Small & Gutsy

Reading skills unlock the world for us and unleash not just our curiosity, but grant us and gift us the power to often choose our paths. My two guests today know this all too well as their passion for helping kids learn to read began as a young married couple when they joined a USC alumni program reading with students every week at the USC “School of Five” inner-city elementary schools. They quickly became aware of the alarming number of students who were reading below grade level. It was then that the seeds of the positive impact on literacy were planted. Initially focusing on child development, J3 Foundation was born, eventually after the birth of their daughter, Jess, and iterated into a robust reading program in 2018 called J3s Cozy Reading Club, which focuses on the most vulnerable 4th graders in Los Angeles. This program has been so successful that it has expanded from a single pilot program to 16 schools and serves students during the school day and as part of their after-school reading program. J3 Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to give kids the foundation they need for a lifetime of reading success.  They strive to equip 4th graders in communities with fewer resources with the tools they need to help them reach grade level literacy and foster a multitude of things: positive self-image, self confidence, a supportive community, a new love of reading, and so importantly acquiring an identity of a reader. For children in communities that lack resources, their free reading programs build good study habits, reading skills, and self-confidence, and I’d like to personally add opening up whole new worlds for each child. Their free reading program brings together individualized evidence-based lessons with measurable outcomes, a low staff-to-student ratio, culturally relevant books, and community involvement to support reading progress in school and beyond. And it sounds FUN! For more information, please visit their website: www.j3foundation.org    

Journalists and those who represent news platforms are generally trained to report on factual information; in a recent visit to the Shorenstein Institute, I was exposed to the incredible work they do to ensure that journalists have tools to accurately interpret the information that is coming at them so quickly - most journalists, I believe, care deeply about interpreting the facts correctly, however, some platforms purposely misconstrue or actually reconfigure facts to support their financial backer’s agenda - thus, creating a conflict of personal and professsional values. There is hope, however, in that some organizations will not settle for this and fight to recalibrate information and resources;  one such organization does this and much more - MLK50 was created for the benefit of those who have historically had less access, in essence, to revitalize Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream. MLK50 has since its inception, created an award-winning nonprofit digital news site - BRAVO! Having launched in 2017 as a 1-year project to reconcile the lack of commitment to Dr. Martin Luther King’s sacrifice and legacy by reporting on the intersection of poverty, power and policy, and to bear witness to movement-making and lived experiences. Their vision echoes Dr. King’s dream of having a nation where all residents have the resources to thrive and where public and private policy supports their success. Memphis is one lucky city, and I hope MLK50 becomes a model for other cities and their local news - MLK50 doesn’t just represent acknowledgment, but truth; Justice through Journalism gives residents the information by examining the systems that make it hard for workers to make ends meet and by interrogating those who profit from the status quo. To learn more, visit www.mlk50.com  

Check out Part 1 of this amazing Social Enterprise and learn more about them at www.mountainhazelnuts.com  

Episode #80, Parts I & I When you think of sustainability what comes to mind? Is it protecting the environment, proactively and effectively managing the climate for future generations to enjoy vs. using up what we have and finding other planets in which to inhabit? - The old throw away concept and let someone else deal with it - those someone elses are our children and grandchildren.  Maybe it’s sustainability through community health efforts or education so we leave the world a better place as more people have greater needs. Have you ever had the experience of seeing, observing something that doesn’t seem to be going well, it seems too complex to solve, but that something just keeps gnawing at you - making you wonder if there were a way to address multiple issues at the same time;  It could be in the sciences, the arts, the environment, agriculture, healthcare, your community - those I interview for Small & Gutsy have made huge contributions to these areas and have in fact changed the world - maybe, in their part of the world, but they are making a difference.  One couple, two of my 3 guests today, are folks who saw a global market need and a sustainability opportunity within an existing complex system, agriculture, that could address multiple issues with a single solution that would build community while yielding greater economic sustainability. In this case, we call that a social enterprise and I imagine that depth, breadth of research and community relationship building including trust was the foundation of Mountain Hazelnuts. Check out their website: www.mountainhazelnuts.com

