Do Something More-Nonprofit Spotlights & Ways to Serve Your Community

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Hello! I'm back after a little summer break. I'm so happy to be back here...we've got a lot of great episodes coming up on the podcast. But today, I'm sharing some thoughts with you on why doing a small act of service might be just what you need on a bad day.
I also talk about how I love sharing doable ideas on this podcast so ANYONE can make service a beautiful and meaningful part of their own life, even in the simplest of ways.
Thank you so much for being here!

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Shauna Brown has been with Project Read for over 20 years…she started out as a volunteer herself, and is now the Executive Director. Project Read is an adult literacy program where they help individuals gain the skills they need in reading, writing, math, and even digital skills. One thing I especially love about this episode is all the great stories Shauna shares. She really gives a good picture of the work they’re doing through these stories and experiences she had herself as a tutor, and now also the success and good experiences other volunteers and students are having with their program. 

I mention in this episode, I especially had a real interest in this interview because I myself volunteered as a tutor with Project Read many years ago when I was a college student. That opportunity impacted me in so many ways and definitely instilled my love of volunteering in the community and seeing the good effects it can have on everyone involved.

This episode originally dropped on August 22, 2023 and I’m excited to share it again so more people can learn about all the good things Project Read is doing.

Links mentioned in the episode:
Project Read Website
Project Read Instagram
Project Read Facebook

ProLiteracy
National Literacy Directory

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After a 5 year battle with cancer, Quinton Muir passed away in 2017 at the age of 16. Now his parents, Jeff and Lori Muir are running a foundation called the Ironman Q Foundation to honor his memory and to help other families who find themselves navigating a cancer diagnosis.

This of course was a tender interview as Lori shared her memories of Quinton and some of the reasons they felt motivated in different ways to begin this foundation and help other people in honor of Quinton. She shares how they started out by offering scholarships to kids graduating from the high school Quinton attended, and then moved on from there to doing a variety of things to help other cancer families…including donating quilts, organizing Christamas boxes, giving away Jazz tickets, or even organizing retreats for angel moms.

The Muirs are my neighbors, and I am so inspired by their example of acting on thoughts and promptings to help others, even while they themselves were still grieving the loss of their boy and navigating their own hard days. I loved how Lori shared it doesn’t take much to help someone and make a difference and we can all ‘be that someone’ for somebody else.

This episode originally aired May 16, 2023 (which is actually Quniton’s birthday!). Since then, I haven’t featured any other organizations that have a mission of helping people affected by cancer…but I would like to because I know there are many doing good things just like the Ironman Q Foundation. Send me a email at [email protected] if you have a good idea for one I should feature.

Links mentioned in the episode:
Ironman Q Foundation Website
Ironman Q Foundation Instagram
Ironman Q Foundation Facebook

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Vaughn Kimball is my older brother…but he’s also had a lot of experience working with youth through work and also a variety of volunteer roles and opportunities. For this episode I asked him if he could talk about being a volunteer coach for kids sports teams. He shares a lot of good advice and encouragement for anyone that’s ever thought about wanting to be a coach for their kid’s teams. I also love the ‘why’ he shares at the end. That yes, it’s fun competing and learning a new sport, but most of all he has cherished the opportunities to really connect with kids, help build their confidence and self-esteem, and let them know that they have the capacity to learn anything and do good in the world. This episode originally dropped on May 9, 2023…and I wanted to share it again because I know there are many good coaches out there (and potential good coaches too!) who are making a difference for kids in many ways.

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Summertime for many of us also means vacation time! In this episode I’m sharing some of my own reasons for why service on vacation is a great idea. I also have some simple tips for how you can make service happen: some of them you can do with little to no planning, and some take just a little planning. I hope after this episode you can see how easy and fun it can be to incorporate service in your travel plans.

Links mentioned in episode:
Just Serve

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When she was a freshman in high school, Meg Busing was in a tragic car accident with some of her friends. She ended up with a traumatic brain injury and as a teenager had to learn how to navigate life with a distinct set of new challenges. She was able to successfully graduate high school, but a few years later in college, she had her first seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy. She managed to achieve her dream of graduating with her degree in nursing, but then a few years later during a pregnancy her seizures increased and she had to pull back on her nursing career. This was when she decided to start her nonprofit, the Midwest You Can Foundation. The goal of her foundation is to create community and empowerment for those living with epilepsy.

