Episode -38 With Ruby Pacheco - From Survival to Sacred Work: Youth, Recovery, and Breaking Cycles

In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with Ruby Pacheco, Director of Youth Peer Support and Youth In Progress at SriPonya Collective. Ruby shares her powerful story of recovery and resilience, offering an honest look at the lived experience that now shapes her work with young people.

Raised in a trauma-filled home, Ruby became a mother at just 15 and later survived domestic violence. Through courage, accountability, and community, she has transcended these experiences to walk today as a sober, spiritual person in long-term recovery.

Ruby discusses her role as a peer support specialist and certified recovery mentor for youth in Jefferson County, Oregon, and why peer-led, relationship-centered support is so critical for young people navigating substance use, trauma, and systems of care. She speaks candidly about breaking cycles, building trust, and what it means to show up authentically for youth who are still finding their way.

This conversation is a testament to the power of recovery, the importance of lived experience in youth services, and the profound impact of meeting people exactly where they are.

In this episode, we explore:

• Ruby’s personal recovery journey and path to sobriety

• Becoming a mother at 15 and navigating trauma and domestic violence

• The role of peer support and recovery mentorship for youth

• Youth In Progress and SriPonya Collective’s vision for healing-centered care

• Spirituality, resilience, and transforming pain into purpose
  

An episode full of honesty, hope, and inspiration—for anyone who believes in second chances and the power of human connection.

Check Out The Beautiful Healing Work of SriPonya

Music Provided By;

Trevor Hall - "Blue Sky Mind"

Jay Pinto - "We Breathe The Same Air"

Compassion isn’t just a "soft-skill to meeting people right where they are—it’s the foundation that makes real change possible.In this episode, we’re joined by Maya Jaquez, a community health worker in Central Oregon with THRIVE Central OR, whose work beautifully illustrates the power of combining skilled communication with genuine human connection. Maya shares how compassion shows up in her day-to-day practice and why meeting people with empathy, respect, and curiosity is essential to effective motivational interviewing.Together, we explore how compassionate presence builds trust, strengthens engagement, and supports individuals in navigating complex health and life challenges. Whether you’re a community health worker, clinician, or anyone engaged in helping conversations, this episode offers practical insight and inspiration for bringing both heart and skill into your work.In This Episode, We Discuss:-Why compassion is central to effective motivational interviewing-How skilled communication and empathy work together to build trust-What it looks like to truly meet people where they are-Real-world reflections from community health work in Central Oregon-Practical ways to lead conversations with dignity and respectAbout Our GuestMaya Jaquez is a community health worker with THRIVE Central OR, supporting individuals and families across Central Oregon. Her work centers on compassionate care, skillful communication, and empowering people to make changes that align with their values and lived experiences.

Music:

"Blue Sky Mind" - Trevor Hall On Apple

"We Breathe The Same Air" - Jay Pinto On Apple

“Jesus didn’t just talk about peace—he organized a movement of nonviolence.” (Fr John Dear)

In this episode, we welcome Father John Dear, renowned peace activist, author, and longtime advocate of Gospel nonviolence. Together we explore what Jesus actually taught about peace, compassion, and resistance—and how those teachings have been transformed over time. Fr. John connects the radical nonviolence of Jesus to the work of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and contemporary movements for justice. The conversation highlights the essential role of youth, the centrality of grief as a doorway to compassion, and the urgent need for communities committed to nonviolence as a way of life.

This episode invites listeners to reimagine Christianity as a movement of active, courageous love—one capable of abolishing war, dismantling poverty, and healing our world.

• Jesus’ original teachings were rooted in radical nonviolence, enemy-love, and universal compassion.

• Over centuries, cultural and political forces shifted Christianity away from this foundation.

• Recovering Jesus’ nonviolence is essential for the future of faith and the planet.

• Nonviolence is not passive—it’s courageous truth-telling, creative resistance, and protection of life.

• Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. modeled how Jesus’ teachings transform societies.

• Young people bring moral clarity, energy, and boldness.

• Fr. John emphasizes equipping youth with the vision and tools of nonviolence to shape a more hopeful future.

• How we read scripture determines how we understand Jesus.

• A nonviolent lens reveals a consistent message of love, justice, and mercy.

• Peace work cannot be done alone—friendship, solidarity, and shared practice sustain the movement.

• Communities of nonviolence generate hope even in bleak times.

• Personal and collective grief can deepen our empathy and commitment to justice.

• Rather than shutting down, grief can move us toward courageous action.

• Fr. John challenges us to imagine—and work toward—a world where war is unthinkable and poverty is unnecessary.

