Tim Hetzner has been the President of Lutheran Church Charities (LCC) since 2001. Having served in parish ministry for over 24 years, Tim has a lot of experience and wisdom in giving back to the community. One of the projects at LCC is the LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry, where specially trained dogs are used to help comfort veterans. Tune in to find out more about LCC, their disaster relief program, and their soon-to-be comfort dog police program on this week’s episode.

Key Takeaways:

[2:30] Find out more about Tim Hetzner.

[4:50] What is the Kare 9 Military Ministry about?

[8:20] Did you know that petting a dog lowers your blood pressure?

[9:40] Many police offices right now do not feel safe.

[11:30] The eyes of a person is the inside into a person’s soul.

[11:35] We can train our face to handle different situations, but we can’t hide what’s in the eyes.

[12:20] Kare 9 dogs are comfort dogs that specifically go out with veterans.

[13:40] Tim and his team plan to do the same thing with their veteran-specific comfort dogs with retired police officers soon.

[13:50 Police officers have a very tight-knit  brotherhood the same way veterans do.

[15:40] How can you give back? You need to stand with and support those that protect us —  like our police officers.

[16:15] Can you imagine what would happen if all the police officers in the US went on strike for just one day?

[20:10] What can we learn about the tragedy that happened to the LGBT community in Orlando?

[25:45] We are wired to be lovers and we’re wired to make others feel good.

[31:00] When you give an act of kindness to one person, it doesn’t just affect you and him/her, it will affect multiple people.

[31:45] People really don’t want to be mean and negative deep down.

[36:50] Throwing money at something is easy.

[42:10] You have to meet people on their turf, especially if they’re struggling.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Lutheranchurchcharities.org

John Evoy is the Founder of the Irish Men's Sheds Association and the Project Director for the International Men's Sheds Organization. John brought Men's Sheds to Ireland in 2009 and through his work with Men's Sheds and the community, he won the Irish People of the Year Award in 2015. John discusses his mission to provide a Men's Sheds branch all over the world and how the organization plans to reach the US. 

Key Takeaways:

[4:55] How did the Men's Sheds get started?

[6:40] What does Men's Sheds do?

[11:00] There aren't a lot of places for men to socialize and make friends other than the bar.

[12:30] Men's Sheds aren't just for men who have severe problems.

[17:25] In 2009, John brought Men's Sheds to Ireland.

[22:10] Why is the Ireland Men's Sheds name so important vs. Men's Sheds?

[28:45] What kind of projects does Men's Sheds offer?

[31:35] How does John measure the impact of Men's Sheds on those it serves?

[34:55] Sometimes all people need is for somebody to listen.

[37:40] Since Men's Sheds supports the various location branches, how does the Men's Sheds organization as a whole get funding?

[41:45] Does Men's Sheds get interesting requests from schools and other organizations?

[43:15] How is Men's Sheds doing in the United States?

[47:40] John talks about Food Cloud.

[51:20] Despite what the media might have you believe, the world is filled with good people.

[54:10] How can the Giving Back community help John? 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Menssheds.ie

Orangeskylaundry.com.au

Changex.org

Food.cloud

Rebecca Morgan is the founder of Books for Treats, a non-profit that offers books, instead of candy, to children on Halloween. The response to Rebecca's innocent idea has been amazing! Through her outreach, she has attracted a partnership with Barnes & Noble for 3 years in a row and her organization even appeared on a popular comic strip, Luann. Listen in to find out more about Rebecca’s work with Books for Treats.

Key Takeaways:

[3:10] Why did Rebecca start Books for Treats?

[6:20] How Rebecca gives children brain candy that lasts forever.

[11:15] Find out how you can participate.

[15:10] How Canadians can also participate!

[15:55] It's best to order sooner rather than later. It can sometimes take up to a month for the books to be delivered.

[17:25] For $100, Rebecca can buy almost 200 books.

[18:55] When people give books to children who do not have books at home, it increases the child's success dramatically.

