At the Frontier

Lately, here on this show, we're exploring what happens when hope moves from feeling to doing, from possibility to practice. And today, we're continuing our journey inside one of The Salvation Army's recent transformations: Hope Markets.

As we covered in our recent "Hope in Action" issue of the magazine, these aren't your typical food pantries. In Hope Markets across the Northwest, people don't receive pre-packed boxes—they shop for their own groceries, selecting fresh produce under gentle misters, browsing grocery-style shelves and building relationships along the way.

It's meeting need in a more personal way when the need is great. Right now, more than 47 million people in the U.S. face hunger, including 1 in 5 children, according to the USDA. And in one recent year alone, more than 50 million people turned to charitable food assistance for extra help.

Across the Northwest Division, Hope Markets served more than 457,000 people in 2024.

But to understand the real impact of this model, we need to talk with someone who's lived both sides of the experience.

Stacy Bleuel is the Social Services Coordinator at The Salvation Army in Puyallup, Washington. Years ago, she arrived at their doors—not as an employee, but as someone seeking help. Homeless, grieving and struggling to care for her three children, Stacy came through a state assistance program.

Today, she runs the Hope Market in the very place that once helped her rebuild her life.

And her journey from Salvation Army food recipient to janitor to program coordinator isn't just inspiring—it's a living example of what's possible when we create spaces where hope is both given and received.

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Today, we're heading to Long Beach, California, to talk to someone with a unique perspective on youth programming. Captain Jared Arnold runs The Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center, and he recently caught my attention when he said, "Summer is our Christmas."

Now, when most of us think about summer, we might think about vacations, beach days or maybe just trying to keep the kids entertained. But for Captain Arnold and his team, summer represents something much more profound.

While school is out and many families are scrambling to figure out childcare, the Long Beach Red Shield becomes a hub of activity serving kids from kindergarten through eighth grade. Their summer day camp runs from June through August, providing not just a safe place for children, but a launching pad for growth, learning and character development.

But this isn't just about keeping kids busy. The Red Shield operates year-round programming that includes everything from homework assistance and technology labs to 3D printing classes and partnerships with the LA Rams for flag football. They're serving multiple generations—from young children to seniors—creating what Captain Arnold calls a truly intergenerational community space.

Serving communities that include Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, Hawaiian Gardens and Avalon, they've made their programs intentionally accessible to diverse neighborhoods with varying needs. So I wanted to understand: How do you create programming that truly serves everyone? What does it mean when summer becomes your Christmas? And what happens in the daily life of a community center that's touching multiple generations?

Today, we're getting an inside look at the energy, the programs and the victories—from puzzles to pickleball, from senior programming to youth development, and how one community center is working to ensure that every person who walks through the doors knows they matter.

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Want to hear some encouraging news that's emerging from communities across America? After years of declining volunteer participation—a trend that accelerated during the pandemic—researchers are documenting what they're calling a "volunteer rebound."

The numbers are striking. Nearly 30 percent of Americans formally volunteered from 2022 to 2023, contributing almost 5 billion hours of service. That's a return to pre-pandemic levels, and in some places, volunteer participation is reaching heights we haven't seen in years.

But this isn't just about getting back to where we were. Something deeper is happening. We're seeing new forms of volunteering emerge—virtual opportunities that make service accessible to people who couldn't participate before. We're witnessing dramatic growth in some locations, like one Salvation Army center that saw a 162 percent increase in volunteers across three years. And perhaps most meaningfully, we're seeing more people who once received help returning to serve others.

To help us understand what's driving this volunteer rebound and what it means for communities across the West, I'm joined by two guests today: Hillary Jackson is the Managing Editor for Caring Magazine, and recently reported on this trend, and Adriana Thiele is the Director of Volunteers and Community Engagement for The Salvation Army in San Diego.

We'll explore not just the numbers behind this rebound, but the stories—how volunteering is becoming a pathway to healing, how people are finding new ways to serve and how communities are becoming more resilient as a result. We'll also look at some innovative approaches, from disaster response training to virtual volunteering opportunities that are expanding who can participate in meaningful service.

Whether you're already volunteering, thinking about getting involved, or simply curious about this trend that's quietly on the rise, this episode will give you insight into how people just like you are choosing to be part of extraordinary change.

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It won't come as a surprise to you that hundreds of thousands of veterans across America are affected by trauma—some from their time in military service, though not all—and yet, their needs remain deeply misunderstood by many of us who haven't served.

Not all veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder, and yet many do—in fact, some 29 percent of veterans who served in Iraq experience it at some point in their lives. Others face issues similar to those of the general population, from mental illness to substance abuse and even childhood experiences.

The need is not one-size-fits-all or even most, and the path to healing looks different for everyone too.

That's what Chaplain Nate Lyons from The Salvation Army Veterans and Family Center in Beaverton, Oregon, helps us understand on this episode. As an Iraq war veteran himself, Nate now serves as chaplain and activities coordinator for some 72 veterans and their families who are on their own journeys toward healing.

And today, Nate is taking us inside this special place of veteran care.

Whether you're a veteran yourself, love someone who has served, or simply want to understand how some approaches to trauma recovery are changing lives, this conversation is going to challenge how you think about healing, hope and the power of community.

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We're exploring not just what hope is, but how it's built, sustained and passed from person to person, community to community.

Today, I'm welcoming two leaders whose lives embody this multi-generational understanding of hope: Commissioners Doug and Colleen Riley, territorial leaders of The Salvation Army in the western U.S.

The pair met while working at a summer camp, married and in 1995 were commissioned as officers—or pastors—in The Salvation Army. Their connection to ministry in The Salvation goes back four and five generations, respectively, meaning they've witnessed hope in action across decades—from childhood to their early days of service at Portland Moore Street Corps to their leadership today.

But their understanding of hope extends beyond their organizational roles. As parents of four sons and leaders during some of our most challenging times—from the pandemic to the recent LA wildfires—they've had to practice hope when circumstances seemed overwhelming.

On this episode, we explore how hope is inherited and cultivated, how crisis can become opportunity for hope to flourish, and what it means to lead with hope when entire communities are looking for direction.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

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We're exploring what it means to put Hope in Action. And today, I'm excited to welcome a guest who has dedicated his career to understanding hope not just as a feeling, but as a measurable, teachable strength that transforms lives and communities.

Dr. Chan Hellman is recognized as one of the world's leading hope scholars, with more than 25 years of research, training and teaching experience. His groundbreaking work has shown that hope isn't just a nice concept—it's a powerful predictor of well-being that can be built intentionally.

As the Founding Director of the Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and a professor at the school's Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, Dr. Hellman has authored over 150 scientific publications and co-authored the bestselling book "Hope Rising: How The Science of Hope Can Change Your Life."

In this episode, we explore what hope actually is, how it's different from wishful thinking, and most importantly—how we can build it in ourselves and our communities through intentional action.

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Hope isn't something that happens to you. It's something you create. It's what happens when possibility meets action.

Today we're beginning a journey—one that will explore not just what hope is, but how we build it, nurture it and put it into action.

Here's the key: Hope isn't just something lucky people have. It's something all of us can build. And the best part is "hope in action" isn't about doing something big. It's about doing something.

Because our world is transformed not by great deeds, but by countless individual decisions to step forward.

You're not just a spectator in this story. You're a potential catalyst.

Different is possible. And it starts with you.

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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.

>>> Get your free Holy Week Art Journal here.

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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."

>>> Get your free Holy Week Art Journal here.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

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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.

>>> Get your free Holy Week Art Journal here.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

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