The Do Gooders Podcast: Recent Episodes
Christin Thieme
If you care about making an impact for good then the Do Gooders Podcast from The Salvation Army’s Caring Magazine is the show for you. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Christin Thieme, listen in for real-life inspiration, expert insight, evidence of transformation happening in communities across the U.S. through The Salvation Army, and ideas from change-makers so you can join in right where you are and be the reason somebody believes in goodness.
In part four of our series, Walking With Jesus: A Journey to the Cross with Major Dr. Terry Masango, we stand before the empty tomb—the defining moment that separates Christianity from every other faith tradition in the world.
The resurrection isn't just an epilogue to the crucifixion—it's the validation of everything Jesus taught and claimed. It's the proof that death has been defeated, that sin has been conquered, and that the devil himself has been overthrown.
As we prepare to celebrate Easter Sunday, Major Masango reminds us not to stay fixated on the cross and the darkness of Friday, but to press forward to the empty tomb and the light of Sunday morning. We're invited to move past the suffering and see the triumph.
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In part three of our series, Walking With Jesus: A Journey to the Cross with Major Dr. Terry Masango, we explore three simple words: "Jesus, remember me."
Spoken by a dying criminal, these words contain within them the essence of our faith journey. As we near Holy Week, Major Masango invites us to consider which of the two thieves we identify with—the one who demanded physical salvation or the one who recognized his need for spiritual redemption.
It’s a message that speaks directly to those of us who feel unworthy, invisible, or beyond redemption. It reminds us that even at the worst points in our lives—even in our final moments like the thief on the cross—we can turn to Jesus and simply ask, "Remember me." And his answer remains the same: "Today you will be with me in paradise."
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In part two of our series, Walking With Jesus: A Journey to the Cross with Major Dr. Terry Masango, we turn to one of Jesus' most profound and challenging parables: The Good Samaritan. This story isn't just about helping others—it completely redefines what it means to be a neighbor and challenges our assumptions about who deserves our love and compassion.
In our world, we're often divided by differences—political views, cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic status. We build invisible walls between "us" and "them." But in this message, Major Masango asks us a critical question: Who is our neighbor? And more importantly, to whom are we being a neighbor? As he explains, real love gets close. Real love notices people. Real love is willing to be interrupted and inconvenienced.
Listen as Major Dr. Terry Masango unpacks the parable of the Good Samaritan and challenges us to cross boundaries with compassion, just as Jesus did.
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Welcome to a new series—Walking With Jesus: A Journey to the Cross.
Over the next four weeks, we’ll be guided by Major Dr. Terry Masango through a thoughtful exploration of Scripture and its meaning in our everyday lives.
In this series, he invites us to walk alongside those who encountered Jesus on his journey to the cross—from the lost sheep being carried home on the shepherd's shoulders, to the Good Samaritan who showed true compassion across social boundaries, to the thief on the cross who found salvation in his final moments, and finally to the empty tomb that changed everything.
You’ll be challenged to see yourself in these stories—sometimes as the lost sheep, sometimes as the Good Samaritan and always as recipients of God's grace.
Today, we'll discover the lengths to which the Good Shepherd will go to find those who have strayed.
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Today, we're closing our Warm Hearts, Warm Homes series with perhaps the most critical need of all: shelter.
Recent government data shows homelessness has soared to the highest level on record, with more than 770,000 people experiencing homelessness in the United States—an 18 percent increase over last year.
Behind these sobering statistics are real people seeking safety, warmth and a path forward. And The Salvation Army is responding in communities across the West, providing over 3.8 million nights of lodging last year alone.
In our final episode of this series, we're exploring how The Salvation Army's sheltering programs serve as more than just a roof overhead—they're often the first step toward rebuilding lives.
From emergency overnight shelters in Portland to Santa Monica's Hope Team meeting people where they are on the streets, to warming centers in Pocatello during brutal winter temperatures, these programs are designed not just to provide immediate safety but to create pathways to permanent housing and healing.
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We’re back again today with our Warm Hearts, Warm Homes series, and this time, exploring how food assistance helps create warm, stable homes for our neighbors in need.
Food insecurity is a big problem in the United States, as 47 million people—including 14 million children—do not have enough to eat and don’t know where their next meal will come from.
Beyond that figure, many more people—estimated in the millions by Feeding America—do not meet the government's definition of food insecure but still turn to the charitable sector for support.
And in Gillette, Wyoming, that includes The Salvation Army.
Jenny Hartung, who leads The Salvation Army's Service Extension Unit in Gillette, has witnessed the evolution of need and Salvation Army assistance over the past decade. What started as a single shelf of emergency food has grown into a 15,000-square-foot facility that's warming both hearts and homes through food assistance, social services, and soon, a bridge housing program for women.
Today, Jenny is here to share how The Salvation Army in this small town of some 30,000 people is making a big impact—distributing over 2,000 food boxes every month and showing us all what's possible when a community comes together to care for its neighbors.
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Continuing our Warm Hearts, Warm Homes series, today we're tackling a challenge that affects countless families during these coldest weeks of the year—keeping the heat on. For many of our neighbors, the choice between staying warm and affording other essentials is a harsh reality.
Did you know roughly 11 percent of Americans live in poverty, which is about 36.8 million people, according to the Census Bureau? Many more still find the cost of managing daily life difficult.
The Salvation Army is active in every zip code in America to feed, shelter, assist and equip those in need. And one of those approaches is assistance with rent, utilities and other vital payments.
In Fairbanks, Alaska, where winter temperatures can plummet well below zero, The Salvation Army is working to ensure no one has to choose between staying in their home and keeping their heat on.
Captain Jon Tollerud, the corps officer or pastor of The Salvation Army in Fairbanks, is here today to share how their utility assistance program is warming homes and hearts, offering not just immediate relief, but long-term solutions for families in need.
And stick around to the end to hear this week’s challenge for you.
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On this show, we like to share stories of everyday people turning hope into action in small, real-life ways right where they are—people like Suzanne Pickering.
As a representative of Banner Health, Suzanne started a winter coat and blanket drive in partnership with The Salvation Army in Tucson, Arizona.
She knows firsthand what it is like to need a little help—and after seeing people without a warm coat amid freezing temperatures, she said she decided to do something about it.
She said, “The Salvation Army once helped me and it was exactly what my family needed—hope.” Now some 20 years later, she organized this Warm Up Tucson drive—doing what she can with what she has right where she is.
As part of our Warm Hearts, Warm Homes series, we’re asking how we can embolden a spirit of care and community, especially in these coldest weeks of the year. Stick around to the end to hear this week’s challenge for you.
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In disasters, we often see something remarkable: how communities come together, how neighbors help neighbors, and how hope persists even in the darkest moments.
And notably, it’s up to each of us and the little choices we make to keep that spirit of community alive, not just in times of crisis, but every day.
Today, I want to share a few stories that capture this perfectly.
When we talk about warming hearts and homes, we're talking about more than just physical warmth. It's about creating spaces where people feel seen, heard and cared for.
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One of the most powerful tools available to us is our own mindfulness.
Dr. Jon Kole is the Medical Director and Senior Director of Psychiatry at Headspace, which calls itself "the mental health app for every moment." From guided meditations to one-on-one coaching, the Headspace team of clinical experts and trained coaches work to offer science-backed care.
He’s joining us today to explore how mindfulness and meditation can help us navigate life's challenges, whether we're dealing with disaster recovery or everyday stress.
New research shows even small amounts of mindfulness practice can significantly reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Dr. Kole will help us understand the science behind these findings and share practical ways to build resilience through mindfulness.
Whether you're processing the trauma of a disaster, supporting others through crisis, feeling very much out in the cold, so to speak, or simply looking for ways to better handle life's daily pressures, this conversation offers hope and practical tools to help you love your nervous system.
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What would you take if you had to evacuate your home?
Are you prepared?
A study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) found less than half of American households had discussed or developed an emergency plan.
After hearing the stories of many families I know having to evacuate with little to no warning, I decided it was time to finally get serious and actually make a plan for our family.
And today, we're turning that question into action as we walk through, step by step, the 3P's approach to family emergency preparedness: Plan, Pack and Practice.
No fancy gear, no doomsday prepping—just practical, affordable steps that any family can take.
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In our recent episodes, we've explored what it means to lose home—from the immediate chaos of evacuation to the grief of loss, to the challenging work of supporting a community in crisis. Today, we're examining the deeper psychological impact of disaster on communities.
Dr. David Eisenman has spent more than two decades studying how disasters affect public health and community resilience. As director of UCLA's Center for Public Health and Disasters and a practicing physician, he brings both research insight and frontline experience to our conversation about healing after loss.
We discuss how communities can support one another through trauma, what the long-term effects of displacement look like, and how we can build resilience in the face of increasing natural disasters.
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Help us love beyond disaster at salarmy.us/socalfire.
Last week, we explored what home means—those mental souvenirs we collect, the everyday moments that make a space our own, and the devastating impact when that sanctuary is suddenly gone. We heard about The Salvation Army's immediate response to the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles communities.
Understanding, of course, things are changing quickly on the ground—as of this recording, The Salvation Army is serving at multiple area evacuation shelters, meeting physical needs and emotional and spiritual care, or what we like to call a “ministry of presence.”
In Pasadena, California, Captains Nick and Becky Helms are adapting to a new kind of ministry.
Like many in their congregation, they were forced to evacuate with their four children as the fires approached. As both residents and spiritual leaders in the community, they have a unique perspective on what it means to help others while experiencing the same uncertainty themselves.
They join us to share their story and help us understand how we can support those who have lost not just their stuff, but their home.
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As wildfires burn across Southern California, The Salvation Army is there.
We’re there before, during and after disasters strike and are committed to serving the whole person—physically, emotionally and spiritually.
With thousands of structures burned, so many have lost so much.
What would you take if you had to leave?
I’m sure you too have considered this impossible question. Documents. Photos. Jewelry. Medicine. Heirlooms. Clothing. Chargers.
It doesn’t feel like enough.
Because there’s stuff, and then there’s home.
Yes, the stuff can largely be replaced. What’s not replaceable is home.
Come along with me in the back of a Pasadena Police car as we drive through neighborhoods ravaged by the Eaton Fire, and as we consider how we can warm hearts and warm homes in tangible ways for our neighbors in need.
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What are your plans for the New Year?
As we step into 2025, many of us are thinking about resolutions, goals and what lies ahead. But what if planning for the year ahead was less about our own agendas and more about trusting God's plans?
In this timely rebroadcast, we're revisiting our conversation with Megan Fate Marshman, who continues to serve as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church and the Director of Women’s Ministries at Hume Lake Christian Camps. She recently released a new book, "Relaxed: Walking with the One Who Is Not Worried about a Thing," but her insights from her book "Meant for Good: The Adventure of Trusting God's Plans for You" feel especially relevant as we begin a new year.
So listen in as Megan shares in this past conversation how to practically trust God's plans, even when the path isn't clear, and discover why this trust might still be the most important thing you plan for in the new year.
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Welcome to this special presentation of "Army of Stars," a radio program that captured the spirit of giving during the golden age of radio.
From the 1930s through the 1990s, this series brought together some of entertainment's brightest stars in support of The Salvation Army's mission.
And today, we're traveling back to December 25, 1949, for a particularly memorable Christmas broadcast.
Hear from a best-in-class lineup of operatic talent—including Lawrence Tibbett, Kirsten Flagstad, Lisa Albanese and José Berling—a Nativity story reading by Jean Hersholt, beloved by radio audiences as "Dr. Christian," and a message from The Salvation Army's then National Commander Commissioner Ernest Pugmire.
While much has changed since 1949, The Salvation Army's commitment to serving those in need remains constant.
So let's return to Christmas Day, 1949, as an Army of Stars salutes The Salvation Army.
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As you well know, Christmas is a time like no other in The Salvation Army.
There’s the red kettles, the Angel Trees, the holiday meals and so much more.
Christmas is a season of giving, which for many of us means showering those we love with gifts. But it’s also about giving to those most in need.
And in Juneau, Alaska, board members, donors and volunteers help to make sure inmates at Lemon Creek Correctional Center can send their children a gift, too.
Each year, The Salvation Army in Juneau sets up an inmate toy store, offering incarcerated individuals the chance to shop for a gift specifically for their child and write a personalized note in their own handwriting.
And as you might imagine, the stories are heartwarming. Through this effort, one inmate even reconnected with his family after being estranged for many years.
And Cathy Muñoz has the stories to tell.
Cathy is the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development in Alaska, and has served as a Salvation Army Advisory Board member in Juneau for some 25 years.
Having long been involved in this ministry, Cathy is on the show today to share more about this seasonal effort to bring the spirit of giving behind bars and a chance to play a direct role in making the holiday season a little brighter for families.
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When we think about Christmas, we often think about love—love that came to Earth as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, and love that compels us to give freely to those around us.
And today, we're exploring how The Salvation Army is brightening the holidays by sharing that love across the Western United States.
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Everything feels a bit more whimsical this time of year. And maybe you're after a little more of it?
As bestselling author Bob Goff will tell you, we can't catch what we don't chase.
Which is why he's out with a new devotional next week called “Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility.”
In it, he offers daily thoughts to help you chase after a more meaningful life, experience a more engaged faith and approach the challenges that will likely come your way with greater intention and confidence than perhaps you have experienced in the past. And with a short daily entry, it's an adventure to last you a full year.
Bob spent decades as an attorney, became the Honorary Consul to Uganda, and gave up his law firm to pursue writing and speaking full time. He's a New York Times bestselling author several times over, runs a popular weekly podcast, and will tell you life is too short to just go through the motions.
Whimsy, he says, shows up as joy and hope and generosity and selflessness and endless amounts of curiosity.
And some things, like whimsy and wonder and passion and the ability to give and receive extravagant love are worth catching. You might be just a decision or two away from a more beautiful and winsome life.
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Chances are, if you’ve been online at some point over the past decade, you’ve probably watched a TED Talk.
You know the format—world-renowned speakers, experts and innovators on various topics take center stage to present one great idea in 18 minutes or fewer.
TED Talks often challenge conventional thinking and offer new perspectives. They can be inspiring, thought-provoking, and even controversial—sometimes sparking spirited discussions and debates.
More than one billion TED Talks are viewed every year. And chances are, you know the name TED, in large part, because of a man named Chris Anderson.
As the curator of TED, Chris helped transform TED from a small, annual conference in Monterey, California, into the global phenomenon it is today. His TED mantra—"ideas worth spreading"—continues to flourish around the globe. It’s created a platform for people from all walks of life to gain access to new ideas and research on virtually any topic they find interesting, for free.
Today, we’re talking with Chris about generosity and his recent book, “Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading.” In it, he explores the power of human kindness and its potential to transform the world. He explains why simple acts of generosity can have a profound impact on individuals and communities, and how the spread of kindness can create a more connected, compassionate society.
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It’s no secret having a safe and stable place to live is at the very foundation of overall health and well-being.
That’s why, in The Salvation Army, there’s no such thing as no place to go.
We uniquely understand the statistics on those experiencing homelessness—which by the latest counts means tonight in America more than 421,000 people are without a place to call home. We also know that number doesn’t provide a full picture of need.
With one in 10 people living in poverty today, housing insecurity is not limited to a certain “type” of person.
Need can affect anyone.
That’s why each year, The Salvation Army provides over 10 million nights of shelter to those in need.
From emergency shelters to utility assistance or permanent supportive housing, we are working to meet the need for refuge.
And in Seattle, Linda Byrd is one of the people helping to welcome those guests and make them feel more at home.
But for Linda, being a shelter monitor for The Salvation Army is more than a job. As she says, it gave her a purpose. It gave her a reason to live.
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The Salvation Army has a long history of serving those who have served our country.
It all began with donuts and coffee for soldiers during World War I, and it only grew from there. Today, The Salvation Army offers a range of veterans services, providing comfort, support, counseling and a home to thousands of veterans in need each year.
Did you know veterans make up 8 percent of the population of those experiencing homelessness in the U.S.?
In many cases, housing insecurity, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-medication and substance abuse disorders can cause those who gave everything to lose everything.
It happened to Eric Yanes—but Eric didn't give up hope.
And it wasn't the end of his story.
Eric got connected to The Salvation Army Veteran Grants Per Diem program in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which provides individualized case management and furnished apartments for veterans and their families. Like many of The Salvation Army's programs, it aims to address the immediate symptoms of food insecurity, poverty and homelessness but is also designed to help identify and treat its root cause and find healing.
This Veterans Day, allow me to introduce to you a veteran who will tell you he is embracing the magic of every mundane moment in his ordinary, beautiful life.
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Hope is what propels us through the uncertainty and chaos of our slumps and our challenges.
But in our broken, imperfect world, a lot of people are finding their peace is constantly under threat, and because of that, it’s harder to experience genuine hope for the future.
Irwyn Ince is a pastor, author and coordinator of Mission to North America for the Presbyterian Church in America. In his new book, “Hope Ain't a Hustle: Persevering by Faith in a Wearying World,” he explores the true nature of hope and its transforming power.
Irwyn reminds us that true hope isn’t fleeting. It’s rooted in something much deeper: our faith in God and his promises.
Using the book of Hebrews as a framework, he shows us how to place our confidence in the finished work of Jesus and how that can change the way we think and live. He reminds us that even in—and especially in—the midst of suffering and disappointment, we can find hope and persevere.
This is a conversation about the source of true hope, the instructions for hopefulness we find in Hebrews, and the role community plays in our ability to sustain hope over time.
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Have you noticed our culture tends to treat cynicism as though it’s the price of being right? But cynicism is a contagion infecting our society—creeping into every corner of our lives, corroding our connections and obscuring our hope for a brighter tomorrow.
That's according to Stanford Psychologist and Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, Dr. Jamil Zaki.
Dr. Zaki is the author of a new book, “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.”
He says cynicism is an understandable response to a world full of injustice and inequality. But in many cases, cynicism is misplaced.
His research sheds light on something surprising: people are kinder, more generous, and more open-minded than we often think. And by embracing what he calls 'hopeful skepticism,' the realization that people are often better than we expect, we can think critically about people and problems while simultaneously acknowledging our power.
Far from being naïve, he says hopeful skepticism is a more precise way of understanding others and paying closer attention.
And Dr. Zaki is here today to share an excerpt from his new book, “Hope for Cynics.”
So, if you’re ready to explore a new way of seeing the world—one that acknowledges the problems we face while staying open to human potential—this episode is for you.
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Today we're focusing on a topic that hits close to home for many families across the country: food insecurity.
With rising prices, the struggle to put food on the table has become a reality for more and more people in recent years.
And many people are turning to charitable food resources to make ends meet.
That's where organizations like The Salvation Army come in. In the western U.S. alone, The Salvation Army provided over 9 million meals last year. And in some areas, is partnering with local schools to fight hunger.
In Yakima, Washington, for example, The Salvation Army has partnered with 16 local schools to provide food assistance.
Kandie Spaet is a volunteer who came to The Salvation Army through a community job placement program. For months, she worked 20 hours a week at the Yakima Corps helping pack backpacks and in the food pantry.
And now, she comes back to volunteer.
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I’m always paying attention to what’s going on in the lives of our listeners—you—and I guess I’ve spotted this idea because I am you.
A lot of people with hope for a better world let it end there.
Why is that?
You’re here so I know you’re one of the hopefuls, someone who knows where there’s movement there’s hope—and you’re willing to do something. You want to see your community, your family, your kids be resilient and good.
To you, it’s not a pipe dream to want a world that works better for everyone—but it can feel daunting. Impossible even.
Just look at the stories of impact: the billboard-worthy personal transformation. The lifetime of service. The gift that comes with building naming rights. Surely, they knew or possessed something you don’t. Right? Maybe you feel a gap between your vision and your daily reality. Because your days? They’re filled to the brim with laundry-loads, meetings, shuttling kids between activities and squeezing in a little “time for you” too, whatever that means.
How do you actually move from believing something with all your heart—let’s call it your “why”—to actually doing something about it?
How do you turn hope into action?
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Last week, we celebrated a major milestone—our 200th episode! We replayed the very first episode, an interview with our good friends, now retired Commissioners Dave and Sharron Hudson. And yes, I interjected my thoughts about what’s changed and what’s stayed the same in the years since.
We’ve shared so many powerful stories and meaningful conversations with you, and today, we’re looking back at some of your favorite episodes and reliving some of the most impactful lessons we've learned together.
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Welcome to the 200th episode of The Do Gooders Podcast.
It feels wild to say that.
Over some five years, I have interviewed hundreds of authors, academics, experts, people doing the work and people whose lives have been transformed by it.
They’ve brought so many good ideas and new ways to think about this goal of ours to keep on doing good.
I wanted this episode, number 200, to be a special one. To look around and reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going.
So today, I want to invite you to reflect with me as we try something different. We are going to listen to the very first episode of The Do Gooders Podcast together. Think of it as a listening party, if you will.
I’m going to drop in throughout the episode and share what I’m thinking and feeling as I’m listening with you. And together, we’ll unpack what has changed and what has stayed the same through the years.
So to set the stage, I recorded this episode in mid-2019 with Commissioners Dave and Sharron Hudson. At the time, the pair were national leaders of The Salvation Army.
Whether you are hearing episode number one for the first time ever, or this is the first time in a long time, just imagine me sitting next to you listening too.
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The Do Gooders Podcast is back with a fresh batch of inspirational stories just for you. Tune in on September 30.
ABOUT THE SHOW
If you care about making an impact for good then the Do Gooders Podcast from The Salvation Army’s Caring Magazine is the show for you. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Christin Thieme, listen in for real-life inspiration, expert insight, evidence of transformation happening in communities across the U.S. through The Salvation Army, and ideas from change-makers so you can join in right where you are and be the reason somebody believes in goodness.
We’re back with our final highlight episode from the 2024 Testify Congress.
Yes, last month, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people.
And The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, traveled from London to be part of it all.
You've heard the General speak from this event a couple times now—in Episode 193 and 197.
Today, we bring you his final appearance of the Congress before some 3,000 attendees at the Pasadena Convention Center Civic Auditorium. This is his public charge to the new lieutenants.
Over the weekend, the Defenders of Justice Session of cadets were commissioned as Salvation Army officers, or pastors, and in this meeting were given their very first ministry assignment. In fact, they don't find out the location until they are standing on stage!
And this is the battle cry, if you will, for each one of them from The Salvation Army's international leader.
Listen in and be encouraged in your eagerness to serve, too.
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We’re back with more highlights from the 2024 Testify Congress.
Last month, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people.
And the sessions featured, you guessed it, testimonies from programs and ministries of The Salvation Army across the West.
Today, we’re sharing two:
First, you'll hear from Monte Mansfield, a one-time professional athlete whose life was forever altered by substance abuse. Eventually, he found The Salvation Army through the Adult Rehabilitation Center program.
Then, Sthephania Mihilii, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico in second grade when her single mom married. She rebelled in her teenage years and then became a lifeguard at a Salvation Army Kroc Center.
So allow me to introduce to you today, Monte Mansfield and Sthephania Mihilii—who each took to the stage live after the screening of their video testimony.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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We’re back with more highlights from the 2024 Testify Congress.
Last month, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people.
And The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, traveled from London to be part of it all.
You may remember the General from episode 178, where we chatted about why your testimony matters (and how to use it for good). And in Episode 193, we shared his message from the first main session of the Congress with some 3,000 attendees at the Pasadena Convention Center Civic Auditorium.
Today, we bring you his preaching from the third main session, focused on holy living.
Listen in and be encouraged to embrace your identity in Christ.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.
We’re back with more highlights from the 2024 Testify Congress.
Last month, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people.