One of the purposes of the Midwest You Can Foundation is to run a yearly summer camp for kids with epilepsy. Meg wants these kids to experience for themselves the power and confidence that can come with reminding yourself of what you CAN do. Their slogan is ‘with epilepsy, too many days are filled with reminders of what shouldn’t be done, we’re on a mission to change that.’

Listen to the podcast to hear more of Meg’s story and journey, to learn about the summer camps she runs and the good experiences kids and parents have had with them, and also hear some sweet encouragement from Meg for anyone that might be living with epilepsy or helping their child navigate it as well.

Links mentioned in the episode:
Midwest You Can Foundation Website
Midwest You Can Foundation Instagram
Midwest You Can Foundation Facebook

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Jen Simonic and Masey Kaplan are both crafters at heart and have been friends for over 30 years. After having their own experiences with finishing crafting projects for other friends and loved ones who had passed away, they started tossing around the idea of a nonprofit where they could create a community of crafters who would be available to finish projects families and individuals would like finished that their loved ones had started.

Now their nonprofit, Loose Ends, has a community that spans 64 countries and over 24,000 people. Their mission is to ease grief, create community, and inspire generosity by matching volunteer handwork finishers with projects people have left unfinished due to death or disability.

I loved talking with Jen and Masey and hearing the obvious passion and joy they find in the work they do with their nonprofit. They share some great stories of some of the projects they’ve seen people finish, and the real sense of community and even lifelong friendships that are formed in the process. 

This episode will give you a new found appreciation and love for all the crafters in your life and it’s also a good reminder of the real sense of belonging that can be found when people serve and create together.

Links mentioned in the show:
Loose Ends Project Website
Loose Ends Project Instagram
Loose Ends Project Facebook

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It’s Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday here in the United States…so this episode is dedicated to all the good women out there and the good service they do with their own families and those around them.

First, I'm sharing some pretty personal thoughts about a conversation I had years ago that gave me a shift on my motherhood and navigating the challenges of life. And I’m also sharing a fun poem I wrote a few years ago that highlights all the good daily work Mother’s do. My goal is that when you hear it, it makes you smile.

Listen to the podcast to hear more and don't forget to share it with a good mother you know!

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Melanie Rodger lost her first son just 32 hours after his birth when she was 20 years old. That loss prompted her to want to seek community and not feel alone as she navigated the grieving process. During that time, she learned about 'Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep', a nonprofit that provides remembrance portraits to parents experiencing the death of a baby. Melanie had known she wanted to be a part of other families' stories in a way that others had been there for her, and when she was ready she started volunteering for 'Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep'.

She has served as a dispatcher to help find photographers for families, as a photographer herself, and now also works for 'Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep'. This episode is definitely a tender one as Melanie shares her own experience of losing her baby boy, and what it’s like being a photographer for others experiencing their own losses. She talks about the especially vital role their organization played during the pandemic, providing many family members with the only way they were able to see and remember these babies through the pictures they took.  She shares how it’s an honor to be invited into these spaces with families and I appreciated the beautiful advice she gave at the end saying that ‘you should never let the fear of emotion stop you from helping and being part of somebody else’s story.’

Links mentioned in the episode:
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Website
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Instagram
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Facebook

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Several years ago Krysti Wright felt nudged to more intentionally start using her gifts and talents to make a difference in the world. She had always loved doing long-arm quilting and decided that was where she could make her contribution. She started off with a small group of women who worked together making and donating quilts to different causes. But then she started having other groups reach out to her who wanted to help or needed service projects to do, and that’s when she realized what her real role was. 

Now her nonprofit, Stitching Hearts Worldwide, provides service opportunities for individuals, groups, and businesses wanting to help those in need. They provide the necessary tools and materials to make handmade essential items for people in local communities and and all over the world who suffer from natural disasters, human injustices, or other unforeseen tragedies beyond their control. As Krysti says so perfectly in this episode…it’s not always about how many projects they produce, but more about the many people that are getting the opportunity to serve.

I loved this interview. There were a few technical difficulties when we recorded, but thankfully Krysti’s complete genuineness and caring heart come through. Listen to this episode and be inspired by her story and get the reminder of how powerful it can be to create and serve with other people.

Links mentioned in the episode:
Stitching Hearts Worldwide Website
Stitching Hearts Worldwide Instagram
Stitching Hearts Worldwide Facebook

Talk by Cheryl A. Esplin that Krysti mentions in the episode

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