Connect Kindness Podcast
By Tim Evans
Connect Kindness PodcastJun 06, 2022
Episode 75 - Chris Jacobs, Communications Event Manager of Pasitos de Luz
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 comprehensive support and care for children with disabilities and their families, empowering them to lead fulfilling lives despite their challenges.
Episode 74 - Leah Craig Fieser, Executive Director of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue
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 leading Animal Rescues in North Carolina.
Episode 73 - Mark Barlet, Founder of AbleGamers
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 without the ability to interact through video games. Mark has infused his passion into a global movement changing the way multibillion-dollar companies operate.
Episode 72 - Jean Sicurella, Co-founder of Misión de Caridad
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 nonprofit. Jean also shares her favorite success story and why she loves doing what she does.
Episode 71 - Beth Kempe, Founder of The Uniform Project
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 go global. We learn about how she is able to take clothes that would otherwise be thrown away, and distribute them to children in need across the world. It was an absolute pleasure speaking with Beth and learning more about the impact her organization is making.
Episode 70 - Sam and Shariff Sayed, Co-Founders of Dayna's Footprint
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 able to take an idea for helping kids all the way to the Ted X stage. Their goal is to instill confidence in kids through their footwear program, and carry on the legacy of their sister, Dayna, who taught them lessons that they are passing down to the younger generation. Sam and Shariff have huge hearts and it was amazing getting to know them and learning more about their organization.
Episode 69 - Gary Oppenheimer, Founder of Faith Fights Food Waste
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 Kindness Podcast and this is another very insightful episode. So without further delay, this is our interview with Gary Oppenheimer of Faith Fights Food Waste.
Episode 68 - Tracy Chmelecki, Founder of Children without Beds
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 also talk about how Tracy has a vision of her organization servicing families nationwide. So without further delay, this is our interview with Tracy Chmelecki of Children without Beds.
Episode 67 - Gary Oppenheimer, Founder of AmpleHarvest.org
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, spoke about food waste on the TedX stage, and was invited to the White House. Gary is passionate about helping people and one of the most interesting change makers we’ve spoken to this year.
Episode 66 - Christine O'Connell, Executive Director of Riley’s Way Foundation
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 they’ve been able to continue to make an impact even through the pandemic.
Episode 65 - Victoria Strickland, Director of Communications and Partnerships at About Fresh
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 about the food programs that they are offering and how they are bringing healthy food closer to communities that need it most. Victoria educates us on their “Fresh Connect” program, which is a tech-enabled food prescription program that empowers people with the money and flexibility to buy the foods they need to be healthy.
Episode 64 - Jacob Cramer, Founder of Love for our Elders
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 offers and the process for collecting and distributing the letters. We discuss some of the challenges that Jacob’s organization has faced during COVID and the bright future that lays ahead for Love for our Elders.
Episode 63 - Brian Dozer, Founder of Vital Link
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 that Vital Link offers and what makes them such a unique organization helping our youth. Brian shares with us the benefits of community colleges and how it can be a launching point of a successful career. With their already established programs, plus their new virtual learning programs, they are setting the course for young adults to find their passion and their dream careers.
Episode 62 - Sarah Aadland, Director at Doing Good Together
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 the past 16 years and also one of her favorite success stories.
Episode 61 - Luke Mickelson, Founder & Executive Director of Sleep in Heavenly Peace
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 launched a successful nonprofit with a presence in 45 of the 50 states in the US. Luke shares some amazing stories of how their organization has been able to make such a big impact in just a short amount of time.
Episode 60 - Gloria Abram, Founder of A Bouquet of Balloons
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 challenges of running a small nonprofit, as well as some things that Gloria believes will take her organization to the next level.