[20:15] Rebecca talks about her cameo in a comic strip.

[25:40] Can't afford to give all your trick-or-treaters books? Then just start with a small amount.

[27:35] Rebecca shares tips on how you can introduce Books for Treats into your community.

[33:50] How Barnes & Noble is working with Rebecca.

[37:45] Rebecca even contacted Michelle Obama.

[40:20] Why choosing a random celebrity to support your cause will not work.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Booksfortreats.org

Firstbook.org

Rebeccamorgan.com

Ricky Mena is the Founder of Heart of a Hero, a non-profit dedicated to bringing children joy. Ricky dresses up as Spider-Man to entertain children who are battling life threatening illnesses, disabilities, special needs, fostered, homeless kids, and more. The idea came to him in a dream, but at that time he was broke and sleeping on his friend's floor. Find out more about Ricky and his mission on this week's episode. 

Key Takeaways:

[3:15] Ricky has reached 7,000 kids.

[5:00] Find out more about Ricky Mena?

[8:20] At the age of 29 and completely broke, Ricky was sleeping on his friend's floor.

[9:40] Ricky had a dream about his grandmother, who had passed away a couple of months earlier, telling him what he really should be doing with his life.

[15:55] Ricky had to sell his car to buy the $1,400 realistic Spider-Man suit.

[17:00] Hospitals weren't replying to Ricky's emails.

[19:20] Ricky did a lot of research to act like the real Spider-Man.

[21:50] How Ricky went all in.

[26:00] Ricky thanks his mentor, Barbara from Capes4Heroes, for taking him under her wing.

[29:00] There's something magical when we give from the heart.

[33:40] Somebody wrote Ricky a $1,000 check the other day and he's just blown away that someone would give so much.

[35:40] In the very beginning, Ricky was still getting no's from hospitals despite him sharing pictures of the children he worked with.

[36:15] After a month or two, Ricky still couldn't get funding.

[41:15] Ricky visits about 3-4 hospitals a month now.

[47:40] Ricky shares a story about a special kid, Ivan, who didn't recover properly from a brain surgery.

[59:45] Ivan's story is the very reason why Ricky cannot say no to a child.

[1:02:15] Ricky is a superhero.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Rickymena.com

Heartofahero.org

Spidey 4 Kids by Heart of a Hero on GoFundMe

Heart of a Hero on Facebook

Capes4heroes.com

Buddy Teaster has been the CEO of Soles4Souls for 5 years. The Soles4Souls organization itself has been running for nearly 10 years and has delivered over 30 million shoes to improvised areas all over the world. Soles4Souls uses a sustainable business model and Buddy dives a bit deeper on how their organization achieves just that on today's episode. 

Key Takeaways:

[2:20] Find out more about Soles4Souls, an organization that has been running for about 10 years.

[5:05] Soles4Souls has distributed 30 million shoes in more than 125 countries.

[6:05] Buddy and his team are focused on ending extreme poverty.

[6:45] How Soles4Souls is helping people earn an income.

[9:00] Find out more about Buddy Teaster, President and CEO of Soles4Souls.

[11:20] Doing something you're passionate about doesn't have to be a rare thing.

[13:15] Buddy shares a story about a woman in Haiti.

[18:25] A big part of what Soles4Souls does is sustainable, but there's a 2nd piece to this.

[20:50] Rob shares a story of an impactful ad by Soles4Souls.

[23:45] Recycling shoes is one of the hardest things to do due to the tough materials used in shoes.

[24:35] Rob shares a story about a friend of his who did a shoe drive.

[28:15] You can make an impact today!

[30:00] In the act of giving, we also receive.

[33:40] Buddy is a big Seth Godin fan.

[34:20] Can you put yourself in someone else's shoes?

[37:55] Everybody has something to give.

[39:10] What makes Buddy uncomfortable?

[47:30] Be sure to check out Soles4Souls and see how you can help today!

