Did you know that there are 75 million people on this planet in need of a wheelchair? Can you imagine being dialed and not having access to get around? That is only one of the amazing facts I learned from today's guest, Don Schoendorfer. Don is the founder of Free Wheelchair Mission. His story is incredible, as is his work in providing over one million wheelchairs to people in need. Join us today to learn how a MIT Bioengineer changed his life and millions of others. You won't want to miss this amazing conversation. Don Schoendorfer is a truly special human who is an inspiration for all with his journey of service.
Wendy Strauss’s story began with a slip of paper discovered in her late mother’s tidy little office. It was a simple note titled “Mom’s Christmas Stocking,” asking her children to keep filling a stocking for Mom by giving it to a woman who needed “a shot of love.” That tender request became a calling. What started as one timid lunch-hour drop-off blossomed into an annual community tradition that now fills hundreds of beautifully curated stockings for women in shelters, prisons, and recovery programs across New York City, each one a love letter, a reminder that someone sees you and you matter. In this episode, Wendy shares how she transformed her grief into grace, how a single note became a nationwide movement (Mom’s Christmas Stocking), and how giving on any scale can be profoundly healing.
Join this week’s conversation between Charity Matters founder, Heidi Johnson, and founder of Uprising Yoga, Jill Weiss Ippolito. Jill’s journey is a full-circle story; From an angry, hurting teenager to a joyful healer bringing trauma-informed yoga and life skills to youth in juvenile halls. She discovered a gift that first saved her own life: breath, presence, and the slow, steady return to self. And then she did the most beautiful thing....she gave that gift away, again and again, to kids who need it most. Listen to learn how a $10, ten-day yoga pass became a mission, how community shows up when we “look for the helpers,” and how gifts once found, can change the world.
Some stories meet you in the deepest places and still lift you higher. This week, you’ll meet Kate Doerge....wife, mother, builder of community......who turned the unthinkable loss of her daughter, Penny, into a living legacy called Penny’s Flight. What began in a cocoon of love and butterflies has become a national movement of students, families, and friends spreading wings for those living with neurofibromatosis. Kate’s pillars; finding beauty in imperfection, choosing positivity in the face of challenge, and having faith over fear.....these aren’t just slogans; they’re the way she gets up, puts both feet on the floor, and kee\ps going. You can feel Penny’s light in every word.
John Snyder’s story begins on a first date with his wife, Nikki, when the two of them decided to do something radically simple: instead of sending candy to their toner customers, they’d use that money to feed people experiencing homelessness. That small act became Project Pop Drop. A monthly movement that rallies “givefluencers” to bring meals, new socks and clothing, and joy-filled experiences to shelters across Los Angeles. Today, Pop Drop is more than a delivery....it’s Easter bunnies and race cars for kids, partners who show up with food and gift cards, and even tiny homes that help families move from encampments into dignity and safety. This week’s episode is a shot of hope and action, packed with contagious energy, hard-won wisdom, and tangible ways to help!
Drawing from Hayden’s love of hockey, Rob used the term “Shoulder Check” not just as a sports reference but as the cornerstone for a movement. What began as a nod to the game has become a beautiful legacy of connection and care. Shoulder Check is about more than hockey.....it’s a mission and a movement about reaching out, checking in, and making contact with those around us. Rob’s story is one of resilience, love, and the reminder that even in the deepest grief, we can create something profoundly good. Take a listen and you will want to be a part of this...
This week on the Season Nine Premiere we sit down with Mindy Richenstein, the founder of Supplies for Success, a nonprofit that has been equipping children with dignity and the tools they need to learn for more than twenty-four years. What began as a small effort to help 68 students has now touched the lives of over 300,000 children. In our conversation, Mindy shares her powerful journey of resilience, the heartbreaking loss that deepened her mission, and the joy of turning pain into purpose. Her story is a reminder that something as simple as a backpack can carry more than supplies......it can carry confidence, opportunity, and hope.
In our 90th episode of Charity Matters, Terry Grahl shares how her childhood struggles and her mother’s resilience inspired her to create Enchanted Makeovers. Her national nonprofit, Enchanted Makeovers, transforms shelters into beautiful, healing spaces for women and children escaping violence and trafficking. Guided by faith and a promise she made to women living in despair, Terry’s journey is one of grit, grace, and listening to a quiet calling. Her story reminds us that even one simple act of love can ripple out to change countless lives. Tune in to be inspired by how hope, creativity, and human connection can restore hearts and homes alike.
As schools are getting ready to close for the summer, today we are talking about what it takes to start a school. What started as a simple realization....a moment of wondering how a mother experiencing homelessness could possibly make it through the day....sparked a movement that’s changing lives and rewriting futures. Kate Kennedy founded a school for children without housing, creating a safe, supportive space where students can rise beyond their circumstances and write their own success stories. She took on the impossible by raising millions, building a school from the ground up, and empowering families who are often invisible in our system. Her journey is a testament to the power of listening, trusting yourself, and doing what you know is right, even when the world doubts you.
