3rd Act

 As I think about the mission of the 3rd Act to shine a spotlight on deserving individuals and organizations that are making a difference in this crazy world we find ourselves in, I feel the desire to kick it up a notch in 2021. Over the last seven or eight months, I believe we have started a good conversation about incredible people who are truly making a difference in the lives of others. This effort has been rewarding to me but I feel compelled to reach higher for more participation and explore whether a more targeted effort can bring greater benefits to those that need a helping hand.

I thought it would be cool to provide a slide show of many of the great people I have worked with in 2020. Thank you. Thank you. For your help and support.

Watch the slideshow mentioned in today's episode

The pandemic shutdown and related issues have caused a multitude of problems across our country. And in many demographic groups, including the elderly military veterans folks suffering from mental illness and addiction, abused women, low-income parents that have lost their job and are struggling to feed their families.

Students that have seen their schools closed. And don't have access to computers and online learning devices. These are just a few of the groups that are struggling to survive in today's environment.

I think we started a good conversation about incredible people who are truly making a difference in the lives of others. This effort over the last seven to eight months has been very rewarding to me, but I feel compelled to reach higher for more participation and explore whether we can target or a more targeted effort can bring greater benefits to those that need our help.

I believe strongly that after talking to so many fine people over the past eight months, that if you volunteer and are physically able to help others, the rewards are awesome. And you can see what you're doing is really making a difference.

In 2008 the Believe It Foundation was formed by Andrew McAllister for the purpose of promoting the inclusion of physically challenged children. Far too often these children are needlessly excluded from opportunities to participate with others when a little extra effort is all that is necessary.

Attending a major sporting event, taking a family trip, participating in Scouting, or going to summer camp can all be life-changing experiences for any child, especially if physically challenged. “I know because I enjoyed these experiences and many more”, declares Andrew.  “In every case, it was due to someone or some organization willing to be inclusive.”

The Foundation has continued to work with Kinetic Kids, a San Antonio non-profit organization that provides safe, healthy recreation opportunities for children with physical and mental differences.

As I talked to Andrew and started doing a little homework on his, Believe It Foundation, I knew instantly that I wanted to support and promote Andrew's organization any way I could. The principal reason Andrew launched his foundation that is helping to promote inclusion among physically challenged youth into mainstream activities, is that he grew up with physical limitations and knows the hardship and isolation that many children experience.

Andrew shares the importance of the inclusion he felt as a young man. When he went to college he realized that his experience was unique and wanted to do something to afford similar opportunities to others.

He believes that participants in the program are afforded opportunities to do things like camping, riding a bike, sports, etc. and when they do they may think, "If I can do this, I can do anything!"

Jannie is an author physical fitness coach certified personal trainer, as well as a physical therapist assistant who has been serving in the Dallas, Texas community for over 20 years.

Jannie has extensive experience in sports, physical therapy field providing rehabilitation coaching. Two athletes and numerous sports, including basketball, football, rugby, soccer, hockey, and volleyball. Eight years ago, Jannie started her foundation focused on teaching and helping inner-city kids learn good eating habits and the importance of fitness.

The IDK foundation's mission is to address the prevention of obesity and chronic disease. By teaching young people, fun exercises, and good nutrition, which will help them improve their self-esteem by reinforcing positive thinking. IDK stands for, I didn't know, and it reflects Jannie's upbringing in a community that did not know the fundamentals of healthy eating and how to live a healthy life.

Jannie's passion to help children. Develop a healthy lifestyle is obvious. When you speak to her in a minute, you will hear a person devoted to helping kids and adults develop healthy habits that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.  I want to highlight her book is titled Jannie's Fitness Rehab to Clean Eating, which can be found on Amazon, and importantly, a portion of the proceeds from the book sales goes to helping children lead healthier lives.

IDK, which stands for I Didn’t Know, reflects Jannie’s upbringing and strong desire to help inner-city youth develop better eating and fitness habits. As a young African American woman, she realized that her environment prevented her from learning healthy eating habits. How could her family and community live a healthy lifestyle if they DIDN’T KNOW how? 

Along with the fantastic foundation that Jannie is leading to help children, she is also active with her company, Hands-on Training & Therapy, which provides one-on-one coaching and training for clients in the Dallas area.  On the podcast, we will discuss healthy habits we all can use to get our bodies and mental state in the best possible place to start 2021.