Getting the news I have breast cancer was one of the most devastating messages I have ever received, not only for me but for my family - we are all affected by this disease in ways that many people don’t realize. I remember thinking, I am almost the same age as my grandmother when she died of breast cancer and I desperately wanted to have a different outcome - with all the progress made over the last 50 + years, will I have a different outcome? How long will I survive? What will my life be like forever after? Life will surely be different, a new normal. There certainly was also the overwhelming feeling of trying to navigate the best interventions that will yield the best outcomes, staying abreast, no pun intended, of new medical treatments, medications, and options that may just be becoming available; the choices within those areas, as each of us, even with the same diagnosis, can have entirely different treatment plans and outcomes - it is frankly incredibly scary and we don’t want to second guess ourselves.  How can a disease be both individualized and shared at the same time? Today’s podcast features one woman, who took her mother’s stoic approach to her own cancer and built a legacy that has been life-changing and life-saving for so many others. Olivia Achtmeyer Boger is to be commended for her bravery in honoring her mother, Cande’s legacy, in being a support to others facing similar circumstances. Runway for Recovery has various events & programs to support their efforts.  Runway for Recovery is a nonprofit organization aimed at redefining the breast cancer experience for families. They accomplish this through events and programs that strive to provide normalcy amidst the unimaginable. Their goal is to support those who survive and those who live on as legacies because they know that breast cancer never just impacts one. For more information, check out their website www.runwayforrecovery.org    

What if you could financially support a nonprofit organization, doing what you personally believe contributes to making the world a better place, without actually spending even a dime? Sounds too good to be true, but this time it’s too good and very true! There is something in algorithmic data collection and internet savviness that makes even the most limited math student, me, understand the value of building a network of folks with shared values that frankly have the potential to become a movement. Give Freely is that movement. Give Freely is a browser extension designed to connect consumers with sellers and that connection leads to a donation to a charity of the consumer’s choice…pretty darn creative to say the least; Give Freely transforms online shopping into acts of kindness. They find coupons and redirect commissions from purchases directly to the user's chosen charity, turning everyday buys into charitable actions. Give Freely’s mission is to generate as many donations to non-profit organizations as possible.  They do this by leveraging the commissions that online stores pay them when users buy something at a partner site, as well as occasionally placing advertisements on sites that users may visit.  Give Freely is pioneering a movement for a more compassionate shopping future by blending shopping and giving (Frankly, two of my favorite activities, and for me, it makes shopping more enjoyable, knowing that it includes a charitable aspect) -They believe that everyday online errands can and should involve contributions to the communities the consumer cares about and this, of course, could lead to other everyday acts - they are just starting with shopping. Currently, they have over 10 thousand participating stores and a dozen or so influencers participating in and spreading Give Freely and, they have over a million nonprofits listed, Small & Gutsy is one of them.  Think about the old Amazon Smile but with significant improvements!! To sign up and learn more, check out www.givefreely.com  

Leadership is a huge topic that is often so tough to define;  I have read articles that state that leadership can be taught; I have read articles that say leadership is something that is just inherent in you, either you have it or you don’t; - that seems quite ominous  - almost like a weeding out process - like being chosen first or last for the basketball or volleyball team in gym class - why was that practice started anyway vs, just randomly assigning two groups of kids to just play? We all develop at different rates and why be penalized by perceived popularity or early athletic ability?  This must be so challenging for those who see potential in everyone and want to foster leadership in their communities where leadership perhaps is viewed as a privilege and should actually be an equitable opportunity like education - So, when we say leadership, do we mean the admirable qualities of a good leader? To define leadership by identifying good leaders and then trying to change our habits to improve our ability to be like that good leader…Isn’t that somewhat subjective? Do we mean the learning from leaders who have come before us and how they molded us and impressed upon us the value of being a good leader? Could those leaders be from our personal experience vs. those we may place on a public pedestal? Could it maybe foster a sense of community where leaders among us are recognized, encouraged, and often emerge as a surprise to them? Founded in 2021, Born 2 Lead Foundation  is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing an ecosystem of support based on lifespan development. Their mission is to empower individuals at every life stage by providing comprehensive programs, resources, and services that foster personal growth, well-being, and success. By following individuals throughout their life journey, they aim to create a seamless and continuous support system that meets their evolving needs. They provide a wide range of services from Early Childhood Enrichment to Elderly Car, and have programs that focus on each stage of life. I think they have 7 programs to date, everything from financial literacy to mentorship, college readiness, parenting, mental health. I am not sure there is anything they don't offer. Their goal it to empower and mentor individuals so that they have the skills and resources they need to be successful and make a positive impact in their lives and communities. For more information, check out their website: www.born2leadfoundation.com  