• This vision mirrors Jesus’ call to build the “Beloved Community.”
  Key Themes & Takeaways

  1. The Nonviolent Jesus

  2. Nonviolence as Active Love

  3. Youth as Catalysts for Change

  4. The Power of Perspective

  5. Hope Through Community

  6. Grief as a Pathway to Compassion

  7. Abolishing War & Poverty

Notable Quotes From Fr. John Dear

• “Nonviolence is not a tactic. It’s a way of life.”

• “Jesus didn’t just talk about peace—he organized a movement of nonviolence.”

• “Grief is not a weakness. It’s how our hearts learn to love more boldly.”

• “If we believe war is inevitable, we will never imagine peace. But Jesus invites us to imagine everything made new.”
  

  Music Provided By:

  ⁠Trevor Hall "Blue Sky Mind" ⁠

  ⁠Jay Pinto "We Breathe The Same Air" ⁠

  
  

  
  

In this episode of the One Breath Podcast, host Greg Mead sits down with Antonio Becerra, SriPonya Collective’s Director of Men’s Recovery and the visionary lead behind our new re-entry initiative, Brothers in Progress.

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Antonio brings deep lived experience to this work. Having spent years entangled in gang life, drug trafficking, and ultimately serving a term in federal prison, he understands firsthand the cycles of harm, survival, and disconnection that so many men face. His story is one of grit, transformation, and the healing power of community.

• Antonio’s early life and the forces that drew him into gangs and hustling
  

• His experience in federal prison and what catalyzed his desire for change
  

• The unexpected turning points that began his recovery journey
  

• The emotional and spiritual work of rebuilding identity after incarceration
  

• Why re-entry support is essential to breaking cycles of trauma and recidivism
  

• How Brothers in Progress was born and what makes SriPonya’s approach unique
  

• The role of compassion, mentorship, and belonging in sustained recovery
  

• Antonio’s work today supporting people returning from prison and those living with addiction
  

SriPonya’s new re-entry program, Brothers in Progress, centers dignity, relationship, and healing. It offers mentorship, recovery support, community integration, and pathways to meaningful opportunity for men returning home from incarceration. Antonio shares how the program is shaped by the wisdom of lived experience and the belief that every person is capable of profound change.

This episode shines a light on the realities of re-entry, the impact of trauma on men’s lives, and the redemptive power of showing up for one another. Antonio’s story is a reminder that transformation is possible—and that healing happens in community, one breath at a time.

A HUGE Thank You To 

Trevor Hall : Intro Music “Blue Sky Mind”

Jay Pinto : Outro Music “We Breathe The Same Air”

Kateri D. Coyhis

Kateri Coyhis, Mohican Nation, is the Executive Director of White Bison in Colorado Springs, CO. White Bison, Inc., is an American Indian non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to creating and sustaining a grassroots Wellbriety Movement that provides culturally based healing to the next seven generations of Indigenous People. Kateri serves the Wellbriety Movement by providing community presentations to bring awareness to the programs White Bison offers for individual, family, and community healing. She has been providing training, delivering a variety of presentations, and offering technical assistance for over 20 years. She is also a Board Member for the National Association for Children of Addiction.

Kateri is co-author for a chapter in Radical Psychology: Multicultural and Social Justice Decolonization Initiatives (2018). Kateri received her Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

____________________________

I am blessed to be in recovery and part of the WellBriety Movement, with a beautiful and powerful group of people in Warm Springs, OR, on the lands belonging to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

Until next time...

Peace,

Greg Mead

e: [email protected]

p: (206) 947-4734

"If Someone Is Hungry...Feed Them" Joshua De La Rosa (This is True Compassion)

Joshua De La Rosa was born to parents who migrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic. Raised in one of Boston's toughest neighborhoods, Joshua's life took a turn at the age of 16 when he embraced Christianity. Despite dropping out of high school, he obtained his G.E.D. at 18 and joined the Boston Police Cadet program. Joshua pursued studies in systematic theology and urban ministry, which led him to begin his outreach work in 2009, starting with street evangelism and later serving in sober house ministries. He then served as a youth pastor in two Spanish-speaking churches in Boston.
Joshua's expertise in engaging individuals battling active addiction has taken him across the country, where he shares outreach strategies. As a police officer, he has worked in the Street Outreach Unit, assisting individuals facing homelessness, mental health disorders, and substance abuse issues. Currently assigned as a detective in South Boston, he worked in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood, focusing on serving the elderly, homeless, and youth through various programs.
In 2018, Joshua obtained certification as a recovery coach through the Police Assisted Addiction and Recovery Initiative (PAARI). He holds an Associate of Science in Criminal Justice from Quincy College and a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies of Religion and Government from Liberty University. Joshua is currently enrolled in an MDiv program at the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity.
In addition to his professional pursuits, Joshua is the senior pastor at a bilingual Christian church called 'Kohanim Ministries in Boston. Furthermore, he cherishes his 10-year marriage to his amazing wife and is blessed with one handsome boy, three beautiful girls, and a baby boy named Caleb.