And the sessions featured, you guessed it, testimonies from programs and ministries of The Salvation Army across the West.
Today, we’re sharing two:
First, you'll hear from Envoy Kevin Nagasaki. If that name sounds familiar, it is! Envoy Kevin was on the show in Episode 190 talking about living and serving through the Maui fire disaster. This is his testimony.
Then, Dalton Low and his mom, Angela. Dalton was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at a young age. He found a place of belonging at The Salvation Army, and helps lead worship today.
So allow me to introduce to you today, Envoy Kevin Nagasaki and Dalton Low—who each took to the stage live after the screening of their video testimony.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.
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We’re back with more highlights from the 2024 Testify Congress.
Last month, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people.
And The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, traveled from London to be part of it all.
You heard from the General a couple episodes ago, and today, we’re sharing Commissioner Bronwyn's message from the second main session of the Congress with some 3,000 attendees at the Pasadena Convention Center Civic Auditorium.
Commissioner Bronwyn, a Salvation Army officer since 1990, now serves as World President of Women’s Ministries.
Listen in as she celebrates our stories, shares a bit of her own and encourages you in testifying to yours.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.
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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.
We’re back with more highlights from the 2024 Testify Congress.
This month, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people.
And the sessions featured, you guessed it, testimonies from programs and ministries of The Salvation Army across the West.
Today, we’re sharing two:
First, you’ll hear from Lt. Do-Hyun Kim, who was commissioned over the weekend as a Salvation Army officer or pastor. A cadet in training from the Korea Territory, Lt. Kim completed his second year of training at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and will now return to the Korea Territory for his first appointment.
Then, Davrah Williams, who met The Salvation Army through the Lambuth Family Center, a short-term emergency shelter that houses up to 20 families at a time in Denver. While keeping families together, the center helps them break the cycle of poverty and homelessness and begin building a sustainable, self-sufficient life.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.
BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.
FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.
We’re back with more highlights from the 2024 Testify Congress.
This month, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people.
And The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, traveled from London to be part of it all.
Today, we’re sharing his message from the first main session of the Congress with some 3,000 attendees at the Pasadena Convention Center Civic Auditorium.
Listen in as the General shares a four-part formula for life in Christ: Connect with God and know him, share the good news of Jesus Christ, demonstrate care and concern for those in need, and pursue holiness.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.
BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.
FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.
This past weekend, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people—the 2024 Testify Congress.
The annual celebration includes the commencement, commissioning, ordination and appointment of cadets as they’ve completed two years of training at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont to become Salvation Army officers.
But this year was bigger than ever as The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, traveled from London to be part of it all.
Now, we’re dedicating our next few episodes to sharing the highlights with you, starting today with the commencement address by Dr. Sharon Docter.
Dr. Docter is a professor of communication at California Lutheran University and a member of the Board of Governance for the College for Officer Training. She’s also a lay leader, the Corps Sergeant Major, of the Pasadena Tabernacle Corps.
This session of graduating cadets is named the Defenders of Justice. Listen in as Dr. Docter shares three superpowers cadets need when beginning their life as officers from a soldier’s perspective: authenticity, presence and seeing people as they really are.
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No one expects to evacuate from their home in the middle of the night, wading through chest-deep water to find a way out of an emergency.
We just don't think it'll happen to us.
But for Shamrock Steele and her husband, Dave Lanphear, it did.
Shamrock and Dave survived the Skagit floods in November 2021.
They made it out in the middle of the night, in their pajamas, with their young grandkids and pets.
Their completely remodeled house that they were just about to move into, however, did not.
Then days turned to months as they figured out what to do next and how to rebuild.
And that's when they met The Salvation Army.
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We’ve said it before: The Salvation Army’s disaster relief operation never sleeps. Perhaps that could not be more true than in the case of Envoy Kevin Nagasaki who is in-charge of the Lahaina Lighthouse Corps in Maui, Hawaii.
You’ll remember last August, the Lahaina Lighthouse Corps burned along with historic Lahaina town in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. For Envoy Nagasaki, this disaster was personal: The corps complex contained spaces for worship, social services and a thrift store, along with the home he shared with his wife as ministry leaders in the community for nearly 30 years.
So not only was the community he loves leveled, and he himself directly impacted by the fires, he was on the frontlines of service responding to them too. Less than 24 hours after the fires, he was delivering food across shelter sites and serving first responders as part of The Salvation Army’s coordinated effort on the island of Maui that is still ongoing.
In this episode, guest hosted by Managing Editor Hillary Jackson, Envoy Kevin Nagasaki shares a glimpse of what it’s like to respond to a disaster when you’re truly in it yourself. He shares the hope he has for his community, and how it’s finding renewal.
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Building resilience is a lengthy process, but it's an investment that pays off. By focusing on preparedness, mitigation and adaptation, more communities can ensure that they too build and sustain resilience after a natural disaster.
Todd De Voe is a true authority on all things resilience and emergency management.
Todd is the Editor in Chief of The Emergency Management Network newsletter, a published author in the reference book "Campus Crisis Management," and has penned numerous whitepapers and studies. He hosts The EMN Newsletter Podcast and The Leader's Cafe. He even delivered a TED talk on building and sustaining resilience. Todd holds a Masters in Public Administration and another in Emergency Management, and he's a graduate of the National Emergency Management Executive Academy.
Today, we're diving into what resilience truly means in emergency management, the the role of community organizations and programs in building a culture of preparedness, along with strategies communities can use to strengthen their bonds and resources in the face of adversity. Most importantly, Todd will share insights into the common challenges communities face during recovery and how they should be approached.
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Every disaster scenario creates its own unique circumstances and special needs. In each case, The Salvation Army is there with other agencies to offer relief in the form of food services, emergency communications, donations management, social services and more.
Perhaps most uniquely, The Salvation Army deploys specially trained individuals to offer emotional and spiritual care to rescue workers and disaster survivors alike.
That ministry of presence is all we do and say—a collective action of words, touch, listening and presence. Collectively, those actions work together to express the love and compassion of God.
Major Tammy Ray, who currently serves as the corps officer in Redding, California, has a long history of responding to disasters as part of The Salvation Army's disaster relief team. And she helps prepare people to serve in this emotional and spiritual care role—to discern and offer what someone might need, even if they can't state for themselves—to create the "transforming place."
As she says, It's more being than doing.
It's a quiet servanthood, a calm presence.
It's not about fixing but it is a gift of connection with another person at a critical time in their life.
It might be exactly what St. Francis of Assisi meant when he said, "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.”
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A good start to disaster preparedness is knowing the risks you should be prepared for based on where you live. That’s a big part of Jonathan Sury’s work.
Jonathan is the Project Director for Communications and Field Operations at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
Jonathan leads a project called the Natural Hazards Index, which maps local vulnerability to various disasters at the sub-county level. Everything including extreme heat, earthquakes, landslides, tornadoes, and floods. The project's interactive map allows users to zoom in and assess climate, weather and geological hazards in their vicinity. That way, people can learn to take proactive measures to safeguard themselves and their families.
Today we’re talking with Jonathan about the Natural Hazards Index, the importance of preparedness, how data can help individual households and communities alike, and what we should be paying attention to amid the changing disaster landscape.
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Where would you go if you could live anywhere you wanted?
For a lot of Americans, the answer is Phoenix. In fact, Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale, has held the title of "fastest growing county in the U.S. by numeric growth" for much of the past decade.
But, Maricopa isn’t just one of the hottest places in terms of popularity. It’s also the literal hottest metropolitan area in the U.S.
Summertime, in particular, is dangerously hot in Maricopa County, and getting hotter every passing year. Last year, in 2023, Maricopa County identified a total of 645 heat-related deaths—a 52 percent increase from the previous year and the most heat-related deaths ever recorded.
The Salvation Army runs a network of heat relief stations throughout Maricopa County to help residents stay safe and hydrated, and out of the record-breaking temperatures.
Lt. Colonel Ivan Wild, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army Southwest Division, is on the show to talk about The Salvation Army's heat-related disaster response efforts and how the organization plans to better serve its communities amid more extreme weather events.
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The U.S. experienced a record number of billion-dollar weather disasters in 2023, and it’s not a one-year fluke but the new trend.
In the face of this changing disaster landscape, there's one organization consistently on the frontlines, bringing aid and hope to those in need: The Salvation Army, whose disaster relief operation never sleeps.
Last year alone, The Salvation Army served nearly 600,000 people across a staggering 4,300 disaster events. Thanks to the generosity of donors and corporate partners, The Salvation Army was able to provide these survivors with a warm meal, a safe haven for the night, and in some cases, something just as essential: a listening ear and a moment of prayer.
John Berglund, The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services Director in the West, is helping us set the stage for our ongoing conversation about the current state of disaster relief.
He's sharing more on the dynamics of serving throughout another record-breaking disaster year, the importance of cleverly adapting to meet needs, and some of the common misconceptions around disaster relief.
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We see stats about addiction. We see substance abuse portrayed in film and in TV shows. We might even know someone who’s personally faced addiction to drugs or alcohol. But most of us don't really understand what causes addiction, and why our brains respond the way they do to drugs.
Dr. Judy Grisel has made it her life’s work to unravel the mysteries of addiction, striving to uncover its root causes.
A distinguished behavioral neuroscientist whose expertise spans the fields of pharmacology and genetics, Dr. Grisel's groundbreaking research draws from her insights into addiction. These insights aren’t just academic though; they're also deeply personal.
Dr. Grisel's journey has been shaped by her own experience with addiction, which has given her a unique vantage point on the subject.
Her passion for understanding the neuroscience behind addiction led her to deliver a powerful TED Talk titled “Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction,” which captivated audiences around the world. She wrote a book of the same name.
With a career dedicated to advancing our understanding of addiction, Dr. Grisel is on the show to share her knowledge, insights and research findings, shedding light on this complex and often stigmatized topic.
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It’s 2024, and the opioid crisis is showing no signs of slowing down.
Overdose deaths from opioids, including prescription painkillers and synthetics like fentanyl, continue to rise.
The statistics paint a chilling picture.
According to the CDC, an estimated 187 people in the U.S. die every day of opioid overdoses, most involving illicit and dangerous versions of fentanyl.
What’s perhaps more alarming, is this crisis is now affecting every age group. In fact, overdose is now the third leading cause of death in American children. From 2019 to 2021, adolescent overdose deaths more than doubled.
To help us better understand the crisis, Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal is on the show today. At the University of Southern California, Dr. Bluthenthal is a Professor and Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Department of Populations and Public Health Sciences, and Associate Dean for Social Justice in the Keck School of Medicine.
He’s well versed on the opioid crisis and its devastating effects on families and communities. He’s been published more than 190 times in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Drug Policy. Dr. Bluthenthal has received numerous awards including the John P. McGovern Award for Excellence in Medical Education from the Association for Multidisciplinary Education & Research in Substance Use & Addiction.
On this episode, he joins to give us more insight on the opioid crisis and what he believes needs to happen to make change.
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Did you know every 39 minutes, someone dies in a drunk-driving accident in the United States? That's about 37 people a day.
We know drinking and driving is deadly, yet it continues to happen across the country.
According to one estimate, on average, those who drive drunk will be intoxicated 80 times before being caught. In addition, studies show the odds of being involved in a fatal auto accident increase with each additional DUI arrest.
It’s a fate Shauna Zeuske tempted again and again.
In 2015, she was arrested for driving under the influence. That DUI was her third. Within a month, she’d received two more and ended up with a three-year jail sentence. She was able to get some time shaved off her sentence, but within six months of returning home, she got her sixth DUI.
When she went back to jail, she told her public defender she wanted to go to The Salvation Army. They allowed it, so she entered the Adult Rehabilitation Center program. These residential programs provide spiritual, emotional and social assistance to individuals who are experiencing a variety of social, emotional and spiritual challenges, including issues relating to substance abuse. Shauna feared she wouldn’t be able to get sober, but she stuck with it, because as she said, “she desperately wanted to stop drinking.”
And in 2021, she graduated from The Salvation Army San Diego Adult Rehabilitation Center.
She went on to manage the Transitional Living Center at The Salvation Army Door of Hope Rady Campus in San Diego, helping other women looking for transformation too.
And today, she works as a financial controller for a construction company. She recently married and continues to sponsor and mentor others through their own challenges.
Shauna is on the show to share more about her own experience on the road to recovery.
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It's said when an individual is rehabilitated from their addiction, some 50 people around them are positively affected.
For The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center program across the western U.S., that equates to some 50,000 people a year.
And more than only addressing issues of substance abuse, these centers offer life rehabilitation for those who need it, according to Major Mark Nelson, ARC Commander in the West.
It's a story that goes back to William Booth telling his son in Victorian England to "do something" to help the men living under the bridge.
Now, for more than 100 years, The Salvation Army has operated rehabilitation facilities across the U.S. that provide help and hope to those with a variety of problems, including issues relating to substance abuse. These residential programs offer spiritual, emotional and social assistance in an environment designed to help participants live healthy, fulfilling lives.
But it doesn't stop with them. That ripple effect is helping restore families.
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One in 7 Americans reports experiencing a substance use disorder, according to the CDC.
Some people may use drugs to help cope with stress or trauma. Others may use them to deal with mental health issues. Others still may even develop opioid use disorder after misusing opioids they are prescribed by their doctors for ailments like back pain.
In any case, using drugs over time makes it easier to become addicted.
Yet for those that become addicted, just one in 10 people will receive treatment. The reasons for this low rate range from stigma to difficulty actually accessing treatment services.
It’s something Steve Adami is keeping a close watch on.
Steve spent two decades in and out of jails and prison. Today, he is Executive Director of The Way Out, a recovery-focused homeless initiative of The Salvation Army.
Ultimately, Steve wants to make sure it’s easy for anyone who wants to get treatment to get treatment. And he's on the show to share more about the effort to do just that.
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We’ve heard church attendance is down globally in the wake of the pandemic.
Per Gallup, in the United States, just 22% of people say they attend church every week.
That’s down from 32% in 2000.
We talked last week to General Lyndon Buckingham, the international leader of The Salvation Army, about this trend and what he makes of it.
And while The Salvation Army hasn’t been wholly immune to this—there are locations where we're seeing the opposite.
And we want to take you to one of them today.
The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps and Community Center in Phoenix saw a 112% increase in Sunday morning meeting attendance from 2019 to 2023.
So what’s going on at the Kroc?
Captains Dustin and Caroline Rowe are the corps officers, or pastors, of the Phoenix Kroc Center. They’re on the show today to share more about their community, their congregation and their perspective on growing a church.
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Are you prepared to give an answer, a reason for the hope that you have?
We’re told in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be ready—and maybe, especially now.
Maybe the world needs that hope more than ever.
It’s part of what makes The Salvation Army what it is. As General Lyndon Buckingham will tell you, we are visible which signals that we are available.
And why? Well, Salvation is in the name.
General Buckingham is the international leader of The Salvation Army, having assumed the office in August 2023. He has served alongside his wife Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham in appointments from New Zealand to Canada to Singapore.
He is focused on finding ways for The Salvation Army to be more effective in fulfilling its mission, starting with our own personal testimony.
And he’s on the show to share more about how we can be ready and be looking.
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Despite California’s economic might and world-class growth engine, one of the biggest problems plaguing the state is growing right alongside its GDP.
California has dominated the national conversation on homelessness. As of 2022, 30 percent of all people in the U.S. experiencing homelessness resided in California, including half of all unsheltered people.
In a recent poll, 84 percent of Californians said they think homelessness has become a “very serious problem.”
And despite spending billions to address it, the issue has only grown.
To help us understand why so many efforts to curb homelessness have fallen short and which strategies deserve more of our attention, we’re talking today with Andrew Hening.
Andrew is a UC Berkeley MBA with nearly 20 years of social sector leadership experience. He is currently consulting with public agencies to measurably reduce homelessness, spark civic innovation, and redesign systems of care for homeless and at-risk populations.
In 2018, Andrew was named the top national influencer in local government by Engaging Local Government Leaders for his work with the City of San Rafael. There, Andrew helped break down the complex issue of homelessness and mobilize the community around lasting solutions.
He's also the author of “So You Want to Solve Homelessness? Start Here,” helping us understand the issue, what efforts are effective and what communities can learn.
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As we've been discussing recently, homelessness in the U.S. is still on the rise. In fact, rates have been climbing nationally by about 6% every year since 2017, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
That uptick coincides with soaring housing costs and rising prices for necessities like food and transportation.
As we work to chip away at the homelessness crisis, one of the often overlooked components is data collection. Collecting the right data is critical in helping us understand the issue and deploy our resources more efficiently.
Quality data, of course, enables communities to tailor solutions to people’s specific needs so they can exit homelessness.
To help us better understand the importance of data and the complexities surrounding homelessness on a national scale, Steve Berg, chief policy officer at the National Alliance to End Homelessness is on the show today. Steve is an expert in the field of homelessness and housing policy. He has dedicated much of his career to advocating for effective policies and strategies to address homelessness in the U.S. And he’s written extensively on various ways addressing the primary need for housing for people experiencing homelessness leads to stability and better health.
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There’s a lot of focus, and rightfully so, on decreasing homelessness in the U.S. It’s a complex issue that deserves our attention more than ever. But it’s important to remember that when you dig beneath all of the data and all of the policies and all of the ambitious housing projects, you find real human stories. And you see that a lot of people who experience homelessness at some point in their lives are our neighbors, friends, coworkers, and family members. And many of them, given the chance, go on to transform their lives and do incredible things.
That’s what this episode is all about. Today, we’re talking with someone who fits that description to a tee, Morgane Dussault. Morgane is The Salvation Army’s Corporate Engagement Director in the Golden State Division.
She grew up in Chico, California, with dreams of studying international business at Pepperdine University. But her path changed one night at a high school party when she tried hard drugs. Six months later, she dropped out of school. For the next 15 years, Morgane struggled with addiction. She found herself homeless with nowhere to turn.
Then one day in jail, a fellow inmate told her, “If you want to change your life and you’re serious about it, then you need to go to The Salvation Army.”
So she did.
And today, Morgane says all of the struggles shaped her into someone inspired and committed to making a difference for others. She's on the show today to share more of her incredible story with us and you have to hear it from her.
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More than 400,000 people were homeless last year. That’s a record high, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
To put that number in perspective, that’s roughly enough people to fill Michigan Stadium, the largest stadium in the U.S., not once but four times.
And many experts agree even that figure might be an undercount.
Despite pouring billions of dollars into shelter beds and support services, cities across the country are struggling to keep up with the demand.
That’s especially true on the West Coast, where encampments are ubiquitous and housing costs continue to skyrocket. In the Greater LA area, which, according to some experts, has become Ground Zero for homelessness, several new projects are taking aim at the issue.
The Salvation Army recently launched two.
In these new projects, and the existing ones across Southern California, the goal is to help end chronic homelessness in the community and transform the lives of those who come in.
As we begin our series exploring the state of homelessness, Lt. Colonel Mike Dickinson, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army in Southern California, is here today to tell us more about what The Salvation Army is doing to chip away at the crisis, and why.
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Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is, especially when everyone around you seems to be living their best life?
Ciara Laine Myers has.
For a long time, Ciara felt like an imposter in her own home and began to think something was wrong with her. She felt trapped in her own world, overanalyzing and critiquing everything she was doing.
Can you relate?
If so, Ciara's new book, "Glasses Off: Seeking God When Your Vision Is Gone," is for you.
An author and award-winning business owner, Ciara shares in her new book her struggles to believe that God made her for a specific purpose. But it's a fresh take on the subject that will encourage you to shift your focus and seek God to find your purpose.
Ciara, it turns out, is just like you and me: a beautifully complicated, multi-faceted human.
And she's here today to share the first chapter from her book, "Glasses Off."
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Each new year brings us a chance to reset. To review and reflect on our time, our dreams and our plans for the days ahead. It’s a natural turning of the page. The opening of a new chapter.
I love this verse, from Galatians 6:4-5 (MSG): “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”
It might not be New Year’s Day, but it is still the new year so let me ask: Are you doing the creative best you can with your own life?
This episode is somewhat of a guided journal session for you to take inventory, reflect and look ahead.
Grab a pen and paper, heat up some tea, light a candle—you know, give it a vibe—and take a few moments to reset.
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What is so amazing about grace?
That’s the question author Philip Yancey started with when he wrote the book by that title, What’s So Amazing About Grace, published in 1997.
It went on to sell over 2 million copies.
And now, 25 years later, Philip Yancey has released a revised version—updated for the modern day.
As the author of 13 Gold Medallion Award-winning books and two ECPA Book of the Year awards, including for What's So Amazing About Grace, Philip will tell you some things never change.
As he writes, “Grace is the church's great distinctive. It's the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else—for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world.”
What does it look like in action?
Grace does not excuse sin, he says, but it treasures the sinner. True grace is shocking, scandalous. It shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope.
How can Christians contend graciously with moral issues that threaten all they hold dear?
And how can we become living answers to a world that desperately wants to know, What's So Amazing About Grace? And could use a whole lot more of it.
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Happy New Year!
It's a whole new year and you could say much of the excitement and buzz of this turning of the calendar is concentrated right now in Pasadena, California, for the Tournament of Roses Rose Parade—America's New Year Celebration.
For millions of people around the world, the Rose Parade is an iconic New Year's Day tradition as floral-decorated floats, equestrian units, bands and other Tournament Entries travel some 5-and-a-half miles down Colorado Blvd.
This year, 2024, marks the 135th Rose Parade and for more than a century, The Salvation Army has taken to the streets on New Year's Day to march in the Rose Parade.
In fact, it is the longest continual band to participate in the parade, having marched consecutively since 1920.
It's made up of some 180 Salvation Army musicians and timbrelists from around Southern California and across the country and this year includes a special guest Salvation Army band ensemble from Bromley, England.
And those involved know it's one day The Salvation Army reaches millions on TV with song titles like "Amazing Grace" or "Stand up for Jesus" displayed right there on everyone's screen.
Leading the charge again this year as Bandmaster and here to share more about the experience with us is Kevin Larsson, Creative Development Director for the Music Department in The Salvation Army Western Territory.
Alongside him, Jim Sparks is a Salvationist from Pasadena and is believed to be the longest-running marcher this year as he joins in his 29th Rose Parade.
They're giving us the behind the scenes today, what you don't necessarily see on TV and why they love being part of this longstanding tradition.
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Merry Christmas!
What a day to celebrate, born is the King.
Today, Christmas Day, I would love to read you the Christmas story and share a Christmas message from Commissioner Doug Riley. Hopefully, this can be something to play while you're cleaning up Christmas breakfast or getting dressed for Christmas dinner as a quiet few moments for you to reflect on the significance of this day.
Born is the King.
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No matter how dark the season is, “By God’s abounding grace, Christmas still arrives every year—somehow or other, it comes just the same…to direct our hearts and minds to the story of Christ and his people—and to place our lives and communities within this sacred narrative.”
These are the words of Dr. Emily Hunter McGowin from her new book, “Christmas: The Season of Life and Light.”
Dr. McGowin is associate professor of theology at Wheaton College, and co-pastors with her husband in the Anglican church.
Her new book is part of a series from InterVarsity Press about important dates in the Christian calendar. And I’d say she got the fun assignment: Christmas. Or rather, Christmastide—the 12 days of celebration from Christmas to Epiphany.
It’s a reflection on the moods, themes, rituals, prayers and Scriptures that mark Christmastide. A resource to help us live fully into both the theology and spiritual practices of the season—one of deep magic.
Because, as she writes, “At the center of the mystery of Christmas is the astonishing fact that God has come to dwell with us.”
