Welcome back to the Connect Kindness podcast, where we bring you inspiring stories of individuals and organizations making a positive impact in the world. I'm your host, Krystal Aziz, and I’m joined by my Co-Host Tim Evans. Today, we have a very special episode in store for you. Joining us today is a remarkable individual whose dedication and compassion have transformed the lives of countless children and families. Pasitos de Luz is a non-profit organization based in Mexico. It provides comprehe...
Jun 09, 2023•27 min•Season 6Ep. 75
In today's episode we interview Leah Craig Fieser, the executive director at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. Their mission is to better the lives of companion animals and the people who love them. Through adoption programs, a low-cost mobile spay and neuter clinic, lifesaving shelter transfer partnerships, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue impacts the lives of thousands of animals each year. Leah shares how she and her team were able to take a struggling nonprofit, and turn it around to be one of the leadi...
Sep 28, 2022•34 min•Season 5Ep. 74
In today's episode we interview Mark Barlet, the founder of AbleGamers. Their mission is to create opportunities that enable gaming to combat social isolation, foster inclusive communities, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Mark founded AbleGamers after his best friend’s ability to interact and connect through video games was nearly taken away by her being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Mark’s vision was to ensure that no one with a disability would ever be withou...
Aug 17, 2022•33 min•Season 5Ep. 73
In this episode we interview Jean Sicurella, one of the co-founders of Misión de Caridad. Their mission is to provide programs and resources for refugee, migrant and vulnerable women and children on the Mexico side of the U.S. border. Jean shares with us the origin story of her organization and talks about the programs and resources for women and children on the Mexico side of the US border. We learn about some of the struggles and lessons that Jean has learned while running an international non...
Jul 19, 2022•15 min•Season 5Ep. 72
In this episode we interview Beth Kempe, the founder of The Uniform Project. Her nonprofit keeps good clothing out of the landfill by recycling uniforms to children who need them worldwide. In the communities they serve you must have a uniform to attend school so each donation enables the kids to now attend which they may not have been able to do before. Beth shares with us why she felt the need to create the Uniform Project and how a chance encounter with her exterminator helped her nonprofit g...
Jun 06, 2022•20 min•Season 5Ep. 71
In today's episode we interview Sam and Shariff Sayed, the co-founders of Dayna’s Footprint, which is a non-profit organization aimed at buying name brand shoes for underprivileged students. The organization’s mission is to combat learning inequity by providing students shoes to wear proudly, subsequently increasing students’ self-esteem and enthusiasm for attending school. During our discussion we learn the amazing inspiration behind Dayna’s Footprint, and how brothers, Sam and Shariff, were ab...
May 24, 2022•26 min•Season 5Ep. 70
In today's episode we interview Gary Oppenheimer, the founder of Faith Fights Food Waste, which is a global awareness program of AmpleHarvest.org. The program gives faith leaders of all religions the opportunity to speak to their congregations about the waste of food in America, each from their own faith perspective. Gary shares how his program focuses on providing faith leaders with sermons that empower each community to combat food waste. We are thrilled to have Gary join us on another Connect...
Apr 18, 2022•18 min•Season 5Ep. 69
In today's episode we interview Tracy Chmelecki, the founder of Children without beds. Tracy and her team started a nonprofit in 2017 to answer the calling of children without beds in the Metro Atlanta area. Tracy opens up about how volunteering in an underprivileged community in Atlanta, GA opened her eyes and her heart to starting a nonprofit. We discuss the process of how families can sign up for assistance to receive a bed and also the overwhelming demand that her organization has seen. We a...
Mar 29, 2022•19 min•Season 5Ep. 68
In today's episode we interview Gary Oppenheimer, the founder of AmpleHarvest.org. Gary and his team envision an America where millions of gardeners eliminate wasted food, malnutrition and hunger in their own community. Gary shares with us the inspiration behind starting AmpleHarvest.org, and how he had the vision of connecting gardeners with local food pantries to provide fresh food for people in need. We discuss how within 5 years of starting his organization, Gary was recognized as a CNN Hero...
Feb 22, 2022•37 min•Season 5Ep. 67
In today's episode we interview Christine O’Connell, the executive Director of Riley’s Way Foundation. Their mission is to empower young leaders to use kindness and empathy to create meaningful connections and positive change. Christine shares with us the background of Riley’s Way and details the amazing programs that they offer. We discuss their initiative to help kids in Public & Private schools connect in a meaningful way. We learn about their upcoming event , “Call for Kindness” and how ...
