Hope in Action THE Podcast

On this month's episode of the Hope in Action with Sheri Jones Podcast, Sheri sits down with main show's guest Ruthie Bolton. Ruthie Bolton is a 2x Olympic Gold Medalist and WNBA All-Star, playing guard with the Sacramento Monarchs from 1997-2004. She was named a WNBA All-Star in 1999 and 2001, and won the Olympic Gold Medal for team USA in 1996 in Atlanta and 2000 in Sydney.The pair talk about the struggles Ruthie felt balancing her personal experience with domestic violence while simultaneously competing at the highest level and winning gold in the Olympics. They also talk about Ruthie's book, '12 Sisters, 12 Challenges, 12 Triumphs', which discusses her struggles and aims to help other survivors with their own.🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube to never miss an episode.📩 Have a story or event to share? Email [email protected] for listening in — see you next time.

On today's podcast, host Sheri Jones sits down with Antonio Botello III of Child & Family Charities to talk more about his barbershop talks program he started. They discuss how important it is for the young men they service and how inspiration for the program came from Antonio's own personal loss.The barbershop talks program pairs a free, professional haircut with in depth, life changing conversations about mental health and other struggles young men face. It's a safe space for these men to be vulnerable and share their feelings in a setting that feels familiar and comfortable. It allows for conversations that they may not be able to have anywhere else.It's a conversation about mental health and the importance of connection. Have an event to share? Email [email protected] on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts Follow us on Facebook & Instagram

Every great story starts with someone who noticed a need and refused to look away. This month, Sheri Jones sits down for an extended conversation with Yolanda Pope, founder of DAP Services and Resources: a Lansing-area organization built by an LPN who saw the gap between seniors and the resources meant to help them, and decided to close it.

Yolanda takes listeners behind the scenes of DAP's evolution, from case management to the launch of the Senior Stability Program to the creation of Harbor House, a transitional shelter designed specifically for elderly individuals navigating housing insecurity. She shares the story of a man released after 50 years of incarceration with nothing but $75 to his name, and how DAP walked alongside him toward stability, employment, and independence.

This conversation covers hard truths, including senior homelessness, isolation, and the gaps in our safety net, but it's ultimately about partnership, dignity, and showing up for people before they hit crisis. Yolanda also opens up about Crucial Conversations and Golden Gatherings, two programs designed to meet seniors with resources and community before the hard moments arrive.

If you've ever wondered what it looks like when someone builds the support system they wish existed, this is that story.

📞 Need support or know someone who does? Call DAP Services at 517-705-3581, or stop by their walk-in hours every Tuesday, 1–4 PM, at 405 West Greenlawn, Suite 100, Lansing.
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📩 [email protected]

Welcome back, friends! If you caught Tammy Hannah on this month's episode of Hope in Action, host Sheri Jones couldn't let her go after just one segment. So grab your headphones, because this episode settles in for the deeper conversation.Tammy is the founder and executive director of Origami Rehabilitation, and in this episode, she opens up about the personal story behind it all: growing up as the little sister of her brother Jeff, who was born with cerebral palsy, and watching firsthand how family, perseverance, and the right support can help someone exceed every expectation. That's the story that planted the seed for what would become nearly 30 years of transforming lives.Sheri and Tammy talk about the marathon, not the sprint, of recovery from a young mother who defied the odds after a catastrophic car accident, to a veterinarian who returned to the operating room after a stroke, to the nearly 200 children now served at Origami's Greenlawn location, learning to speak, to move, to believe in themselves for the very first time. Tammy also shares beautiful, practical wisdom on etiquette and kindness how we can all show up better for the people in our lives who are navigating a disability, seen or unseen.This one is full of heart, hope, and just genuinely good humans doing good work. Listeners will leave this conversation with a little more grace for the people around them.🎧 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube to never miss an episode.📩 Have a story or event to share? Email [email protected] for listening in — see you next time.

What happens when two friends read an article on a Sunday night and decide they can't just scroll past it?

They build a movement.

Welcome to the very first extended podcast episode of Hope in Action — the companion series to our monthly show highlighting the nonprofits doing transformational work right here in Lansing and beyond. Host Sheri Jones sits down with Lysne Tait, co-founder of Helping Women, Period, for an honest, eye-opening, and genuinely inspiring conversation about what it looks like to see a problem in your own backyard and refuse to look away.

What started in 2015 as a breakfast for 30 friends — that quickly became 100 — has grown into a statewide force. Today, Helping Women, Period partners with 400 nonprofits across Michigan, has distributed millions of menstrual products, and is changing the conversation around periods, poverty, and access in ways that are long overdue.

In this episode, Lysne shares:

✔️ The origin story — from a viral Facebook post to filing nonprofit paperwork in the same week✔️ Why 1 in 4 Michigan students miss school due to lack of period products (and why that number hits harder than anything you've heard about girls overseas)✔️ How Helping Women, Period evolved its language and mission to fully serve the LGBTQ+ community✔️ The "menstrual product petting zoo" — yes, it's a real thing, and it's exactly what people need✔️ Why cities like Lansing, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Novi are now putting free products in public bathrooms — and how you helped make that happen✔️ What's next: menopause education, advocacy with the Michigan Women's Commission, and a vision for a future where this problem is solved

This is what it looks like when passion, purpose, and practical action come together. This is Hope in Action.

💻 Learn more & donate: helpingwomenperiod.org📲 Follow Helping Women, Period on all social platforms

📧 Looking to be a sponsor? Email us at [email protected]🎙️ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify so you never miss an episode.

Hope in Action is a UnoDeuce Multimedia production. One Company. Twice the Possibilities.

Join Sheri Jones and Paul Schmidt as they launch Hope in Action, a new Lansing-based podcast and community program highlighting nonprofits, local leaders, and stories making a real difference. From collaboration inside The HUB to uplifting conversations across Mid-Michigan, Hope in Action shines a spotlight on the people creating positive change every day.