0:33 Welcome Back!

0:44 Intro to Tanesha Thompson

3:45 Tanesha shares one Authentic thing about herself, “I tend to gravitate towards opportunities to elevate, uplift, and empower women; I am for and about women always”

4:34 Liz shares a quote from MLKJ that she saw during her spring break trip.

· Actual quote: “women if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul’

7:10 Maya invites Tanesha to pull an Affirmation Card. “My greatest experience of freedom comes when I let go of what others think of me”

7:55 Tanesha shares a story from the moment of her life where she gained her freedom from others “I was now going to set the tone for who I am, what I do, how I do, and how I exist in the world”

10:37 Tanesha expresses her gratitude for a woman who changed her life during her real estate journey, she reads her favorite quote by Marianne Williamson, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us...

13:48 Liz reflects on the time when she decided to start Give Impact and leave her job around this time 5 years ago

15:05 Maya expresses her personal gratitude for Tanesha and invites her to share more about her journey in the real estate industry

18:23 Tanesha drops a gem “I’ve got God, I’ve got Gumption, I’ve got Grit; I can do Real Estate”

20:05 The table discusses Tanesha’s First Time Homebuyer program and how the special story behind how that started

27:37 Tanesha drops another gem “Someone has to have ownership in order to make an impact for generations”

29:11 Tanesha talks about the things that she’s doing to help people get ready for homeownership and all the ins and outs of the process

32:12 Liz and Tanesha talk about the importance of having a broker during the homebuying process

34:20 Maya reflects and shares her experience of working with Tanesha as a first-time homebuyer

42:08 Liz and Tanesha talk about Condos, Townhomes, and Duplexes

47:10 Liz shouts out her Real Estate Agent: Kelly Blandford with Helen Adams Realty

49:00 Courtney shares some of the challenges that she’s seeing buyers face in the Charlotte market (Credit History, Fear, & Trust)

52:40 Liz shares an group/app she’s recently learned about that some affordable housing organizations are partnering with called Flex that helps tenants by their landlord paying their rent on the first and then the tenant paying them back in flex during the month

· https://getflex.com/

55:13 Tanesha ends by giving a piece of advice to buyers as they navigate a changing market “Talk to someone you can trust & seek education. Empowering through education and relationships”

55:59 The table shouts out a few organizations that are impacting the community through homebuying

· Synergy Realty Group The Applesauce Group

· DreamKey Partners Habitat for Humanity

· WeBuild Concord True Homes CMS

From Surviving to Thriving: Overcoming Addiction and the experience of homelessness. A story of resilience, transformation, and reflection on life 10-13 years later. Give Impact sits down with Ron Henderson Jr. as he tells his story about losing his joy, finding his integrity once again, and how his relationship with Courtney and the Saber Treatment Program saved his life.

Episode Outline

0:37 Welcome Back!

1:20 Intro to Ron Henderson

3:30 Ron shares his love for music

4:08 Ron shares one Authentic thing about himself - "I am totally emphatic; I care too much. When I care for other people, it makes my pain more manageable"

5:21 Liz shares one of the things she wrestles with, “Feeling responsible for things that I really shouldn’t be responsible for”

5:55 Ron expresses that one thing he will be doing for the rest of his life is defining his boundaries

8:26 Maya invites Ron to pull an Affirmation Card – “Compassion is my compass; I am willing to hold space for the experience of others” -It affirmed

10:47 Ron explains that the hardest part about overcoming his addiction was believing that he was worthy

12:31 Liz drops a gem “Your superpower is compassion for other people, but it takes strength and training to feel that for ourselves & to hold that for ourselves.”

12:49 Courtney and Ron recall the first day that they met at Saber Treatment Program and the journey that led him there

20:41 Courtney drops a gem “Sometimes we just need someone to hold that hope for us until we can have it for ourselves”

23:19 Ron reflects, “My story was valuable to help other people, and that’s what we learn. Give back freely what was given to us.”