Imagine you just heard the words, you have cancer or any other type of disease that needs treatment; I heard those words and my heart sank and my fear rose. However, I also knew that whatever medical care I needed would not be far away. I live in Los Angeles with some of the best medical care options; prior to that I lived in a suburb of Boston, also another amazing medical community. In fact, I often consult with an oncologist at The Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston while having my on the ground team, a combination from UCLA & Cedars here in LA- two teaching and phenomenal medical facilities treating my cancer with the most updated research and information. But, what if I weren’t so lucky…what if I lived in a rural area where access was limited or just not available…what could I do? We all need medical care and many of us live in areas that are outside of catchment areas of great medical care…what choices do we have then? And what options do we have if we don’t have the financial means to take us to those far away medical facilities? Transportation challenges create one of the most daunting barriers to healthcare—a barrier second only to the cost. Every day, Angel Flight West’s volunteer pilots fly people to their medical appointments at no cost to the passenger. On the ground, Earth Angels drive passengers from the airport to the medical facility, also free of cost. To learn more about volunteering or donating, check out their website: www.angelflightwest.org  

How do you define ‘home’? - a place where you can let your hair down, be yourself, be safe, feel a sense of belonging? But what if that home were just an empty space, would you still feel the same? What if that home didn’t have your thumbprint, meaning your input on how it was decorated where you could truly find peace, knowing that this sacred space was a part of your caring community? It’s not the decorating and furniture per se, but what items that were chosen based on your preferences that make you feel you matter and are visible to both yourself and everyone who visits. What is particularly challenging is that many of those empty spaces are the first-time homes of aging out foster youth who have often experienced moving from place to place where they may not have had any sense of real belonging. Without this feeling of belonging and community, these young folks are at greater risk of becoming homeless and being part of a community that cares is the first step to ending homelessness. What began as a random act of kindness, has adapted into an incredible community. A Sense of Home has created more than 850 homes – helping more than 2,000 former foster youth and their children. A Sense of Home strives to prevent homelessness by creating first-ever homes for youth aging out of foster care with donated furniture and home goods. 50% of those struggling with homelessness are former foster youth. The homeless crisis can only end through prevention. To share a quote from one of their recipients: When my home is empty, I feel empty In 2014, Founders Georgie Smith and Melissa Goddard answered a call for help on social media from a foster youth who had aged out of foster care; responded by creating a first-ever real “home”. From there, A Sense of Home has grown into a community of its own with staff, volunteers, and dedication that reaches far and wide. To learn more about A Sense of Home, please check out their website: https://asenseofhome.org/  

THE TABLES HAVE TURNED for this Episode!! Fully Alive's Mary Meduna Gross interviewed me! I had the opportunity to share both about Small & Gutsy - its origins, and some personal details about my journey and a recent hiccup - Breast Cancer! Here are some Episode Highlights: How do you handle things when life throws difficult circumstances and challenges your way? In this episode, Laura Wittcoff shares her wisdom and insight to weather life's storms in the midst of making a positive impact and pursuing self-growth. How are we showing up when in difficult circumstances The possibility and good that comes from open mindfulness Social impact, meaning and alignment of our work Reciprocity of giving and appreciating others Mary is an executive wellbeing coach on a mission to empower conscious business founders to connect with their inner power so that their vibrancy will radiate positivity throughout their organizations.  Mary is engaging and fun and I encourage you to check out her podcast here and her website here Please reach out to me at lwittcoff@gmail.com with the name of any nonprofit or for-profit organization under $10 million in revenue with a social purpose or impact you'd like featured on Small & Gutsy

