Beautiful Strength: The Podcast

This week’s episode comes from Anaheim, CA. We are sitting down with Erwin Rocha. In December of last year, Annette met Erwin’s mom, Nelly, in Homestead, FL. Annette kept her word that when she made it to the west coast, she would connect with Nelly’s son. Two months and 2800 miles later, it happened!

“Erwin Rocha, husband, father, police officer, Mentor, music producer, and follower of Christ. I'm just an ordinary guy trying to make the world a better place by serving the community. As a seventeen-year veteran police officer, I have been inspired to mentor at-risk youth and their families. I've been blessed with the opportunity to create music camps, hiking clubs, and leadership curriculums. My Parent Formula class has been extremely helpful for parents seeking emotional and inspirational support. Music is the universal language that breaks all barriers and unites us all. As proud owners of Harmony Studios, My wife Aubrey and I, find great joy in sharing our love of music with the world. (bio provided by https://www.erwinrocha.com/about)

Lita Edwards Benduhn, owner of Metamorphosis Ink in Dunedin FL motto is  “Transforming scars, transforming lives, one drop of ink at a time.”  Lita is using her amazing skills as a  tattoo artist to help others through the healing of tattooing. Lita has worked with cancer patients creating masterpiece mastectomy tattoos, cutting and scar coverups, burn victims, and a variety of skin scarring that most tattoo artists shy away from. Lita provides a safe space for her clients to share their stories and works with them to transform their scars into beautiful works of art.

In this episode we also hear from Chris. Lita and Chris are currently beautifying Chris’s arms covering up childhood scars from cutting. Her tattoos are giving her confidence to show her arms, confidence in her workplace, and have created a lifelong friendship.

For more information about how to book Lita or another talented artists at Metamorphosis Ink head on over to https://www.metamorphosis-ink.com

In this episode we're sitting down with Ramiro Ramires. Ramiro came to the US in his early 20s and worked hard in the tomato fields as well as numerous other jobs. He later became a member of the maintenance team at the Everglades Alligator Park. Hard work, determination, and a mind set on succeeding, Ramiro saved until he was able to open his own business. Years later, Ramiro has created a world where his success is not only in the 2 restaurants that he owns as well as the multiple properties, but in the success and opportunities he is opening up for others. Ramiro is respected and loved by his employees as well as by the city of Florida City and Homestead.

If you're ever in the Florida City area, stop by Taqueria Morelia at 961 W Palm Dr, Florida City, FL 33034

This week's episode comes from Katy, TX. (Maria) Paula Gonzalez was born in Bogota Colombia and moved to the USA in 2001 when she was just 10 years old. Paula has always been a very positive person; very athletic and outgoing. Maria is also a boat propeller survivor due to an accident that occurred on July 28-2018 in lake Charles Louisiana. The boat propeller cut her leg into pieces. She was airlifted from Lake Charles to Shreveport, LA where she flatlined two times. Maria spent three long months in the hospital. She endured 23 surgeries, skin grafting, blood transfusions, dialysis, as well as renal failure and necrotizing fasciitis that attacked her body. To this day, Paula Gonzalez is a strong-minded woman that still has a life ahead of her. " It’s never too late to keep going. And remember. It only takes one leg to kick ass!"

Today’s episode comes to you from Hampton Iowa. We’re sitting down with Vincen Liddle. Liddle, 36, is a disability advocate and inclusion speaker. He is a paraplegic and an adaptive sports athlete. Vincen is no stranger to the world of disabilities and inclusion. He was born with Microtia, a condition where the external ear is small and not formed properly resulting in deafness as well as childhood taunting. Vincen didn’t consider himself disabled until a snowboarding accident in 2007 left him paralyzed. It was then that his eyes were opened to the disabled community as a whole. After suicidal thoughts and a few attempts, Vincen found adaptive sports, which ultimately changed his mental health and reformed his positive outlook on life. He has competed in wheelchair basketball, downhill mountain biking, and his newest endeavour, sit skiing, of which he is attempting to set a world record in October. Follow his journey on Instagram @OGwheels30 and if you would like to support his record attempt, donation can be made via Venmo @abilitywheels

In this episode Annette is in White Bear Lake, MN with Kris Erickson. Kris is a mom of three, a wife, and a nurse. She talks about raising her youngest child with medical complexities and disabilities in a world without a handbook. Kris has a strong faith and an unapologetic foul mouth. Cursing is like adding purple to a sentence, it’s just prettier. This life is hard and hard is hard. There’s no numerical value for hard. We talk about some of the hard topics of this life. Kris spends her life advocating like a mother for her kids and those living with disabilities and will do so until she draws her last breath

Today’s episode comes from San Antonio, TX. Annette sat down with Desmond and Mary. Desmond’s late wife and Mary’s sister Debra,  founded Faith Bound Street Ministry in 2015. Their Mission Statement starts with a quote from the Bible. It states in Deuteronomy 15:11 "For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you shall open wide your hands to your brother, to the needy, and to the poor."

Faith Bound Street Ministry is committed to extending their hand and opening their hearts to every individual they serve. Their mission is to help restore the lives of individuals living in homelessness with the faith, hope, and love given to them by their savior, Jesus Christ.

Today's episode is Vincent Robinson, in San Antonio Texas. Vincent was born in San Antonio Texas. He came from a broken home that dealt with a lot of mental health issues along with alcoholism in his family. At the age of 14 he joined a local gang and began to go down a troubled path. In 1991 Vincent was shot in the lower back (spinal cord) and it caused neuropathy in his lower body. As a result he couldn’t walk for almost a year. After recovering from the gunshot wound he continued down a spiraling path that led to him to seven years of his life incarcerated. Ten years ago he gave his life to Christ and wanted to see a change in the environment he grew up knowing so well. Vincent wanted to serve the community with humility and support; offering different types of services available to the community. The Harper's Chapel Baptist Church, which Vincent is now the Pastor of, resides in the most impoverished-stricken zip code in San Antonio. The vision he had is to offer necessities and assets needed to get this community back to stability. There is a mobile shower that comes to the church every Wednesday, along with Texas Workforce Commission, San Antonio Police Department, and several universities that come out and offer different resources for the residential and homeless community. Robinson's goal is to continue to be a community church for the community. (https://harperscbc.com)

We sit down in Titusville, FL with Susan Naylor who is the Associate Director at SPCA Brevard. SPCA’s mission is to protect and provide a voice for homeless animals. They believe “You won’t change the world by saving an animal, but you will change that animal’s world.”

2021 Life-Saving Statistics

2,067 Animals Cared for

300 Active Volunteers

Over 100 Active Foster Parents

1,778 animals found forever homes

In this episode we are in Sheridan, WY with the Executive Director, Kristin Marcus, of CHAPS. CHAPS: Children, Horses, Adults in PartnerShip (CHAPS) Equine Assisted Therapy. Kristin talks about the benefits of human-horse interactions and how Equine Assisted Services can be highly rewarding and work on several different levels. CHAPS has several different programs which can be physically rewarding, but also mentally and emotionally as well. To learn more, donate, or volunteer please visit the CHAPS website at www.chapswyo.org