Episode 59 - Andrea Muñiz & Mahathi Kumar of PSYDEH
Episode 58 - Diana Greenfield, Executive Director of Young Voices of Austin
Episode 57 - Peter Rose, President of the Rockhouse Foundation
Peter shares with us his background and what led him to dedicating his life to helping others. We discuss the challenges that his organization has faced during the pandemic and how they were able to continue to help their communities with their food distribution initiative. We also discuss how the Rockhouse foundation was able to open their SAV inclusive school, which pairs typical learners and children with learning disabilities in the same classroom to promote empathy, unity and acceptance.
Episode 56 - Cathy Heying, Founder of The Lift Garage
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 the interview Cathy shares with us what led her to start the organization, we discuss some of the challenges that her team faces on a daily basis, and we learn about their plan for the future to help positively impact more and more lives.
Episode 55 - Krystal & Tim of Connect Kindness interviewed on the Choose Kindness Podcast
Episode 54 - Natalie Silverstein, author of “Simple Acts - The busy family guide to giving back”
Natalie shares with us what led her to want to write her book, as well as the importance of parents involving their children in acts of service at an early age. Natalie shares her thoughts on how parents can inspire their children to spread more love and kindness, and how a pay it forward mentality can have a life changing ripple effect on people's lives. Simple Acts brings busy parents practical, easy-to-do ideas, to involve the whole family in volunteering and helping others in the community.
Episode 53 - Erin Christopher-Sisk, Founder of Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga
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 learn about the horses that she uses in her therapy and how she is able to use them in promoting therapeutic wellness in mental health treatment.
Episode 52 - Eric Skaggs, Founder of Grades 4 Good
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 mind and it was a pleasure learning more about his organization.
Episode 51 - Marcia Hall, Founder of Mr. Bubblez
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 with us what led her to start Mr. Bubblez and the story behind the name. Marcia has a huge heart and a passion for helping the homeless and sharing God’s love.
Episode 50 - Harold Becker, Founder of The Love Foundation
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 recognized around the world. He shares his insight on running his nonprofit over the past 20 plus years and how The Love Foundation has been able to stay true to their mission and vision focus.
Episode 49 - Kyle Gregory, Co-Founder of Give Back Nation
Episode 48 - Jon Weed & Laura Formentini, Co-founders of Rifugio Isola Del Sole
Episode 47 - Alison Silberman, CEO of Stupid Cancer
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 through the same thing. Alison has dedicated her life to helping others and we really enjoyed our conversation today.
Episode 46 - Jaclyn Lindsey, Co-founder and CEO of Kindness.org
Episode 45 - Kimber MacGibbon, Founder and Executive Director of HER Foundation
Episode 44 - Lexi Kaili and Shane Grimes of Fish for Garbage
Episode 43 - Rania Mankarious, CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston
Episode 42 - Shreyaa & Esha Venkat, Founders of NEST4US
Episode 41 - Dr. Jordan Kassalow, Founder of VisionSpring
We learn about Jordan’s journey and what led him to start VisionSpring. He details VisionSprings initiatives, and explains how they are changing people's lives by the millions. He opens up about what gave him the inspiration to write his book “Dare to Matter”, which was published in 2019. Jordan is a brilliant social entrepreneur and we really enjoyed our conversation with him.
Episode 40 - Bejal Shah, Communications Chair at Little Essentials
Today, 30% of children in New York City live in poverty and Bejal shares with us the programs that Little Essentials offers to help these families in need. We discuss the inspiration to start the organization and learn about the long-term goals and vision of Little Essentials. It was a pleasure interviewing Bejal and learning more about the impact that Little Essentials is having in New York City.
Episode 39 - Greg Han, Director of Relations at Interfaith Ministries
Greg shares with us the 50+ year history of Interfaith Ministries and the programs that they are positively impacting the Houston community. Houston Texas is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the United States. Interfaith ministries are bringing people together to understand each others cultures and faith, working together to spread kindness.
Episode 38 - Yolande Charles, Founder and Executive Director of Afro Colombian Centre
Yolande shares how a trip to Cartagena Columbia sparked her mission to give back to the Afro-Colombian community. Although Yolande is a resident of Canada, she travels back and forth to Colombia to operate her organization. We discuss the multi-generational programs that they offer and how it is her goal to have the organization ran locally by the residents of Cartagena.
