Nonprofit Luminaries

On today's episode I speak with Ayan Hersi and Amy Do, Board President and Vice President of All Girls Everything Ultimate, also known as AGE UP.

 AGE UP is a nonprofit organization South Seattle that uses Ultimate Frisbee as a catalyst for change. They help empower future leaders through relationship building, social justice education, and providing leadership opportunities.

It's a unique approach, using a sport they all love,  to connect young people of color to opportunities and resources. They increase access to physical activity, mentorship, and authentic leadership roles that extend their reach as agents in the community.

 

Ayan and Amy share how they got involved in AGE UP, their passion for social justice and how we can help empower today's youth to help make a better tomorrow.

 

Learn more about AGE UP at www.allgirlseverything.org

 

Follow them on Instagram or Facebook

 

Share and Follow

Share this podcast with a friend.  The more people know about the great work happening in our community, the greater difference we can all make.  Visit www.nonprofitluminaries.com to listen to previous episodes and learn about other great nonprofit organizations in the Puget Sound.  Get involved and help make a difference in our community.

Follow me on Social Media to stay up to date on the podcast. Facebook (@nonprofitluminaries), Instagram (@npluminaries), Twitter (@npluminaries),  and LinkedIn (@Nonprofit Luminaries)

Navigating the child welfare system can be a daunting task, even for seasoned professionals.  There are layers of regulations, policies, state laws, and industry jargon.  It's enough to make your head spin.  The power dynamics in a courtroom are also challenging.  Lawyers are arguing for and against you.  Professionals are making statements about your life.  And, finally, waiting for a judge to make a decision about your family.  Imagine that and you have a glimpse of how difficult it can be for parents who are working to get their children back.

My guests today are Jill Murphy and Shawn Powell of Parents for Parents program in King County. 

Parents for Parents helps parents whose children have been removed from their care by Child Protective Services. They connect Parent Allies, parents who have successfully navigated the juvenile dependency system, with parents who are new to the system. Parent Allies provide support and help parents new to the system understand what they must do to successfully reunite with their children.

Shawn, Parent for Parent coordinator, and Jill, Program Supervisor, share some of their experiences and why its important to provide support to parents who are engaged with the child welfare system.

Learn more about Parents for Parents King County

Share and Follow

Share this podcast with a friend.  The more people know about the great work happening in our community, the greater difference we can all make.  Visit www.nonprofitluminaries.com to listen to previous episodes and learn about other great nonprofit organizations in the Puget Sound.  Get involved and help make a difference in our community.Follow me on Social Media to stay up to date on the podcast. Facebook (@nonprofitluminaries), Instagram (@npluminaries), Twitter (@npluminaries),  and LinkedIn (@Nonprofit Luminaries)

Every parent hopes to have the support of their friends and family as they grow in their parenting.  Parenting advice, resources knowledge and a helping hand are key to "parenting success".  For families of color however, the support and resources can be hard to come by, especially if you live in a community that doesn't have as many people or families who look like you.  Questions about identity, cultural traditions, navigating the community and dealing with things like racism and systemic oppression are all things that families of color deal with.  So how do you develop meaningful relationships and get the support you need?  You join an organization like Families of Color Seattle.

My guest today is Christine Tang, Executive Director at Families of Color Seattle (FOCS)

FOCS is a non-profit organization that is connecting parents to build a loving community of families of color. Their programs include parent groups, community resources, events, and racial equity consulting. They specialize in community dialogues, workshops, and consulting on race, family engagement, and anti-bias education. FOCS equips parents, educators and others with tools to talk with children on identity, racism, inclusion, equity, and trauma-informed practices.

Christine shares how she came to work with FOCS, The services they provide and how you can join them in helping to support families of color.

Learn more about Families of Color Seattle at www.focseattle.org

Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Share and Follow

Share this podcast with a friend.  The more people know about the great work happening in our community, the greater difference we can all make.  Visit www.nonprofitluminaries.com to listen to previous episodes and learn about other great nonprofit organizations in the Puget Sound.  Get involved and help make a difference in our community.

