Mention “domestic violence programs,” and many people’s thoughts turn toward emergency shelters. But at Sojourner Center, one of the largest and longest-running domestic violence programs in the country, help also extends in the form of workforce development, a pet companion shelter, a child development center, lay legal advocacy, and transitional housing for up to two years. Julie Peterson, co-director of the center, has been with the organization for 15 years, and played a leading role in the ...
Oct 05, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 23
Nancy Williams has a great professional background to lead the Arizona Association for Foster and Adoptive Parents (AZAFAP). She has 30 years’ experience in education, a master’s degree in Special Education, and decades of working with students and families. But all of that pales in light of her experience as a mom of eight children, an adoptive parent, and fostering 50 children over 26 years with her husband. Nancy was one of the original founders of AZAFAP 20 years ago, serving the foster, kin...
Sep 28, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 22
There are two founders cited for Gabriel’s Angels – not unusual for a nonprofit. In this case though, one of the founders has a winning smile, four feet and a tail. Pam Gaber and her Weimaraner Gabriel are listed as founding the organization in 2000, when the pair was visiting local classrooms to help children learn self-control and sensitivity. Today, Melissa Steimer is CEO of the nonprofit, leading 125 registered Pet Therapy teams working with 75 partner agencies with programs like Animal, Boo...
Sep 21, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 21
Handing someone a Bible doesn’t mean much if that person – and that culture – has never learned to read. Kent Kiefer and Scriptures in Use reach out to indigenous peoples by providing oral Bibles in the language of the people. Local leaders use these to help their neighbors find hope and salvation. Jesus told stories and parables. He pulled spiritual truth from everyday life with stories and symbols from the local culture, from sheep to sowing, harvesting, and fishing, to convey his message. The...
Sep 14, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 20
Pat McCalla says his life mission is to love God and love others. That mission has led him many places. In his 20s, he was teaching and coaching. In his 30s he focused on international relief and development (Food for the Hungry), and helped a movement fighting human trafficking (StreetLightUSA). Then in his 40s he turned to pastoring and leading churches. And now in his 50s, Pat leads an inspired nonprofit (Operation JOY), and started a successful podcast (“No Grey Areas”). Listen to Pat share ...
Sep 07, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 19
It’s an incredibly difficult topic to talk about – men and sexual addiction. But it makes it just a little easier when you’re talking with another man who has been there. And that’s Steve Wagner’s calling. Steve dealt with his addiction for many years before finding healing himself. Then God called him to start a sexual addiction recovery ministry in 2000, and since then he has worked with more than 3,000 men to help them find wholeness. He named the ministry Revive40, for the more than 40,000 C...
Aug 31, 2023•26 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Dr. Douglas Jackson’s dad filled the family garage with medical supplies and equipment to donate to ragtag hospitals and clinics in poverty-stricken countries. Today, 36 years later, Doug continues the family mission of delivering help and hope to the world with Project C.U.R.E., providing container loads of life-saving medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and clinics in under-resourced countries. The organization is the world’s largest distributor of donated international medical relief,...
Aug 24, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Alisa Keeton carries a passion for bringing new meaning to the world of health and fitness. She shows how to use our bodies as a means of healing past pain and promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual health. That is her goal to help people discover with Revelation Wellness. It’s not what you’re used to hearing. But it seems logical that what we do with our bodies can have a dramatic positive effect on our emotions, relationships, and our connection with God. Alisa uses a variety of physical...
Aug 17, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 16
Christopher Beth was forever changed when he accompanied his daughter on a mission trip to the Brazilian Amazon in 2012. It was there a woman handed him a dirty cup of water taken straight from the river, and he heard the Lord say, “Help them.” He returned home, left his business consulting and founded The Bucket Ministry (TBM), a non-profit organization working to share God’s love through the gift of clean, safe, drinking water. Today, TBM distributes a simple water filter small enough to be he...
Aug 10, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Max Ashton was born with a congenital condition leaving him mostly blind. Despite that, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, swam from Alcatraz to San Francisco, hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim, and threw out the first pitch at an Arizona Diamondbacks game. All before turning 20. Max began receiving services from the Foundation for Blind Children at three months old, and in the years to come became an advocate for the organization, telling the community about the difference it made in his l...
