The Do Gooders Podcast

It’s no secret having a safe and stable place to live is at the very foundation of overall health and well-being.

That’s why, in The Salvation Army, there’s no such thing as no place to go.

We uniquely understand the statistics on those experiencing homelessness—which by the latest counts means tonight in America more than 421,000 people are without a place to call home. We also know that number doesn’t provide a full picture of need.

With one in 10 people living in poverty today, housing insecurity is not limited to a certain “type” of person.

Need can affect anyone.

That’s why each year, The Salvation Army provides over 10 million nights of shelter to those in need.

From emergency shelters to utility assistance or permanent supportive housing, we are working to meet the need for refuge.

And in Seattle, Linda Byrd is one of the people helping to welcome those guests and make them feel more at home.

But for Linda, being a shelter monitor for The Salvation Army is more than a job. As she says, it gave her a purpose. It gave her a reason to live.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army has a long history of serving those who have served our country.

It all began with donuts and coffee for soldiers during World War I, and it only grew from there. Today, The Salvation Army offers a range of veterans services, providing comfort, support, counseling and a home to thousands of veterans in need each year.

Did you know veterans make up 8 percent of the population of those experiencing homelessness in the U.S.?

In many cases, housing insecurity, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-medication and substance abuse disorders can cause those who gave everything to lose everything.

It happened to Eric Yanes—but Eric didn't give up hope.

And it wasn't the end of his story.

Eric got connected to The Salvation Army Veteran Grants Per Diem program in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which provides individualized case management and furnished apartments for veterans and their families. Like many of The Salvation Army's programs, it aims to address the immediate symptoms of food insecurity, poverty and homelessness but is also designed to help identify and treat its root cause and find healing.

This Veterans Day, allow me to introduce to you a veteran who will tell you he is embracing the magic of every mundane moment in his ordinary, beautiful life.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Hope is what propels us through the uncertainty and chaos of our slumps and our challenges. 

But in our broken, imperfect world, a lot of people are finding their peace is constantly under threat, and because of that, it’s harder to experience genuine hope for the future.

Irwyn Ince is a pastor, author and coordinator of Mission to North America for the Presbyterian Church in America. In his new book, “Hope Ain't a Hustle: Persevering by Faith in a Wearying World,” he explores the true nature of hope and its transforming power.

Irwyn reminds us that true hope isn’t fleeting. It’s rooted in something much deeper: our faith in God and his promises.

Using the book of Hebrews as a framework, he shows us how to place our confidence in the finished work of Jesus and how that can change the way we think and live. He reminds us that even in—and especially in—the midst of suffering and disappointment, we can find hope and persevere.

This is a conversation about the source of true hope, the instructions for hopefulness we find in Hebrews, and the role community plays in our ability to sustain hope over time. 

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Have you noticed our culture tends to treat cynicism as though it’s the price of being right? But cynicism is a contagion infecting our society—creeping into every corner of our lives, corroding our connections and obscuring our hope for a brighter tomorrow.

That's according to Stanford Psychologist and Director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, Dr. Jamil Zaki.

Dr. Zaki is the author of a new book, “Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness.” 

He says cynicism is an understandable response to a world full of injustice and inequality. But in many cases, cynicism is misplaced.

His research sheds light on something surprising: people are kinder, more generous, and more open-minded than we often think. And by embracing what he calls 'hopeful skepticism,' the realization that people are often better than we expect, we can think critically about people and problems while simultaneously acknowledging our power.

Far from being naïve, he says hopeful skepticism is a more precise way of understanding others and paying closer attention.

And Dr. Zaki is here today to share an excerpt from his new book, “Hope for Cynics.”

So, if you’re ready to explore a new way of seeing the world—one that acknowledges the problems we face while staying open to human potential—this episode is for you.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Today we're focusing on a topic that hits close to home for many families across the country: food insecurity.

With rising prices, the struggle to put food on the table has become a reality for more and more people in recent years.

And many people are turning to charitable food resources to make ends meet.

That's where organizations like The Salvation Army come in. In the western U.S. alone, The Salvation Army provided over 9 million meals last year. And in some areas, is partnering with local schools to fight hunger.