25:35 Ron drops a gem “Guilt is a feeling; shame is an action”

25:53 What is CBT? The iceberg and why it was Ron’s favorite

The Stages of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

1. We Hear

2. We Think

3. We Feel

4. We Pause

31:00 Maya asks Ron to share more about his life after he left DC, his first years in Charlotte, and his journey as a musician

39:37 Ron discusses his arrival at Saber Treatment Program and how they made him feel free

42:03 Courtney offers a takeaway for our listeners, “it’s not about us as humans giving people something, when we give people something, we steal the opportunity for them to see what they’re capable of”

43:00 Maya asks Ron, “what did it feel like the day he forgave yourself?”

46:39 Liz reflects back to Ron, “you recognized what you needed, and you made a change”

49:45 Ron shares his gratitude for Courtney

51:13 Ron expresses “what brings me joy today, is my integrity. I have integrity”

51:37 Ron drops a gem “Hate me for the truth, but don’t like me for the lie”

Our Meet Your Neighbor series a 4-part sequel created with the intention of highlighting people who have previously experienced homelessness. As we hold safe spaces for those around us, it is important to highlight the stories of those we serve. There’s nothing more special than hearing real life experiences of those who have made it through some of life’s toughest challenges. As we release these episodes, it is important to remember that we are all imperfect humans that need one another. We encourage you to listen with a lens of love and equity.

Thank you,

Maya & Liz

In Episode 3, we sat down with Pastor Matt Conner of Newell Presbyterian Church to discuss Faith & Housing, his journey of life both individually and as a leader of faith, Newell’s ground breaking partnership with DreamKey Partners for affordable housing and more!If you know Matt Conner then you know he is one of the most authentic humans around. His genuine spirit and true nature to always be himself in any room is truly inspiring.

Episode Outline

0:39 Welcome Back!

0:55 Intro to Matt Conner

3:35 Matt shares his love for Newell Presbyterian Church and its impact on his life

7:32 Matt shares his Authentic Confession - "I am endlessly curious"

8:37 Matt pulls an Affirmation Card – “Let me be still today and listen to the truth in silence” -It resonated

11:07 What Discernment means to Matt “A prayerful paying attention”, how he decided to become a pastor, and his process of “Authentic Wrestling”.

16:43 Maya asks Matt about housing and how it came to be at Newell

19:55 Matt discusses his aligned partnership with Dream Key while Liz sheds light on the depth of their work

22:43 Liz digs into the meaning of Stewardship and shares the definition. She drops a gem of “All that we have is not our own”

30:22 Maya asks Matt about the challenges he’s faced during his Faith & Housing journey

31:54 Matt shares known criticisms about Affordable Housing and why he intentionally chooses to use that language.

33:59 Liz talks about Area Median Income “AMI” and what that looks like

· AMI: is defined as the midpoint of a specific area's income distribution and is calculated on an annual basis by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD refers to the figure as MFI, or median family income, based on a four-person household

· Link: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/home-datasets/files/HOME_IncomeLmts_State_NC_2024.pdf

36:13 Matt offers great advice to other Faith Based Organizations who are pursuing this work

38:38 Matt reflects on the question, what can you bring to the table to work well with others in collaboration? Every Church has at least one.

· Dollars, People, Land, & Buildings

40:33 Liz gives information about the City of Charlotte Toolkit for Churches

· Link: https://www.charlottenc.gov/Streets-and-Neighborhoods/Housing/Affordable-Housing/Faith-in-Housing

· Rooted Good booklet. Available for pick-up at the Give Impact office.

Email: [email protected] to schedule a time to get one

44:37 Matt shares what’s next for the Newell Presbyterian Church campus and what he’s most excited about!

50:31 Liz and Matt ends by sharing information about the Newell Campus Housing Development

· Partner: Dream Key Partners

· Development: on 5 Acres of land

· Unit Count: 50 Homes

· For Sale (Homeownership)

· Link to Project Page: https://www.newellpresby.org/future

Episode 2 was so special! We talked with Justin Perry about his story, rooted here in Charlotte - that has blossomed into a beautiful and important service to our community. The pursuit of Mental Health. It affects all of us, individually and collectively. Our deepest thanks to Justin for embracing this with us.Justin is a licensed therapist, owner of a local multi-practitioner therapy firm, advocate for affordable housing & community healing. We’ve been big fans for a long time

Episode Outline

0:42 Welcome Back!

