Raising Kellan

We have exactly two weeks till U.S. Values and the Constitution, a free 4 part series taking place at McIvers Grant Public Library from Sept 11, 2025 to October 2, 2025- 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

In today's episode Mary Palmer and Marsh Naidoo chat with some of the student leadership namely: Mickie Thach and Myren Hurst about their roles in the program.

Timeline from unedited podcast:

3:35 Introductions

4: 28 Why did y'all decide to get involved with this program?

10: 59 What is something adults need to know about how students see history?

13:11 Prior to planning for series how much background did y'all have on the founding documents.

18: 03 What are the current Issues on young people's minds.

20: 00 Flip the Script - Students ask the questions.

20:04 How did this program come about?

22:24 What are your current perspectives about the U.S?

29: 03 Students perspective of meeting with Dr Stafford.

31:05 Conclusion

N.B: Lillian Davis is an integral part of student leadership. She was covering an event for her school paper at the time of the interview. We look forward to our post series interview!

In today's episode I chat with Clare Saum, Marketing Director at Discovery Park of America about an exciting upcoming event: Pediatric Day. This day connects families with a wealth of local resources and services to support children’s health, learning and well-being.

• When: Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Where: Discovery Park of America (Union City, Tennessee)
• What’s happening: Vendors and organizations will be located throughout the park with information and fun, hands-on activities for families. Children can pick up a passport, collect a sticker from each organization and receive a fun activity prize when completed.
• Admission highlight: Thanks to our sponsor, Pediatric Place of Union City, and Dr John Bates admission for children ages 17 and under is covered that day.Key messages
• Follow Discovery Park of America on Facebook and Instagram for updates @discoveryparkuc

Marsh Naidoo, Mary Palmer, and Dr. Matthew Stafford chat about a four-part series on U.S. values and the Constitution that Dr. Stafford will be teaching at the McIvers Grant Public Library in Dyersburg, Tennessee. The series will cover the history and values behind the U.S. Constitution, with the aim of inspiring pride and hope in the audience by connecting them to the American story. The sessions will take place on Thursdays from September 11 to October 2, and will include a mixed media art contest where the public can submit their visions of "My America". Local students will also be involved in supporting the educational experience.

Timeline of the podcast:

1: 40 Dr Matthew Stafford’s origin story.

4: 00 What is the relevance of history, how this is chronicled and how is it relayed from generation to generation?

5: 34 Was there a particular moment or mentor that sparked your interest in history or education Dr Stafford? 

8: 27 In a world where you are constantly bombarded with information, what would be your advice on referencing validated sources of history?

10:52 So how do you handle the messy parts of history? 

12:51 Tell us more about the four part series US values and the Constitution and the outline of what you will be teaching?

17:00 What do you hope people will still think about when they leave the library each week?

19:38 Logistics of the Series

Keep updated on the Series by following our Facebook event page.

 This series is made possible thanks to an incredible lineup of the following community partners:

• McIver’s Grant Public Library
• Dyersburg State Community College
• Dyer County Historical Society
• Dyer County Schools
• Raising Kellan
• Sons of the American Revolution
• Key Corner Chapter of the American Daughters of the Revolution
• Sonic
• The Bus Stop                
• Discovery Park of America
• Maple Ridge Manor

On today's episode, Kate Mudge leads the discussion centered on Care Farming and the collaborative network. Please check out their interactive website. https://carefarmingnetwork.org/

Timeline:

01:54 Introductions

3:08 Origin Story and the Red Wiggler

6:00 Care Farming Network Conference

8:23 Old School Farm in Nashville

10:30 Benefits of Care Farm Models to Rural Communities

13:41 How to contact Kate

17:33 Big Dream (1 Care Farm in every county in the US)

At present, there are 338 farms in the network - 3000 counties in the US!

Be sure to check out Episode 132 with Nathan Fields and Jason van Wulven from Plant for a Change.

Call the US Capitol at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to your Congress Representative.