Episode 37 - Erin Farrell, Executive Director of Struggles to Strengths
We learn about all of the programs that Struggles to Strength offers, one being a very unique photography program for youth. Erin shares what inspired her to start the organization as well as her vision for the future. Erin works one on one with every single person who is involved with the programs, and she is making a huge impact in their lives.
Episode 36 - Teysha Wheeler-LeManski of Cloth Connection Outreach
We learn about what inspired Teysha to start Cloth Connection Outreach, as well as her burning desire to help people. Teysha shares how people in poverty often resort to using unsafe period protection because they cant afford the monthly cost of products. Cloth Connection Outreach is trying to help those in need here in the US.
Episode 35 - Phi Pham, Founder and Executive Director of Building Beats
Phi shares with us how his love for music inspired him to start Building Beats. We discuss the programs offered in the New York City schools. He opens up about how one of their students started with building beats in the 7th grade, to now being accepted into the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU. Building Beats is such a cool and innovative non profit and it was an honor learning more about Building Beats.
Episode 34 - Troy Reinhart, Vice President of Smile Train
Episode 33 - Lauren Courville of Dress for Success Houston
Lauren shares with us about the growth of Dress for Success Houston over the past 21 years and how they have been positively impacting woman in the community. Dress for Success is not just providing woman with a suit for their job interview, but also creating a support network as these woman continue in the career. Lauren has a passion for help woman and you can hear it in our interview.
Episode 32 - Kristina Dulaney, Founder of Cherished Mom
Kristina shares with us how her own battle with postpartum psychosis made her realize the need for education on perinatal mood disorders. She details what steps to take if you or one of your family members are battling perinatal mood disorder. It was a pleasure interviewing Kristina and learning more about her organization.
Episode 31 - Leah Caffarelli & Dan Breidenstein of Living Lands & Waters
Episode 30 - Ryan Hreljac of Ryan’s Well Foundation
Ryan shares with us how a 1st grade fundraiser ended up turning into a passion project that he has dedicated his life to. Ryan talks in-depth about the process of funding a well and the actions needed to sustain the well in the communities. Ryan is a very humble guy with a huge heart. It was a pleasure interviewing him and learning more about his 21 year journey of helping others.
Episode 29 - Kelsey Pett of SBP USA
Kelsey shares with us the background of SBP and how she was drawn to the organization by wanting to help in her hometown. Kelsey and her team are helping to rebuild Houston, TX from hurricane Harvey. We are 2 years removed from the storm and they estimate that Houston will not be fully rebuilt for another 8 or more years. Connect Kindness volunteered with SBP in June 2019 to help rebuild homes that were affected by hurricane Harvey.
Episode 28 - Mike Charbonnet of Beyond the Teams
Mike opens up about how a tragic accident involving his son, who is also a Navy Seal, drew him to want to help others in need. Mike and his team are organizing a 1000 mile bike ride to raise money for a rehabilitation clinic that is run by his son and daughter-in-law. Mike is an amazing human being and a true American. Although Beyond the Teams is just getting started, the future impact that they will have is so exciting.
Episode 27 - Kate Church of African Wildlife Vets
Kate shares with us how she went from being a school teacher one day, to being the founder of a nonprofit the next day. Kate talks about the animals that they help and the importance of conservation. Kate shares an incredible story about how they helped relocate lions by air, which you don't want to miss.
Episode 26 - Laura Wood of Kids in a New Groove
Laura shares with us in detail on how Kids in a New Groove was founded, as well as how they operate in finding their students and mentors. Laura talks about how she was drawn to the organization 6 years ago and with the help of her team and community, has been able to exponentially grow the program. She also shares with us a story about one of their students and how the program is re-shaping his future. This is such a unique organization to get involved with, and we really enjoyed our conversation with Laura.