1:53 Intro to Justin Perry

7:14 Who encouraged Justin to go to Therapy

15:22 Justin drops a gem - "I never believed in the idea that someone is too old to change"

16:00 Liz shares the first time she got into therapy

19:47 Courtney shares her background working in Counseling and her personal journey in therapy

25:22 Maya gives kudos to Justin and Courtney, then shares what led her to choose the path of therapy for her personal healing

29:05 Justin shares resources to where listeners can find a therapist if they are feeling a nudge

1. Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
2. Perry Counseling, Recovery and Healing. https://justinperrycounseling.com/

30:38 Justin drops a gem "I think if we are going to destigmatize mental health, then we actually have to normalize it in our conversations"

34:37 What it means to 'Man Up" and how Justin is helping to challenge the narrative, change the language, and highlight men in the mental health space

1. Men leads in death by suicide
2. Men leads in death by homicide
3. Men leads in death heart attack
4. Men commits the most mass shootings
5. Men leads in widespread substance abuse challenges
6. Women on average live seven years longer than men

40:17 Justin gives us his 3 versions of the Serenity Prayer

1. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage the change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference
2. Grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the person I can, and the wisdom to know that it's me
3. Grant me the serenity to accept the past that I cannot change, the courage to change the future that I can, and the wisdom to know that it starts today

43:48 Justin shares his self-care practices

49:21 Liz drops gems, "Creating healthier humans, really creates healthier communities"/"Healing is at our fingertips"

51:25 Justin pulls an affirmation card…"My happiness is a direct reflection of my level of faith in the universe". It resonated!

The inaugural episode of Authentic Conversations... after a year of hemming and hawing, we decided to face our fears, shift our priorities and jump in knowing we would just need to figure things out as we go. In our line of work of seeking to make Charlotte a better and more accessible place for all to live, we meet the most interesting people. Consistently, we find ourselves in AWE of the humans we share company with. From CEOs and entrepreneurs, to public officials and non-profit leaders, to those in our community who have faced various struggles. We all have a story. This podcast is to create a safe space to highlight the stories of people in our Charlotte community and explore topics that impact all of us (whether you realize it or not). If you sometimes feel a little disconnected from our community, or just need a little more light in your life - we hope this podcast will add value to your days.

Today's Episode: "Meet the Hosts!"

Introducing Liz Ward, Maya Bullock and Courtney Fowlkes - all from the Give Impact team right here in Charlotte. Three very different people, who are in different stages of life - but who all care deeply about making our city a better place to live.

0:33 Intro to the Podcast

3:58 Meet the Hosts / Three Authentic Things about Each of Us

21:18 Moving from our sacred office to the podcast… Tools we use to create a safe space.

1. Being Intentional About Your Space (for yourself and others)
2. Tibetan Signing Bowl
3. Affirmation Cards

24:15 Maya Pulls a Card - "I Find a Deeper Meaning in Personal Growth Amid the Discomfort"… spot on!

26:12 Courtney Pulls a Card - "I Choose Love No Matter What" … and then a discussion about seasons, waiting, and

reminding ourselves (and you) that we are each worthy. We are all in this together.

32:25 Upcoming Topics

33:35 Who the heck is the Give Impact team?? - https://www.giveimpact.org/

34:34 This isn't about us… Intentions of the Podcast & "Rules of the Road"

A discussion on listening, imperfections, and authenticity.

Those on this podcast will strive to hold conversations within the below framework:

1. Speak from our own perspective
2. This is a judgement free zone
3. Respect one another
4. People are not defined by their actions. We will be intentional with our words and framing, especially when talking about difficult topics or experiences.
5. We desire to live in a place of truth, even when its difficult. We will make mistakes.
6. Each of us are committed to and will strive to show up authentically.

40:42 A Discussion on Fear

41:25 Courtney reminds Liz to pull an affirmation card…!

"My Energy Creates My Reality: What I Focus on is What I Will Manifest"

42: 00 Announcing Episode 2….

"Managing Mental Health in a Changing World" with our friend, Justin Perry of

Perry Counseling, Recovery and Healing. https://justinperrycounseling.com/