NBC’s American Song Contest! The first episode airs March 21 at 8/7c - check it out and cheer on Indiana with us!
Listen to our interview with Theo on your favorite podcast platform.
Show notes:
American Song Contest
Theo’s Website
Are you a musician hiding in your bedroom? Do you have a skill or job that you’d like to provide an opportunity to teach people about? We’d love to talk with you. Connect with us at info@forevansville.org
If you were riding on an elevator with someone and they asked you to describe Evansville, what would you say in that one minute?
The For Evansville team kicks off season 2 by discussing what makes Evansville unique, why it’s important to highlight problems, and looking forward to this upcoming season.
Show Notes
The Grippos Episode
Randy Hobson’s interview
State of E Report
Share your Evansville elevator pitch with us! Email us at info@forevansville.org
We hope you've enjoyed Season 1 as much as we have, and we hope the conversations you've heard have motivated you to pursue the flourishing of our city in new ways.
In this final episode, Ross and Jonathan share about For Evansville's mission, initiatives, and goals for 2022, as well as what you can look forward to in the next season of the podcast.
Thanks for listening!
Do you have a story or guest you'd like to recommend for season 2? Let us know at info@forevansville.org
“Just after 6 o’clock in the morning. It’s 25 degrees. It’s cold. I didn’t sleep all that well. I’m exhausted…It’d be a very different experience if I didn’t know this was going to end.” That was the perspective of State Representative Ryan Hatfield as he participated in Aurora’s Homeless Experience Project.
In this episode, Aurora’s Executive Director Zac Heronemus talks with us about his 48 hours of homelessness as well as the needs and opportunities he sees for Evansville, both as a nonprofit director and a city councilman. Special thanks to Ryan Hatfield, Wayne Hart, and Zac Heronemus for allowing us to feature clips they recorded during their 48 hours of homelessness.
In this episode:
Zac Heronemus (In studio with us)
Ryan Hatfield (Facebook Live clips)
Wayne Hart (Facebook Live clips)
Have you ever had a conversation with someone experiencing homelessness? Or perhaps been in that situation yourself? We’d love to hear your stories. Email us at info@forevansville.org
To like the neighborhood you live in, you have to like the actual people that live there - your neighbors. And to like them, you have to know them. Sometimes it seems harder than it sounds, so that’s why we asked Dan Sullivan, expert on being a good neighbor (we gave him that title), to join us this week.
From simple, practical stories of starting conversations to genuinely loving Evansville and rooting for her flourishing, Dan inspires us to be a positive presence in our homes, neighborhoods, and city.
In this episode:
Dan Sullivan
Do you have more tips on being a good neighbor or know someone else who is a good neighbor? We’d love to hear your stories! Email us at info@forevansville.org
Being involved with over 26 local non-profits, our guest Lisa Vaughan has a good pulse on the needs and dreams of our city. During the quarantine, she used that knowledge to shed a light on one of Evansville’s biggest needs - food insecurity. After making a lot of phone calls and bringing people together, Feed Evansville was born, working together with community organizations to provide boxes of food to our entire city during the pandemic, and the work still continues today.
Knowing she can’t do the work alone, Lisa’s story is especially inspiring due to her go-getter yet humble attitude, and how she truly loves the people in our city through her actions.
“I think we make life about issues, and what I’m doing has nothing to do with issues, it has to do with people. These aren’t issues, these are human beings that need food.” - Lisa
Show notes:
Feed Evansville’s Facebook Page
Although the origins to Grippo's have no known connection to the city of Evansville, Indiana, the Bar-B-Q Potato Chip product is incredibly popular there, and has become a significant part of the local culture.
“Grippos.” wikipedia.com, 09 September 2021, wikipedia.com/grippos.
We’re not sure about you, but we were pretty shocked when we found out that Grippo’s BBQ potato chips aren’t actually made here. So we did a little digging and found out where they came from, how they got here, and in the process we ended up being inspired by the idea that one person can change the entire culture of a city.