In Yakima, Washington, for example, The Salvation Army has partnered with 16 local schools to provide food assistance.

Kandie Spaet is a volunteer who came to The Salvation Army through a community job placement program. For months, she worked 20 hours a week at the Yakima Corps helping pack backpacks and in the food pantry.

And now, she comes back to volunteer.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

I’m always paying attention to what’s going on in the lives of our listeners—you—and I guess I’ve spotted this idea because I am you.

A lot of people with hope for a better world let it end there.

Why is that?

You’re here so I know you’re one of the hopefuls, someone who knows where there’s movement there’s hope—and you’re willing to do something. You want to see your community, your family, your kids be resilient and good.

To you, it’s not a pipe dream to want a world that works better for everyone—but it can feel daunting. Impossible even.

Just look at the stories of impact: the billboard-worthy personal transformation. The lifetime of service. The gift that comes with building naming rights. Surely, they knew or possessed something you don’t. Right? Maybe you feel a gap between your vision and your daily reality. Because your days? They’re filled to the brim with laundry-loads, meetings, shuttling kids between activities and squeezing in a little “time for you” too, whatever that means.

How do you actually move from believing something with all your heart—let’s call it your “why”—to actually doing something about it?

How do you turn hope into action?

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Last week, we celebrated a major milestone—our 200th episode! We replayed the very first episode, an interview with our good friends, now retired Commissioners Dave and Sharron Hudson. And yes, I interjected my thoughts about what’s changed and what’s stayed the same in the years since.

We’ve shared so many powerful stories and meaningful conversations with you, and today, we’re looking back at some of your favorite episodes and reliving some of the most impactful lessons we've learned together.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Welcome to the 200th episode of The Do Gooders Podcast.

It feels wild to say that.

Over some five years, I have interviewed hundreds of authors, academics, experts, people doing the work and people whose lives have been transformed by it.  

They’ve brought so many good ideas and new ways to think about this goal of ours to keep on doing good.  

I wanted this episode, number 200, to be a special one. To look around and reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going.

So today, I want to invite you to reflect with me as we try something different. We are going to listen to the very first episode of The Do Gooders Podcast together. Think of it as a listening party, if you will. 

I’m going to drop in throughout the episode and share what I’m thinking and feeling as I’m listening with you. And together, we’ll unpack what has changed and what has stayed the same through the years.

So to set the stage, I recorded this episode in mid-2019 with Commissioners Dave and Sharron Hudson. At the time, the pair were national leaders of The Salvation Army.

Whether you are hearing episode number one for the first time ever, or this is the first time in a long time, just imagine me sitting next to you listening too.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

The Do Gooders Podcast is back with a fresh batch of inspirational stories just for you. Tune in on September 30.

ABOUT THE SHOW

If you care about making an impact for good then the Do Gooders Podcast from The Salvation Army’s Caring Magazine is the show for you. Hosted by Editor-in-Chief Christin Thieme, listen in for real-life inspiration, expert insight, evidence of transformation happening in communities across the U.S. through The Salvation Army, and ideas from change-makers so you can join in right where you are and be the reason somebody believes in goodness.

We’re back with our final highlight episode from the 2024 Testify Congress.

Yes, last month, in Pasadena, California, The Salvation Army from around the Western Territory joined for an event focused on teaching, training and motivating Salvationists to tell the story of Jesus more often and to more people.

And The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham, traveled from London to be part of it all.

You've heard the General speak from this event a couple times now—in Episode 193 and 197.

Today, we bring you his final appearance of the Congress before some 3,000 attendees at the Pasadena Convention Center Civic Auditorium. This is his public charge to the new lieutenants.

Over the weekend, the Defenders of Justice Session of cadets were commissioned as Salvation Army officers, or pastors, and in this meeting were given their very first ministry assignment. In fact, they don't find out the location until they are standing on stage!

And this is the battle cry, if you will, for each one of them from The Salvation Army's international leader.

Listen in and be encouraged in your eagerness to serve, too.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.