On June 14, 2025, we were in Cookeville, TN, to participate in the Special Needs Resource Fair at Vine Branch Church. We got to chat with families, exhibitors, and service providers, including:

Dawn Fry - Attorney at Law

Selena Stewart with Omni Family of Services.

Ashley McCloud with WorkAble TN

Blake Shearer with the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities

Jessica Moreles with Tennessee Caregiver Coalition

Kristie Kirby with Structured Athletics for Challenged Children (SACC)

Heidi Clopton with the Center of Development - Pediatric Therapies

Trent Mills with TN Start

Julie West and Clara with the Down Syndrome Association of Middle TN

Jenna Clarin with Autism TN and Sensory Kids Life.

Stephanie Hawkins with CASA of the TN Valley

Steve Chatman with Rising Above Ministries.

Today I chat with Torben Jensen. He is the Ministry Relations Manager for Joni and Friends in Nashville, TN. His job focuses on helping churches of all shapes and sizes become better at including and serving families affected by disability.

Timeline of our conversation:

01:30 Torben's origin story

02:40 Joni & Friends and its beginnings. The Story of Joni Eareckson Tada.

05: 00 Programs and the Outreach Ministry

10:00 Physical vs Emotional or Relational Barriers for families experiencing disabilities and the Church

16:15 Summer Camps at Joni & Friends

22: 00 Words of encouragement and Conclusion

You can contact Torben at [email protected]

Jessica Ronne is an author, speaker, podcast host at Coffee with Caregivers, associate producer of the documentary "Unseen", and caregiver advocate.  She is the founder and executive director of⁠ The Lucas Project⁠, a non-profit dedicated to providing recognition, resources, and respite support for special needs families.

She and her husband, Ryan live in Michigan with their 8 children, including their son Lucas, who has profound disabilities. Her story of beauty from ashes has been shared on The Today Show, Daily Mail, and Huffington Post, and is detailed in her memoir Sunlight Burning at Midnight.  To follow the ongoing saga, she can be found at ⁠www.jessplusthemess.com ⁠or purchase her latest books, Blended with Grit & Grace, Lovin’ with Grit & Grace, and Caregiving with Grit & Grace.

Timeline

3:00 Introduction to Jess Ronne

4:36 How to ask for help as a parent and the value of consistent respite to fill your cup as a caregiver.

6:21 Where is the Village?

7:05 The Lucac Project

9:00 Coffee with Caregivers - Marsh's highlight, Episode 62 with Alice Foran.

10:00 The Intersection of Faith and Grief.

12:24 The documentary Unseen and the upcoming documentary Uncertain.

14: Jess's words of encouragement.

In Episode 143, Megan Schwalm chats to us about the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition and how this nonprofit provides support to over 1 million caregivers in Tennessee.

Timeline of our conversation:

00:00 Introduction

01:36 How did Megan come into her role as President and CEO at Tennessee Caregiver Coalition?

04:42 Definition of Respite.

07:00 Programs offered by TCC include the respite voucher program, a consumer-directed reimbursement for services delivered for respite care. TCC offers opportunities for caregivers to get together, including virtual and in-person events.

10:00 Policy Changes and how this impacts Medicaid and the Administration of Community Living (ACL through the Lifespan Respite Program, which funds the work done by TCC).

14:00 How can we advocate?

16:00 Conclusion

In this conversation, I chat with Kristie Kirby, whom I met at Partners in Policy-Making, a leadership program held by the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disability. This is a free 8 month advocacy training program.

Timeline of conversation

1:00 Introduction

2:00 Kristie is a teacher's assistant.

2:12 What is SACC?

4:00 How does the SACC program work?

5:15 Recruiting Volunteers

6:00 Upcoming Resource Fair

7:00 Exhibitors

12:00 The Resource Fair will be at the Vine Branch Church, 2262 Bowser Rd, Cookeville, on June 14 from 10 am to 2 pm

You can reach Kristie Kirby at [email protected]