I remember putting my kids to bed at night when they were young - giving them the security and comfort of knowing that their worries should be about their little life, not the big issues of financially and emotionally supporting them, giving them a roof over their heads, food, clothes and the importance of having a safe space in which to sleep - a bed of their own which may seem like a privilege, that if we can, every child should be able to experience…I think it’s actually not a privilege, but a rite of passage in some ways or at least in our culture. A rite of passage is an event, ceremony, or experience that marks a milestone in a person’s life. Many are cultural, religious, social, and professional, across the globe, they range from an early age in some cultures, like Japan, as a 3-year-old girl, being allowed to grow long hair, and at age 7 shifting from a rope belt to an obi for their kimono, for a boy, at age 5 being allowed to wear a hakama, a formal garment - clothing for both represents entering into the formal stage of middle childhood. Various tribal rituals indicate the growth of an individual to the next level of development in eventually reaching adulthood. Rites of passage indicating milestones have also entered our social, educational and professional world with marriage ceremonies, funerals, 12-step programs, promotions, passing tests to the next level, certifications, graduations, licenses, too many to list; There are also many religious and spiritual milestones, from Deepak Chopra’s 7 stages of spiritual development to baptisms, to B’nai Mitzvahs..and so much more. One U.S. cultural rite of passage is something I hadn’t really thought about until I read about how my guest volunteers his time. This more typical rite of passage is moving from a crib or a parent/guardian’s/siblings/shared bed to one’s very own bed. This milestone represents so many things in our culture that often go unnoticed or unrecognized and are truly significant. Having the capability of sleeping independently by means of having the privilege of having one’s own bed begins to create a feeling of ownership over one’s self, the feeling of self-reliance which builds self-esteem. Having one’s own space becomes sacred, a spot that is theirs to set up, take care of, decorate, and love within the natural shelter of home - it is so much more than just a bed. For many parents or guardians who can afford beds, it becomes an automatic expectation and a feeling sometimes of moving forward for their child in healthy ways - even if they keep getting up in the middle of the night to sneak into their parents’ bed, but for a child who has never had the experience of transitioning at a very young age, this becomes a journey of self-reliance that can translate into so many positive steps toward independence that may not have been a previous more typical step due to financial constraints. Sleep in Heavenly Peace, our featured nonprofit organization believes that a bed is a basic need for the best physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs.  They are a national organization, based in Idaho, but we are focusing on one of their growing chapters, in Texas; this is a response to the call of a national problem, one bed at a time, one town at a time. To learn more about Sleep in Heavenly Peace, check out their website: www.shpbeds.org    

What matters to you? It’s a different question than what makes you happy, according to our guest today whom I will introduce in a moment. Happiness stems from what really matters to the individual and many of us have lost our collective understanding of what matters means. But, it’s not too late - there’s hope for our youth and there’s hope for the rest of us! Finding out what matters to each of us is a very personal journey. To be seen, heard and valued so that each of us becomes a valued member of society and can give back is the essence of understanding what matters and in turn, guides us in seeing others and encouraging the concept of mattering for them.  Each of us has a uniqueness that once we intrinsically honor that, we are able to then actualize that and share our uniqueness in a positive way to others. However, when that is never offered or taken away through making us feel invisible, that we don’t matter, we make choices that can hurt us and society.  The Mattering Movement created and spearheaded by an incredible dynamic foursome, one of whom we will meet shortly is my guest today Jennifer B. Wallace, Chief Mattering Officer - love the title, is an award-winning journalist and author of the new book Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It.  She is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post and appears on national television to discuss her articles and relevant topics in the news. She is a graduate from Harvard College, and began her journalism career at  CBS “60 Minutes,” where she was part of a team that won The Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in Journalism. She is a Journalism Fellow at the The Center for Parent and Teen Communication at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Jennifer serves on the board of the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City, where she she currently resides. To learn more: check out their website: www.thematteringmovement.com  