Follow me on Social Media to stay up to date on the podcast. Facebook (@nonprofitluminaries), Instagram (@npluminaries), Twitter (@npluminaries),  and LinkedIn (@Nonprofit Luminaries)

On Today's Episode, I'm joined by Russell Brooks, Executive Director at Red Eagle Soaring. We talk about the work of Read Eagle Soaring, its impact on Native Youth and what inspired him to pursue filmmaking.

My guest for this episode is Suzanne Gwynn, Executive Director at Ladybug House.

Suzanne shares her vision for family centered palliative care for children and how Ladybug house is supporting families dealing with end-of-life care.

Suzanne has served as a critical care nurse for more than 35 years, in both the United States and Canada. She’s worked with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Providence Hospice and Swedish Medical Center. Suzanne has worked with clients of all ages and played a critical role in the consideration and support of their families.

Suzanne concluded long ago that there was a desperate need for respite and end-of-life care outside the hospital setting.

Ladybug House is a Seattle-based nonprofit working to build Washington’s first freestanding, family-centered palliative care home and hospice for children, adolescents, and young adults with life-shortening illnesses.

You can find out more about Ladybug House at www.ladybughouse.org

You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Share and Follow

Share this podcast with a friend.  The more people know about the great work happening in our community, the greater difference we can all make.  Visit www.nonprofitluminaries.com to listen to previous episodes and learn about other great nonprofit organizations in the Puget Sound.  Get involved and help make our communities better.

Follow me on Social Media to stay up to date on the podcast. Facebook (@nonprofitluminaries), Instagram (@npluminaries), Twitter (@npluminaries),  and LinkedIn (@Nonprofit Luminaries)

I'm back after a long break adjusting to the "normal" this pandemic has thrust on us.My guests this week are Alice Casson and Amber Lindamood of Hand in Hand. Alice Casson serves as the Executive Director of Hand in Hand, after 9 years of volunteering and serving as the Director of Operations within the organization. Alice is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and families, and contributes her passion to her role as a relative caregiver and adoptive mom.Amber Lindamood serves as the Director of Programs at Hand in Hand. Amber is an alumna of foster care, holds a Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington, and is passionate about child abuse prevention and Child Welfare reform.For 10 years Hand in Hand has helped children and families in crisis by providing, support, hope and opportunity. Hand in Hand was our very first guest almost 1 year ago and they're back to share about some of the changes they've experienced and how they're helping to meet the needs of their community in the during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can find out more about Hand In Hand at www.handinhandkids.orgYou can also follow them on Facebook, and Instagram.

Today's guest is Samantha Kelly Executive Director of Youth in Focus.  Youth in Focus provides a supportive and inclusive community with a sense of belonging and safety for youth from a variety of backgrounds.  Their programs help youth find their creativity, identity, and voice while sharing their unique and personal stories through photography.Samantha is a dynamic leader with more than 20 years of leadership roles in nonprofit organizations.  Her primary goal at Youth in Focus is to ensure equitable access to high-quality arts education programing for teens to find their voice, discover their power and develop skills that prepare them to succeed in education, career and life.  Samantha believes our community is stronger when ever person, especially youth and marginalized populations, has access to the resources they need to succeed.  She has dedicated her career to creating inclusive spaces and opportunities for people to connect, feel valued and achieve their full potential through art.You can find out more about Youth in Focus at www.youthinfocus.orgYou can also follow them on Facebook, and Instagram.

Share and Follow

Share this podcast with a friend.  The more people know about the great work happening in our community, the greater difference we can all make.Follow me on Social Media to stay up to date on the podcast. Facebook (@nonprofitluminaries), Instagram (@npluminaries), Twitter (@npluminaries),  and LinkedIn (@Nonprofit Luminaries)

Help me support Family Reunification Day!

CLICK HERE

Domestic violence impacts a wide range of people in the community. Survivor's lives can be impacted for years, but so can the lives of their children, friends, family and even their pets.

For many survivors, the emotional and psychological abuse is harder to recover from than the physical damage. 