Some might question the commercialism of Christmas, and yes discernment is key, but as Dr. McGowin would say, God is in the celebration, too. She writes, “God’s loving embrace extends to our particulars—noses and toes, meals and gifts, decorations and gift-giving.”
The season of life and light. Of timeless beauty.
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A “Whole Lotta Little” is one of the songs on Emily Ann Roberts' new country album, Can't Hide Country.
A 2015 finalist on NBC's The Voice as a member of team Blake Shelton, Emily Ann went on to release her first single, "Stuck on Me and You" in 2018 and now has released her debut album just ahead of going on tour with Blake Shelton in early 2024.
When she's not singing, Emily Ann loves the "old time things," as she would call them, things like cooking and crocheting.
Which is why she calls herself the "Yeehaw Meemaw."
And now she's turned those needlework skills for good.
Emily Ann hand-crocheted a gorgeous throw blanket and is giving it away this holiday season alongside The Salvation Army. Anyone who donates to The Salvation Army through her virtual Red Kettle through December 31 will be entered to win with a winner drawn this New Year's Day.
Of course, each donation goes directly to The Salvation Army to help bring joy and relief to families who need it this season and all year long.
We're talking with Emily Ann today about what inspires her to do good whenever she can and how you can spread a "whole lotta little" goodness too.
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Research has shown volunteering improves physical and mental health, provides a sense of purpose, and nurtures new and existing relationships. And it can also get someone involved in a faith community—especially at this time of year.
That’s what happened for Captain Edith Dye-Mabie, who first met The Salvation Army when her husband was a participant in the Adult Rehabilitation Center program. With her children, she got connected to the nearby Salvation Army corps or church and when they asked for volunteers at Christmastime, she showed up.
The rest, as they say, is history—though quite a bit happened along the way.
Today, Captain Dye-Mabie and her husband are corps officers or pastors of The Salvation Army in Roseburg, Oregon, now working to get others involved with those personal invitations that make all the difference.
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You recently heard from a few people donating to a Salvation Army Red kettle on why they do it.
Today, I want to take you deeper into what that giving can do.
As a young mother, Billie Lawson was married to an active member of the military. There was one Christmas in 1986 that they were struggling to make ends meet. She remembers it well.
In fact, she wasn’t sure they’d be able to have a Christmas that year at all.
And how do you explain that to three little kids?
She wasn’t much a person of faith then, but she cried and prayed to God one night as she went to sleep. What happened the next day might as well be pulled straight from a Hallmark Christmas movie. And you’ll have to hear her tell it.
What unfolded that Christmas wasn’t the end. It changed the way Billie saw things, and would end up changing—even saving—her life.
Today, Billie is the director of retail for the Grand Junction, Colorado, corps. She’s worked for The Salvation Army for well over a decade.
Now she’s helping make Christmas brighter for others.
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Ok, trivia time:
- What is the color of Santa's suit?
- Can you name the animal that pulls Santa's sleigh?
- Why is Christmas celebrated across the world?
Or rather, how do you explain the story of Christmas to kids?
In a season filled with celebration and merriment and presents and fun…as parents we, of course, want to help our kids understand and appreciate the reason for it all, the gift we were given, the birth of Christ.
Majors Emmanuel and Jennifer Masango understand this well as the parents of three boys and also as Salvation Army officers, or pastors, currently serving as Western Territorial Youth Secretary and Territorial Candidates' and Recruitment Secretary, respectively.
Their best tip? Keep it simple and be intentional.
And we have just the new Advent resource to do just that and enjoy a small meaningful moment with your family throughout this season, which they’ll tell you more about. You can find it at caringmagazine.org/advent and I am inviting you to grab that resource today, involve your kids in a fun family night coloring and putting together a classic paper countdown chain to hang in your home this Christmas and remind you of that greatest gift of love.
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Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.
If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.
We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving.
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Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.
If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.
We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving.
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Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.
If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.
We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.
If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.
We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.
If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.
We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.
If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.
We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.
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We are interrupting our ongoing festive Christmas programming here on the Do Gooders Podcast to bring you something different, something special—a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving is a time where families, friends, even strangers, gather around tables to share meals and fellowship, offering thanks to God for his abundant blessings in their lives.
But what if we celebrated Thanksgiving and every meal as the early Church of Acts did?
While it’s my voice you’ll be hearing, this study was written by Major Nancy Helms, a former guest on the show, who serves as The Salvation Army Western Territorial Director of Disabilities Ministries and Director of Personnel for the College for Officer Training at Crestmont.
Each of the next seven days will include part of the study along with a reading of the day’s Scripture selection and a closing prayer.
I hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving.
This is part one by Major Nancy Helms.
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Did you hear? It is Christmastime, and in The Salvation Army, it’s one of our favorite times of year.
For us, smiles make the greatest gifts.
From physical needs such as grocery, utility and gift assistance, to emotional experiences including holiday events and traditions, to spiritual guidance that provides healing and hope, we work to assist the whole person through gifts that serve the body, mind and soul.
We know the holidays can bring added financial and emotional stress to families living in poverty. That’s why The Salvation Army’s mission shines brightest at Christmastime.
We are out to make Christmas merry, and you can help.
For one, enjoy listening in to this episode as we asked real people donating to a Salvation Army red kettle why they do it. (and p.s. there’s a few other holiday treats to follow.)
You might have a story of your own of why you choose to give to The Salvation Army, and if you do, you can help by sharing with your friends on social media and tagging us @caringmagazine so we can share it too.
Finally, if you’re out this season and see a red kettle or an Angel Tree or some other Salvation Army presence in your community, consider giving what you can. Every single little bit helps and you can give knowing you are making Christmas merry for someone in your community.
If you don’t want to wait, you can give now at caringmagazine.org/give.
And know every gift stays in your community to do good all year.
So listen in, and join in. It is, after all, the most wonderful time of the year.
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Welcome to the kickoff of the merriest time of year. And no, it’s not too early because Christmastime has already started in The Salvation Army. Yes, The Salvation Army is hard at work to make the holiday season a little brighter.
Of course, most people know us for our Red Kettles, our Angel Trees, and our strong presence during the Christmas season—but we support local families all throughout the year.
The donations we collect in those red kettles during the holiday season not only help us provide gifts to children who would otherwise go without, but they also help us provide food, shelter and utility assistance to those who need it most every day of the year.
In essence, it’s a critical time for The Salvation Army and a busy one, too.
On the show today, I’m joined by members of the Western Territory’s Community Relations and Development Department: Director of Communications and Brand Management Deb Knutson, Public Affairs and Communications Manager Kathy Lovin and Territorial Director of Corporate Engagement Maria Todaro.
They’re entrenched in the Christmas effort and here to share more about how every dollar dropped into a red kettle helps give local families the Christmases they deserve and the yearlong support they need.
There’s plenty of ways to get involved, whether you put a present under someone’s tree today or help keep a roof over someone’s head tomorrow. Whether you want to help brighten Christmas morning or the hardest nights for hardworking families, you can help us carry the spirit of Christmas throughout the year.
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As I mentioned in our last episode, there’s so much going on in our world and we want to address it here in a way that’s valuable for you. You’ve seen the news. You know what’s going on.
If you feel like you’re living through history, well, you are.
A global pandemic crisis, a global financial crisis, a crisis in Ukraine, and now a crisis in Israel and Gaza. War.
If there’s one thing we know it’s this: there will always be problems.
And yet some feel incredibly hard to navigate.
But, as Kelly Rodriguez will tell you, it’s really important we do.
Kelly is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. A wife and mom of three, and a psychotherapist in private practice, Kelly is trained in maternal mental health, family therapy and trauma modalities to support individuals and couples.
Today, we’re not only living through history, we’re practically watching it unfold before us on our screens.
How can we best care for ourselves in an emotionally taxing world?
How do we address what’s going on in a healthy way with our kids?
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Quick programming note: We recorded this episode before recent events unfolded. It doesn’t address the current war in the Middle East but we believe this episode still holds value so we’re sharing it today as planned. Then we’ll be back with an added bonus episode this week with a family therapist on how to care for ourselves in an emotionally taxing world and how to address what’s going on with our kids. Be sure to subscribe to the Do Gooders Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and you’ll be the first to know when that episode drops this week.
What would it mean to you to see the scenes of Scripture, the places where Jesus walked and talked and performed miracles, right in front of you?
To survey the land and picture the people, to take in the detail of a setting we so often study?
How would it affect your understanding of the Bible?
Of the legacy you want to leave as a follower of Jesus?
Emily Anderson is here to answer these questions after recently returning from the Holy Land.
Emily is the Social Media Editor for Caring Magazine.
So while she’s usually behind the screen, interacting with you on our Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, today she’s sharing more about her time seeing the setting of Scripture come to life.
And she’s reflecting with us on what the experience means for her moving forward.
After the episode, be sure to follow Caring on Instagram and send us a DM with your favorite Holy Land experience or what you would most want to see if you go in the future.
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In the words of French writer Antoine de Saint Exupéry, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
In other words, cast a vision of what could be.
That’s exactly what Dr. Matthew Desmond is doing in his latest book, “Poverty, by America,” because the end of poverty, he says, is possible.
Dr. Desmond is a professor of sociology at Princeton University. He’s the author of four books, including “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” which won the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, Carnegie Medal, and PEN / John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction.
His latest book, already a #1 New York Times Bestseller, reimagines the debate on poverty, provocatively challenging all of us that the reason it persists in America is because so many of us benefit from it.
As he writes, “some lives are made small so that others may grow.”
But we can end poverty, he argues, and each one of us can become a poverty abolitionist.
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We talk a lot about The Salvation Army’s fight against hunger, homelessness, against poverty.
You might remember back to our series on the Pathway of Hope, episodes 88-93. In that series, we explored in depth The Salvation Army’s initiative to break the cycle of crisis and vulnerability for families—the effort to meet immediate needs and have a lasting, intergenerational impact by addressing the root causes of poverty and helping a family find a new path.
So what does it look like in action?
Today, I’m sharing the story of Ruth and her family. When Ruth left an abusive relationship, she found herself the single mother of six children, and she was struggling.
Then, she met The Salvation Army and finally found hope.
Listen in to hear Ruth and her family tell their story. We originally told this story in video so you can also watch it. Just head to the show notes for today’s show.
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People call him “Ragu the Plumber.”
But these days Ragu Razo doesn’t work as a plumber. Six years ago, he swapped his old nine-to-five job to drive a refrigerated truck for The Salvation Army in Mesa, Arizona.
Every weekday, Razu collects food from five different stores on his route in the East Valley. The food is still good, but it won’t be sold anymore at stores because it’s reached the “sell by” date. Once Ragu’s loaded up the food, he brings it back to the Mesa Citadel Corps so it can feed hungry families in the area.
It’s all part of the Grocery Food Rescue Program, a partnership between the United Food Bank and The Salvation Army.
Ragu’s efforts help feed about 50 families a day. And it’s not just canned food. The corps is able to offer meat, poultry, fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, bread and other food staples to clients.
Not to mention, the program helps keep food that is still good out of landfills. Each year, some 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the U.S., according to Feeding America. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food discarded each year.
That means that nearly 40 percent of all food in the U.S. is wasted.
That number’s even more concerning when you consider 34 million Americans are living in food-insecure households.
That’s why food rescue programs like the one Ragu helps out are more important than ever.
Today, we talk with Ragu about his “second career,” what fuels his desire to give back, and what it’s like to see firsthand just how much food is being saved in one community.
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How do you define poverty?
Oxford describes it as “the state of being extremely poor.”
Webster says it’s “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.”
While poverty does cover a wide range of material problems related to daily life and survival, it’s also psychologically threatening to those experiencing it because it leads to shame.
When it comes to poverty, shame can take many forms. For instance, being unable to meet your own necessities is often accompanied by a feeling of shame, even more so when it comes to the needs of your children.
Poverty-induced shame can have many negative consequences, including low self-esteem and withdrawal from society, often perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty even more. Researchers from the University of Oxford concluded that such shame not only hurts but also undermines individual agency, which adds to the negative experience of poverty and its perpetuation. In the worst case, it can lead to depression and self-harm.
Diane O’Neill has written on the subject of poverty-induced shame, particularly as it relates to food insecurit—but not in an academic sense. She didn’t publish a dissertation or a master’s thesis.
She wrote a children’s book. It’s called “Saturday at the Food Pantry.”
It’s about a little girl named Molly and her mom, who pay their first visit to a local food pantry. When they get there, they see one of Molly’s classmates in line, embarrassed that her family needs help.
The book was recently deemed among the Best Picture Books of the year by the Chicago Public Library and won Parents Magazine’s Book of the Month.
If children’s literature seems like a surprising place to tackle such a complex issue, perhaps it shouldn’t be.
One reviewer said the book “gently destigmatizes food insecurity without being preachy; soft illustrations show friendly shoppers and workers, making the pantry look like a welcoming place.”
Diane, who lives in Chicago, has worked in the field of disability rights and services for most of her professional life. She remembers going to a food pantry as a child. She wrote “Saturday at the Food Pantry,” in part, to eradicate the stigma and change the way in which people judge and relate to people in need.
Today, we’re talking to Diane about the inspiration behind her book, what she remembers about the first time she stepped foot in a food pantry, and how destigmatizing poverty can help create more empathetic humans — regardless of age.
Because as she writes in her book, “Everybody needs a little help sometimes.”
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Did you know in the last three years, the demand for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has skyrocketed? In 2022, one in eight Americans — or more than 41 million people — received SNAP benefits.
Those benefits were expanded in the early days of the pandemic, as the country faced unprecedented uncertainty around the economy and the grocery supply chain. During that time, recipients were offered the maximum aid for their household size.
Earlier this year, that program expansion ended, which meant monthly benefits were cut by an average of $90 per recipient, with some households losing $250 or more in benefits.
At the same time, we see consumer debt has been steadily rising, with over 20 million Americans currently behind on their utility payments and nearly 25 million behind on credit card, auto loan or personal loan payments. That’s the highest number since The Great Recession.
So without enough money to pay for food, a lot of people are forced to make difficult decisions. Do you pay for breakfast or the electric bill? Lunch or the prescription? Do you default on your loan payment or just go hungry altogether?
Food insecurity experts are saying the SNAP cuts are pushing the country closer to a looming "hunger cliff.”
What does that mean? And what can we do to mitigate the impact of these SNAP cuts for households in need?
To help answer these questions, we’re talking with Eric Mitchell, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Hunger—a network of companies, nonprofit organizations, universities, foundations, and individuals. He is working to build the Alliance’s advocacy capacity on Capitol Hill and in local communities, to build the public and political will to end hunger in the U.S. and around the world.
Because, as he said and I doubt anyone would disagree with, no one should go to bed hungry.
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We’re kicking off our state of the issues series today with the state of hunger.
According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, today in the United States are food insecure.
Across the country, The Salvation Army operates more than 1,500 food pantries, and annually serves more than 171 million meals, which includes prepared meals and some 6.4 million food boxes that contain 20 meals each.
To help set the table for this series on hunger and food insecurity, we’re talking today with Captain Angel Amézquita, the Corps Officer and director of the Los Angeles Central Corps and Red Shield Community Center, located in the heart of LA’s Pico-Union neighborhood.
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Just a year ago, if you would’ve asked the experts where the U.S. was headed, they were certain of one thing: the country was beelining toward a recession.
In fact, a Bloomberg economic model said the odds of a U.S. recession in 2023 were 100 percent. Not 99 percent. There was no possible chance an economic slowdown was avoidable.
So, how are we doing a year later? Well, you could say those grim forecasts were a little off-target. The U.S. economy, according to all the key indicators, is humming right along.
And yet, for many Americans, prosperity is ever elusive. And there’s still unmet need in every zip code across the U.S.
The Salvation Army has its work cut out for them, especially as we work to meet the needs of the whole person—body, mind and soul.
And that’s exactly what we’re covering in the episodes of this podcast to come. We’ll be taking a look at the state of the issues, exploring The Salvation Army’s work through the lens of its seven primary areas of service.
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As the saying goes, the mind is a terrible thing to waste.
That's the ethos Major Terry Masango lives by, and it's paid off as he recently received a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership.
Dr. Masango was raised in Zimbabwe and now as a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, he serves in the Seattle area as the General Secretary in the Northwest Division—a role you might compare to a chief operations officer.
Along his educational journey, Dr. Masango learned to embrace discipline, and is now putting those skills to work.
So allow me to introduce to you today, to share more about his academic pursuits and how he's applying them to his ministry with The Salvation Army, Dr. Major Terry Masango.
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Before and after.
Before 2020, the idea of closed borders, lockdowns, face masks, social distancing, and testing weren’t a thing.
After, we’ve experienced the real toll, the disruption, the unknown that the pandemic brought.
It was a crisis of a generation, and it changed the world on a global scale. Mental exhaustion, economic disparities and escalating divisions now mark our times.
But award-winning author, Dr. Chris Rice sees the challenges of our day as a historic opportunity for renewal and fresh growth.
In his new book, “From Pandemic to Renewal: Practices for a World Shaken by Crisis,” he examines eight interrelated crises exposed by the pandemic era and provides pathways for followers of Christ to bring transformation and healing to their lives and communities.
Rice is director of the United Nations Office of the Mennonite Central Committee, an international relief, development, and peace agency. He served as Co-Founding director of the Duke Divinity School Center for Reconciliation, and is coauthor of Reconciling All Things and More Than Equals, which both won Christianity Today Book Awards.
Now, from a burnout society and bipolar world order to our own divided selves, Rice helps us understand this emerging world that will reshape our lives for decades to come. In today’s show, he also shares some of the transformative practices that can move us toward social healing and spiritual renewal.
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Did you know The Salvation Army serves in more than 130 countries around the world and in every U.S. zip code, working to meet human needs in every community—exactly as that community needs?
Every program is rooted in a passion to serve God by serving the hurting, the helpless and the hopeless. In the Western Territory, The Salvation Army serves the 13 Western states in addition to Guam and Micronesia. With a geographic area that large, the scope of service often takes unique forms.
So on this show, I’m here to share 11 ways The Salvation Army tailors its service to meet the distinct needs of people in the West.
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After 37 years of not believing, one day, God was there.
That was the experience Andrew Flockhart had. As he says: I found God at the Dallas-Love Field Airport on a business trip.
Now in training to become a Salvation Army officer (or pastor) at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, Cadet Andrew Flockhart is preparing to be commissioned and sent out for ministry in June 2024.
Once an atheist but no more, he is here today to share more of his own story, his testimony about what has happened since that day in the airport.
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Things are messy, right? That's life?
So where is the joy?
How do you find it?
Captain Arwyn Rodriguera can show you the way.
Arwyn Rodriguera is the Corps Officer and Executive Director of The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center San Francisco and Railton Place, a 113-unit affordable housing development in the city’s Tenderloin neighborhood.
And she's also the adoptive mother to twin girls.
She knows about the trust established through attachment to a primary care giver. And that that attachment is the healthy community that can restore what has been broken.
She learned more about attachment theory on her journey to becoming a certified foster parent and realized in those classes that that's exactly how our attachment works to God.
That safety, that joy—alongside community, trust, restoration and celebration—are, as she says, the witness a weary and broken world needs.
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"Great faith inspires great dreams. Great dreams require great faith."
That's a line from Rick Warren's new book, "Created to Dream: The 6 Phases God Uses to Grow Your Faith."
Of course, you know Rick Warren as the author behind the transformative bestseller, "The Purpose Driven Life," which has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and helped millions of readers discover their purpose and meaning in life.
Pastor Rick Warren founded Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. Time Magazine named him the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Now, "Created to Dream" is his first book in a decade—a must-read for anyone seeking to unlock their potential, move past fear, revive a dead dream and live the life they were created to live.
As Rick writes, "When God wants to work in your life, he gives you a dream about what he wants you to do and the impact he wants you to have in the world."
So, what is God's dream for your life?
Listen in as Rick shares the first chapter of his new book, "Created to Dream.”
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How do you want to experience your life?
What do you want your life to reflect?
What are the simple, soul-filling ways you can upgrade your time, even if it's just a few minutes?
In this episode, you’ll find a mini workshop right here in your podcast player—a workshop to make a plan for joy.
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We’re doing something different in this episode—giving you a little behind the scenes of what happens in our office and a preview of what’s coming.
So I’ve invited Hillary Jackson, the managing editor of The Salvation Army’s Caring Magazine, my partner in publication if you will, to join me today.
Hillary also holds a master’s in specialized journalism from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism—we actually went through the same program. She’s written for the likes of The Washington Post, The Week and Architectural Digest, and has worked around the world covering the Olympics.
In this episode, we’re chatting about the magazine that this podcast is connected to and its goal, with a deeper look inside the making of our annual print edition releasing now. You can find it at caringmagazine.org/belonging.
Plus, you’ll absolutely want to listen to the end for the special appearance of some of you who answered a question we recently asked about how you found your place in The Salvation Army.
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We recently spent a season exploring The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.
So what does that kind of support look like day-to-day?
Maybe that axiom is correct: It takes a village.
You’ve heard that one before, right? It takes a village to raise a child. But what if the same is true for all of us, child or not?
Perhaps we need each other. We need community.
That’s what Trina Crawford will tell you.
As the Director of The Salvation Army Service Center in Havre, Montana, Trina becomes part of that village for those in the Pathway of Hope. She becomes a daily fixture in their lives, checking in with them, providing tangible help and resources, directing them toward community and reminding them of the hope that exists in Christ.
How does she do it? Why does she do it? And what impact has she seen through the years?
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It’s not polite to talk politics.
I’m sure you’ve heard the sentiment. Especially in any kind of mixed crowd where people might disagree on the issue at hand.
We live, worship and work in diverse communities, but with politics becoming so tribal in nature, many of us simply avoid the subject. And that does a disservice to us all.
Yet we can get comfortable with being uncomfortable and do it in a grace-filled way, according to Beth Silvers, co-author of “I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations.”
She and Sarah Stewart Holland also co-host the Pantsuit Politics podcast. As working moms from opposite ends of the political spectrum, they regularly sit down to talk politics together.
Beth, a conservative life and business coach, spent 11 years as an attorney and then an HR executive before opening her own business. Named one of Cincinnati’s “40 under 40” business leaders and as one of Ohio’s Most Powerful and Influential Women, Beth regularly speaks to organizations about hard conversations.
She asks us to hear each other’s thoughts, to test our own beliefs against each other’s philosophies and to better appreciate our own core beliefs by having to articulate and challenge those beliefs.
As Beth says, politics is all about how we live in community with each other. And if we engage in conversation with a goal not to persuade but to be open to personal growth, we’re all better off.
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Did you know we have some 50,000 storage facilities in the U.S.? That’s more than the number of Starbucks and McDonald’s locations combined.
One estimate cites the number of items inside the average American home at 300,000. But what purpose does all of this “stuff” serve?
Joshua Becker believes that a large amount of our stuff serves absolutely no purpose—and in fact, detracts from our well being instead of adding to it.
A former pastor and the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist—with two books on the subject and an online course—he empowers readers to adopt a form of minimalism that works for them—in effect, optimizing our values.
Because minimalism, he says, isn’t about living in a white room with zero belongings, but about intentionally promoting what we most value by removing anything that distracts from it. And in return, we can find more time, more money and less stress.
Joshua is on the show to talk about this purposed-focused journey, which he says comes down to a simple question: What do I want my life to be about?
It’s not: What do I need to get rid of? But what can I add to my life? And he shares plenty of practical advice along the way.
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“Conquering addiction is a miracle in itself.”
Those are the words of Lt. Timothy Pemberton, who leads The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center in Santa Monica, California.
The Salvation Army has more no-fee rehabilitation facilities than any other program in America. For more than 100 years, these Adult Rehabilitation Centers have offered spiritual, emotional and practical assistance to those who have lost the ability to cope with their problems and provide for themselves.