I try to remind myself to be hopeful in times when I feel the walls are crashing in around me, maybe because of some bad news, like anything that threatens my children, my family, my health, my livelihood, the relationships I love and care about or maybe because of the state of the country, the world; perhaps a tragedy that is far away but feels so close to home emotionally. Usually, an initial feeling of hopelessness appears when I feel I have no control over the situation and need to dig deep to find hope whether through some kind of action - which could be… taking time to reflect spiritualy, talking to friends and family, mindful deep breathing, taking a walk, being outside… I often feel the urgency and frankly the need to do something, anything that helps me find meaning in what I’m experiencing and most often it’s trying to make sense out of something that often doesn’t. Hope is such a beautiful expression and can mean so many different things to so many people…Researchers like Martin Seligman, the founder of the positive psychology movement, professes through over 20 years of scientific research, that hope reduces feelings of helplessness, stress, and depression and improves ones quality of life; being hopeful suggests that we look into the future and know somewhere that where we are, although it may feel devastating, or incredibly challenging or never changing, is not where we will always be; if you can stretch with me for a moment, Seligman also believes that hope may hold unrealized opportunities - that are often very tough to swallow in the moment; I did an episode about a family who lost their daughter diagnosed at 16 months with cancer - she fought for a year, not only did they NOT lose their faith, but they channeled it into a foundation to help others - Addi’s Faith Foundation. These situations are incredibly inspiring for me; when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I immediately roped in the friend who pushed me to get an ultrasound that ultimately diagnosed my cancer when my Gyn hadn’t recommended it - into sharing our stories so other women would get diagnosed earlier than I, and maybe not face the many treatments that I needed.  Desmond Tutu once said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness,”  and Winston Churchill said, “When you’re going through hell, keep going”. Hope gives us the strength to keep going, and continue moving forward. I often say to myself, what choice do I have? But, honestly, that is one way, I am hopeful - my choice is not having a choice, but to move forward, because hope is not blind hopefulness, it is constructive hope - it is the hope that there is a way forward. I am grateful to have that fortitude, but not alone, always with the help of family, friends, my faith, and community. Although hope may be subjective, it’s in all of us; sometimes, we have to dig deep, and often with the help of others and our personal faith; Two women who you will meet shortly used their personal stories to inspire others to reach for guidance and help within their faith and through the support of other survivors of trauma and sexual abuse. With an open heart, Hopeful Hearts Ministry founded in 2012 strives to alleviate the suffering and restore the self-worth of survivors of abuse. They are a faith-based ministry that supports the long-term recovery of survivors through peer support sessions, counseling, and public awareness. Hopeful Hearts Ministry offers counseling, support groups, healing yoga, breath work, healing books, bible study, and mostly a community of hope.  For more information, please check out their website: https://hopefulheartsministry.org/    

In 2007, Amber and Tony Bender faced the unthinkable; they heard the words, your daughter, Addi has a brain tumor. Addi was sixteen months old and underwent with her family a year of surgeries, chemotherapy, hope and heartache, and finally, the sadness of brave Addi needing to let go - I truly cannot imagine the anguish…. Established in 2008 in honor of their daughter’s loving spirit, Addi’s Faith Foundation was born. They vowed to carry on her fight by funding critical childhood cancer research and helping as many families as possible. Just like little Addi Faith, AFF strives to live big, fight hard, and love lots, and has for over 16 years. Addi’s Faith Foundation is a 501c3 organization dedicated to ending childhood cancer. They fund childhood cancer research as well as provide financial assistance to families struggling to care for a child with cancer. They believe that there is a cure out there and together, we can find it. Please check them out:  www.addisfaithfoundation.org    