[49:00] All you have to do is help one person at a time. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Soles4souls.org

Ypo.org

Sethgodin.com

Jason Havey is a successful businessman and the host of the Spinning Logic podcast. Out of the blue, Jason decided to swab his cheek and register himself into Delete Blood Cancer's bone marrow database. Often times it's very rare to get a match, but Jason did and he passed all the health tests with flying colors. If it wasn't for Jason, the recipient of the bone marrow transplant would have died. Find out more about Jason and his mission on this week's episode. 

Key Takeaways:

[5:25] Who is Jason?

[9:25] Jason talks about Delete Blood Cancer.

[12:15] Not many people get a bone marrow match. If it wasn't for Jason, the person he was donating to would have died.

[13:35] The recipient sent Jason a letter thanking him for saving his life.

[14:50] Jason will be meeting the man he helped in September for the first time.

[15:00] Jason announced the importance of being an available donor to others in need on Facebook and got about 60 of his employees to participate.

[16:05] Unfortunately, most people don't get called in, but if you do get called in, it can save lives.

[17:10] We do blood drives all the time, so swabbing our checks is just another step in the right direction.

[19:15] Austin is a no-kill city when it comes to animals housed in shelters.

[19:35] In other states, about 40% of animals that reach a shelter end up getting euthanize.

[20:50] Jason talks about Austin Pets Alive and what they do.

[22:35] $20 a month can feed 2 dogs for the whole month.

[24:35] Pit bulls have a bad rep and it's so unfortunate.

[27:25] Everybody should have a dog.

[33:10] Volunteering your time is so, so important.

[33:50] Jason talks about Seeds of Peace.

[45:35] How can you help? Keep it simple.

[47:35] Sometimes it's good to be selfish.

[54:00] The world prominently has some really great people who are giving back.

[55:35] Order your swab at www.dkms.org/.

[57:00] Change can happen when we're all working really, really hard towards it.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

www.jasonhavey.com/

www.dkms.org/

www.austinpetsalive.org

www.seedsofpeace.org

Shane and Toni Wallin are the owners of Garnet Tattoo, a tattoo studio dedicated to creating decorative chest pieces as well as 3D nipples for women who have survived breast cancer. Toni says, they do work on breast cancer survivors every day and that they are constantly talking with people from all over the world who want to fly in and get their tattoos done at their shop. Find out more about how Shane and Toni help P.ink from a tattoo artist's perspective.

Key Takeaways:

[3:45] The 2nd year of P.ink day had 13 cities host the event.

[6:40] How did Shane get into tattooing and how did he find out about P.ink?

[13:15] Shane played a big role in making sure cancer survivors had the right tattoo artist working with them during their Minnesota P.ink Day event.

[17:15] Shane talks about the technical aspects of tattooing like how to cover up scars.

[20:15] Toni says that they receive mail from all over the world and people are stopping in from various countries just to work with them.

[20:40] Garnet Tattoo does 3D nipples and other breast related work every day.

[25:50] Rob shares about his wife going in for a mammogram.

[28:05] Shane and Toni share stories about breast cancer survivors that they have helped.

[32:05] Shane talks about what other tattoo artists have been sharing with him.

[38:50] Tattoos aren't as widely accepted in other countries than they are in the U.S.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

P-ink.org

P-ink.org/give

Email P.ink: [email protected]

P-ink on Pinterest

Garnettattoo.com

Mari Ruddy is a cancer survivor who could not look at herself in the mirror for three years because the mastectomy that saved her life also took a part of her identity away. When Mari received her new tattoo of a lotus flower, which took a little over 5 hours to complete, she was finally able to look in the mirror and be happy with what she saw. On this part 2 of a 3 part series, Mari shares how she helps fellow survivors get post-mastectomy tattoos with the help of P.ink.

Key Takeaways:

[4:10] How did P.ink get started?

[6:00] Mari talks on how she met Noel, the founder.

[7:15] Mari talks about her cancer journey.

[8:40] Why Mari couldn't look at herself in the mirror after her mastectomy.

[10:15] The group experience was more important to Mari than getting the tattoo.