The free addictions recovery program provides housing, food, counseling, community and employment as The Salvation Army works to treat the symptoms and ultimately the root causes of prolonged substance abuse and dependence for some 150,000 people a year.
And while it’s no easy feat to conquer an addiction, on this show Lt. Timothy shares his number one indicator of success—and he would know. He went through the program himself 13 years ago and now works every day to bring others out of their addiction too—to say to others on graduation day, you’re at a new starting line.
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Men lead. Women follow. The Bible tells us so.
Or does it?
Is there a divine order when it comes to men and women?
What if so-called “biblical womanhood” isn’t biblical at all but arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments?
What if there is a better way forward for the contemporary church?
Dr. Beth Allison Barr lays out clear evidence that there is in her book, “The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth.”
Barr is a professor of history and former associate dean of the Graduate School at Baylor University.
She's been teaching world history for more than two decades while also a pastor's wife. And as she’ll tell you, there’s more to the story when it comes to those verses on women’s submission and silence.
In this episode, she shares some of the evidence, calls to flip the Christian narrative around patriarchy and offers a vision for a truly biblical view of womanhood.
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We spent a season discovering The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.
But let’s take a step back. What is hope?
Kierkegaard called it a passion for the possible. Psychologist C.R. Snyder said it’s a reservoir of determination. Emily Dickinson said it’s the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without the words.
It’s hope.
And it’s an essential ingredient, part of the namesake of The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope.
Dr. Suzanne Phillips is a licensed Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, and Fellow and Co-chair of Community Outreach for the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA). She has been a psychologist for more than 35 years and is a newly retired Adjunct Full Professor of Clinical Psychology at LIU Post, a private university in New York.
And as someone in the business of hope, she’s on the show to help us better understand hope and what it does psychologically and physiologically—plus how we can recognize it and find more of it in our lives.
It’s not magic, she says, but a mindset, a propeller for action and possibility. And, it’s contagious.
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As Dr. Gary Chapman says, “No single area of marriage affects the rest of marriage as much as meeting the emotional need for love.”
After years as a family counselor, he developed a system to effectively communicate love to the people closest to us. His book—“The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts”—has been translated into 50 languages and has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide.
In it, Chapman acknowledges that while falling in love is easy, staying in love takes work. And he provides a simple map to better expressing love exactly as the recipient needs.
On this episode, he explores the five love languages and offers tips for better living in each one with our spouses, children and even at work.
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This is a good word from the Good Word with Commissioner Doug Riley.
Commissioner Riley is the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. You may remember him from previous episodes of this podcast on gratitude and the Christmas story.
Here, he preached at the 2022 commissioning and ordination meeting of The Salvation Army in the western U.S., when the Army commissions those in training as Salvation Army officers or pastors.
And he had one question: What is your purpose?
While we often start with ourselves and struggle through our identity, importance and impact, Riley said we fail to see the answers are found in understanding God’s reason for putting us here on earth.
God's purpose, he said, is simple: To know him and to glorify him. Our purpose is found not in what we do, but who we know.
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“The sound of gentle silence.”
That’s how 1 Kings 19 describes the voice of God.
Which might explain why hearing him speak can be really hard.
But Pete Greig’s latest book is meant to help us do just that. It’s called “How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People.”
You may remember Pete from Episode 71 of this podcast, when we talked with him about a simple guide for how to pray.
Pete is a writer and pastor who co-founded and leads the 24-7 Prayer movement around the world.
Now, he offers insight and tools to help turn your ordinary, everyday prayers into a real, conversational relationship with the God who is speaking, more than you know.
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Take a quick inventory:
- Do you often feel tired when you wake up in the morning?
- Have difficulty concentrating?
- Are your emotions easily affected by the actions of others?
- Have headaches, muscle aches, or generalized fatigue with no known medical diagnosis?
- Do you depend on quick energy fixes like caffeine or sugar to help you get through the day?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you’re in need of genuine rest.
How can you keep your energy, happiness, creativity and relationships thriving in the midst of never-ending family demands, career pressures and simply the stress of everyday life?
Here’s the doctor’s orders: Rest is not optional.
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is an author, speaker, and board-certified physician with an active medical practice in Alabama.
And she’s found seven types of rest lacking in the lives of those she treats: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social and creative. Plus, she knows firsthand the toll a deficiency of rest can take.
She’s on the show to share how you can find and embrace true rest today to live the good life we’re all after.
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What are your plans for the New Year?
Will it depend on how things are going in the moment?
It doesn’t need to. You really can trust God’s plan for your life—in all things, no matter what your life looks like right now.
That’s what Megan Fate Marshman explores in her book, a power-packed, biblical look at Jeremiah 29:11-14—a familiar passage that begins: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, …
So how is God inviting us to practically trust him through Jeremiah 29?
How can we take active steps to trust God regularly?
And how does trusting God’s plans for our lives change the way we live?
Megan is on the show to share just that.
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Did you know we have nearly 140 published episodes of this show?
That’s a whole lot of inspiration right there at your fingertips for those days you feel a little stuck or like you need a little dose of goodness.
We’ve covered everything from: How to effectively engage anxiety, the state of poverty today, plans for a Salvation Army adaptive camp, what hope does for our minds and bodies, what it means to be commissioned as a Salvation Army officer, how to pursue what makes you come alive, how to receive the Holy Spirit, a truly biblical view of womanhood, how The Salvation Army “saved my life” and so much more.
You may not have caught each and every episode on what it means to do good, what it’s really like to be homeless, principles to spend differently or how to foster gratitude.
So over the next few weeks, we’ll be rebroadcasting some of our favorite and your most-loved episodes. With the click of the “subscribe” button on any player you love, you’ll get each new episode with that boost of inspiration, encouragement and ideas for how you can get involved in doing good.
Then we’ll be back before you know it with a new season focused on helping you do good right where you are. 💛
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Hygge.
From a Norwegian term meaning “to comfort” or “to console,” hygge has gained in popularity in recent years. There’s even a hygge line at Target.
But it’s more than cozy living.
As author Jamie Erickson says, it’s a way of making the mundane and necessary meaningful and beautiful. It’s soul rest.
Her new book, “Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow,” shows us how.
Jamie is a homeschooling mom to five kids. She encourages other moms on the Mom to Mom podcast, through her blog The Unlikely Homeschool and as a speaker and author.
Now she has given us a guide to hygge as it appeals to our desire for slow living and shared moments. For warmth and simplicity. For home.
And all of this is sacred, Jamie says, when understood in the light of Christ and his kingdom.
Jamie is on the show to share how this Danish lifestyle pairs with the deep, theological truths of the gospel—and how hygge can help us make a home where people can find God, especially as we enter this New Year.
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Right about now, as you are dashing through the snow … or around town … you might be wishing upon a star for a way to hit pause.
Maybe you could use a prayer for hope.
Or a prayer for paying the bills.
A prayer for when you’re too busy.
Or a prayer for going on a walk.
Maybe a prayer for friendship.
Or a prayer for giving thanks.
Authors Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore offer these and more in their newly released book titled “Liturgies for Hope: Sixty Prayers for the Highs, Lows, and Everything in Between.”
These contemporary, comforting liturgies break through the noise of modern life to offer time-tested wisdom.
Audrey works at SparkNotes and Elizabeth at Penguin Random House as these two friends both live in New York and serve with the Church of the City New York.
They’re on the show to share more about the liturgical tradition, this new collection of prayers and the hope that is available to you and me today.
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While The Salvation Army is much more than red kettles, Christmas is unquestionably the season of The Salvation Army.
And really, what better season to be synonymous with than Christmas?
Every year, kicking off at the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game and running through Christmas Eve, you’ll see red kettles and bell ringers standing outside supermarkets and shopping malls, encouraging you to drop in a few dollars—or more—to support The Salvation Army.
Some 25,000 bell ringers a year help The Salvation Army raise money for local programs. And yes—money given in your community stays in your community to help your neighbors.
With the generous support of the public, and a long list of corporate partners, The Salvation Army serves more than 31 million Americans in need each year.
And this Christmas season, I wanted you to hear it in the words of those engaged in the Fight for Good—volunteering to ring the bell at the kettle, making sure families have food and presents under the tree, and ensuring the lonely are not forgotten.
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You’ve no doubt seen a Salvation Army red kettle—maybe you’ve seen one already this Christmas season.
It is an iconic part of The Salvation Army and of Christmastime itself.
What started in 1891 with one creative Salvation Army officer or pastor wanting to provide a free Christmas dinner in San Francisco, has spread around the world.
Today, public contributions to the kettles in the U.S. enable The Salvation Army to assist more than 31 million people in need during the holiday season and throughout the year.
It’s a truly unique face-to-face touchpoint that gives us a chance to connect with our community and remind them The Salvation Army is at work in their neighborhood.
Major Ken Perine is the Administrator and Pastor for The Salvation Army in Spokane—with nine major programs from a church and community center with an afterschool program and league sports center, to three foster care programs, three shelters for families and adults experiencing homelessness, the largest food bank in Spokane County and a camp. The Salvation Army in Spokane impacts some 100,000 people a year.
And every year, the corps manages a kettle effort, putting out 68 kettles each Christmas and bringing in more than $430,000 in kettle donations.
Kathy Lovin is the Public Affairs and Communications Manager for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. And you may remember her from Episode 120 of this show where she shared six tips for tough conversations.
They’re both on the show today to share their own kettle experience and their take on why kettles are so critical to The Salvation Army.
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Could you use a good word from the Good Word?
Today, Captain Emmanuel Masango is bringing us the Word from Exodus 33:12-20.
Captain Emmanuel is a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, currently serving as The Salvation Army Territorial Youth Secretary in the western U.S. He preached here at a gathering of Salvation Army youth leaders from all across the West.
He looks at Moses’ conversation with God from Exodus 33. Moses had a job, a ministry, a responsibility—but he was looking for something more.
Show me your glory, show me your presence, he says, maybe feeling a little distant from God.
Can you relate?
Do you have the glory of God in your life? The presence, radiance of God?
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What are you grateful for today?
Does your life experience help build the list?
For Joaquin Galvan, it certainly does.
He’s the Director of Railton Place, a transitional and supportive housing program of The Salvation Army in San Francisco’s Tenderloin community.
And the path that led him here is not what you might expect.
As he says, you can’t plan life.
Joaquin is on the show to share more about his own experience, how it shapes the way he interacts with the residents under his care today, and why he lives with gratitude with a simple goal each and every day.
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Are you out the door at 5:01, won’t work weekends and prefer texting to face-to-face meetings?
Or do you live to work, can’t text and can’t tolerate change?
Like most stereotypes, these over-generalized generalizations about generational groups lead to further miscommunication—and often aren’t correct.
So how does one speak across generations, particularly in the Church?
Rev. Dr. Darrell Hall lays it out in his new book, “Speaking Across Generations: Messages That Satisfy Boomers, Xers, Millennials, Gen Z, and Beyond.”
He currently serves as the Campus Pastor of the Elizabeth Baptist Church campus in Conyers, Georgia.
And he’s made it part of his ministry to communicate effectively with members of every generational people group—each with its own culture and preferences.
He’s on the show to share more about this idea of generational intelligence and how we all can better speak across generations.
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I vividly remember my first real reporting outing as an intern. I met Jill, who lived in a Salvation Army shelter for families experiencing homelessness and HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles. Jill told me about the moment she learned she was positive—and pregnant. The baby would be born infected.
Jill showed me the four vials of antiretroviral medication her daughter, then 2, had to take each day. She also gave me a tour of the apartment, their home, with visible pride over her child playing in the toy kitchen. Despite the hurdles, Jill became a mom and it changed her for good. She had a new story to write.
Before I left, Jill thanked me for letting her tell her story, saying it felt good to share.
As I’ve sat down with people in the 15 years since, I’ve heard the same sentiment again and again.
It’s when we name our experiences that we come to understand them in a new way—especially our own. More importantly, stories help us to understand each other, to see past any label and instead see the person.
On this episode of the Do Gooders Podcast, we’re going to talk about story and why it’s so powerful.
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Why do you trust in Jesus?
“Why follow some ancient carpenter-turned-philosopher from a podunk town in the Middle East, a man whose own people didn't believe in him for the most part? It just doesn't make any sense.
Or does it?”
That’s the question Ray Comfort asks in his latest book, “Why Would Anyone Follow Jesus? 12 Reasons to Trust What the Bible Says about Jesus.”
Of all the gods, gurus and good people out there, why Jesus?
Ray Comfort is the Founder and CEO of Living Waters and the bestselling author of more than 100 books, including How to Know God Exists and The Evidence Bible. He also cohosts the award-winning TV program Way of the Master, airing in every country in the world.
In this book, Ray walks through 12 persuasive reasons to believe that Jesus was who he said he was and did the things the Bible records him doing. Most importantly, he explains why it actually matters to your life right now.
And how you can share him with others.
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Could you use a good word from the Good Word?
In this episode, Commissioner Dave Hudson—who was also the very first guest on this podcast—brings us the Word from the life of Jesus, who was known as a friend of sinners.
This recording is from 2020, when Commissioner Hudson was just days away from retirement. After dedicating himself to ministry with The Salvation Army for more than 40 years, Commissioner Dave Hudson retired in 2020 as National Commander of The Salvation Army in the U.S.
He preached here at a Commissioning event for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. The event annually marks the ordination and appointment of new officers, or pastors, of The Salvation Army.
Commissioner Hudson challenges those individuals—and each one of us—to consider the way Scripture shows us that Jesus accepted everyone as they are. That was regardless of their background and despite a society where the marginalized were ignored, religion was defined by laws, and people were separated and treated differently because of their identity and status.
Jesus’ instructions to us were simple, Commissioner Hudson said: Love.
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What’s bigger than Starbucks and Google combined?
A $150 billion industry?
Involving 25 million people worldwide?
It’s human trafficking. And it’s a problem in your community.
Across the U.S., The Salvation Army has 49 anti-trafficking programs. Recent statistics show The Salvation Army served 4,415 trafficking survivors in just one year.
Erin Kauffman is the Housing Director for one of those Salvation Army anti-trafficking programs, called Stepping Stones, in Spokane, Washington.
She’s worked to help trafficking victims become survivors for many years, including most recently as the SEEDS of Hope Program Coordinator in Las Vegas.
These are people, much like all of us, she’ll tell you, searching for love and belonging.
And she’s on the show to share more about The Salvation Army’s anti-trafficking work and some of the myths surrounding the issue.
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Did you know one-third of your life will be spent at work?
That’s 90,000 hours over the course of a lifetime.
And that’s a lot of hours.
So, of course, you want to spend that time in a healthy environment.
Al Lopus would call it a flourishing workplace.
Al is the cofounder and CEO of the Best Christian Workplaces Institute and author of the new book, “Road to Flourishing: Eight Keys to Boost Employee Engagement and Well-Being.”
He works to provide research-based measurement tools and strategic advisory services to help Christian organizations set the standard as the best, most effective workplaces in the world.
He serves on the advisory council of the Christian Leadership Alliance, having previously served as a board member.
And he is on the show to share the research on flourishing workplaces and how to get there, including more than a few tangible tips on the eight key drivers for a healthy workplace culture.
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Don’t only invite your friends or the rich, Jesus said in Luke 14. He said, “Make it your habit to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Then you will be blessed…” (14:12-14).
At about 20 percent of the population, the disabled community is the largest minority group in the world.
Yet, estimates are that 80 to 85 percent of churches don’t have any level of disability ministry.
And worse, surveys reveal most families with a disabled child do not attend church at all because they don’t feel welcome or it’s just too hard.
Major Nancy Helms is the Territorial Disabilities Ministries Director for The Salvation Army in the western U.S.
For her, it’s a role that’s also personal as she has a child who has disabilities. She is out to make sure everyone has a seat in ministry and friendship.
She’s on the show to share more about her own experience, what she wished the Church knew about loving beyond disability and practical ways we can all engage in ministry in this way.
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We’ve all seen depictions of the white lights and tunnels to heaven in some movie or TV show after the character has a near-death experience.
But for Rick Osgood, that experience was real.
Rick has a long history with advisory organizations in The Salvation Army and is currently a member of the Territorial Advisory Board for The Salvation Army in the western U.S.
In his professional life, he was one of the founders of Pacific Growth Equities, a research-driven bank specializing in technology-based emerging growth. Now retired, Rick operates a vineyard in Napa, California, and serves on a number of boards for public and private companies.
And this summer, he experienced an injury while abroad that left him hospitalized for more than 40 days. It’s an injury he’ll tell you he probably shouldn’t have survived. Miracle after miracle has followed.
Rick is on the show to share his testimony—what God showed him in his near-death experience and what it all means today.
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How do we seek the peace and prosperity—the shalom—of our communities?
It’s a charge from God as we find in Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
So how do we love our neighbors and work for the common good?
Dr. Amy Sherman lays it all out in her new book, “Agents of Flourishing: Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society.” It’s part theological reflection and part instruction manual on how to be, as she calls it, a “kingdom foretaste bringer.”
Dr. Sherman directs the Sagamore Institute’s Center on Faith in Communities, a capacity-building initiative for congregations and faith-based and community-based organizations. Its aim is to help leaders invest more strategically and effectively in their communities as they address poverty and injustice.
She also works closely with Made to Flourish, a pastors’ network for the common good focused on issues of faith and work. She’s the author of seven books and more than 100 articles and essays, and frequently speaks and trains congregational and nonprofit ministry leaders.
Dr. Sherman holds a Ph.D. in international economic development from the University of Virginia and volunteered for several years as a Senior Fellow with the International Justice Mission.
She’s on the show to help us better understand the concept of biblical flourishing and how we can effectively seek it in our communities.
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It won’t come as a surprise to you that the number of employed people plummeted as the pandemic unfolded.
In April 2020, the unemployment rate reached 14.8%—the highest rate observed since data collection began in 1948. Compare that to February this year, 2022, when the unemployment rate marked 3.8 percent.
Now, we hear a different story about America’s worker shortage. In January, the U.S. had 11.3 million jobs to fill and not enough workers to do so, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You’ve probably seen the “help wanted” signs in your own community.
And so The Salvation Army retooled its own programs for workforce development in Northern California in an effort to more quickly prepare workers for skilled jobs.
And notably, help people out of or altogether prevent homelessness.
Captain Larry Carmichael is the Social Services Officer for The Salvation Army in Sacramento County.
He was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, in 2016 and has since served in Phoenix; in Marin County, California, and now in Sacramento. He holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership and has a personal commitment to persevere.
He’s on the show to share more about The Salvation Army’s workforce development programs ranging the construction, culinary and certified nursing assistant fields.
It’s an effort, he says, to help an individual and a community.
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If you could use a boost of inspiration in 1 minute a day with a daily affirmation from Scripture—something that landed right in your inbox to help you start your day with goodness, then you are in the right spot.
The Salvation Army’s Caring Magazine, which produces this show, has a new free resource: Good Words from the Good Word, an email series to get you a boost of inspiration in 1 minute a day with a daily affirmation from Scripture. Get on the list now at caringmagazine.org/words.
You’ll open your inbox each morning to a pep-talk for the day.
A boost of inspiration and comfort.
A bit of encouragement when you need it.
A good Word to draw on with intention, knowing your thoughts change how you feel…and act.
And today on the show, I’m bringing you a sample—a version you can pop in your ear buds and hit play on.
Use it as a reminder when you need it.
A meditation to pray through.
Or any way you are inspired to.
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You’ve probably seen the red kettles and thrift stores, and while we’re rightfully well known for both, The Salvation Army is so much more than red kettles and thrift stores.
So who are we? What do we do? And where?
In this episode, we’re going to cover the who, what, where, why and how of The Salvation Army—plus how you can get involved in the Fight for Good.
So take a seat for Salvation Army 101.
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This is a good word from the Good Word with Commissioner Doug Riley.
Commissioner Riley is the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. You may remember him from previous episodes of this podcast on gratitude and the Christmas story.
Here, he preached at this year’s commissioning and ordination meeting of The Salvation Army in the western U.S., when the Army commissions those in training as Salvation Army officers or pastors.
And he had one question: What is your purpose?
While we often start with ourselves and struggle through our identity, importance and impact, Riley said we fail to see the answers are found in understanding God’s reason for putting us here on earth.
God's purpose, he said, is simple: To know him and to glorify him. Our purpose is found not in what we do, but who we know.
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Have you ever dreaded a conversation?
Maybe you hit a difficult topic or needed to address a sticky issue, but you knew it would be a tough one.
Chances are it’ll happen again, so go ahead and bookmark this episode now.
Kathy Lovin is the Public Affairs and Communications Manager for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. She’s spent more than two decades coaching people on how to address difficult topics with the media, employees, boards, and even family members.
Tough Talk, as she calls it, is a discipline we all need and one we can all grow in.
She’s on the show to share what she’s learned over the years and to offer six tips for being a more effective, purposeful communicator.
As she says, it all comes down to caring for people.
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If you’ve ever donated gently-used items to The Salvation Army or shopped in one of our thrift stores, then you’ve directly supported addiction rehabilitation in your community.
Across the U.S., The Salvation Army has more than 130 residential treatment facilities which equip more than 150,000 people a year to combat addiction, build work and social skills and restore families. Each of these facilities sift and sort the public’s donations that are then sold in more than 1,200 thrift stores nationwide.
And those sales fund the cost-free, biblically based six-month program helping so many people find not only sobriety, but recovery.
Cheryl Tuck-Smith is the mom of one of those program graduates. She’s experienced the transformation that results, and for the past 20 years, has stayed involved in the effort in Chico, California.
Now in retirement after a career as an attorney, Cheryl has taken on a new role overseeing what she calls, Grandma’s Jewelry Box.
As an advisory council member for The Salvation Army Chico Adult Rehabilitation Program, Cheryl offered to help sift and sort donations of jewelry, looking for items to be sold in the area’s seven thrift stores.
When she discovered the warehouse had more jewelry than she could get to, she recruited help. The group of volunteers now meets weekly and have turned it into a ministry.
Cheryl is on the show today to share more about the effort, what they look for and the result—a remarkable average monthly income from the majority $4 to $10 pieces of jewelry for sale.
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“The sound of gentle silence.”
That’s how 1 Kings 19 describes the voice of God.
Which might explain why hearing him speak can be really hard.
But Pete Greig is out with a new book to help us do just that. It’s called “How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People.”
You may remember Pete from Episode 71 of this podcast, when we talked with him about a simple guide for how to pray.
Pete is a writer and pastor who co-founded and leads the 24-7 Prayer movement around the world.
In his latest book, he offers insight and tools to help turn your ordinary, everyday prayers into a real, conversational relationship with the God who is speaking, more than you know.
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According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, there have been 700,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. since 2000.
Sharira Thomas was nearly one of them.
For 30 years, she lived a life of addiction that landed her in prison.
And three separate times, she returned to The Salvation Army for help.
For more than 100 years, The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers and Harbor Light Programs have offered cost-free residential rehabilitation programs to treat the symptoms, and ultimately the root causes, of prolonged alcohol and drug dependence.
And it’s not limited to a certain “type” of person. Addiction can affect anyone.
That’s why The Salvation Army equips more than 150,000 people every single year to combat addiction, regain health and stability, build work and social skills and restore families.
Today, Sharira is the Intake Coordinator of The Salvation Army Las Vegas Adult Rehabilitation Center, which means she’s one of the first points of contact for those coming into the program. She gets to tell them there is hope.
And she knows firsthand.
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In our last episode, you heard from each of the seven Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers across the western U.S., from San Diego to Salem, Oregon, to Kapolei, Hawaii.