Are you a top of the box or a bottom of the box Grippo's eater? Do you have any more info on debunking the myth that the Fall Festival is the United State's 2nd largest street festival? What's your favorite way to eat Grippos? Let us know at info@forevansville.org
Show notes:
Evansville Courier and Press Article about Grippo's
"Just How Big is the Fall Festival?" Article
Part of our vision is that Evansville becomes a place where everyone has work that provides community value and individual purpose. That’s why we wanted to sit down and talk with Amy Bouchie - she is a great example of how this idea plays out in her own life. It wasn’t always like that for her, so in this episode, Amy shares with us her journey from seeing her career as just a job, to viewing it as a specific skill set that she could share to empower others. It left us asking ourselves the question “What unique knowledge or skills do I have, that I could offer to serve others?”
“If I have something that someone else doesn’t have, and I can afford to share my knowledge, time and resources, then that’s what I should be doing…The most selfless acts are where I’ve been the most useful.” - Amy
IN THIS EPISODE:
Amy Bouchie, Certified Financial Planner at New Horizons Financial Consultants
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Know someone who is For Evansville? We’d love to hear their story. Email us at info@forevansville.org
We're launching this episode a few days early in celebration of HOLA Evansville's Latino Festival this weekend (August 28)!
We don't often think of Evansville as a multicultural city, but in Marisela's words: "Wrong! We've got it! We've got it here!"
She's been doing great work celebrating, exposing, and just genuinely enjoying the different cultures and people groups represented in Evansville. With great tips on how to start conversations to YouTube videos to salsa recipes, Marisela works hard to bring an atmosphere of multicultural celebration and peace to our city.
IN THIS EPISODE:
Marisela De la Parra, Experience Facilitator at Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library
Resources:
Marisela's YouTube playlists with EVPL:
La Hora del Cuento (Marisela and her puppet, Pepis)
Salsa of the Month
Around the World in Evansville
Other resources:
Festival of Nations Facebook page
HOLA Evansville
Sometimes we don't find ourselves in a dream job, but for Lane Young, it's the personal connections and impact you have with people that matters most. In this episode, we talk about looking at the bigger picture of your vocation, the importance of bringing others along with you, and why living in a city on a river is pretty cool.
IN THIS EPISODE: Lane Young, Executive Director of Evansville Water and Sewer Utility
“If we think about death, then we think about how we’re going to live.”
In this episode, we sit down with Social Worker, Therapist, Counselor and co-founder of What Matters Most, Evansville? Andrea Lanz. She walks us through her unique story about how she went from wanting to never live in Evansville again to loving it. She’s passionate about coping with and preparing for various life transitions, and why it’s important for our entire city to embrace the grief process and the value of sharing our stories with one another.
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Know someone who is For Evansville? We’d love to hear their story. Email us at info@forevansville.org
Useful Links:
- What Matters Most? Evansville - facebook.com/WMMEVV/
- Check out Andrea and Jim’s podcast by searching “River’s Fog” on any of your favorite podcast streaming platforms
- https://www.forevansville.org/post/03-becoming-a-mentally-healthy-city
- https://www.forevansville.org/post/04-working-on-our-mental-health
As Evansville foodies ourselves, we love talking about pizza and donuts just as much as anyone. And maybe that was a little bit of our motivation for bringing Founder and Owner of Pangea and 2nd Language, Randy Hobson, on our show. But what we weren't expecting was to meet a guy who loves our city and cares so much about its people and culture, that he figured out a way to bring his passions and cross-cultural experiences together to make Evansville a more flourishing city.
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For Evansville
Pangea
2nd Language
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We've wrapped up the first half of our season, so Ross, Jonathan, and Adrienne are taking this short episode to recap what topics we've covered (that's where the quiz comes in). But we're not just looking back - we're really excited about the second half of this season, so we talk about the new direction our podcast is taking and why. Let us know what has stood out to you so far!
Our city's economy impacts every person and organization in Evansville in important and complex ways. What does it really take to grow the economic pie so that there's more to go around? Ross and Adrienne talk with two experts from the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership to learn more.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Greg Wathen, Co-CEO of Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
- Audrie Burkett, Evansville Regional Economic Partnership
In this episode, we learn how quality places, nurturing relationships, and thriving startups contribute to the flourishing of our city.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Candace Chapman, Executive Director of Downtown Evansville Development Corporation
- Bob Myer, Entrepreneur, Investor, and Board Member at Elevate Ventures
What if the most important question you had to answer today was, "Where are we going to live next, since we can't stay here?" In this episode an academic and a practitioner help us understand what life is like for someone experiencing housing insecurity - and how that person's circumstances directly affect the flourishing of our city.