Aug 03, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 14
When Carol Whitworth’s parents formed Sunshine Acres Children’s Home 69 years ago, they probably couldn’t guess that their daughter would run the organization after them. Even more, but that their great-grandson would also head the organization. The family’s dedication to helping hurting children has flourished. They never turn a child away for financial reasons, and the kids live in homes of 10 each with house parents, and can enjoy activities from choir and music, to a stable full of horses, 4...
Jul 27, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 13
When Barney Murray began taking photos of fundraising events for Mentoring Tucson’s Kids 20 years ago, he couldn’t have known he would be leading the organization one day. Barney has been mentoring kids most of his adult life. After leaving a 10-year career as a teacher, mentor and as director of dropout recovery at a local charter high school, he is now dedicated to helping others learn the joy of developing relationships with at-risk youth. Building a friendship and helping them develop life s...
Jul 20, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 12
You may be impressed by the fact that Lt. Colonel Ivan Wild is a fourth-generation member of the Salvation Army. But that’s only because you haven’t met his wife, Lt. Colonel Jennifer Wild – a fifth-generation Salvationist. They have dedicated their lives to an organization that does many more things behind the scenes than many people are aware of. In Arizona alone, the Salvation Army serves about a million meals to hungry families each year with emergency food boxes, congregate meals, and home-...
Jul 13, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 11
“Flash” Gordon Murray is a respected photographer and videographer, well-known for his work in portraiture and events. Then his universe was rocked with the loss of their fourth son at birth. He and his wife handled the tragedy in different ways, and their marriage struggled until they worked out a new sense of normal. Then 17 years later, he discovered a nonprofit called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, professional photographers across the country who volunteer their time to take heirloom quality p...
Jul 06, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 10
When Sarah Haught was assigned to the human Trafficking Unit of the Tucson Police Department, she didn’t know her life was going to change. Her compassion for the survivors who couldn’t move on from the trauma birthed a dream for the Beauty from Ashes Ranch. Likewise, when John George was seeking a different type of reward after a successful career in the corporate world, he didn’t know he was getting in on the ground floor of helping the fledgling organization save and change lives. Hear how Sa...
Jun 29, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 9
As a former MLB pitcher, Todd Stottlemyre understands the importance of teamwork. But he does more than talk – he is a true servant leader. He’s used some of the principles he learned on the baseball field to help others live up to their potential in the business world. He’s also opened up Koibito Poke as a healthy alternative to fast food. But most of all, he leads by example. You’ll want to hear his story about the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown and how he taught his restaurant crew how th...
Jun 22, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Her mom called her “Pistol” growing up. Today, others call her “Bette Midler in the Spirit” for her brashness and humor. But for musician ML Morlock, it’s all a part of her journey from Christ to drugs and back home to Christ. Passionate about second chances in life, ML founded Behind Me Now, a female prison ministry focusing on inmate mentorship for those transitioning back into society. Click here to learn more about ML and Behind Me Now: https://www.behindmenow.org/ Original air date: June 15...
Jun 15, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Lisa Scarpinato’s world changed 17 years ago when a friend told her of watching a local second-grader digging through the school cafeteria trash and stuffing discarded food in her pocket. The night she heard that story, she and her husband Vince committed to starting Kitchen on the Street. Today they create Bags of Hope – food backpacks that provide weekend nutrition to food-insecure children. But they didn’t stop there – they also have Family Food Pantries on school campuses and other locations...
Jun 08, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Too many refugees struggle to connect with their new communities because of their lack of English. Most don’t have a single American friend. They want to be active contributors here in their new home. Instead, the language challenges leave them feeling shut out. Abounding Service Executive Director Derek DeVelder, staff, and volunteers all help refugees proudly serve those in need — empowered through English, citizenship, and friendship. The organization has taught English and citizenship to mor...
Jun 01, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 3
After 31 years serving the community as a respected journalist at 12 News/KPNX-TV providing compassionate and balanced news, Lin Sue Flood is involved in a different kind of service today. As Director of Community Engagement for Hospice of the Valley, Lin Sue helps families find help at a challenging time, when a family member is approaching the end of life. Lin Sue continues to lead a life of service in countless ways. Please join us to learn more about not just what she does, but who she is. C...