It was 20 years ago that the first Kroc Center opened in San Diego, California. The 12-acre, 132,000 square-foot facility was a realization of Joan Kroc’s dream for all people to have recreational, educational and cultural arts opportunities.
And just under a year before it opened, Tim and Cindy Foley were appointed its administrators, just as the foundation was being poured.
Today, Lt. Colonel Cindy Foley is Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army in the Northwest Division and Lt. Colonel Tim Foley is the Divisional Leader for Officer Development.
Back then, they were given the job to create the program and business structure—really, the template for what the Kroc Centers would become across the nation.
The Foleys are on the show today to give us a window into that year. To share the stories of working things out, what it was like to know Joan Kroc and how it felt to open the center on that day in June 2002.
Plus how the experience changed them and their ministry.
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Twenty years ago, the first Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center opened in San Diego, California. It was a realization of Joan Kroc’s dream for all people to have recreational, educational and cultural arts opportunities.
During her final visit to the center before her death, Joan Kroc, the widow of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, said “The reality of what the Kroc Center has become to San Diego is beyond my imagination.”
In October 2003, she left a $1.5 billion bequest to The Salvation Army to build similar community centers around the country.
The result is twenty-six Kroc Centers—a network of state-of-the-art community centers that provide children and families with opportunities to both discover and develop their passions and talents within their own neighborhood, just as Joan Kroc dreamed.
To help us celebrate this 20th anniversary of the first Kroc Center in San Diego, I’m joined in this episode by a local representative of each of the seven Kroc Centers in the western U.S. They will introduce themselves and share an inside look at the unique offerings at their Kroc Center.
So, allow me to introduce to you today the Kroc Centers in San Diego; San Francisco; Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Salem, Oregon; Phoenix; Kapolei, Hawaii; and Suisun City, California.
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Could you use a good word from the Good Word?
Today, Captain Caroline Rowe is bringing it to us.
She is a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, currently serving at the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Phoenix—one of the organization's 26 state-of-the-art facilities across the U.S. built thanks to a bequest from Joan Kroc. (And spoiler alert: you're going to hear more about these incredible centers in the coming episodes so stay tuned.)
Captain Caroline preached here at a gathering of Salvation Army youth leaders from all across the western U.S.
We know we are created in the image of God: flesh, soul, and spirit.
But what do we know about how to receive the Holy Spirit?
Here’s a good word from the Good Word with Captain Caroline Rowe.
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Did you know The Salvation Army is a church?
That’s right. Every program of The Salvation Army is rooted in a passion to serve God by serving the hurting, the helpless and the hopeless.
It’s biblical: We love because God first loved us.
It all began in London in 1865. The co-founders, a Methodist minister and his wife, William and Catherine Booth, walked the streets preaching to the homeless and hungry. Their efforts became The Salvation Army, which set out to offer compassionate, tangible service to people in need following a quasi-military structure with William Booth as its first General.
Today, across the U.S., some 1,200 Salvation Army corps—or church—locations offer worship services every Sunday morning and programs throughout the week, from youth nights to music groups and opportunities for service.
And the work is carried out across the country by some 63,000 employees, 3 million volunteers and roughly 3,500 officers, who complete a two-year training program to become ministers of The Salvation Army.
Cadets Ismael and Verenice Gutierrez are about to be among their ranks.
They’re just days away from completing their training at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. They will be commissioned as officers in The Salvation Army, as pastors, and appointed to serve in a community here in the western U.S., location to be determined.
So allow me to introduce to you today, to share what it means to be a Salvation Army officer and why they each decided to become one, Cadets Ismael and Verenice Gutierrez.
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All across the country, The Salvation Army is gearing up to open the gates to that well-loved place where kids can be kids—summer camp.
Every year, thousands of kids of all ages get a fresh perspective on life as they meet new friends, discover new activities, and get a taste of nature at one of The Salvation Army’s 43 camps. As campers learn to swim, play sports, create music, make art, and more, their trained counselors help them navigate the complicated emotions and struggles sometimes associated with their lives back home.
For many, it’s their first time truly experiencing the great outdoors. It’s also often where they meet and come to know the love of Jesus.
And at High Peak Camp in Estes Park, Colorado, they do so surrounded by the Rocky Mountains.
Led by Camp Director James Johnson and Assistant Camp Director Mitchell McWilliams, High Peak is preparing to welcome some 100 kids a week this summer—and for the first time, is offering an adaptive camp for young adults with disabilities.
The mentality, they said, is why say no? Camp is a safe space for all people.
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Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Of course, you know this list—the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.
Much has been written about this list and how we can better find and embrace these traits in our lives, as evidence of being a Jesus follower. The marks of our godly character.
But author Jessica Thompson asks: Has it ever occurred to you that the fruit of the Spirit are also the characteristics of God? Can it be that God loves us with the fruit of the Spirit? And only when we are secure in that love can we display it to others?
Jessica’s new book, “How God Loves Us: 40 Days to Discovering his Character in the Fruit of the Spirit,” is 40 readings designed to take you deeper into the love God has for you.
She’s the author of several books, a frequent speaker, part of the podcast Front Porch with the Fitzes and is the director of church life at RISEN Church in San Diego, California.
And Jessica is on the show today to share more about her book and the love God has for you.
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Could you use a good word from the Good Word?
In this episode, Reverend Eugene Cho is bringing us the Word from John 21:1-14.
Eugene is the President and CEO of Bread for the World, a non-partisan, Christian advocacy organization based in the U.S. that advocates for policy changes to end hunger. He preached here at a gathering of Salvation Army youth leaders from all across the West.
And he says this is one of those stories from Scripture that he returns to often.
In the passage, a group of seven disciples are together when Simon Peter says, “I’m going fishing.” And so they do and they encounter Jesus. But it’s not just a fishing story, Eugene says. If you peel off the layers, it’s a vulnerable story of doubt, confusion and grace.
And Eugene shares five things we can learn from this story.
Here’s a good word from the Good Word with Eugene Cho.
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Anxiety.
We all have it.
And it’s not always a bad thing—it’s a natural response to facing the unknown that can protect us.
But it can also go too far.
The American Psychological Association said in late 2020 we’re facing a national mental health crisis that could see serious health and social consequences for years to come. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 1 in 5 American adults are affected by an anxiety disorder—that’s some 40 million people.
And yet, freedom from anxiety is learnable.
That’s what Jason Cusick will tell you.
He’s the Pastor of Journey of Faith in Southern California. Formerly a hospital chaplain, he’s passionate about the connection between faith and wellness.
He has a new book—“The Anxiety Field-Guide: Healthy Habits for Long-term Healing”—and is on the show today to share his own experience with anxiety and how to effectively engage it.
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Did you know more than 2 million people volunteered with The Salvation Army across the U.S., according to the organizations’ 2021 National Annual Report?
That’s 2,052,933 people, to be exact, who freely gave of their time and skills simply to help—to do something.
And that gift is not isolated to The Salvation Army. In fact, the World Happiness Report found in 2021 global rates of helping strangers, volunteering and giving to charity were nearly 25% above pre-pandemic levels.
What about you?
Have you ever found yourself wanting to volunteer, but perhaps were unsure of what to do or how to go about it?
Here’s the key: You can make an impact in the Fight for Good with whatever time and skills you have.
Adriana Thiele is the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator for The Salvation Army in San Diego, California. She’s on the show to share more about her experience working with volunteers, how things have changed in recent years and how you can get involved.
And we’ve put together a guide on how to be an impactful volunteer with nine habits to help you make a difference in the lives of others. Grab your copy at caringmagazine.org/volunteer.
When you strive to do good, you help build a safer world for all and give others a lasting display of the love behind your beliefs.
And studies show it’s good for you, too.
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Happy Easter!
We’re coming to you this Easter Sunday with a good word from the Good Word with Commissioner Doug Riley.
Commissioner Riley is the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. You may remember him from previous episodes of this podcast on gratitude and the Christmas story.
Now, he’s bringing us the good news: Christ the Lord is risen today.
Listen in for more on the empty tomb as an enduring symbol of the resurrection—plus what it means to see the life of Christ come alive in you.
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Way back on episode 8 of this podcast, we heard from Pastor Dr. Mark Moore on Why Understanding the Bible Better Makes Your Life Better and how to go about it.
He had just released “Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year.” In an approachable format, the book helps you master the passages with the greatest potential for practical application—from creation to heaven, money, God’s will and grace.
As a former New Testament professor at Ozark Christian College and now the teaching pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Mark has spent more than 40 years helping people make sense of Christianity.
And now, he is back with a new book: “Quest 52: A Fifteen-Minute-A-Day Yearlong Pursuit of Jesus.”
It offers a simple plan to experience the life and heart of Jesus as never before, addressing questions like: Does Jesus really care about your pain? And how can you hear God’s voice?
And this Easter week, we get to hear directly from Mark on another question: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
As he says, if this claim isn’t true, then none of the rest of it matters. So what would it take to believe in the resurrection? What do we know?
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The Salvation Army has a long history of responding when disaster strikes.
Drought, wildfires, flash flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, and the manmade kind too. Every disaster is unique and creates its own special needs.
That’s why the heart of The Salvation Army’s disaster response is to meet the immediate needs of a survivor and the emergency responders there to help with food, clothing, shelter, communications, donations management, cleanup, training and more. And every step of the way The Salvation Army offers emotional and spiritual care.
For more than 20 years, John Berglund has been on the frontlines of Salvation Army disaster response. He’s served as the Emergency Services Director at The Salvation Army’s U.S. National Headquarters, in the Greater New York Division, and in the Intermountain Division based in Denver before his current role as the Emergency Disaster Services Coordinator of The Salvation Army Western Territory. He also serves as a team leader and trainer for International Emergency Services through The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London.
And at recording time, he’s about to deploy to Eastern Europe to assist in the on-the-ground assessment of needs and how The Salvation Army can best help right now during the humanitarian crisis unfolding in and around Ukraine.
He’s on the show to share more about what’s happening in the current disaster response, what he’ll be doing from Moldova and to give us a better context for how The Salvation Army counters disaster.
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The message of The Salvation Army’s call to "Love Beyond" is simple: When we love beyond hunger, love beyond shelter, love beyond disasters, and more, we can provide hope and help for millions who need it.
And, notably, whoever you are and wherever you are, there is a place for you in The Salvation Army—to join with us and Love Beyond all else.
This call is being sent across the U.S. and communities are finding creative ways to bring attention to it.
Like in Colorado Springs, where a three-week scavenger hunt had people all across southern Colorado looking for a red box from The Salvation Army.
Captain Doug Hanson is the County Coordinator and Corps Officer, or pastor, in Colorado Springs. He’s on the show today to share more about this creative effort and the deeper meaning behind the call to Love Beyond.
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We are back with a whole new rallying cry. Have you heard it?
The Salvation Army is issuing a call for everyone to "Love Beyond."
The message of this call is simple: When we love beyond hunger, love beyond shelter, and love beyond disasters, we can provide hope and help for millions who need it.
It all comes from 1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, love.”
Listen in for more on what it means to Love Beyond, and how you can join in.
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Could you guess the most popular undergraduate course at the University of Notre Dame?
If you guessed a philosophy class, titled “God and the Good Life,” you are correct.
But it’s not the Philosophy 101 you may have taken in college. It’s “built on the idea that philosophy is care for our souls.”
That our day-to-day stressors and everyday questions about what’s good and what makes a good life are in fact philosophical questions.
And now you can sit down for class too, but in a fun and approachable way through a new book, titled “The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith and Meaning,” co-written by Notre Dame philosophy professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko.
Turning to figures like Aristotle and Plato, you’ll explore love, finance, work and faith as you dive into the big questions and create your own “good life plan.”
As Meghan says, philosophy belongs everywhere. And she’s on the show to bring some of it to us today.
Dr. Meghan Sullivan is the Wilsey Family College Chair in Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, director of the God and the Good Life Program, and director of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study. She studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and went on to earn a doctorate in philosophy at Rutgers University.
Meghan has worked with thousands of students to help them start to articulate a purpose and how to hold onto it. She’s here to help us reflect on happiness and meaning, too.
So allow me to introduce to you today Dr. Meghan Sullivan
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This season, we’ve been talking a lot about hope in The Salvation Army.
Hope, by definition, is a feeling of optimism—it’s based on expecting a positive outcome.
That’s what Commissioner Doug Riley will tell you.
He’s the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S.
He was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer—or pastor—alongside his wife Colleen in 1995. He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and has now spent nearly three decades in pastoral leadership.
And he’ll also tell you, our hope is in Christ.
This is the time of year we celebrate the power of hope, the most wonderful time of the year—Christmas.
And just as there was great hope for those living in the time of Jesus’ birth, there is great hope for us today.
Commissioner Riley is on the show today to share more about the hope we find in the Christmas story and its reminder that darkness will give way to the light.
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This is a very special episode as it’s our 100th episode of this show!
When I sat down to plan this season and saw episode 100 would fall just before Christmas, I wanted to make sure we had a really special guest.
And we do.
I am so excited today for this episode on the nostalgia and traditions of family at Christmas with one of my favorite people in the world, Fehrn Hesse. Otherwise known as Mama, my grandmother.
She instilled in our family a love of Christmas.
To sing it loud for all to hear.
To watch every heart be light.
To bask in the inescapable glow of making spirits bright.
I love Christmas for the way it brings us together—one song, one cookie, one smile, one movie at a time.
In my family, I’ve named myself the Chief Holiday Cheermeister—and that love of the wonder and true meaning of this season is due in large part to our family matriarch, Mama.
Not only has she raised our family, Mama also taught as a professor in the nursing department at Mt. Saint Mary’s for 24 years and worked for 40 years as a mother-baby nurse at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California.
If you’ve met her, you’ve probably received a hug from her. She radiates love and encouragement and it’s a real gift to me this season to get to talk with her here about the love of a mother at Christmas.
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It’s the season of giving.
Giving love, giving thanks. Giving to a red kettle near you.
And while those bells ring, it’s also a season when many give of their time.
They volunteer.
Each year more than 3 million people of all ages volunteer their time, talents and resources to assist The Salvation Army's work across the U.S. These volunteers are critical partners in helping The Salvation Army fulfill its promise of "Doing the Most Good."
And yes, 3 million people is a lot of people. So I’d like to introduce you to just one of them today.
Dustin Wallace is a long-time Salvation Army volunteer because he loves it.
He’s a graduate of The Salvation Army’s addictions rehabilitation program and now attends The Salvation Army corps, or church, in Seattle. He regularly volunteers alongside his husband—from distributing meals or hygiene items to those experiencing homelessness, ringing the bell at a kettle or assisting in the toy distribution at Christmas.
He’s here to share more about his experience with the organization, why he chooses to give back and why he believes anyone can be the reason somebody believes in goodness.
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You’ve probably heard the term “pandemic poverty.”
Maybe you were lucky and were able to work from home when the pandemic took hold of our communities.
Or, you may know the reality of that poverty more intimately with the loss of a job, loss of income, loss of a way to make ends meet at all.
The Salvation Army has seen the reality firsthand as we’ve served more than 31 million Americans this past year. That’s a 34 percent increase from the previous year.
And the need for services continues today.
Kristen Baluyot is The Salvation Army’s social services director in Denver.
She’s worked throughout the pandemic to keep people in their homes, to stave off eviction and prevent homelessness.
As she’ll tell you, she wants to enrich lives—especially over these past 20 months for those who’ve received the unexpected knock of poverty.
Listen in for more about the state of pandemic poverty today and how The Salvation Army is working to prevent homelessness in Denver.
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By now, you’ve no doubt heard of the power of gratitude.
Scripture tells us it’s God’s will for us to be thankful in all circumstances.
And science has proven the benefits of a regular practice of gratitude for the mind and body.
So in this week of Thanksgiving, we’re pulling from our archives and adding to it.
In this episode of the Do Gooders Podcast, hear highlights from our favorite episodes on living with a grateful heart.
Hear from Dr. Rick Weissbourd, Harvard University’s Faculty Director for Making Caring Common, who shared in Episode 05: Five Strategies for Raising Kind Kids.
Hear from Dr. Robert Emmons, who’s considered the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, and who shared in Episode 27: What is gratitude and how can we foster it.
Hear from Commissioners Doug and Colleen Riley, leaders of The Salvation Army in the western U.S., about the gratitude we find in Scripture from episode 68 How to find gratitude.
Hear from Pete Greig, a writer and church planter who co-founded and leads the 24-7 Prayer movement around the world, and who shared in Episode 71 A simple guide for how to pray today.
And finally, hear from our own Caring Magazine Managing Editor Hillary Jackson on the blessings of now.
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We’re in the business of telling you stories of transformation and hope—and sometimes, we get the chance to show you.
If you head to caringmagazine.org/video, we have an entire library of firsthand accounts of hope found with the help of The Salvation Army.
From a teen roasting her own coffee to bring water to Ethiopia, to a couple serving people living out of their vehicles, to a father who had lost everything to addiction and finally found healing and got his family back.
In this episode, we want to share with you one of these stories of hope.
The Seruyange family fled their home in Uganda in search of safety for their young children. They arrived in the U.S. seeking asylum in 2018 and found themselves alone in San Bernardino, California.
After a serendipitous encounter with The Salvation Army, the Seruyange’s journey to freedom and safety brought them to a new hope and a new church family. It would change the course of their lives.
Listen to the story here, and visit caringmagazine.org/video to see it and share it with others.
Allow me to introduce to you today, the Seruyange family.
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Imagine a December spent savoring the true joy and awe of Christmas.
Sounds dreamy, right?
Well, get this: You can.
With your family this season, you can dive deeper into understanding the true wonder, mystery and excitement of God sending his only Son to the world. Make more of the reality of who Jesus is as our source of hope, peace, joy and love. Unwrap the true gift that Christmas brings to each one of us.
And we have the guide for your journey.
Lt. Erin Wikle is a Salvation Army officer (or pastor) currently serving in San Francisco. She’s also a mom to four and a singer/songwriter. In fact, you might remember her from episode 26 of this podcast.
Together with Caring, she has shaped a 28-day Advent Journey for families and we are here invite you in to creating a meaningful season.
To making memories with your family as you set aside time to look forward to Jesus’ arrival with increasing expectation.
But let’s start from the top…what is Advent and why do we recognize it?
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This season, we’re exploring The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.
Last week, we learned about the research surrounding self-sufficiency and how essential hope is along the way.
Hope was described as the driver that leads to goal attainment—and critically connected to our spiritual well-being.
That’s why Pathway of Hope is grounded in Scripture.
From what God requires of us, as found in Micah 6:8, to the motivation for serving suffering humanity, as found in 1 Corinthians 16:14, which says: “Do everything in love.”
That theological foundation is about joining God at the place of need and allowing him to work through us to bring his healing and hope.
And that’s exactly what you’ll hear in this testimony.
Katherine Reid first met The Salvation Army in eighth grade, when she and her mother became residents at a shelter.
Years later, as a mother herself, she again met The Salvation Army and became a participant in the Pathway of Hope.
And this year, Katherine was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer—a pastor—now serving in full-time ministry as the Assistant Corps Officer in Bloomington, Illinois.
Only she can do the incredible details of her story justice.
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This season, we’re studying up on The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.
Last week, we discovered the one question that kicked off this initiative and how Pathway of Hope came to be.
In the roughly 10 years since, The Salvation Army has carefully cultivated the ins and outs of the effort.
For those who provide social services, one of the biggest benchmarks or ways to demonstrate success is the measure of one’s self-sufficiency. But what is self-sufficiency, really? And how do you measure it?
As it turns out, it’s not only about economics—in fact, Psychological Self-Sufficiency and its components are key in reaching one’s goals. And one of those components, hope, is a driver, an anchor to be cultivated along the journey.
Dr. Philip Hong is the Founding Director of the Center for Research on Self-Sufficiency (CROSS) at Loyola University Chicago. That’s in addition to his roles as a professor, Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Doctoral Program.
With CROSS, he’s been involved in studies of the Pathway of Hope as the center’s research focuses on the psychological empowerment process.
As he’ll tell you, hope is psychological capital—a character trait that reflects the inner strength necessary to overcome barriers.
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This season, we’re exploring The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.
Last week, we took a deep dive into hope itself to better understand it and what it does psychologically and physiologically, plus how we can find more of it in our own lives.
Hope is part of the namesake of this initiative, the Pathway of Hope.
And you may be wondering how it all came to be about a decade ago.
Commissioner Carol Seiler, who retired from The Salvation Army in 2017 as territorial leader in the central U.S., was there at the start.
She takes it all the way back to a question posed to a meeting of The Salvation Army’s leaders: “You’ve served a lot of people,” the advisor said, “but what are you doing to solve the issues?”
And that question ignited what we now know as Pathway of Hope.
Now in retirement, she is back at work helping establish the Pathway of Hope in the Northwest region of the U.S.
And as she says, the approach is simply to offer what you would to help a friend.
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This season, we’re discovering The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.
Last week, we heard from a smalltown service center director about what it takes to deliver Pathway of Hope support day-to-day along with a current participant in the initiative.
But let’s take a step back. What is hope?
Kierkegaard called it a passion for the possible. Psychologist C.R. Snyder said it’s a reservoir of determination. Emily Dickinson said it’s the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without the words.
It’s hope.
And it’s an essential ingredient, part of the namesake of The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope.
Dr. Suzanne Phillips is a licensed Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, and Fellow and Co-chair of Community Outreach for the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA). She has been a psychologist for more than 35 years and is a newly retired Adjunct Full Professor of Clinical Psychology at LIU Post, a private university in New York.
And as someone in the business of hope, she’s on the show to help us better understand hope and what it does psychologically and physiologically—plus how we can recognize it and find more of it in our lives.
It’s not magic, she says, but a mindset, a propeller for action and possibility. And, it’s contagious.
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This season, we’re exploring The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.
Last week, we heard from an expert at the Urban Institute on the state of poverty in the U.S., what it means for families and the strategies that point to a way out.
So what does that kind of support look like day-to-day?
Maybe that axiom is correct: It takes a village.
You’ve heard that one before, right? It takes a village to raise a child. But what if the same is true for all of us, child or not?
Perhaps we need each other. We need community.
That’s what Trina Crawford will tell you.
As the Director of The Salvation Army Service Center in Havre, Montana, Trina becomes part of that village for those in the Pathway of Hope. She becomes a daily fixture in their lives, checking in with them, providing tangible help and resources, directing them toward community and reminding them of the hope that exists in Christ.
How does she do it? Why does she do it? And what impact has she seen through the years?
(And stay tuned later in this episode for a special guest appearance…)
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How do we approach the longstanding, sometimes ideologically divided issue of poverty?
How do we inform consequential choices about the well-being of people in the U.S.?
Who helps to shape decisions and offer solutions for economic and social policy?
And is poverty even a solvable issue?
Dr. Elaine Waxman says yes.
She is a senior fellow in the Income and Benefits Policy Center at the Urban Institute, a nonprofit research organization that believes decisions shaped by facts, rather than ideology, have the power to improve public policy and practice, strengthen communities, and transform people’s lives for the better.
Dr. Waxman is on the show today to help us better understand the state of poverty in the U.S., what this means for families and the strategies that point to a way out.
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Studies suggest children who spend at least half of their lives in poverty are 32 times as likely to be poor as adults.
Which means a continued, intergenerational cycle of life-long poverty.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. With access to adequate resources, support and guidance, there is a way out.
That’s the premise of TSA’s national initiative—the Pathway of Hope—which started 10 years ago to provide individualized services to families with children.
By addressing immediate material needs AND providing long-term engagement, it aims to stabilize families and stop the chronic cycle.
The essential ingredient? Hope.