GUESTS:
Eric Cummings
Executive Director of Community One
Dr. Matthew Hanka
Associate Professor of Political Science at University of Southern Indiana
Check out Matt's TED X Talk here
Imagine living in a house that's missing a window or an apartment where the electricity in the kitchen doesn't work. Due to a lack of safe, affordable housing, many families in Evansville are paying more than they can afford to live in unsafe conditions. In this episode we learn what's being done about it, and how you can be part of the solution.
GUESTS:
Serita Cabell
Executive Director at Memorial Community Development Corporation
Beth FolzExecutive Director at Habitat for Humanity
The best way to help kids face challenges and grow into healthy, resilient adults is to bring stability and love to their home. We talk with two local experts about how we can strengthen families and help parents succeed at creating healthy homes.
GUESTS:
- Parri Black, President & CEO of Youth First
- Larry May, Indiana State Director of America's Kids Belong
Also featured in this episode:
- Rasheeda Ajibade, Program Director at Memorial Community Development Corporation
- Joy Howard, Assistant Professor at University of Southern Indiana
Your circumstances growing up can have a huge impact the rest of your life, and kids have very little influence over their own circumstances. In this episode, we explore what it looks like to make a child's success the only metric, and we talk to two men who are committed to doing whatever it takes - no exceptions, no excuses.
GUESTS:
- Rob Carroll
Assistant Professor of Education at University of Southern Indiana * Jeremy Evans
Executive director at Dream Center Evansville
Also featured in this episode:
- Aleisha Sheridan
CEO/President of 4C of Southern Indiana * Bethany Craig
Program Director at Potter's Wheel
Mental health is often an unacknowledged factor in our overall health and the quality of our lives and relationships. If we want to prioritize the holistic well-being of all people in our city, we have to learn how to recognize and care for the mental well-being of ourselves and our neighbors.
GUESTS:
- Claire Ballard, host of the HOT96 Morning Show
- Dr. Mark Stenstrom, Psychotherapist
A person's mental health affects many other aspects of his or her life. Mental health is crucial to the flourishing of individual people and of our community. In this episode, two local experts share some of our city's most common mental health challenges as well as some solutions that any person can contribute to.
GUESTS:
Emily Reidford
Executive Director
Mental Health America of Vanderburgh County
Katy AdamsPresident/CEOSouthwestern Behavioral Healthcare
How does our racially-divided society affect each of us as individuals? And what do we stand to gain by pursuing a more diverse circle of relationships? Tanisha and Logan share their personal experiences and explore what it takes to build trust and empathy for people with different backgrounds and perspectives.
Guests:
Tanisha Carothers
Principal Attorney at T. Carothers Law Office, Owner of Her Space Co., President of Evansville's Black Chamber of Commerce
Logan MillerDirector & Producer of Love: Undivided, Owner and Filmmaker at Kriss Films
One of the barriers that keeps our neighbors from flourishing in our Evansville community has to do with ethnic and cultural background. More than half of our black youth experience poverty. Why? We're diving into the sociology and history of Evansville to understand why those gaps exist, and what we can do to address them. Guests: Dr. Rob Shelby, Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Evansville. Kelley Coures, Executive Director of the Department of Metropolitan Development
Do you love Evansville? A core value to everything that we do is listen first. We want to understand our city well. You can’t love what you don’t know, and unless you love the place you live, you can never be an agent in its transformation. Ross Chapman, Executive Director and Jonathan Boettcher, Director of Communications & Storytelling at For Evansville spend this teaser episode talking about why we're so excited about Season 1 coming February 1st. Follow us at @forevansville on Instagram to join the conversation!
Before we begin hearing from local experts about the needs in our city, we sat down to talk about the value of research and listening with people who interact with data on a regular basis.
ON THIS EPISODE:
Liz Tharp, Learning & Impact Officer for the Welborn Baptist Foundation
John Benton, Wrap-Around Care Coordinator for Dream Center Evansville
Ross Chapman, Executive Director at For Evansville
Jonathan Boettcher, Director of Communications & Storytelling at For Evansville
www.forevansville.org