Isolation, manipulation, gas lighting, harassment and other controlling behaviors can wreck havoc on a survivor's mind and mental health.

That's why, for over 40 years, New Beginnings has been working to end Domestic Violence in the greater Seattle Area. 

Today's guest, Susan Segall, tells us about New Beginnings and their work in the community. 

Susan has over 35 years of experience with nonprofits focused on gender-based violence, reproductive rights, peace and social justice. Prior to New Beginnings, Susan served as Pacific Northwest Regional Director for the American Friends Service Committee, coordinated emergency room and hotline services for Women Organized Against Rape in Philadelphia, and provided sexuality education to professionals at Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania.  She is honored to serve such a vital, groundbreaking organization as New Beginnings.

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing domestic violence, get help.  Call the New Beginnings 24-hour Help Line at 206.522.9472

You can find out more about New Beginnings at www.newbegin.org. 

You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Learn more and help break the cycle.

Help me support Family Reunification Day!

CLICK HERE

Share and Follow

Share this podcast with a friend.  The more people know about the great work happening in our community, the greater difference we can all make.

Follow me on Social Media to stay up to date on the podcast. Facebook (@nonprofitluminaries), Instagram (@npluminaries), Twitter (@npluminaries),  and LinkedIn (@Nonprofit Luminaries)

On today's episode I sit down with Helen Lakeru, President of Many Lights Foundation and talked with her about their mission to heal the pain of abuse and neglect in children by providing children in kinship and foster care with permanent homes in a multi-generational community. 

Many Lights Foundation tries to espouse the "it takes a village" approach by bringing people together to live in intentional relationships so that they can have a neighborhood where everyone flourishes.

You can find out more about Many Lights Foundation at www.manylights.org.  You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Be sure to tell a friend about this podcast.  The more people know about the great work happening in our community, the greater difference we can all make.

Follow me on Social Media for up to date information.  You can find me on Facebook (@nonprofitluminaries), Instagram (@npluminaries), Twitter (@npluminaries),  and LinkedIn (@Nonprofit Luminaries)

Welcome to Nonprofit Luminaries, I'm you're host, Anibal Ruiz, today I get the privilege of sharing my conversation with Vu Le, author of Nonprofit AF and former executive director or Rainier Valley Corp.  Vu has a passion for making the world better by developing leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration between diverse communities.

During this conversation Vu shares some important views on how we can make the nonprofit sector more equitable for the people we serve, especially for marginalized

populations, including how we approach funders and fundraising, leadership and

advocacy.

Vu's posts are a must read If you have any interest in how we can improve our nonprofit work.  You can find his writings at Nonprofitaf.com, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

In this conversation, Vu mentions a couple of his previous blog posts and books. If you're interested in reading those, check out the links below.

Please be sure to share this episode with anyone you think might be interested, you may not agree with everything said, but the conversation is an important one to have.

I hope you've enjoy this conversation and are inspired to be a stronger advocate for equity and justice.  Visit nonprofitluminaries.com and check out our previous episodes featuring great nonprofit organizations in the Puget Sound. 

Follow me on Social Media for up to date information.  You can find me on Facebook (@nonprofitluminaries), Instagram (@npluminaries), Twitter (@npluminaries),  and LinkedIn (@Nonprofit Luminaries)

Don't forget to tell a friend about the podcast and let's spread the word about the great work happening in our communities.

Blog posts and Books

Getting Rid of Grant Applications - blog post - https://nonprofitaf.com/2019/09/foundations-its-time-to-stop-using-grant-applications-to-distribute-funding/

The Happy Healthy Nonprofit - https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Healthy-Nonprofit-Strategies-without/dp/1119251117 By Beth Kanter and Aliza Sherman

The Executive Director job is Impossible - https://rvcseattle.org/2018/02/executive-director-job-impossible/ By Ananda Valezuela

Star Trek and the Future of the Nonprofit Sector - https://nonprofitaf.com/2017/11/star-trek-and-the-future-of-the-nonprofit-sector/

Asperin and Democracy - https://ssir.org/articles/entry/aspirin_and_democracy By Jan Masaoka