Matt Hook has two main life goals: “To get to heaven and take as many people with me as possible,” and “To provide as many ministry opportunities for as many people as possible.” Matt moved to Dexter with his wife Leigh in 2003 to be Sr. Pastor of Dexter United Methodist Church. Matt’s number one ministry is to be a husband to Leigh and dad to 4 children: Hunter, Jillianne, Graham, and Joy (as well as several fish and a dog named Casey Stengal).

Matt grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, attended DePauw University for music/business, Garrett-Evangelical Seminary for his Masters in Divinity, and Asbury Theological Seminary for his Doctorate in Ministry, examining “How Seminaries are Preparing Spiritually Alive Pastors for the Local Church.” Matt is active in World Methodist Evangelism.

At church, Matt works with worship, stewardship, & staff leadership, in order to get our church to envision things only God can do, and then attempt those things!

He also has a podcast called The Shepherd & The Shrink which is available anywhere you get your podcasts.

We talk about the media, fear, and the effects of the pandemic and the election in 2020 with a focus on looking forward and elevating your perspective.

We talk about the importance of having a mission. Pastor Matt Hook highlights some organizations that he called glocal (global + Local).

• Alpha House
• Delonis Homeless shelter in Ann Arbor
• Operation Christmas Child
• Project Angel Tree
• Cass Community Services in Detroit
• Service Over Self Memphis
• Redbird Mission in Kentucky
• Healing the Children in Guatemala and Honduras
• Hands for Peacemaking in Guatemala

Pastor Matt shares the story of Felix, a little boy from Guatemala who lived with him and his family for six months. Felix had a giant bubble on his face that was full of brain fluid and non-functioning brain matter. He changed the town of Dexter. 

Pastor Matt closes the episode with some encouraging words on prayer. 

Lauren shares a bit about the history of the nonprofit and some of their amazing initiatives. She felt called to make a difference as a high schooler when the Oklahoma City bombing occurred and she witnessed the way people come together in tragedy to take care of each other. 

Since 1992, Rebuilding Together OKC has provided critical repairs to over 3,000 homes, 30 nonprofit facilities, and 8 public buildings in the Oklahoma City metro area with the help of 70,000 volunteers. Their mission is responding to a crisis in our country – that of aging housing stock and the growing number of people who, because of age, disability, or lack of resources, live in dilapidated or inaccessible housing. What began as one workday in April has become a year-round mission to provide free repairs and rehabilitate the homes of low-income seniors in our community.

One initiative is SheBuilds OKC which isn’t just about home repairs- it’s about getting women from all over OKC civically-engaged in their own communities. Women-led and women-focused, She Builds provides critical repairs for women-headed households and women-focused community spaces to empower women to maintain safe and healthy homes, make a difference in their communities and build a supportive community network.

COVID has impacted their ability to hold workshops in person but they adapted to recording videos to help educate and provide assistance to women homeowners and empower them to make repairs and maintain their houses.

"We're not just a construction company, we are here to revitalize." - Lauren

They also have a ramp team that builds accessible ramps for homeowners that is an amazing group of people who continue to build ramps (safely) even during the pandemic.

Lauren shares their success with fundraising during COVID-19 and their plans are for the next six months.

"I'm always asked, isn't it hard to raise money and it is hard to raise money, but when you are telling the truth and you're serving the mission, it shouldn't be hard to raise money, because there is a need and we fill that need." - Lauren

She shares about an exciting upcoming event called the TopGolf 4 Homes Fundraiser which brings together corporate executives, civic leaders, skilled trades’ professionals, and community advocates to help rebuild lives and neighborhoods by making homes safe, warm, and dry – one swing at a time!

After summering in Lake Michigan for decades, Mark found himself in a familiar swimming hole with his father, wife, and 3 sons anchored 75 feet offshore. Mark jumped into the cold Lake Michigan water and swam to shore. As he got within 10-15 yards he wanted to walk to shore but couldn't find the bottom. He could not find the bottom. His son found him on the bottom and began to pull him up. A retired navy-pilot happened to be nearby and helped his son. They pulled him to shore. He had no pulse, was turning purple, and started performing CPR. There happened to be another few CPR trained people on the beach. After 6-8 minutes they revived him. He believes it was a series of miracles.