May 25, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Vicki McDermitt is first and foremost a gifted vocalist specializing in jazz, but able to sing in a wide range of sacred and secular genres. But more than that, she has a heart for helping some of the most impactful nonprofits in the city through Music Serving the Word Ministries at the Ravenscroft performing arts center. Vicki leads her own nonprofit, Music on a Mission, that provides secular and sacred musical experiences while striving to be the hands and feet of Jesus and to leave a footprin...
May 19, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Creating a life-saving product to help people halfway around the world probably isn’t on the agenda of the typical engineering student. Then again, Benjamin Voller-Brown and Michael Li aren’t typical. Learn how the pair developed a simple yet effective product to help extend the life of malaria nets, and backed up their effort with an elegant plan to fund and distribute the kits. Click here to learn more about the project: https://pitchfunder.asufoundation.org/project/34533 Original air date: Ma...
May 11, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Travis Turner discovered the secret to a fulfilling life: learning to give control of his life over to God. That was after a lot of early success, walking on and earning a starting spot as a quarterback at the University of Nebraska. But that success created problems. He always wanted to work for God, but his priorities needed restructuring, and when his wife left with his two girls, he realized he needed to make a change. Others surrounded him and walked with him, helping him to learn about rel...
May 04, 2023•26 min•Season 4Ep. 1
When Chuck Reaves was just 20 years old, he was a squad leader in Vietnam. There were no officers available, so he also filled the role of forward observer, directing artillery fire onto a target. It was a lot of pressure for a young man. Ultimately he was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts. When he finally made it back to the U.S., he saw his first American girl – and she spat on him. It was just the beginning of the shame and disrespect that thousands of Vietnam vets experienced. Chuck ov...
Apr 27, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 52
Allan Solheim had a normal childhood – if you don’t count experiences like helping his dad test his revolutionary golf clubs by driving a car 100 mph to test wind resistance. The story of the Solheim family and the development of Ping clubs is now golfing legend. What isn’t as well known is the family’s commitment behind the scenes to help the golfing world and the community through the Solheim Foundation. Allan shares a little of his background and some of the ways they have impacted lives. Cli...
Apr 20, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 51
David Haneke is a story teller. It began in high school when his grandparents gave him a 35 mm camera. Today, he uses video to document true stories of people around the globe who demonstrate love toward their neighbors, and the redemption they have received. David has some terrific memories to share of the people he has met and how they – and he – are making this world a better place. Click here learn more about David: http://www.openingmoments.com/ Original air date: April 13, 2023 See omnystu...
Apr 13, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 50
You would be hard-pressed to find someone in Arizona who couldn’t share a vivid memory of Pat McMahon – either as a talk show host interviewing the likes of Muhammad Ali and Barack Obama to Mother Teresa and Mick Jagger, or maybe as the host of his internet program “The God Show.” They might have attended an event he was emceeing, where he has helped worthy organizations raise millions of dollars. Chances are though, they know him from his 30 years on the longest-running live children’s show, “W...
Apr 06, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 49
Jason Barlow took the skills he developed as a U-2 reconnaissance pilot and throughout the rest of his career to lead the nation’s most successful Habitat for Humanity affiliate. That’s no small feat, considering there are 1,200 affiliates in the U.S. (not to mention others in 70 countries around the globe). What many people may not know is that in addition to building new homes for qualifying with the help of volunteers, home repairs, neighborhood revitalization, veterans housing, emergency hom...
Mar 30, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 48
When Timothy and Janepher Kakooza moved to Katosi on the shore of Lake Victoria in Uganda, they planned to establish a church. What they found when they got to the fishing village was crushing poverty, unschooled children, and orphans who lost their parents due to AIDs. Before they knew it, there were 25 children living in their home alongside their own four. As they continued to meet the needs of the children and the community, they started not only the church, but an orphanage, school, and med...
Mar 23, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 47
Mike Lindstrom has delivered more than 3,000 corporate speaking and training events. But his real legacy will be in the impact he’s made on the lives of individuals, from youth to underserved women to dads. Mike has a law degree and a great career as an executive coach, starting as a corporate consultant for international author and speaker Tony Robbins. Beyond that, he has thrown himself into helping organizations like Ambassadors of Compassion for youth; the Arizona Foundation for Women for un...
Mar 16, 2023•26 min•Season 3Ep. 46