I am so excited to introduce you today to an amazing man, Elliot Kallen. He is a passionate entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, and father who has transformed personal tragedy into a mission of hope. As the CEO of multiple companies and the founder of A Brighter Day, Elliot brings both business acumen and deep empathy to his work. After losing his 19-year-old son, Jake, to suicide, Elliot committed himself to supporting teens struggling with depression and anxietywith his nonprofit, A Brighter Day.
Did you know that 350 million people worldwide live with a rare disease? That’s 1 in 15 families globally who are navigating these caregiving challenges. In this episode, you’ll be introduced to Cristol Barrett O'Loughlin and hear her incredible journey of service with her nonprofit, RareGivers Global—a worldwide network that provides emotional support to caregivers of those with rare, chronic, and complex diseases. Cristol’s story is ultimately a love story—for her brothers, whom she lost to a rare disease—and how she now uses her story to help countless others.
During this season of renewal, there is no greater renewal story than today's guest, Susan Shaw. In 2019, Susie and her husband lost their nine-year-old son William in an accident. In the years that followed, they have taken that pain and turned it into purpose for other grieving families by creating William’s Be Yourself Challenge. The grief support allows people to embrace being their authentic self, foster meaningful connections, and navigate their healing journey. Join us today for a powerful conversation about love, loss, and renewal. Susie's journey is one of inspiration and hope that there is always love.
Did you know that students miss 53 million hours of school each year due to oral disease? I did not but thanks to our amazing guest today I have learned so much about what our underserved communities around the country are facing with a lack of proper dental care. I am so excited to introduce you to the amazing Dr. Nicole McGrath Barnes. A full time dentist, a mother and a nonprofit founder on a mission to change that fact with the KinderSmile Foundation. You won’t want to miss this incredible conversation!
The people who inspire me the most are people who have lost children and take that unbelievable grief and pain and recycle it into good. It is the ultimate recycling of pain to purpose and today's guest, Mary Fagnano, is one of those remarkable humans.When her young son Nick was struck by lightning on a summer day at the beach, her life and her husband's life were forever changed. His life and legacy of service lives on through the beautiful foundation his parents created called the Thrive In Joy, Nick Fagnano Foundation. Join us today for an inspirational conversation that you won't want to miss!
Since cancer knows no boundaries and affects so many regardless of where you live, I wanted to share this amazing organization and family with you this week. Toby Freeman's family was living a lovely life until his oldest brother Robin was given a shocking diagnosis of cancer at the young age of 23. Twenty million people will also receive that diagnosis each year around the world but not all of them will act to serve others. Join us today for a beautiful conversation on the power of love, family, community and legacy. We all have the power to make a difference and Toby's story is a beautiful reminder of what happens when we do.
Dynamic educator and nonprofit founder, Kirk Spahn shares his inspirational story on this week’s episode of the Charity Matter’s Podcast. Kirk combined his passions of sports, his friends, education and a deep civic duty to create what is now the twenty year old ICL Foundation. Learn how one 23 year old set out to help in a small way, and today, is transforming education by teaching thousands of students how to learn and lead. One person can make a difference and Kirk's story and passion are proof.
This week’s guest on the Charity Matter’s Podcast, Joan Hornig, “paves the way” for aspiring difference-makers. Through her for profit business, Pave The Way, Joan provides one hundred percent of her profits to nonprofits by selling beautifully designed jewelry. In efforts to make a difference, Joan’s foundation, built on a social enterprise, adds value to her jewelry, knowing that each piece represents a donation to the purchaser’s choice of charity. Get ready for a heartwarming conversation beginning when Joan left her corporate life behind to kickstart her philanthropic journey.
Welcome to Season Eight of the Charity Matters Podcast Premiere! We have some fantastic people lined up this season that I am thrilled to introduce you to. For today's episode, I am doing my second solo podcast. In our very first episode I spoke about what we hoped to achieve with our Charity Matters Podcast. Looking back it is amazing to see the change and growth in the rearview mirror. We are in the top 5% of podcasts in our category which has some pretty impressive people. Join us today for a shorter episode as we talk about the book and all things Change for Good.
Welcome to the final episode of Season Seven of the Charity Matters Podcast! I am thrilled to share Siobhan and her husband, John's, incredible story in the creation of their nonprofit, Growing to Give. They have grown and given over 100,000 pounds of produce to local food banks in order to free people from hunger around the world. Their story is a beautiful full circle reminder of following your heart, your roots, and always thinking of ways to serve others.
Many of us grew up with the childhood slogan of, "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me." Hundreds of years later we now know that they actually can. As nonprofit founder, Jessica Bondy, shares an inspirational conversation about the power of our words, we learn that words can cause long lasting scars on our children. Join us for an enlightening discussion from across the pond about this amazing new nonprofit, Words Matter.