He said he didn't experience the white light, but felt a sense of calm and warmth and knew he was close to the end. It was as if someone was telling him everything was going to be okay.

The fact that so many trained people were available on a remote beach contributes to his belief that this was a miraculous event. 

It was a pretty long road to recovery after the complications of drowning over the next year. About a year into his recovery he chose to retire early. Mark says he crossed a line between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic. His recovery became a priority. His prior life was one of selfishness and greed and now he views his mission as compassion and helping others.

He also got a prostate cancer diagnosis that is, at the time of this episode, in remission. 

His near-death experiences were traumatic for Mark's family. His wife stayed by his side 24-7 in the hospital. They thought, early on, that he would be braindead. She also stood by him throughout the next year or two as he struggled to quit drinking. His wife has a strong faith and these events brought them all closer in their faith. He is now 6 years sober and it took a lot of prayers, mediation, community, and treatment. 
Mark is now very active in Alcoholics Anonymous. 

Kate discusses the opportunity gap and her passion for making education equitable. She worked as a teacher in DC and saw first hand some of the challenges as her class was put into lockdown multiple times because of gun violence.

Kate shares about UPcheive whose mission is "Every student deserves the opportunity to attend college and achieve upward mobility" Co-Founded by Aly Murray, whose story of hard work and perseverance overcame systemic poverty through education. She believes everyone should have access to academic support, especially low-income families and students. 

Roger feels that UPchieve is the right organization at the right time and feels fortunate to help spread the word about this impactful organization. 

The organization's model is unique. Free Tutoring & College Counseling Available 24/7, On-Demand.

You can think of it as the education equivalent of a 24/7 free health clinic. It's not your primary physician, but they are there when you need them. There are about 2,000 students in the program currently. Most students are from low-income families, and many may be the first to attend college in their families. After signing up for the application, they are matched with a tutor in less than four minutes. Students are helped by digging into the concepts to gain understanding and not just finishing their homework.

Students can sign up directly; students who attend a title one high school are eligible or fulfill a low-income student's qualifications. 

UPchieve started with math but quickly expanded to cover more subjects.

We talk about the gap for students in the US looking for STEM jobs. There is a huge demand for STEM workers and a low supply. This means STEM jobs have a wage greater than $50k per year more than non STEM jobs. There is a huge underrepresentation of low income and children of color. This is not due to a lack of interest but a lack of equitable access. 

Right now, UPchieve has over 2,000 people who volunteer their time to help these students. You don't have to be a teacher or come from an education background. UPchieve will provide you with training and certifications in subjects they wish to tutor.

We talk about the role COVID-19 has played in UPchieve's growth. They were growing and expanding before the pandemic but they have experienced an increased demand with more students requesting tutoring with at-home learning.
 
You can donate to UPchieve online at UPchieve.org/donate.

Grace Centers of Hope is Oakland County's oldest and largest homeless shelter formerly known as the Pontiac Rescue Mission. As an organization, our main priority is to help those who are hurting to regain confidence in themselves, renew hope in their futures, and restore their faith in God. We inspire change from the inside out by offering our One Year Life Skills Program. Our program is open to men, women, and children, from 18 to 81 years old, or older. The One Year Life Skills program gives our residents the resources needed to achieve the success they seek.

Pastor Clark shares a brief history of the organization and the miracles they've seen. Over 30+ years ago it was the old Pontiac Rescue Mission, which basically had the philosophy of feeding them, clothe them, and shelter them. After serving on the board and seeing the inside scoop he realized that was a great start but he wanted to see people get their life back. Many were addicted to drugs and/or alcohol and needed help transforming from the inside out and not the outside in.

Much of that has changed in 30 years. They've added life skills programs and other programs to help people restart their lives.

We talk about the impact of COVID-19. "This is the most unusual time I've ever lived in, and I've 76 years old." Pastor Clark believes they've been divinely protected. They haven't had a single case of COVID with 300 program members and 50 houses.

He is grateful for the supporters who also believe in the non-government-funded approach for coming alongside people who are addicted or homeless and giving them community and accountability. They have seen record-setting support from donors since COVID-19.