Jan 25, 2022•23 min•Season 5Ep. 66
In today's episode we interview Victoria Strickland, the Director of Communications and Partnerships at About Fresh. Located in the Boston area, they are on a mission to strengthen communities by getting healthy food to the households that need it most. The key to accomplishing their mission is that their programs are built to be integrated into community health systems. Victoria shares with us the inspiration behind “about fresh” and how the organization has evolved over the years. We learned a...
Jan 07, 2022•32 min•Season 5Ep. 65
In today's episode we interview Jacob Cramer, the founder of Love for our Elders. His motto is - It only takes 5 minutes to put a smile on someone else’s face so Jacob began making & collecting cards to mail to elders in senior communities across the globe. He started his nonprofit at 13 so they now have over 50,000 volunteers. Jacob shares with us what inspired him at such a young age to start a nonprofit that focuses on helping the elderly. We discuss the programs that Love for our elders ...
Dec 01, 2021•24 min•Season 4Ep. 64
In today's episode we interview Brian Dozer, the founder of Vital Link. This 501c3 organization is dedicated to preparing students for their future careers through experiential learning opportunities. They offer programs that introduce students to the world of robotics, manufacturing, healthcare, computer programming, automotive technology and much more. Through these hands-on programs, they inspire students to feel confident and excited to pursue a fulfilling career. We learn about the programs...
Nov 16, 2021•27 min•Season 4Ep. 63
In today's episode we interview Sarah Aadland, the Director of Doing Good Together's Big-Hearted Families Program. DGT is a Minnesota-based national nonprofit that works to make volunteering and service, along with daily kindness, easy for every family. Sarah shares with us the mission of Doing Good Together and how they provide tools to both families and organizations to help raise compassionate, engaged children. Sarah opens up about some of the lessons that the organization has learned over t...
Nov 09, 2021•18 min•Season 4Ep. 62
In today's episode we interview Luke Michelson, the Founder and Executive Director of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Luke and his team of volunteers are dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. Their motto is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town”. Luke shares how a tiny moment changed the course of his life and set him on a mission to make sure that no kid sleeps on the floor. We discuss how a simple Christmas project with his kids has l...
Nov 02, 2021•30 min•Season 4Ep. 61
In today's episode we interview Gloria Abram, the founder of A Bouquet of Balloons. Based in Georgia, this nonprofit organization is dedicated to delivering smiles and a bouquet of balloons to those patients in hospitals and the various senior citizens communities. Gloria shares with us the origin story of A Bouquet of Balloons, and how a visit to the hospital to see a friend gave her the idea to start her organization, and set her on a mission to brighten people’s day. We discuss some of the ch...
Sep 03, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 60
In today's episode we interview two amazing young women from the PSYDEH Team, Mahathi Kumar, the Assistant Project Manager & Andrea Muñiz who leads Digital Communications. PSYDEH A.C. is an award-winning, non-profit organization that educates and empowers marginalized women in Mexico to lead social change and fight the inequalities they face. Andrea and Mahathi share their journey that led them to joining the PSYDEH team. We learn about the different initiatives that they are leading and how...
Aug 12, 2021•25 min•Season 4Ep. 59
In this episode we interview Diana Greenfield, the Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of Young Voices of Austin. They foster musical excellence, leadership, and sustained academic achievement for a diverse population of young people ages 6 to 18. The children of Young Voices of Austin become global citizens who use the power of music as the path to create bridges throughout their city and into the world. Diana shares with us how she was inspired to start her organization in Austin,...
Jul 17, 2021•22 min•Season 4Ep. 58
In this episode we interview Peter Rose, who is the President of the Rockhouse Foundation in Jamaica. The Rockhouse Foundation has been transforming learning environments in the Negril area for over 15 years. Originally focused on the renovation of public primary schools, the foundation broadened its focus to include the Negril Library, and the past 5 years has been concentrating on early childhood education. Peter shares with us his background and what led him to dedicating his life to helping ...