Creating Creators Foundation is the nonprofit side of Creating Creators, LLC, the for-profit organization that partners with school districts to help guide and develop students and teachers to discover skills and talents of their own that help them define who they are to the world and by doing so, how they can contribute to an industry that perhaps felt unreachable to them. Creating Creators is comprised of experts from all the diverse mediums of the film industry. At their core, they empower teachers to use the different skills needed to create films as a tool for teaching while simultaneously helping students use those mediums such as storyboarding, script writing, acting, directing, and editing as tools for learning to help students discover their unique voices. They also create a bridge between students and educators to professional organizations to create a deeper understanding of the amount and value of skills in the entertainment industry. AND By facilitating opportunities through partnerships with professional groups such as studios, unions, and agencies, They are able to offer apprenticeships. What’s truly beautiful about Creating Creators is that it is not only building skills for students, but giving teachers a new lens figuratively and literally to enable student learning of the necessary skills that foster success  -  collaboration, critical thinking, writing, problem solving and more, AND by having this revenue source, they are able to support the Foundation side which then can provide students opportunities to serve as crew at film festivals as well as serve as one of the pipeline organizations with The Group Effort Initiative which exists to create real entertainment industry experiences to hopefully secure lasting careers for members of underrepresented communities within the entertainment industry. Now, That’s a win-win  

Imagine hanging out on the beach with friends,  the sun is beaming, the waves are crashing and totally perfect, you have a beer or maybe a margarita or maybe a vape or a joint in your hand and are ready to party…this may seem like a typical scene for a lot of folks and, yet, it can also be a trigger for those who are in recovery or who want to embark on their recovery journey. Replacing those same scenarios with new meaning is key to staying sober. The insight, strength, and fortitude that folks engaged in recovery strive for every day help guide them to recovery, and help them stay in recovery…what is so important is replacing those old trigger places with new, healthy experiences while still participating in the fun aspects of life. Research suggests that exercising our bodies raises our endorphins and increases the serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine that are natural highs, enabling us to feel in general less depressed, happier, and less reliant on outside stimulants - we often become addicted because of our circumstances and the ease at which we can access drugs, alcohol, shopping, eating and other things that temporally ease our current uncomfortable state - and enable us to function or at least to appear as if we are functioning until we no longer can -  Our society is built upon the comparison factor which can lead to low self-esteem and at the extreme, even warfare - isn’t it the idea that someone has what we want that can lead to a battle, even it if ends up only being a perception? One of my sons recently shared that he cares very much about what society or his network thinks, but does not compare himself to anyone but himself - I thought how did I produce such a wise young man, where I am still struggling with this issue at a much more advanced age - These lessons need to be learned and repeated until they actually become integrated into our psyche and soul… when we spend time comparing, we lose sight of our own uniqueness, our own vulnerability and therefore, our ability to reflect upon what we need and want vs. what others might have. It becomes a distraction that can lead to feelings of inadequacy, and that leads to wanting to get rid of those feelings any way we can… Addiction is a battle one wages internally, and recovery is the armor that guides folks to stay sober - that armor is often supported by communities of folks who have been there before - there are numerous methods and each individual needs to find what works for them.  We know that getting support is significant in staying in recovery. Who would have guessed that surfing would be one such community? Waves of Recovery was founded by two courageous individuals who wanted to share their experience, wisdom, and belief that recovery is not just possible, but a way forward celebrating life by remaking or reworking old triggers into new healthy experiences.  

Everyone wants a home, but a home is not a home without knowing you can support yourself in it, and be empowered to be part of a community - we are, in fact, all in this together. 55 years ago, in 1968, as a response to the discriminatory inequity in jobs, housing, and other basic rights exposed by the Civil Rights Movement, a group of folks founded Abode Communities in California, a nonprofit social enterprise. Abode Communities is truly reflective of its name, Communities; fostering a culture of housing inclusion by developing neighborhoods that empower the residents; this is about respect and sustainability - they believe that housing is a human right and in fact, we know it is a social determinant of health. This particular organization is outside of our Small & Gutsy vision as they have grown substantially beyond our $10 million dollar revenue limit, but what is a welcome addition to our Small & Gutsy Family is their housing stabilizing program which launched in 2020 (at least something positive and forward-thinking began in 2020), Beyond Homes is a resident services program, based on a wrap-around social service model which our guests will focus on in today’s podcast.  Beyond Homes is aptly named; it focuses on 4 core areas: ·   Empowering youth: areas that include: Social-emotional learning, mentoring, tutoring, after-school programming, scholarship, engagement,  ·   Building adult and senior capacity as in financial literacy, health and wellness, benefits assistance, aging in place, etc. ·   Create linkages in communities, meaning policy/advocacy, specialized referrals ·   Support housing retention, meaning household budgeting and maintenance, links to financial assistance,  and rent relief They have truly thought of everything to keep individuals empowered to have and keep their homes.