One of their best and biggest fundraisers is "The Night of Hope" This year it is a virtual event for the first time. They would love to have people register and watch the event because it fully funds the Children's program. 

Pastor Clark shares the story of beginning the Children's program about giving $.50 per "A" on their report card. The kids embraced the challenge and 90% of the kids were on the honor roll! He gave over $800 that semester!

John was greatly affected by the Murray Federal Building bombing in April of 1995. They had a mutual friend from college that John shares a heartwarming and inspiring story fo how they reconnected through Half | Time Institue from Bob Buford. Their mutual friend used his resources and experiences to pool resources with others to buy a building in a food desert where they offered opportunities to community members to shop, learn to cook.

When their mutual friend, Clark, passed away, John took some people to visit this building believing it would be closed for the funeral. But they found it full of activity as a group of kids were excitedly learning how to cook a birthday cake for their mother. This meaningful exchange served as a metaphor for a man who lived out his convictions and his mission continued on after (and even during) his funeral.

Both men share an appreciation for his life and the example he left for them to follow.

Sign up for the 3rd Act newsletter on wearethirdact.com to find interesting videos from this great man.

We spent time talking about the Half | Time institute.

Many people are looking to move from success to significance. They use a tool called strength finders owned by Gallop to help people identify their gifts and understand how to maximize their strengths to make an impact in their community.

We also talk about John's involvement in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Bombing. He was attending a local church that had a young associate pastor at the time, named Craig Rochelle. The First Methodist church he was attending was right next to where the bombing occurred.

Their church became the morgue for the bombing that happened the Tuesday after Easter Sunday in 1995. Since the church was uninhabitable for years, John felt like they needed to have an outdoor shelter for people to worship. The church raised a third of the money, the Jewish federation matched their third and that generated some publicity. A local Muslim man was moved to match the remaining donation to complete the funding for the structure.

He learned throughout this season that during times of pain like the bombing there are good things that are birthed from tragedy. Craig Rochelle went on to pastor one of the biggest churches in the US that created the Bible App.

We also discuss John's work with scholarships for the University of Oklahoma.

Ellen has received two master's degrees in social work and healthcare administration and began her career opening inpatient, psychiatric hospitals for children and young adults in Detroit. From there. She started the mental health matters instrument care program at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan.

While raising two sets of twins, she decided to enter the field of clinical psychotherapy. She worked contract actually for the Henry Ford health care system and went on to open her own practice over the last 20 years. She currently has her own practice in Bloomfield Hills and visits with clients frequently with her handy companion Baxter. (That's her dog.) 

She is the corporate therapist for the Bedrock Detroit management company. She is currently on the board of directors of the Detroit Jewish Family Services Group and enjoys volunteering her time.

Ellen began to realize as she was treating more people dealing with depression and anxiety during the pandemic that some of the responses were similar to the model that Elizabeth Kubler Ross presented in 1969 called the Five Stages of Grief. People were in a sense "mourning" the loss of a way of life.

Looking for the silver lining she has notice some families taking advantage of the oppotunity to stay together and learn to work through their conflict. Parents are finding the extra time spent with their children in virtual learning as an opportunity to get to know them better. Parents are coming up with ways to help their children socially interact with friends while keeping them safe in groups called PODS. 

Although it has been disruptive to many relationships, Ellen is also finding ways that it is improving relationships as well.

Many people have been forced into a new work situation. Whether it is a hybrid, work from home, or some other approach due to COVID-19 Ellen shares some tips and practical steps for adjusting to the new normal.

As a therapist, before the pandemic, was never a fan of teletherapy. She believed it wouldn't provide the same level of service that face to face could provide, but she has proved herself wrong and now finds it to be very effective. 

Ways to improve your mental health during the pandemic:

1. Focus on the things that you can be grateful rather than you've lost
2. Try not to live in fear
3. Spend more time talking to other people
4. Be more validating of what others have lost
5. Find ways to help others
6. Learn to live with less
7. Be a good citizen
8. Make an effort to connect with others (they can't see your smile behind your mask.)

Tips for reaching out to get help today

• Google for therapists in your area
• Check out physcologytoday.com
• The department of social services has resources for mental health by county