This season on the Do Gooders Podcast, we’re delving into Pathway of Hope and its many facets to explore poverty in America and how The Salvation Army is fighting back.
Starting with Ron Skeete who is on the show to introduce us to Pathway of Hope.
Until just a few weeks ago, Ron was the initiative’s Director for The Salvation Army in the southern U.S. He also volunteers as a mentor for young men of color as a member of 100 Black Men of North Metro Atlanta—and was named in 2021 to the media agency Pocstock’s inaugural Future of Black America Top 50 list.
In his role with The Salvation Army, he led the coordination and implementation of Pathway of Hope across the south.
He saw families change forever.
And he’ll tell you he’s seen the organization change for the better, too. It’s meant a paradigm shift from serving the poor to solving intergenerational poverty. To digging out the root causes of a family’s poverty.
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The past year and a half tested us all but it also brought countless examples of hope and sacrifice. We saw brave Salvation Army officers, staff, volunteers and friends continue to serve and show care in their communities in ways big and small.
We’re designating these incredible individuals—nominated by you!—our Caring Heroes. And, as a small gesture of respect and gratitude, we honored them in a live virtual awards ceremony July 23.
We named the 2021 Caring Heroes—the brave, compassionate, passionate, uplifting, caring members of our communities. We were inspired by Brad Montague, New York Times bestselling author and creator of Kid President. And we were encouraged and challenged by The Salvation Army’s Western Territorial Commander Commissioner Douglas Riley. He thanked the awardees for “loving people who need it—whether they know it or not.”
And on this episode of the podcast, we’re bringing you his message along with a song by Matt Woods, with accompaniment by Jill Ulmer, titled “Love Changes Everything.”
As the song goes: “Love will never let you be the same.”
Enjoy this clip from the awards show and then watch the full replay.
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As The Salvation Army California South Divisional Camp Director, it’s been a tough year for Marty Brown.
Imagine: A sprawling camp without campers.
He’s on the show to talk about the long-lasting impact of a week at camp—and what is planned for this summer as we transition to a post-pandemic world. Because, while it may not look like a traditional Salvation Army summer in many ways, camp is back on across the West this year.
Marty has attended camp, worked on staff at camp and now oversees The Salvation Army’s camps in Calabasas and Big Bear, California. He holds a master of theological studies from Tyndale University and Seminary.
And as he’ll tell you, in between the camp fun and the food, most importantly, kids at camp learn that God loves them and they experience that love from so many people who are at camp specifically to care for them.
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Have you been to a Salvation Army summer camp? If so, you probably remember it well.
Camp is a place where kids discover inner-strength, learn valuable life skills, make lifelong friends, appreciate the outdoors and are mentored with love and kindness.
And Mechale Mency remembers it well.
In fact, she recently emailed a thank you to the director of Camp Gilmore, The Salvation Army’s Calabasas, California, camp that she attended in the late 1970s.
Mechale is from the Los Angeles-area, and for three summers she spent a week at Camp Gilmore at no cost to her family. Did you know every summer thousands of kids attend one of 12 Salvation Army camps across the West, many of them on scholarships funded by generous donors?
Mechale is one of them and she’s on the show to share what she remembers of camp and the experience she had there that made her want to be an experience for others today. Now, as the principal of Garfield Elementary School in San Diego, she’s out to make sure kids feel seen and valued, and learn to value others—just as she did at camp.
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Only those who’ve experienced grief can truly understand what it means to grieve.
For Donna Shea to understand, it meant the loss of her daughter to cancer.
Donna leads support groups for grief with The Salvation Army and facilitates classes in the local elementary schools for children suffering from a loss.
And as she’ll tell you, grief spins its web around you. A web of guilt, remorse, fear, anger and more—but a web that you don't have to stay stuck in.
In her groups, Donna helps participants identify grief and shares tools for the grief journey.
She's on the show to share more about her grief and her ministry to help others find a way out.
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Howard Thurman once said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
When was the last time you felt that spark? An igniting of your soul?
As Emily Ley will tell you, there’s inherent magic at the intersection of God’s calling for your life and what makes you feel truly alive.
Emily is the founder of Simplified, a brand of planners and home organization tools for busy women, the bestselling author of four books, a wife and mother of three.
She didn’t always have a life she loved, however, and her latest book, “Growing Boldly: Dare to Build a Life You Love,” is a look into her journey to creating one. It’s a letter to women everywhere to believe in yourself, imagine the life of your dreams and chase it with grit and determination.
She offers five key practices that propelled her in her latest book and she’s on the show to share from her book on pursuing what makes you come alive.
As she says, your calling is to connect with that spark within you, that unique switch placed there by God, that will ignite your soul.
So how do you pursue what makes you come alive?
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When Joseph Valadez posted a photo of himself outside of his college, he never could've seen the response coming.
Joseph, in a white tank top, beige chino shorts and black Nike Cortez, held a graduation certificate in his tattooed arms.
It went viral and media outlets started calling.
Joseph graduated this year from Cal State University, Long Beach on the president's honor list with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
He's 63.
And he spent much of his life addicted to heroin. Joseph went to prison a staggering 40 times on various drug-related offenses before entering The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Anaheim, California.
He reached a point, he said, where he knew he had to change and he started calling programs, looking for help. But no one wanted him, he said, until he called The Salvation Army.
That cost-free, residential, addictions work-therapy program is one of more than 130 in America in which The Salvation Army aims to help people break the chains of addiction and find not only sobriety, but recovery.
The Salvation Army equips more than 150,000 people every single year to combat addiction, regain health and stability, build work and social skills, and restore families.
And Joseph says it saved his life.
He’s on the show to share his story and exciting news for what's next.
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Surprise—Caring Magazine has a new podcast launching today! The Commons Podcast is a show for women who want to talk about relevant and relatable topics—from mental health to marriage, and even what the Bible says about equity. Get to know your hosts, Cassandra Amezquita and Meagan Ruff, in this intro episode and get a preview of the real-life conversations to come.
Listen in and enter the launch party giveaway today!
EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read here.
LAUNCH PARTY GIVEAWAY: Enter now.
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If you struggle with mental illness, you are not alone.
In fact, 1 in 5 U.S. adults and 1 in 6 children experience mental illness each year.
Which can ripple into further issues: a higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, substance abuse, higher unemployment, high schoolers are more than twice as likely to drop out of school.
Alarmingly, the suicide rate in the U.S. has increased by 35% since 1999.
Is it different in the Church? Are Christians free from struggling with mental illness?
What happens when loving Jesus doesn't cure you of depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts?
Maybe you're told to "choose joy" or "pray more" and you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. So you just want a way out.
That's what Sarah J. Robinson had to fight through as a person of faith—someone in ministry. Now she's out with a new book, titled: "I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die: Finding Hope in the Darkness of Depression" to help you discover that mental illness doesn't disqualify you from living a rich, beautiful life in Christ. That there is hope.
This episode discusses depression, self-harm and suicide. If you need someone to talk to when you feel overwhelmed, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-TALK.
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Have you ever heard of Arsinoe? Or Salome? or Susanna? or Joanna? or Mary of Clopas for that matter?
These are just a few of the female disciples of Jesus who were well-known for their ministry in his day, yet we barely know of today.
Recognizing the inconsistency of how women were named in the gospels and how those stories were preserved helps us to understand just how ignored or suppressed the stories of women have been.
That’s why Cara Quinn started Know Your Mothers, a project that seeks to unearth the buried stories of Christian women over the centuries to reveal encouragement and fresh insight.
Cara spent 15 years working in advertising as an art director and designer, and graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2019 with a master’s in theology. A mother herself, and a lover of church history, she set out to not only empower us today but to correct misunderstandings about how God equips women to lead in our midst.
The Know Your Mothers project features a different woman each week, diving into her story, personality and impact on the church...and in this episode, Cara shares a name I’ve never heard.
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Men lead. Women follow. The Bible tells us so.
Or does it?
Is there a divine order when it comes to men and women?
What if so-called “biblical womanhood” isn’t biblical at all but arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments?
What if there is a better way forward for the contemporary church?
Dr. Beth Allison Barr lays out clear evidence that there is in her new book, “The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth.”
Barr is a professor of history and associate dean of the Graduate School at Baylor University.
She's been teaching world history for more than two decades while also a pastor's wife. And as she’ll tell you, there’s more to the story when it comes to those verses on women’s submission and silence.
In this episode, she shares some of the evidence, calls to flip the Christian narrative around patriarchy and offers a vision for a truly biblical view of womanhood.
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Take a quick inventory:
- Do you often feel tired when you wake up in the morning?
- Have difficulty concentrating?
- Are your emotions easily affected by the actions of others?
- Have headaches, muscle aches, or generalized fatigue with no known medical diagnosis?
- Do you depend on quick energy fixes like caffeine or sugar to help you get through the day?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you’re in need of genuine rest.
How can you keep your energy, happiness, creativity and relationships thriving in the midst of never-ending family demands, career pressures and simply the stress of everyday life?
Here’s the doctor’s orders: Rest is not optional.
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is an author, speaker, and board-certified physician with an active medical practice in Alabama.
And she’s found seven types of rest lacking in the lives of those she treats: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social and creative. Plus, she knows firsthand the toll a deficiency of rest can take.
Her book combines the science, spirituality, gifts and resulting fruit of rest. And she’s on the show to share how you can find and embrace true rest today to live the good life we’re all after.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES
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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.
The New Republic observed in 2019 that “America seems to be in the midst of a full-blown panic attack.”
And then came 2020...and with it, an exhausting instability.
By the end of March 2020, 45 percent of Americans said stress from worrying about the virus was negatively affecting their mental health.
In April 2020, a government emergency hotline for emotional distress heard from 20k people—compared with just 1,800 in April 2019.
But—pandemic or not—this rise in anxiety isn’t all that surprising. It could be expected, in fact, when our unchanging faith collides with a changing culture.
That’s what authors Sarah Zylstra and Collin Hansen explore in their new book: “Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age.”
The influence of Christians with hearts tangled up in the gospel seems to be waning just as we're needed most. But there’s another story unfolding, too.
Sarah, senior writer and faith-and-work editor for The Gospel Coalition, is on the show to counter growing fears with a robust message of a gritty, real, resolute hope for anyone hungry for good news.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES
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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.
Love others.
I imagine you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who'd disagree with this sentiment in theory. But what about practically speaking, when it comes down to actually loving others?
We're back today with part two on loving others with Lt. Colonel Dean Pallant.
If you missed last week, listen to part one for what it means to love others with Dean Pallant. He's the Communications Director for The Salvation Army United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland Territory and recently spoke at a virtual Salvation Army holiness retreat about loving others. In part two today, he gets into details of really loving others.
As he says: “We need a practical, perfect love that can thrive in the gutter. We must be able to love others when the rubber hits the road of life."
So how do we do it?
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Love your neighbors.
Lt. Colonel Dean Pallant says he believes this is one of the most challenging aspects of the greatest commandment.
There's people we don't agree with—maybe even don't like. People who've wronged us—maybe even gotten away with it.
And yet, Mark 12:30-31 says this: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Dean Pallant is Communications Director for The Salvation Army United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland Territory and author of the book, "To Be Like Jesus: Christian Ethics for a 21st century Salvation Army," addressing many of the big issues challenging Christ-followers today.
And as he says, to learn how to love others, we must look to Jesus.
Dean Pallant recently spoke at a virtual Salvation Army holiness retreat about loving others. His exploration is powerful and practical, so we're bringing it to you here in two parts.
First, what does it mean to love others?
EPISODE SHOWNOTES
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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.
When The Salvation Army began responding to COVID-19 in March 2020, there simply was no way to know the sheer breadth the response would take.
Now, a year later, the need remains great, and the response isn’t over. The Salvation Army is still providing food, rent and mortgage and utility assistance, lodging and emotional and spiritual care, and more. To date, The Salvation Army has provided more than 6 million to those in need in the Western U.S. during the pandemic.
And yet many of the needs The Salvation Army has met over the last year weren’t unique to the pandemic.
Hear 10 new ways The Salvation Army met old needs over the last year—and then, how you can go about finding your why, too.
EPISODE SHOWNOTES
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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.
What are your plans for the New Year?
Will it depend on how things are going in the moment?
It doesn’t need to. You really can trust God’s plan for your life—in all things, no matter what your life looks like right now.
That’s what Megan Fate Marshman explores in her new book, a power-packed, biblical look at Jeremiah 29:11-14—a familiar passage that begins: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, …
So how is God inviting us to practically trust him through Jeremiah 29?
How can we take active steps to trust God regularly?
And how does trusting God’s plans for our lives change the way we live?
Megan is on the show to share just that.
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Story may be the most compelling way to deliver information, which we can assume is why Jesus delivered so many of his messages in parables—story.
Russ Ramsey explores the narrative arc of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation in a new way in his three-part series: Retelling the Story. While staying true to Scripture, Russ shares these familiar stories with visual, compelling language allowing us to connect with God’s word through our imagination.
As one endorser wrote, Russ helps us “rescue truth from the jaws of familiarity.”
Russ is a pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, and allows his own life experience to influence his storytelling—as a father, for instance, exploring how Joseph must’ve felt as his wife delivered a baby in a barn.
He’s on the show today to share more about the series, and especially part one: “The Advent of The Lamb of God.” He’s also going to read an excerpt from it as a gift to us.
I hope you can sit somewhere quiet, and allow your imagination to picture each little detail of this beautiful story.
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“From American presidents to Irish poets, from rock stars in London to single mothers in Wichita, prayer has been the argument ‘that cannot be proven,’ the ‘gaping need’ of every human soul since the very dawn of time.
“It is no exaggeration to say that to be human is to pray.”
These are the words of Pete Grieg, a writer and church planter who co-founded and leads the 24-7 Prayer movement around the world. A pastor in England, Pete has written a number of bestselling books and his latest really is one for all of us: “How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People.”
He’s on the show to share more about prayer and yes, how to pray—especially following Jesus’s instructions to keep it simple, keep it real and keep it up.
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Consider for a moment that you lost your job at the start of this global pandemic. You had a good job. Last New Year’s Eve you never could have expected to be unemployed. But now you are. Your usual expenses are still due and while you now have no income, you’ve also added new needs—like health insurance. You know this Christmas won’t be like it was last year, but can you really not buy any gifts for your child?
It’s a sobering reality that so many Americans are facing this year.
And as some have said, it’s a disaster without the cleanup. We’re in month nine of the ongoing hurricane.
So while we’ve heard again and again this year that the need is greater, we know that need is personal. It touches individual lives—many who have never needed assistance before.
Sabrina Kiser is the Director of Social Services for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. She oversees initiatives like The Way Out, a plan to double The Salvation Army’s impact on homelessness by 2024. And this year, she has supported the significant expansion of feeding and sheltering in response to COVID-19.
In just the 13 western states, The Salvation Army has provided more than 5.5 million meals, beverages and snacks and some 600,000 nights of lodging since mid-March.
Sabrina is on the show today to explore need from all angles—as the pandemic hit, the outlook right now and as The Salvation Army prepares for what’s to come—especially as we’re currently out to rescue Christmas.
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That’s right! This is a special, bonus episode from our live event on Giving Tuesday—the Do Good Expedition.
Thank you so much to each of you who joined us! If you didn’t, you might not be on our email list, so be sure to sign up now to see all future invites.
Each year on Giving Tuesday, people all around the world take action to support causes they care about. And after the year we’ve had, it’s really nice to think about all the good that can come from that collective action.
Of course, when you give to The Salvation Army, you support all kinds of causes, like helping those experiencing homelessness, feeding the hungry and buying Christmas gifts for kids who need a little joy this holiday season.
As part of our event, we recorded a special episode of this podcast to take you behind the scenes of how The Salvation Army is rescuing Christmas in three communities and from three different vantage points.
So allow me to introduce to you today Captain Kristy Church, Salvation Army Corps Officer of the Roseburg (Oregon) Corps; Jhoana Hirasuna, Social Services Director of the Pasadena (California) Tabernacle Corps; and Sam Jarosz, Public Relations Director in the Del Oro Division, based in Sacramento.
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To live simply is to live holistically in your life’s purpose—and set aside all the rest.
That’s what Tsh Oxenreider will tell you after more than a decade of writing about the art of simple. Tsh is the bestselling author of several books and just released a new journey into Advent that guides us with simplicity in contemplating the presence of God before feasting in it.
She writes: “Advent is our invitation to rest in the already–not yet anticipation of the God incarnate, who will one day right all the wrongs of the world. And yet he already came, 2,000 years ago as a helpless baby. Already, not yet. We live in the middle, where we’re invited to wait with hope.”
Tsh says Advent is an inward posture—it’s a gift, not a burden. She’s on the show to share more about her new guide and how you can meaningfully observe Advent in the days ahead.
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Online searches for gratitude spike every year, right around this time. And with 196 million Google search results for the word gratitude, it’s a concept we have plenty of information about.
But what does it really mean to be grateful? Why is it important? And how does it improve your daily life?
Commissioners Doug and Colleen Riley are territorial leaders of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. In 25 years of pastoral leadership, they’ve experienced rejoicing and endured suffering. They’ve sat with people in all circumstances, good and bad. Simply put, they know what it is to be grateful.
The Rileys are on the show to dive deeper into gratitude, to help us see biblical examples of it and point us toward how to find it, especially, in a year like 2020.
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You don’t need resolutions, you need rhythms.
Rhythms provide a cadence, a pace to live by. They let you transform one step at a time.
And there’s four you need, says Rebekah Lyons—rest, restore, connect and create.
As the bestselling author of “Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose” and a new companion planner, Rebekah will tell you these rhythms are not complicated, but they do take practice.
She’s on the show to share more about the four rhythms you need and how to find them today.
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“It’s all in our heads.”
Do you believe that? Do you believe what you’re thinking about influences how you act?
Bestselling author Jennie Allen will tell you that “learning to capture our thoughts matters. Because how we think shapes how we live.”
That’s the premise of her book, “Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts,” a New York Times bestseller on discovering how to submit our minds to Christ.
It was also the focus of a six-week virtual book club for moms, facilitated by Caring Magazine and co-hosted by Captain Christina Arnold and Kelly Rodriguez, LMFT.
Moms from all over and of all different life experiences joined in to talk about the importance of our thoughts, what happens when those negative thoughts invade, and how to make the choice to shift them to good.
Captain Christina and Kelly are on the show to help breakdown this bestselling book and the seven tools we can use to retrain our minds to think about truth.
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This year, when we’re processing so much with our own interests in mind—what’s good, are we safe and secure, and more—if our chief interest is self-preservation, how then can we engage in holding others’ interests? Kindness is wanting what’s best for others’ benefit. And as Ashlee Eiland describes it, extending radical kindness toward every person—regardless of social status, political views or religious beliefs—gives each person hope and rekindles a common humanity and dignity. Hear more from her all about extending radical kindness in today’s episode.
A meditation on the Beatitudes is a “training in goodness,” says Jonathan Dodson, which as he says, has “the power and wisdom to center us in these dizzying times and bring the change we need.” He’s on the show today to share more about this “humble reflection” and what we can learn from these promises of Jesus.
In 63% of couples with kids, both partners work. But there’s little guidance out there for these couples in how to…make it work. Can we change the world and stay in love and raise a healthy family? That’s exactly what André and Jeff Shinabarger tackle in their latest project, Love or Work, and they’re on the show today to share all about it with their best advice for how to live on purpose in a new era of work and life.
How do you see God at work in your everyday life? How do you view the church? If it’s as a place you go on Sunday mornings, then listen up. As Tim Soerens shares this week on The Do Gooders Podcast, the church is more relevant than ever but we must question our default settings in how we pay attention to God at work in our lives.
Have you heard the saying that God uses broken people to do great things? That’s good news for all of us, and if you haven’t yet been personally invited to know more—consider this episode especially for you. Lt. Paul Chisholm from The Salvation Army Fountain Valley is on the show today to share more about his own testimony and why he knows firsthand that discipleship—relationship—makes all the difference in making the choice to do things differently, to evolve.
Are you living with purpose—your unique purpose? Are you embracing what’s uncomfortable in order to fulfill your purpose? As Dr. Deborah Gorton says, every decision involves a loss and a gain. But are you pausing to consider what that loss might be in your daily decisions—and whether or not it is then in line with your purpose? She’s on the show today to share the practical skills to help you pursue and live in your purpose, from “practicing the pause” to “balancing your emotions.” And in doing so, you’ll discover the freedom and joy that will fill your life when you begin to see discomfort as an important step toward reaching your goals.
The pandemic has affected so much of how we live and interact. And for many, it’s directly affected the way we work—and if we work. As of mid-June, more than 45 million people have filed for unemployment at some point during the pandemic. David Jones found himself out of work as a chef when the catering company he worked for no longer had any business to cater to. But he kept cooking, volunteering with The Salvation Army in Broomfield, Colorado, where he made lunch for 100 seniors a day.
We’re feeling a collective unsettling in this time, which is lasting longer than any of us would like. So how do we cope? As clinical psychologist Dr. Jack Anderson will tell you, fear is natural, it’s instinctive. But calmness has to be learned.
What are the critical questions to ask in the slow-paced middle ground of refining? (And in case you were wondering, that’s where we are right now.) In this episode of the #DoGoodersPodcast, Krysta Masciale doesn’t offer a task list of busyness or a one-size-fits-all solution to making the most out of this time we find ourselves in. Rather, she asks, how can we let the full truth we’re discovering reveal what matters most to us?
Did you listen in on what it means to do good, what it’s really like to be homeless, principles to spend differently, how to foster gratitude, and more? After nearly a year of weekly shows on the Do Gooders Podcast, we have a lot of good ideas to catch up on. So we’re hitting pause and giving you a chance to do just that. Hear how The Salvation Army is working to double its impact on homelessness, strategies for raising kind kids, or why understanding the Bible better makes your life better—all of it is right here, waiting for you to press play. We’ll be back before you know it with a new season focused on helping you do good right where you are. And you can stay up to date with all the goodness by heading to caringmagazine.org/newsletter and signing up for the free, weekly Do Good Digest email newsletter. Until we chat again, keep on doing good.
Find show notes for all episodes at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
The Salvation Army Orange County’s Anaheim Emergency Shelter is a temporary home to 224 individuals. While there, residents have a place to stay, meals and job and housing services. And now, Site Supervisor Benjamin Anozie said The Salvation Army has adapted life at the shelter to increase the safety of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the crisis has forced a deeper reflection among his team and for himself about why they do the work they do—despite the risks.
Sarah Bentley started the Silver Line, a toll-free phone line seniors can call for emotional and spiritual support—and a connection to practical support as well. It’s important, she said, that these older adults know they’re not alone. And the phone has been ringing ever since. She’s on the show today to share how she’s helping in the midst of COVID-19 and what she is seeing from the frontlines of service.
Evie Russell drove a truck for 12 years before joining The Salvation Army as the service coordinator in Cortez, Colorado. That’s why she had such a strong reaction when she heard that some truck drivers were being turned away from restaurants or having a hard time finding a place to eat as they helped deliver essential goods during the coronavirus pandemic. So she devised Operation Thank a Trucker.
Many seniors who live by themselves stay busy in community, especially at The Salvation Army Western Territory’s Silvercrest residences for seniors. Across the western U.S., some 3,000 people live in these independent living communities. And now, because of COVID-19, they’re inside their own apartments, together but apart. That’s why in Chula Vista, California, Karin Ingrande initiated a creative way to keep seniors engaged and active—balcony music sessions.
There’s no question a pandemic is stressful—for everyone. But there’s six key things you can do to lessen the impact of stress on your and your kids’ health. California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is on the show to share what’s inside her Playbook on Stress Relief during COVID-19 and what you can do every day, at home, to help support your mental and physical health.