Jun 16, 2021•44 min•Season 4Ep. 57
In today's episode we interview Cathy Heying, the Founder of The Lift Garage. Imagine a homeless person who lives in their cars or the families that can barely put food on the table. Have you ever wondered who fixes their cars when they need it? The Lift Garage is the answer. Cathy and her team aim to move people out of poverty and homelessness by providing low-cost car repair, free pre-purchase car inspections, and honest advice that supports their community on the road to more secure lives. In...
May 21, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 56
Krystal & Tim of Connect Kindness interviewed on the Choose Kindness Podcast
Apr 25, 2021•19 min•Season 4Ep. 55
In today's episode we interview Natalie Silverstein, who is a philanthropist and the author of “Simple Acts - The busy family guide to giving back”. Teaching young children to be socially conscious, community oriented, and eager to volunteer seems like a daunting task, especially for busy families with children of varying ages, but it’s okay because Natalie has a solution. Natalie shares with us what led her to want to write her book, as well as the importance of parents involving their children...
Mar 23, 2021•45 min•Season 4Ep. 54
In today's episode we interview Erin Christopher-Sisk, the founder of Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga. Their mission is to support retired racehorses which then are retrained as therapy horses. Equine Assisted Learning connects therapy horses with vulnerable members of the community. Both adults and children can participate in their therapeutic programs. Erin shares with us how she was able to combine her career with her love for horses to create a nonprofit that is truly making a difference. We ...
Feb 27, 2021•18 min•Season 4Ep. 53
In today's episode we interview Eric Skaggs, the founder of Grades 4 Good. Their mission is to support academics for marginalized youth and underserved parents. Eric opens up about the unique path that led him to starting Grades4Good and how he has dedicated his life to teaching and inspiring our youth. He shares the importance of always asking questions and continuously learning, as well as shares the details of the programs he is building to help underserved communities. Eric has a visionary m...
Feb 12, 2021•46 min•Season 4Ep. 52
In today's episode we interview Marcia Hall, the founder of Mr.Bubblez. Their mission is to provide mobile showers which allows their clients the basic dignity of cleaning themselves, and also gives them the encouragement and care they need to make it one more day. THey focus on the homeless population in Tampa FL. Marcia started Mr. Bubblez with the simple idea of changing people lives with a drop of water and has been able to turn her nonprofit into an award winning organization. Marcia shares...
Feb 01, 2021•20 min•Season 4Ep. 51
In today's episode we interview Harold Becker, the founder of The Love Foundation. Their mission is to inspire people to love unconditionally. Why start a nonprofit about love? It's because love is something that is understood by anyone in the world, no matter their upbringing, their culture background or even the language they speak. Harold shares with us the inspiration for starting the love foundation, and how an idea that popped into his head at 2am turned into something that is now recogniz...
Jan 17, 2021•31 min•Season 4Ep. 50
In this episode we interview Kyle Gregory, the co-founder of Give Back Nation. They are a one-stop hub for helping nonprofits streamline, elevate and expand their initiatives to create bigger waves of impact in communities across the country. Kyle shares the story of Give Back Nation, and how his father’s desire to “give back” paved the way for the impact that they are having today. He goes into detail on the different areas where he sees that businesses & nonprofits struggle, and how connec...
Jan 03, 2021•23 min•Season 4Ep. 49
In this episode we interview Jon Weed & Laura Formentini, the co-founders of Rifugio Isola Del Sole which means Refuge Island of the Sun. Their mission is to help animal rights, welfare and education in Sicily Italy by creating their own animal sanctuary. Jon and Laura open up about how even prior to them meeting each other, they both shared the vision of opening an animal sanctuary. We discuss their trials and tribulations of starting and growing their nonprofit in a foregin country. Jon an...
Dec 18, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 48
In this episode we interview Alison Silbermon, the CEO of Stupid Cancer. They empower adolescents and young adults affected by cancer by connecting them to age-appropriate resources and peers who get it. We learn about how Allison got involved with the organization, as well as the programs that Stupid Cancer offers the adolescents and young adult community, also known as the AYA community. Alison opens up about how her own brother's bout with Cancer fuels her passion to help AYAs who are going t...
Nov 21, 2020•16 min•Season 3Ep. 47
In today’s episode we interview Jaclyn Lindsey, the co-founder of Kindness.org. Their mission is to educate and inspire people to choose kindness.
Oct 23, 2020•25 min•Season 3Ep. 46