Joshua is the embodiment of Jesus' message of love and compassion "Love your neighbor as yourself"

Josh, thank you for walking as a light in this world

Peace & Love,

Greg Mead

e: [email protected]

p: (206) 947-4734

For many, knowing our "yes" and our "no" seems an elusive thing that never seems to 'arrive'. It doesn't have to be that way....My friend Breyn shares the journey to knowing her yes & her no and the gift she is in the world as a result of having developed the ability to 'hear' and live into the guidance she receives.

Breyn IS an...

Educator. Enchantment-seeker. Changemaker. Lover of nature. All-things-somatic-&-embodied. Heart-follower. Activist. Dreamer. Believer.
Breyn is devoted to the work and play of creating vibrant organizations and communities filled with connection and possibility. For the past 14 years, Breyn has studied, practiced, worked, and created in the realm of the rich intersections of education, psychology, spirituality, somatics, meditation, science, leadership, conscious business, sustainability, organizational culture, and personal and collective transformation. She has led hundreds of public presentations, classes, and workshops in diverse settings, including grassroots nonprofits, small and large corporations, community colleges, addiction treatment programs, yoga studios, interfaith spiritual centers, and online, and has worked with thousands of people in group settings and one-on-one. She is excited to share her passion, gifts, and services in support of creating the organizations and world in which we can all thrive.

Bre, we must do this again...

Until Next Time..."Peace"

Greg

e: [email protected]

p: (206) 947-4734

This is a special conversation...Dr Marcel Tam shares his life with courage and vulnerability...

Dr. Marcel Tam is a Family Physician who specializes in treating stress through body-based methods, including acupuncture. He was born and raised in occupied Duwamish territory. He is the oldest son of a father from Southern China and a mother from the Bavarian region of Germany. He is the older brother of two strong-willed sisters. He is the father to a strong-willed daughter. He says, “That has made me a very patient listener.” In his free time, he enjoys practicing Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) and dabbles in photography.

Dr Tam is truly a 'healer'...

Until Next Week...

Peace & Love,

Greg

e: [email protected]

p: (206) 947-4734

GREG WILLIAMS
Executive Producer

Greg Williams is the award-winning filmmaker of feature-length documentaries, THE ANONYMOUS PEOPLE (2014 PRISM Award for Outstanding Documentary), GENERATION FOUND, and TIPPING THE PAIN SCALE. For each of these film projects, Greg has collaborated with the immensely talented Jeff Reilly.

In 2015, he produced the historic UNITE TO FACE ADDICTION RALLY on the National Mall when tens of thousands of people from around the world gathered to end the silence surrounding addiction. This was the first-time major musicians, politicians, actors, athletes, models, journalists, authors, and advocates joined together in unison, to solve the most urgent health crisis of our time. The event was memorialized in a PBS special, THE CONCERT TO FACE ADDICTION, that Greg produced and Jeff Reilly edited. He also produced the launch event and companion TV special for the release of the first-ever Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, LISTEN: FACING ADDICTION IN AMERICA when Viacom aired the special simultaneously on 11 of its cable networks, which was seen by millions.

His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Hollywood Reporter, ABC World News, LA Times, and several other major media outlets.

Like Greg, I am blessed that recovery has given me the opportunity to follow my heart and take risks...

Peace & Love

Greg

e: [email protected]

p: (206) 947-4734

Walter Bailey, PSSII, CADCI, QMHA, CRM

Walter Bailey was a football star at Benson High School and the University of Washington. He had dreams of a successful NFL career. After winning 2 Rose bowls and tie for a third, Walter found himself in free fall from the top of his Football career to a crash landing into addiction to drugs and alcohol thatnleft him with nothing.

Walter entered De Paul’s residential treatment program where he got help that changed his life forever.

Walter has built a wonderful life in recovery and has dedicated his career to helping and supporting others. Walter began his career in the recovery community at De Paul as a residential and addictions counselor. He has navigated a very successful career in the behavioral health field for the last 10 years. Walter now works for OHA and helps and supports communities that have been historically marginalized.

Most recently Walter founded Dynamic Athlete Solutions, an organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, culturally-responsive educational platform focused on youth student athletes, coaches, academic administration addressing mental health, substance use and equity.

After conquering all the mental health challenges that led him to his rock bottom, Walter has made his life’s purpose to help student athletes, coaches and their networks find the resources and support to navigate the many barriers they face towards mental wellness.

Our conversation inspires me to be faithful in the life of recovery. Like Walter, my life transformed from a path of destruction to one of contribution and purpose...so can yours.

Peace & Love,

Greg

p: (206) 947-4734

e: [email protected]