Hunger is a new reality for many as the coronavirus has taken hold of communities across the country, and as a result, The Salvation Army has stepped up its services to meet the need.
In Denver, Lt. Sarah Aguirre said the Denver West Adams Corps has increased the amount of food it distributes by 75 percent. She’s on the show to share how she’s helping in the midst of COVID-19 and what she is seeing from the frontlines of service.
At this point, I think it’s safe to say no one has gone untouched by this crisis. The outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus—called COVID-19—was first declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, and it has steadily rolled into more than 200 countries and territories around the world.
The first case appeared in the U.S. in late January 2020, with America now having the most confirmed active cases in the world.
It’s invaded every aspect of life as we know it with widespread “stay at home” orders shuttering businesses, closing schools and canceling events of all kinds. I recorded this podcast episode in a closet at home, rather than a studio, while my 2-year-old and 2-month-old nap nearby. These are strange and scary days.
And while things have slowed down in many areas, for The Salvation Army everything has ramped up.
The Salvation Army is in emergency response mode across the country. All Salvation Army facilities are available for response efforts and all Salvation Army officers (or pastors) and personnel are assigned to emergency response, providing emergency food programs and emergency shelter services in just about every zip code.
You may remember back in episode 21 of this podcast, I set out to provide as complete an overview as possible on the extensive work of The Salvation Army and its six key pillars of service as the organization annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction and economic hardships through a range of social services.
With this episode, we’re kicking off a new series, called “meet the helpers.” In the episodes to come, I’ll be introducing you to those on the front lines of this crisis, those working every day to meet human need—now more than ever.
Show highlights include:
- Wide net: No one has gone untouched by the coronavirus crisis.
- The Salvation Army’s mission: “To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
- A glimpse into the emergency disaster response effort happening in each of the key pillars:
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- The Salvation Army is there for those with nowhere to go, from thrift stores turned emergency shelters to temporary structures and rent and utility assistance.
- The Salvation Army is there for the hungry, including hot meals and food boxes for delivery and drive-thru pick up.
- The Salvation Army is there for children, providing day care for children of first responders and activity bags for those at home.
- The Salvation Army is there for seniors, ensuring they receive food and supplies, performing wellness checks by phone and email, teaching social media skills to help them stay connected, offering online shopping assistance and simply someone to talk to.
- The Salvation Army is there for those in need of recovery, keeping program participants safe on closed campuses, and engaging them in service projects and fun.
- Worship in The Salvation Army continues with services conducted via Facebook Live and many leaders are getting creative in how they connect with people
Good words from Christin Thieme in this show:
“While things have slowed down in many areas, for The Salvation Army everything has ramped up.”
“All Salvation Army facilities are available for response efforts and all Salvation Army officers and personnel are assigned to emergency response, providing emergency food programs and emergency shelter services in just about every zip code.”
“In The Salvation Army, we believe that hope is greater than fear.”
Download this episode wherever you get your podcasts. Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. Connect with Christin Thieme via Caring Magazine.
When law enforcement or Child Protective Services removes a little one from their home due to neglect or abuse, where do they go?
In Spokane, Washington, many come to Sally’s House—an emergency receiving facility of The Salvation Army for those ages 2 to 12 years old.
Since it opened in 2002, 4,000 children have come through its doors averaging a stay of 68 days.
During that time, says Becky Hoogstad, the number one goal is to make sure they know they are safe and loved.
Becky is the program manager of Sally’s House and a member of The Salvation Army Spokane Corps, or church. She earned a degree in social work and when Sally’s House opened soon after, she knew it was where she needed to be.
While at Sally’s House, children receive clean clothing and nutritious food, they have a regular schedule of activities and attend school or the in-house preschool, and they are cared for—playing a board game or being read to, often for the first time.
Becky is on the show to share more about Sally’s House and how it provides a home for 20 children at a time.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
You’ve heard us talk about The Salvation Army’s commitment to double its impact on homelessness in the West over the next 5 years. (And if you missed it, head back to episode 6 for a full rundown of what this initiative, called The Way Out, entails.)
California has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country—a fact you can’t miss in its largest metropolitan areas.
And one—a longtime magnet for fortune-seekers, immigrants and artists, known for its steep rolling hills, Victorian architecture, iconic cable cars and famous bridge, the city by the bay paints a picture of the crisis. In San Francisco, some 8,000 people currently live on the streets—an increase of 17 percent since 2017. But it’s more than a statistic—that’s 8,000 individual people without a place to call home.
And so, The Salvation Army in San Francisco has a plan to help address the crisis utilizing its property holdings combined with its existing rehabilitation efforts. In essence, The Salvation Army aims to build a combination of “next-step” and permanent affordable housing along with a workforce development program that will add 1,500 beds to the current housing network available in the city. And at the same time, it will create a clear continuum of care for individuals experiencing homelessness.
It’s a Live-Work-Love model, said Theo Ellington, the Director of Homeless Initiatives and Community Development for The Salvation Army in San Francisco. A native to the city who holds a master’s degree in Urban Affairs from the University of San Francisco and with over a decade of experience in public affairs and community development, Theo is working with The Salvation Army to meet people where they are in this crisis of homelessness because, as he says, we have a moral and spiritual obligation to do so.
He’s on the show to share more about this model and The Salvation Army’s strategy for implementing it in the months ahead.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
What does it mean when someone knows you? When they stop and ask you by name how things are going?
It’s perhaps the simplest and most meaningful way to impact a young person, according to Captain Angela Morrow, who leads The Salvation Army Centennial Corps—or church—with her husband as Corps Officer in Centennial, Colorado.
She grew up attending Salvation Army youth programs and while she said she thought she was going for the fun and friends, it was so much more than that. As she grew, she realized she wanted to be one of those key leaders who make an impact—to be present and available to people, especially youth.
It’s Captain Angela’s philosophy that if you instill confidence in a young person today, they’ll be ready to face tomorrow.
And so, she’s been instrumental in starting activities just for the kids—from an after-school program to a beginning youth band, choir, piano and guitar lessons, a character-building troops program, and more.
Captain Angela is on the show today to share more about her philosophy and efforts for youth in her community. As she tells the kids—this is a safe place where you can be yourself.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 20 million Americans ages 12 and older battle a substance use disorder.
The effects range from deteriorating one’s physical health, to impairing mental functioning and damaging the overall spirit of who they are.
But think about it: that’s also 20 million families across the U.S. who are directly impacted by addiction—financially, physically and psychologically. And those effects are painful.
But as Dave Robbins will tell any family in the throes of it, God has a plan for your child’s life and it doesn’t include addiction.
Dave is a manager and senior VP of Leidos Innovations Center and on the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. He and his wife experienced the effects of addiction on their family as they watched and helped to navigate through it with their daughter.
He’s on the show to share what he learned about addiction, recovery and the family’s role in it. And he shares his own “burning bush” moment at a Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center chapel—and why he keeps coming back years later.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
What motivates a person to “do good” and why would one choose to do so alongside The Salvation Army?
That’s what Craig Darian is sharing on today’s episode.
Craig is a longtime executive, producer and businessman in the entertainment industry who has owned and operated several companies.
Currently, as Co-Chairman and CEO of Occidental Entertainment Group Holdings, Inc., Craig presides over five operating divisions, including 15 sound stages, and roughly three dozen office buildings with about 1 million sq. ft. of production, editorial and creative office space.
As Co-Chairman and CEO of Tricor Entertainment, Inc., Craig has produced films with the likes of Robert DeNiro, Anthony Hopkins, and Kathy Bates. Movies like King Kong, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pearl Harbor and Meet the Parents.
As Chairman and CEO of Darian Management Group, LLC, Craig has represented a wide range of clients doing business in the motion picture, television and music industries.
He is a longtime voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Producers Guild of America, Television Academy and Los Angeles County Bar Association.
And he serves on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Metro Board of The Salvation Army; Shakespeare Center of LA, where he is president of the board, and St. Anne’s. In fact, in April 2019, he was honored with an Angel Award by St. Anne’s, along with Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Yet, as Craig will tell you, he prefers the term “humanitarian” to “philanthropist” so the emphasis is on the recipient rather than the giver because it’s his moral imperative, he believes, to give back.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
You’ve seen the mugs, the t-shirts, the screensavers…
“Follow your heart”
“Believe in yourself”
You may have even had someone say something to the effect of: “God won’t give you more than you can handle” or “God just wants me to be happy.”
But there’s a danger in these clichés we often encounter—they’re not biblical.
As longtime church planter and pastor Shane Pruitt says, Jesus isn’t made of Play-Doh. He isn’t moldable to suit our needs. And life isn’t really about our own happiness or fulfillment. Instead, he says, joy is built on Christ and we can find fulfillment by following someone greater than ourselves.
Shane is the Director of Next Gen Evangelism for the North American Mission Board. He holds a doctorate degree in Clinical Christian Counseling and frequently speaks on the truth of the Bible. He’s been published everywhere from Relevant Magazine to Christianity Today and is the author of a new book: “9 Common Lies Christians Believe and Why God’s Truth is Infinitely Better.”
He’s on the show today to share more about these common lies, why they can get us into trouble, and where to look instead.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
“Conquering addiction is a miracle in itself.”
Those are the words of Lt. Timothy Pemberton, who leads The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center in Santa Monica, California.
The Salvation Army has more no-fee rehabilitation facilities than any other program in America. For more than 100 years, these Adult Rehabilitation Centers have offered spiritual, emotional and practical assistance to those who have lost the ability to cope with their problems and provide for themselves.
The free addictions recovery program provides housing, food, counseling, community and employment as The Salvation Army works to treat the symptoms and ultimately the root causes of prolonged substance abuse and dependence for some 150,000 people a year.
And while it’s no easy feat to conquer an addiction, on today’s show Lt. Timothy shares his number one indicator of success—and he would know. He went through the program himself 13 years ago and now works every day to bring others out of their addiction too—to say to others on graduation day, you’re at a new starting line.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
When The Home Depot was founded in 1978, I imagine its creators had no idea how revolutionary this new “hardware store” would be for home improvement. Or that their vision of a one-stop shop for the do-it-yourselfer would come true.
Fast forward and I know you’ve been inside one yourself, searching for the right size nail or color of paint. I’ve done my own share of tracking down a friendly face in an orange vest with my latest how-to question.
Today, The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement retailer with more than 2,200 stores across North America. It’s even appeared on Fortune’s Most Admired list.
Perhaps that is partly attributed to its values—because right there next to creating shareholder value is the company imperative to give back. The Home Depot Foundation has even pledged to invest half a billion dollars by 2025 in serving veterans, filling the labor gap and rebuilding after natural disasters.
Joe Wimberley is on the show today to share more about the foundation’s efforts to partner with nonprofits and engage its own employees in fulfilling thousands of service projects each year. As the Senior Manager of Team Depot under The Home Depot Foundation, Joe manages the company’s employee engagement efforts in volunteerism.
These Team Depot members volunteer their time, he says, because they see it as a collective, familial mission. Afterall, some 35,000 Home Depot associates are veterans themselves.
And as you’ll hear, these skilled volunteers have partnered time and again with The Salvation Army to transform facilities for veterans into homes. To ensure our veterans know, as Joe says, that they are well-loved and cared for.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
No matter who you are or where you live, chances are breast cancer will touch your life.
Nearly 270,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women in the U.S. alone each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
And as progress in treatment and early detection has led to improved survival, there are now more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.—more than any other group of cancer survivors.
If anyone knows what it takes to survive, it’s Becky Olson.
Becky is in her fifth battle with breast cancer and is living proof that we can change people’s lives with our words.
As the co-founder of Breast Friends, Becky has offered hope and inspiration to women for more than 20 years—encouraging and supporting them in their own battles and educating family and friends as well. She is a frequent public speaker on the topic and hosts a weekly radio podcast on Voice America.
And she will be the first to tell you, going through cancer is hard and being alone can be the worst part. That’s why her nonprofit is out to help women survive the trauma of it all one friend at a time.
Her message is one of “staying in the light” and, as you’ll hear, she has her own formula for finding our purpose and doing exactly that.
So whether you are fighting cancer or wanting to be a good friend to someone who is, Becky is sure to be your new go-to for inspiration.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Did you know we have some 50,000 storage facilities in the U.S.? That’s more than the number of Starbucks and McDonald’s locations combined.
One estimate cites the number of items inside the average American home at 300,000. But what purpose does all of this “stuff” serve?
Joshua Becker believes that a large amount of our stuff serves absolutely no purpose—and in fact, detracts from our well being instead of adding to it.
A former pastor and the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist—with two books on the subject and an online course that 35,000 people have taken to date—he empowers readers to adopt a form of minimalism that works for them—in effect, optimizing our values.
Because minimalism, he says, isn’t about living in a white room with zero belongings, but about intentionally promoting what we most value by removing anything that distracts from it. And in return, we can find more time, more money and less stress.
Joshua is on the Do Gooders Podcast to talk about this purposed-focused journey, which he says comes down to a simple question: What do I want my life to be about?
It’s not: What do I need to get rid of? But what can I add to my life? And he shares plenty of practical advice along the way.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Americans are not living happily ever after.
According to a study by the University of Chicago, about 60 percent of respondents rated themselves “pretty happy” in their marriage—which leaves 40 percent of people less than fully satisfied.
Further, the American divorce rate has doubled since 1960.
As Dr. Gary Chapman says, “No single area of marriage affects the rest of marriage as much as meeting the emotional need for love.”
After years as a family counselor, he developed a system to effectively communicate love to the people closest to us. His book—“The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts”—has been translated into 50 languages and has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide.
In it, Chapman acknowledges that while falling in love is easy, staying in love takes work. And he provides a simple map to better expressing love exactly as the recipient needs.
He doesn’t claim it’s easy to execute, but Chapman—an academically trained anthropologist, senior associate pastor at a Calvary Baptist Church in North Carolina and an internationally recognized marriage counselor—says we all can learn to speak these love languages with effort, generosity and a willingness to consider other perspectives.
In this episode, he explores the five love languages and offers tips for better living in each one with our spouses, children and even at work.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
We know the value of friendship, we’d all agree with that—yet studies continually show increasing rates of loneliness and isolation in our culture.
There are even companies today that allow you to “rent a friend,” to pay for a companion to keep you company.
While most people have friends, you could argue that few of us know true friendship. That we walk around largely unknown.
Drew Hunter says we don’t think much about this topic because we don’t think we need to, and as a result, friendship is one of the most familiar yet forgotten relationships of our day.
A graduate of the Moody Bible Institute and the Wheaton College Graduate School, Drew is the teaching pastor at Zionsville Fellowship in Indiana. He is the author of the book: “Made for Friendship: The Relationship That Halves Our Sorrows and Doubles Our Joys.”
In it, he explores biblical insights and real-world examples that provide a picture of what true friendship really looks like. He shows us how to cultivate relationships that go deeper than surface-level tastes and shared interests. And he encourages us with the hope of a deep friendship with God.
So what is the true meaning of friendship? And why do we need it?
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Poet T.S. Eliot wrote in 1948: “It is against a background of Christianity that all our thought has significance.”
Fast forward to 2016, and we find the writing of Mary Eberstadt in her book “It’s Dangerous to Believe,” in which she writes: “In many influential cultural, political and intellectual precincts, C for Christian has become the new scarlet letter.”
Then in 2017, one former presidential candidate even suggested that Christians are unfit for political office because they are so hateful.
What happened?
That’s the question at hand in a book co-written by Phil Cooke and Jonathan Bock called: “The Way Back: How Christians Blew Our Credibility and How We Win It Back.”
In this episode, Dr. Phil Cooke, perhaps the only Hollywood producer with a doctorate in theology, shares more about the book and what he found to be the central issue. Christians are dismissed as irrelevant not because of a marketing problem, he said, but a salesforce problem. Often times, Christians are simply not living as we are called to live.
Phil works at the intersection of faith, media and culture as a filmmaker, writer, media consultant and co-founder and CEO of Cooke Pictures, with productions in over 60 countries. He regularly advises churches and corporations on their cultural influence and in this book advises the Christian community at large on how we can astonish our critics and transform the world for good.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Do you know how many times the average person touches their phone in a day? 2,617 times. A day!
The American Psychological Association calls these people “constant checkers.” Is that you?
Are you of the “rise and grind” mindset, day in and day out? If so, you’d better listen up.
Aaron Edelheit is on the show today to share why we need a hard break in our lives each week. And he’ll be the first to tell you, he didn’t come up with the idea—it’s biblical, a Sabbath.
The CEO and Founder of Mindset Capital, a private investment firm, Aaron is also the author of “The Hard Break: The Case for a 24/6 Lifestyle.”
In it, he makes the case for taking one day a week off from work, email and our phones for a more productive, healthier and creative life.
Doing so vastly changed his own life for the better, and so he’s out to share why we need a hard break, the benefits taking a Sabbath can have and the simple steps to doing so.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
In far reaching corners of the Last Frontier, the Alaska National Guard and The Salvation Army partner to visit communities that need a little extra love each season with a special project: Operation Santa.
We’ve just marked the 50th year The Salvation Army has partnered in this way—as the team arrives in Black Hawk helicopters and on snow mobiles to set up a celebration for the community. Everyone from the babies to the elders are invited and for many, it’s their first time meeting Santa or having an ice cream sundae.
In these 50 years, The Salvation Army has provided: More than 38,000 toys and thousands of backpacks, school supplies and books, serving thousands of children in rural Alaska as more than 90 communities have been visited by Santa and his team of merry elves.
Jenni Ragland, the Service Extension and Emergency Disaster Services Director for The Salvation Army in Alaska, is on the show today to share more about Operation Santa. She’s been involved in the planning for years—even visiting more than 30 communities herself to assist as one of Santa’s elves.
In 2019, the operation landed in Tuntatuliak (ton ta two lee ack) and Napiakik (na pack e ack) and Jenni takes us inside the fun—and, as she shares, the event that creates memories for a lifetime.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
It’s the start of a new year—a new decade: 2020.
The Salvation Army enters this new year with the same mission it has had since 1865: to preach and to serve. (And for much more about the organization and its six key pillars of service, head back to episode 21).
But where are we at the outset of 2020 and what is to come?
General Brian Peddle, the international leader of The Salvation Army, is on the show today to share just that.
Originating from Newfoundland, General Peddle was elected as the organization’s 21st General in 2018. A Salvation Army officer since 1977, General Peddle has served in The Salvation Army from Canada to New Zealand to the United Kingdom.
Today, he highlights what he is most proud of in the Army’s international zones, which cover 131 countries of official ministry.
He addresses his Call to Mission and where it stands going into this new year.
He shares about issues from the environment, to the concept of post-Christianity, to using an online space for good.
And he offers his twofold priorities for the year.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
A smile really does make the greatest gift.
It’s something Eleen Cobb-Adams knows well.
When her five children open a gift just for them on Christmas morning, those smiles make memories.
Yet millions of American parents cannot afford to buy their kids Christmas presents—and the holidays can add additional financial and emotional stress.
Five years ago, Eleen was in this group and signed up for The Salvation Army Angel Tree program.
You could say The Salvation Army’s mission shines brightest at Christmastime—a time when the organization celebrates the birth of Christ by spreading his hope, love and joy to those who need it most.
From grocery, utility and gift assistance, to holiday events or worship services that provide healing and hope, The Salvation Army works across the country to assist people through gifts that serve the body, mind and soul.
And the Angel Tree program is one of the ways we do it.
It’s for families in crisis as a result of medical issues, unemployment, homelessness or other difficult circumstances and who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to celebrate Christmas. Names of these children are added to tags and placed on Christmas trees as ornaments. Anonymous donors can then take a tag and adopt an angel, shopping for that child and purchasing a gift to help make Christmas merry for that boy or girl.
And each year, through generous Angel Tree donors, The Salvation Army helps to put new clothes and toys under the tree for a million children.
Eleen’s kids received gifts just for them that Christmas and the family learned more about The Salvation Army in their community of Kaneohe, Hawaii. They started attending worship services, became members of the congregation and now—five years later—Eleen is instrumental in running the community food pantry as a volunteer.
In this episode, she shares about her family’s experience and how those simple Christmas gifts led to incredible and lasting change.
So whether you adopt an angel this year or give to a Salvation Army Red Kettle, know that you are providing gifts of healing and hope for those who need it most this Christmas.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Perhaps more than any other story, the story of the first Christmas has connected with people for millennia.
Every year, we tell of the baby born in a manger, with angels announcing his birth to shepherds and men traveling long distances to see him. Why has it connected so profoundly with millions of people?
What was society like at the time?
And what is the significance of the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Messiah being born alongside livestock?
Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder, who leads The Salvation Army in the Western U.S. as Territorial Commander, is back on the podcast today to share more about this story of peace and goodwill—a story ultimately of love.
You will remember Commissioner Hodder from episode 6, when he shared more about The Salvation Army’s work to double its efforts on homelessness. Today, he explores what the gift of Jesus Christ means in our lives, why this story still matters, and how we can best mark this Christmas in appreciation for all the story has to offer.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Of course, you know the story of the baby Jesus born in the manger. But what about the others involved?
According to Dan Darling, author of the new book, The Characters of Christmas, there are a number of misfits, outcasts and ordinary people who play a pivotal role in the birth of Christ.
What can we learn from Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, and the shepherds?
What important thread in God’s grand plan of redemption does the story’s villain play?
What is significant about the role of the angels?
Dan is the Vice President for Communications for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and serves as Pastor of Teaching and Discipleship at Green Hill Church in Tennessee. He’s the author of several books and frequently contributes to publications from Christianity Today to USA Today.
As Dan says, the Christmas story is one of reordering—of a new kingdom and a new king. And there’s much we can discover from the ordinary people who are swept up in the plan of God.
Dan is on the show today to share more about these individuals in the Christmas story and the central figure they point to at the center of it all. Jesus—the one, as Dan says, whose birth, life, death and resurrection change everything.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
How did you spend your last $20?
Did it make you happy?
You might be interested to know that science shows money really can buy happiness.
And it’s not about amassing greater wealth.
Dr. Michael Norton, a member of Harvard University’s Behavioral Insights Group, says money can bring us increased happiness if we shift our focus from earning more to spending differently.
His research shows we find happiness when we spend money on others.
He and co-author Elizabeth Dunn wrote “Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending” with five principles to spend differently that lead to happier people.
In this episode, Dr. Norton shares those principles and how we can apply them in our own lives.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Each year from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, you’ll spot The Salvation Army’s red kettles outside of grocery stores and shopping malls just about everywhere you go.
The kettle debuted in San Francisco in 1891 in the midst of a depression that had thrown many out of work. A Salvation Army officer put out a crab pot on the ferry landing to collect donations to feed those who were hungry on Christmas Day. Passerby dropped in coins and the campaign was born.
Now every year, about 25,000 bell ringers, young and old, brave the elements to help The Salvation Army raise money for local community programs. And yes, money given in your community stays in your community. Those gifts allow The Salvation Army to serve 23 million Americans a year.
And in Redding, California, Captain Timothy Danielson runs the local Salvation Army kettle campaign with 100 percent volunteer bell ringers.
Last year, those volunteers gave 2,300 hours ringing the bell. Collectively, they raised more than $136,000—a 7 percent increase from 2017.
But as Danielson says, though critical for raising money to keep Salvation Army ministry going—the red kettle serves as a reminder to busy, Christmas passerby that hope exists.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
So each of the 25,000 individuals who stand by a red kettle each year and ring a silver bell have an important role to play. But what exactly does it take—and who can ring the bell? Listen in this week to hear from four bell ringers. #DoGoodersPodcast
Did you know one of the two songwriters of the classic carol, “Silver Bells,” said they were inspired by none other than The Salvation Army bell ringers standing on street corners in New York City?