Remember your first concert, remember the excitement, the smells, the anticipation, remember being wowed by the band, remember standing up or maybe standing on your seat  ready to join in with the crowd as a familiar cord was struck on the guitar or keyboard and sing or scream along - almost forgetting that you’re an audience member - we get caught up in that glorious moment, but most of us don’t often realize how much preparation goes into those events and I’m not talking about the featured band or headliner, but those in the background that work tirelessly so we can be safe…Most of the time, we are, and sadly, sometimes things don’t work out as planned….Most of us assume that when we purchase tickets to a venue, that we are figuratively and literally purchasing the insurance that all the behind the scenes preparation has been carefully thought through and executed without a hitch and that we will be safe…we have put our faith in the hands of experts, but who are these folks? Safety at events became its own unfortunate headliner after the band, Sugarland was about to perform at the Indiana State Fair on August 13, 2011. A severe weather system with high winds moved through the Indianapolis area - a Powerful gust of wind toppled the temporary outdoor roof that had been erected over the Fair’s permanent main stage; large parts of the roof and supporting structure fell onto the folks gathered at the front of the stage - this tragedy left 7 dead and more than 40 others injured; Opinions ranged from an unforseable act of G-D to an avoidable consequence of human error. The fingerpointing encompassed everyone from the event’s organizers, crowd mangers, and roof technicians to safety inspectors and weather forecasters. A group led by Jim Digby, tour manager for the band Linkin Park, decided to take matters into its own hands and formed the Event Safety Alliance or ESA. This group is comprised of live-event industry professionals and is a non-profit membership driven organization dedicated to “life safety first”- I love that tagline- and promoitng THAT throughout all phases of event production and execution.  ESA’s mission is to help event professionals and participants be Empowered, Safe, and Aware of the reasonably foreseeable risks around them and they do this through Education, Skills training, and Advocacy.

Big Sunday is the big equalizer in my book - it brings people together in service to others - I cannot imagine a greater mission.  Big Sunday was the brain child of  Founder and Executive Director, David Levinson, beginning in 1999 as a Mitzvah Day Project at his Temple  (Mitzvah meaning good deed as a way to repair the world) and with 200 volunteers that day, David imagined a much bigger purpose and embarked on opportunities to share giving back with 1000s of volunteers and in 2006, David was named California Nonprofit Leader of the Year. By 2009, Big Sunday had  50,000 volunteers participating in 500 projects that include numerous nonprofits, schools - the list has grown incredibly long as has the number of volunteers and projects and not only in California, but has truly gone viral, but in a very physical - get out there and help WAY.   There is something for everyone Big Sunday connects people through helping. They offer an enormous variety of opportunities and projects that unite people to improve lives, build community, and give everyone a sense of belonging. Their mission is simple and yet truly profound in that the magic formula is a combination of both building community and a sense of belonging that I believe everyone wants and deserves. To quote David, “Everyone wants to help if someone will only tell them how” Big Sunday does just that…

Today’s podcast is featuring an organization that is doing something significant to fight this catastrophic fentanyl poisoning epidemic. Stop The VOID was formed to bring to the public’s attention, through education, awareness and legislative advocacy, the immediate danger of sudden death associated with the use of illicit drugs laced with deadly fentanyl. Their purpose is to educate youth about the danger of sudden deaths associated with fentanyl poisoning. They have created educational materials, public service announcements in the form of documentary type films which quite honestly are hard to watch but incredibly important. They have talking points for educators and parents - their ultimate goal is to educate everyone about fentynol poisoning and about the dangers that abound on social media platforms where many of these drugs are purchased.  One of their key strategies is to get into every school system to share information; their website has stories of living victims, usually the loved ones left behind.