[14:00] Mari never had a tattoo before this one.

[17:10] The tattoo Mari wanted took around 5.5 hours to complete.

[20:00] When the tattoo was done, Mari realized she didn't have to be afraid of the mirror anymore.

[21:30] Now that Mari has her new tattoo, she loves to show it off.

[22:35] How does Mari support P.ink?

[33:10] How do Mari and her team match cancer survivors with tattoo artists?

[42:10] Be sure to check out the P.ink website.

[42:30] Mari talks about P.ink on Pinterest and how that came about.

[44:05] How can people support P.ink and P.ink day?

[46:00] Be aware, not every tattoo artist is able to create a beautiful post-mastectomy tattoo. It does require a lot of skill.

[49:20] The volunteer committee meets once a month for an hour via Google hangouts.

[51:20] Mari shares how she’s passionate about racial equality.

[55:05] Mari needs a videographer in Minnesota!

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

P-ink.org

P-ink.org/give

Email P.ink: [email protected]

P-ink on Pinterest

Noel Franus is the Founder of P-ink, a non-profit dedicated to helping breast cancer survivors make friends with the mirror again after a mastectomy. As Noel says, there's a difference between being cured from cancer and being fully healed from cancer. Mastectomy tattoos give cancer survivors another way to heal and love their bodies again. This episode is part one of three for the P.ink series.

Key Takeaways:

[1:20] This episode is part one of three episodes for the P-ink series.

[3:00] What is P.ink?

[5:00] Noel is a guy who has never had cancer, nor breasts, nor tattoos, so what's he doing here?

[10:55] Through this simple idea, Noel and the women around him have inspired breast cancer survivors all over the world to turn their body into works of art.

[19:25] Women have been sending Noel and his team pictures of their tattooed breasts as well as sharing their cancer survivor stories.

[21:00] Does Noel want to get inked?

[24:00] What is P.ink day?

[29:00] Noel shares a story about Mari, a breast cancer survivor.

[36:45] Dream small. What matters here is the quality of the experience, not quantity.

[43:20] Noel discusses the 'hit by the bus' factor.

[47:40] Located in California and want to attend a P.ink day event? Listen in here!

[48:45] How can you help P.ink?

[50:55] If you want to volunteer, be sure to email P-ink directly.

[53:15] P.ink does accept corporate sponsorship. 

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

P-ink.org

P-ink.org/give

Email P-ink: [email protected]

P.ink on Pinterest

Noel Franus on LinkedIn

Jen Hansard is the Co-founder / Creative Director of Simple Green Smoothies, a website filled with fun green smoothie recipes and meal plans. On this episode, Jen discusses how a simple habit has lead her down an amazing path of giving, and shares the charity work she does with Impacto Ministries and how they've become apart of her family. Giving back to those who are less fortunate has changed Jen's family and inspired them to give back to people in their own community. 

Key Takeaways:

[2:35] Why did Jen start Simple Green Smoothies?

[5:50] Rob's daughter loves making green smoothies.

[8:20] All you have to do is adopt one habit.

[11:40] What is Impacto Ministries and what cause do they support?

[12:40] Impacto Ministries has a program called 'Happy Tummies', providing a place where impoverished Guatemalan children can go to get a hot meal after school.

[17:00] Jen was able to go to Guatemala with her husband and her church's youth group.

[19:00] Imagine going to an after-school program just to get soap.

[22:00] Jen's first Guatemala trip lasted 9 days.

[26:45] Traveling to Guatemala really changed Jen's family.

[26:50] Jen shares a story that made her young daughter a more giving person.

[33:00] How else has Impacto changed Jen's family?

[38:30] You have to take care of the body you have so that you can better serve others.

[40:15] Jen discusses how she raises funds to give back.

[46:10] Jen offers some advice for those who want to make a difference.

[47:00] Giving is not just a one-way street.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Giving Back Podcast

Simplegreensmoothies.com

Impactoministry.com

The ONE Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan

Love Does by Bob Goff