True to the song, The Salvation Army does take to street corners, grocery stores and shopping malls across the country each year from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Eve to ring the bell at the red kettle.
When you drop a dollar (or more) into a Salvation Army kettle, that money helps to fund programs in your community—from the food pantry, to emergency utility assistance, to after school programs and so much more. That money helps The Salvation Army serve some 23 million Americans a year.
So each of the 25,000 individuals who stand by a red kettle each year and ring a silver bell have an important role to play. But what exactly does it take—and who can ring the bell?
This episode will introduce you to four Salvation Army bell ringers to share more about what they do and why they do it.
From Riverside, California, Paula Mazey—a soldier, or member, of The Salvation Army, who rings in Salvation Army uniform.
From Donnelley, Idaho, Terrence Keeley—a volunteer, who is known to dress up as Santa to ring the bell.
From Sheridan, Wyoming, Greg Busche—a paid bell ringer, who last year rang the bell nearly every day before going to his full-time job.
And from Spokane, Washington, Major Ken Perine—a Salvation Army officer, who rings the bell with his family every year.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
We’ve long extolled the virtue of gratitude. Some have even called it the “social glue” that fortifies relationships and serves as the backbone of human society.
But what is gratitude? Where does it come from? And how can we foster it?
Dr. Robert Emmons is perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. He is a professor in the Department of Psychology at UC Davis, the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, and director of the Emmons Lab, a long-term research project designed to create and disseminate a large body of scientific data on the nature of gratitude, its causes, and its potential consequences for human health and well-being.
His research has been featured in dozens of outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR.
He’s also written five books on the subject, including the most recent: “Gratitude Works! A Twenty-One Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity.”
As he shares on today’s show, there’s no downside to being grateful. Yet it goes beyond a feeling. As he says, rather than feeling gratitude based on our circumstances, we must take it on as an orientation, a lens to life.
We can use gratitude as a way of framing our experiences and thus enjoy an upward spiral of goodness.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
What is it about music that connects to something deep within us? And how does someone who writes songs set out to share work that is so personal?
That’s what Lt. Erin Wikle is sharing on this episode of the Do Gooders Podcast. As a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, currently serving in Santa Monica, California, her ministry faces the effects of addiction, the reality of homelessness and more.
Yet she also gets to lead people in worship.
As someone who first sang in a worship group at age 6, Wikle explores what draws her to music, shares her favorite piece of music—which might surprise you—and walks us through her own creative process to writing a song.
Her new song, “Wait For You Here,” is available wherever you download or stream music and all proceeds go directly to The Salvation Army.
As she will tell you—music can be used to help uplift, encourage, and articulate the human experience—if any songwriter or musician can compose to that end, ministry is taking place.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
It’s human nature to believe in something other than one’s self, and doing so can give life meaning.
That according to Dr. Diane Winston, who has made understanding, analyzing and writing about religion in America her career.
Now as the Knight Chair in Media and Religion at the University of Southern California, Diane is a national authority on religion and the media as both a journalist and scholar. Her courses examine religion, spirituality and ethics in relationship to journalism, entertainment media, American history and foreign policy.
She holds a doctorate in religion from Princeton University along with master’s degrees from Harvard Divinity School, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Brandeis University.
As she explains on today’s show, Religion—like politics, economics, race, ethnicity and gender—is a cultural factor and social force that motivates, explains and inspires. It is key to understanding the world we live in.
And you can’t have religion without spirituality, and vice versa.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Right now across the U.S. there are 442,000 children living in the U.S. foster care system. Nearly a third of them are eligible for adoption.
As Proverbs 24:12 reads: “Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."
And that’s exactly what led Brandlayn Musial from a career in marine biology to one of advocacy for vulnerable children.
She works with The Salvation Army and beyond to understand the factors that result in family breakdown, the needs of hurting kids and families and how the Church can effectively live out the Scriptural call to look after orphans as found in James 1:27.
As a trained practitioner in helping communities better understand and navigate the impacts of childhood trauma, she works with churches on becoming agents of change and places of healing for children and foster and adoptive families.
Based in British Columbia, Brandalyn also serves as the OrphanSunday and Stand Sunday Coordinator for Canada, helping connect churches with the resources to bring awareness and education to their own church family.
In this episode, she shares more about our responsibility to care for vulnerable children and what exactly we can do.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Auditions, set prep, rehearsals, tech week, curtain call…show time.
You’ll find that rundown at The Salvation Army in Casa Grande, Arizona, where the corps—the church—there hosts a monthly community production. Everything from “Godspell,” to “A Christmas Carol” or “Sleepy Hollow.”
And in each role he has played, Captain Mark Davey said he goes in knowing his character has a story and a message to tell.
As the Corps officer, or pastor, with his wife Lisa of the Casa Grande Corps, Captain Mark has introduced theater arts to the congregation and community as part of The Salvation Army’s ministry here.
And each monthly production has given The Salvation Army an opportunity to invite the community in—as participants and audience members to enjoy a production and learn more about what the organization is doing in this Arizona town.
As Captain Mark says, when you see a show here, you help make a difference too.
He’s on the podcast today to share more about the effort, how it has unfolded with a big impact locally and what’s on the playbill for the months ahead.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
It’s no secret that the role of guns in violence and what should be done about it are subjects of intense debate in the U.S.
And it’s an important one as some 100 people die by firearm every day in our country.
It’s an issue Dr. Daniel Webster has studied throughout his career, including now as a Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
As one of the nation’s leading experts on firearm policy and the prevention of gun violence, Dr. Webster has published numerous articles on youth gun acquisition, adolescent violence prevention, intimate partner violence and sensible firearm policy.
As The Baltimore Sun said about him: “Gun control policy tends to be dominated by emotion and ideology. Dr. Webster has become a leader by approaching the debate with data and reason.”
In this episode, he talks about the epidemic of gun violence, the misperceptions surrounding the issue and evidence-based approaches to addressing it.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Did you know: The Salvation Army is more than red kettles and thrift stores?
Yet, if there’s one thing we hear time and time again it’s this: “I thought The Salvation Army was just kettles and thrift stores!” Which is generally followed by: “I wish more people knew about all The Salvation Army does.”
The Army’s extensive range of services are available in more than 130 countries worldwide and in every ZIP code in America. Each year, The Salvation Army serves more than 23 million Americans in need.
In this episode, Christin Thieme, Caring Magazine editor and Do Gooders Podcast host, aims to provide as complete an overview as possible on the extensive work of The Salvation Army and its six key pillars of service.
Find show notes for this episode and more atcaringmagazine.org/podcast.
It’s not polite to talk politics.
I’m sure you’ve heard the sentiment. Especially in any kind of mixed crowd where people might disagree on the issue at hand.
We live, worship and work in diverse communities, but with politics becoming so tribal in nature, many of us simply avoid the subject. And that does a disservice to us all.
Yet we can get comfortable with being uncomfortable and do it in a grace-filled way, according to Beth Silvers, co-author of “I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations.”
She and Sarah Stewart Holland also co-host the Pantsuit Politics podcast. As working moms from opposite ends of the political spectrum, they regularly sit down to talk politics together.
Beth, a conservative life and business coach, spent 11 years as an attorney and then an HR executive before opening her own business. Named one of Cincinnati’s “40 under 40” business leaders and as one of Ohio’s Most Powerful and Influential Women, Beth regularly speaks to organizations about hard conversations.
She asks us to hear each other’s thoughts, to test our own beliefs against each other’s philosophies and to better appreciate our own core beliefs by having to articulate and challenge those beliefs.
As Beth says, politics is all about how we live in community with each other. And if we engage in conversation with a goal not to persuade but to be open to personal growth, we’re all better off.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
The Salvation Army is actively involved in fighting hunger, homelessness and more across the country. In fact, the organization serves some 23 million people a year in the U.S.
But you may not know that The Salvation Army is also engaged in nonprofit advocacy with the federal government.
Sabrina Kiser serves as Assistant Director of Social Services and Public Policy Coordinator at The Salvation Army’s National Headquarters. She and a team of policy analysts work to engage policymakers in The Salvation Army’s fight against poverty.
Once a month, the team heads to Capitol Hill to zero in on a specific issue and educate congresspeople and staffers about the size and scope of The Salvation Army’s work, while extending its hand as a resource.
It’s a critical partnership, Sabrina shares on this episode, as this kind of advocacy forms a vital link between the daily realities of community needs and federal policymakers.
By being at the table, The Salvation Army can help to impact lives.
Find show notes for this episode and more atcaringmagazine.org/podcast.
Our salvation in Christ begins personally—it’s a decision and commitment made individually. But it does not end there. A genuine personal relationship with God flows into all of our relationships.
After all, Jesus gave us two commands: love God and love others.
In this episode, Commissioner Jolene Hodder shares more about her own experience of faith, how she knows God is real and where she finds him. She explores how we can express love for God and for others as commanded.
And why, as she says: love is a decision not a feeling.
Commissioner Jolene holds a master’s of religion and has served as an ordained minister—an officer—in The Salvation Army for 31 years. She currently serves as the Territorial President for Women’s Ministries of The Salvation Army USA Western Territory.
As a two-time author, Commissioner Jolene shares in her writing about her overseas ministry and day-to-day life in Kenya—including the good and the moments where she had to look for God.
Her stories illuminate a personal relationship with God, and how it is central to understanding who we are and what life is about.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
You’ve probably heard of The Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving dinners, food pantries or the provision of meals during a natural disaster. But you might not know that TSA in communities across the country fills backpacks or other bags with food to send home from school with kids for the weekend.
That’s to make sure kids who receive free or low-cost breakfasts and lunches at school don’t go hungry at home.
Hemet, California, is one of those communities.
Located some 80 miles from downtown Los Angeles in the San Jacinto Valley, the 28-square mile city has a population of roughly 85,000 people. With a median household income of about $37,000, some 23 percent of the population lives below the federal poverty line. And the number of children who qualified for the National School Lunch Program was so high, the school district decided to make it easier—now everyone qualifies.
For Lt. James Fleming, the corps officer or pastor of the Hemet Corps, making sure a person gets the help they need is his greatest passion. And that includes these kids.
In this episode, Lt. James shares more about The Salvation Army’s weekend food program for school kids in Hemet. He works with volunteers, donors, drivers and school nurses to make sure bags with four meals, four snacks and two drinks go home on Friday afternoons with the kids who need it.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
What are your core values? Do you know?
Can you put four or five specific words to them and explain the way those values show up in your life?
As Krysta Masciale says, any brand is the promise of an experience. On a personal level, is that experience consistent? Will anyone who interacts with you say the same thing about who you are?
Krysta is the CMO of LumaForge, a technology company in Los Angeles, where she leads the way in brand awareness, content creation and strategic partnerships.
It’s a role she came into after years as CEO of brand agency B!G DEAL BRANDING, which led the way in strategic design and messaging for both small creative organizations and multi-billion dollar corporations.
And she’ll tell you that just as a company does, defining our personal core values is a way of establishing and consistently reinforcing who we are and what we stand for—beyond any current job title.
But owning our values takes clarity, commitment and communication—and in this episode, Krysta offers best practices for it all.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast
Did you know: The Salvation Army is a big supporter of fun with 44 summer or day camps in the United States devoted to children? Last year, more than 260,000 kids attended camp with The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army’s Summer Residential Camping Program at Camp Redwood Glen near Santa Cruz, California, encourages at-risk and under-privileged kids to learn new skills and self-reliance through swimming, archery, hiking, and other fun activities.
And it’s more than a picturesque vacation. Campers learn new skills and self-reliance. Each week of camp helps kids explore the natural world and grow in knowledge of who God is and who he created them to be.
It’s also a time of growth for the camp staff, those age 16 and up who are hired for the summer to fill positions from dish room crew to lifeguard, naturalist or cabin leader.
In this episode, two Camp Redwood Glen campers turned cabin leaders—Abel Sanchez and Jezabel Aparicio—talk about what it’s like to work at summer camp.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Building well being in a person is like building a strong house—it requires certain materials, resources and opportunities.
When these materials are not available, we may have a hard time surviving the storms.
For so many kids around the world, The Salvation Army is a key part of their building materials.
Did you know The Salvation Army operates more than 2,700 schools—including schools for blind and disabled children, and residential programs for orphaned, neglected and trafficked children?
These programs are supported by people like you and like me and the lady at the center of connecting it all for The Salvation Army on the U.S. West coast is Rachel Thieme-Ramirez.
In this episode, Rachel shares how she aims to do good and how you can be part of providing for the essential needs of children right where you are.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
A network of Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers across the U.S. have a common goal: to help people discover and develop their passions in their own neighborhood.
The 26 centers were created thanks in large part to Joan Kroc, wife of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, who entrusted The Salvation Army with $1.5 billion to build a space for arts, education and athletics in underserved communities.
The Hawaii Kroc Center, on the island of Oahu, has been offering fun for more than seven years. With some 11,000 members, the center attracts locals with everything from a water park to a dance academy to Kroc Church.
In this episode, Executive Director and Senior Pastor Major Phil Lum says the Hawaii Kroc Center is a one stop shop for the family. A Salvation Army officer for more than 30 years, Lum was appointed to help develop the Kroc Center back in 2006 and he’s steered its growth since.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
What is peace—and how do we build it?
How can we create a shared future where everybody belongs.
In this episode, Monica Curca talks about peace and why it involves all of us...Why we’re all responsible to solve violence. And why power is found in relationship.
Monica founded Activate Labs, a nonprofit organization that builds a creative force for peace and justice. Her projects bring together the ingredients for joy to enable direct, structural and cultural peacebuilding.
As a refugee herself and someone who holds two master’s degrees in sustainable international development and conflict and coexistence, Monica is perfectly poised to help us pursue a lens of peace.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
What’s 18 square miles with a riverfront promenade and legendary food scene?
You guessed it—Napa.
This central California town is considered a world-class destination with plenty of culinary star power.
And Chef Paul Fields is at the heart of it all, having worked for the Pebble Beach Company, Silverado Country Club and several local Napa wineries. He honed his culinary skills at Oenotri, which was recognized as one of the Bay Area's top 100 restaurants. And he was the Executive Chef at the prestigious Inn on Randolph, a boutique bed and breakfast that is considered one of the country’s top inns.
Now, Chef Paul is cooking in a different kitchen as the Executive Chef of The Salvation Army Napa Valley Culinary Training Academy.
Designed in collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America, the program is for those with at least six months of sobriety to support their transition back to the workforce.
Since launching in 2016, the academy has successfully placed 87 percent of its graduating students into jobs—thanks to intentional partnerships with the local hospitality industry.
From sautéing, to safe knife skills or how to plan a menu, Chef Paul leads students through the 15-week course and serves as a mentor along the way.
In this episode, he says cooking and food are means to community and a way to instantly make someone’s day better.
And that passion led him from commercial kitchen to commercial kitchen in The Salvation Army, preparing students for successful employment and thus self sufficiency.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
It’s no secret that sports teach character.
Both wellness and life lessons come with being part of a team.
Jose Moreno gets to take those benefits to the next level.
As the Vice President of Marketing and Community Relations for the Fiesta Bowl, Jose leads charitable giving and philanthropic efforts across Arizona.
Through events like the Fiesta Bowl—a college football bowl game held annually in Phoenix—Fiesta Bowl Charities gave $2.5 million to Arizona nonprofits in 2018—including The Salvation Army.
In this episode, Jose talks about sportsmanship and how sports provide an avenue to do good.
Yet—as someone named to the Phoenix Business Journal Forty-Under-40 Class of 2018 of up and coming leaders in the community—Jose says you don’t need an organization behind you to do good. He shares practical tips for being intentional with our efforts and explains how we can each have an impact right where we are.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Did you know: One in seven Americans will be affected by addiction? And the disease is even more prevalent in members of the armed forces, particularly with tobacco, alcohol and prescription drug abuse.
Unsurprisingly, the problems created by addiction are many.
As veteran Edwyn Hector says, addiction takes you from you.
For 18 years, Ed has helped more than 3,000 people work through addiction to gain control at The Salvation Army’s Bell Shelter. Located just outside of Los Angeles, the Bell Shelter is one of the largest homeless shelters west of the Mississippi—and many of its clients are vets.
In this episode, Ed talks about addiction, why recovery is different than sobriety, and what it takes to find healing.
It all begins with learning to love who you are, Ed says, and he shares how he leads clients to do exactly that.
According to Ed, how we feel is how we live. And there’s a lot to love for each one of us.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Do you want to know the Bible better but aren’t sure where to start?
Do you open your Bible to begin reading and feel a little lost?
You’re not alone. Those are the two most common barriers to the study of Scripture.
And with those in mind, Pastor Mark Moore wrote “Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year.”
As a former New Testament professor at Ozark Christian College and now the teaching pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Mark is the personal guide you need for spiritual growth.
In just 15 minutes a day, Mark’s book will help you master the 52 MORE important verses in the Bible—those passages with the greatest potential for practical application—from creation to heaven, money, God’s will and grace.
In this episode, Pastor Mark explores our desire to know the Bible better because we know it makes us better. He shares research that biblical engagement improves self-esteem, family structure and social interactions.
Pastor Mark offers his own experience of meeting God in the passages of Scripture, his goal to “make Jesus famous,” and the single greatest spiritual discipline for us all. As Mark says, what you believe will determine what you do—and we need to recover biblical principles for living for the good of the whole.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
When Guy Fieri was just 10 years old, he sold soft pretzels from a three-wheel bicycle cart that he built with his father.
Through the years, Guy has opened more than 60 restaurants around the world, starred in seven TV series and executive produced a number of others, inducted into the BBQ Hall of Fame, and authored six best-selling cookbooks. Recently, he became the third chef ever to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Guy has created a culinary empire. When not filming, “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” or “Guy’s Ranch Kitchen,” he supports several organizations out to do good, including his own Cooking with Kids Foundation and as a partner in The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services.
When wildfires scorched his hometown of Santa Rosa, California, Guy and his family were evacuated; only for him to return to the frontlines with a cooking trailer, team and food to prepare thousands of meals each day for evacuees, volunteers, and firefighters.
As Guy says, food makes people feel good. In today’s episode he says if he can bring comfort to a tragic situation, that’s exactly what he’s going to do.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
When Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder returned to the U.S. after 11 years living abroad, he said he was taken aback by the number of people he saw living on the streets—in tents, below freeway underpasses, and at the base of our cities’ skyscrapers.
He returned to the West coast to lead The Salvation Army here and knew The Salvation Army had to act.
The organization began in London in 1865 as William Booth walked the streets preaching to the homeless, the hungry and the destitute. What became The Salvation Army set out to offer compassionate, tangible service to people in need—you may have even heard the motto: Soup, Soap and Salvation.
Now that service extends to more than 130 countries around the world and to every zip code here in the U.S. as The Salvation Army works to meet human need in every community—exactly as that community needs.
A graduate of Harvard Law School, Commissioner Hodder has served as a Salvation Army officer for 31 years—ministering in communities from Glendale, California, to Kakamega, Kenya.
In this episode, he shares more about The Way Out—a Salvation Army initiative in the West to not only address the epidemic of homelessness, but to double The Salvation Army’s impact—because as Commissioner Hodder says: there is no one better poised to do so.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
If we want our children to be moral people, we have to raise them that way.
Yet Harvard researchers found the majority of youth in a study said their parents were more concerned with their achievement or happiness than whether they cared for others.
And that’s exactly what Dr. Rick Weissbourd is out to correct.
As he says, it’s most important that we help teach kids to be kind.
It’s what he studies as Harvard University’s Faculty Director for Making Caring Common—looking at how adults can mentor children’s moral and ethical development.
He’s a psychologist and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kennedy School, and two-time author, including “The Parents We Mean to Be,” which was named one of the best books of its year by The New Yorker.
He consults with schools and organizations across the country and has advised on family policy and school reform at every level of government.
In this episode, Dr. Weissbourd shares five strategies to raise moral, kind and caring kids. Because, as he says, our primary role as parents should be growing good citizens who care.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
In case you haven’t heard, homelessness is booming in California.
Some 130,000 Californians are homeless—which is nearly a quarter of the national total. And that rate of homelessness is among the highest in the country.
Homelessness jumped 14 percent from 2016 to 2017 in California and city leaders took note. From 2017 to 2018, most of California’s major urban areas saw a slight decrease in homelessness—about 1 percent. But Santa Cruz saw an increase.
This Surf City, boardwalk town in Central California now has the second highest per capita rate of homelessness in California.
In this beach community of some 60,000 people, roughly 2,200 are homeless in Santa Cruz. And each night, The Salvation Army shelters nearly 10 percent of them.
Captain Harold Laubach directs The Salvation Army’s efforts in Santa Cruz—which includes the corps, the church, four winter shelters, one being an encampment space that provides safe shelter outdoors, and a homeless navigation center.
In today’s show, Captain Laubach takes us in
side a homeless shelter to explain how it operates and how The Salvation Army aims to meet individual needs inside. He details how The Salvation Army partners with its neighbors to mitigate concerns and gain support.
Captain Laubach explores the complex and complicated issue of homelessness—and the sometimes surprising reality of those who face it. He shares what he believes is the way out of homelessness and the role faith plays in it all.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Did you know: Joy is one of our six primary emotions, which are universally expressed around the world? And it’s only positive one?
While some may conflate joy with childishness and think we’re supposed to get more serious as we get older, research actually shows a clear link between our surroundings and our mental health.
Experts urge us to find calm by looking inward and muting the outside world, but what if we can access joy in the world around us?
In this episode, Ingrid Fetell Lee talks about joy—how to recognize it, where to find it and ways to create it.
Ingrid is the founder of The Aesthetics of Joy and empowers people to find more joy with design. She is the author of “Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness” and her TED talk, “Where Joy Hides and How to Find It” has been viewed more than 17 million times.
Ingrid is a former design director at IDEO and has led design programs for Target, American Express and the U.S. government, among others.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
Did you know The Salvation Army is in more than 130 countries around the world?
And in the United States, it’s present in every zip code—working to meet human need.
The brand promise says the organization is Doing the Most Good. And you’ll often hear that The Salvation Army is in a Fight for Good.
So what does that mean?
In this episode, The Salvation Army’s national leaders—Commissioners Dave and Sharron Hudson—join in to share what it is to Do Good.
The Hudsons have dedicated more than 40 years of service to The Salvation Army as ordained ministers. They share what it means to do good, their motivations and lessons learned along the way.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
On any given night in America, more than 550,000 people are homeless.
To put that in perspective—that’s more than 8 times the capacity of Gillette Stadium, home of the SuperBowl Champion New England Patriots. It’s more than the number of people who live in all of Sacramento, California, or Tucson, Arizona.
That number includes men, women and children—each with a unique story.
And while the number of those who are experiencing homelessness has declined by some 100,000 people since 2007, there is still work to be done. And it’s work The Salvation Army, for one, is committed to.
That’s why we turn to people like Chris Christian.
Chris was homeless on the streets of Santa Barbara, California, for nearly 5 years. He and his wife slept in their van—and eventually a tent.
Chris was a lawyer for more than 20 years prior to that. But he was called to ministry—and he found it in the midst of homelessness.
Today on the show, Chris shares what it really means to be homeless, how it feels and what the hardest part about it is. He talks about his own crisis of faith in feeling abandoned—and how the stories of struggle and pain that we see reflected in so many biblical characters became his story.
He reveals insight and compassion for those without a place to call home and he lets us in on the way out of homelessness.
Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.
A weekly podcast from The Salvation Army's Caring Magazine dedicated to helping you do good right where you are.