Claim OwnershipConnect Kindness Podcast
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Our mission is to connect people with nonprofit organizations to inspire kindness. By featuring the founders and directors of the organizations on our podcast, our listeners can learn more about the nonprofits. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectkindness/support
75 Episodes
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Welcome back to the Connect Kindness podcast, where we bring you inspiring stories of individuals and organizations making a positive impact in the world. I'm your host, Krystal Aziz, and I’m joined by my Co-Host Tim Evans. Today, we have a very special episode in store for you.
Joining us today is a remarkable individual whose dedication and compassion have transformed the lives of countless children and families. Pasitos de Luz is a non-profit organization based in Mexico. It provides comprehensive support and care for children with disabilities and their families, empowering them to lead fulfilling lives despite their challenges.
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In today's episode we interview Leah Craig Fieser, the executive director at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. Their mission is to better the lives of companion animals and the people who love them.
Through adoption programs, a low-cost mobile spay and neuter clinic, lifesaving shelter transfer partnerships, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue impacts the lives of thousands of animals each year. Leah shares how she and her team were able to take a struggling nonprofit, and turn it around to be one of the leading Animal Rescues in North Carolina.
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In today's episode we interview Mark Barlet, the founder of AbleGamers. Their mission is to create opportunities that enable gaming to combat social isolation, foster inclusive communities, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Mark founded AbleGamers after his best friend’s ability to interact and connect through video games was nearly taken away by her being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Mark’s vision was to ensure that no one with a disability would ever be without the ability to interact through video games. Mark has infused his passion into a global movement changing the way multibillion-dollar companies operate.
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In this episode we interview Jean Sicurella, one of the co-founders of Misión de Caridad. Their mission is to provide programs and resources for refugee, migrant and vulnerable women and children on the Mexico side of the U.S. border.
Jean shares with us the origin story of her organization and talks about the programs and resources for women and children on the Mexico side of the US border. We learn about some of the struggles and lessons that Jean has learned while running an international nonprofit. Jean also shares her favorite success story and why she loves doing what she does.
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In this episode we interview Beth Kempe, the founder of The Uniform Project. Her nonprofit keeps good clothing out of the landfill by recycling uniforms to children who need them worldwide. In the communities they serve you must have a uniform to attend school so each donation enables the kids to now attend which they may not have been able to do before.
Beth shares with us why she felt the need to create the Uniform Project and how a chance encounter with her exterminator helped her nonprofit go global. We learn about how she is able to take clothes that would otherwise be thrown away, and distribute them to children in need across the world. It was an absolute pleasure speaking with Beth and learning more about the impact her organization is making.
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In today's episode we interview Sam and Shariff Sayed, the co-founders of Dayna’s Footprint, which is a non-profit organization aimed at buying name brand shoes for underprivileged students. The organization’s mission is to combat learning inequity by providing students shoes to wear proudly, subsequently increasing students’ self-esteem and enthusiasm for attending school.
During our discussion we learn the amazing inspiration behind Dayna’s Footprint, and how brothers, Sam and Shariff, were able to take an idea for helping kids all the way to the Ted X stage. Their goal is to instill confidence in kids through their footwear program, and carry on the legacy of their sister, Dayna, who taught them lessons that they are passing down to the younger generation. Sam and Shariff have huge hearts and it was amazing getting to know them and learning more about their organization.
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In today's episode we interview Gary Oppenheimer, the founder of Faith Fights Food Waste, which is a global awareness program of AmpleHarvest.org. The program gives faith leaders of all religions the opportunity to speak to their congregations about the waste of food in America, each from their own faith perspective.
Gary shares how his program focuses on providing faith leaders with sermons that empower each community to combat food waste. We are thrilled to have Gary join us on another Connect Kindness Podcast and this is another very insightful episode. So without further delay, this is our interview with Gary Oppenheimer of Faith Fights Food Waste.
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In today's episode we interview Tracy Chmelecki, the founder of Children without beds. Tracy and her team started a nonprofit in 2017 to answer the calling of children without beds in the Metro Atlanta area.
Tracy opens up about how volunteering in an underprivileged community in Atlanta, GA opened her eyes and her heart to starting a nonprofit. We discuss the process of how families can sign up for assistance to receive a bed and also the overwhelming demand that her organization has seen. We also talk about how Tracy has a vision of her organization servicing families nationwide. So without further delay, this is our interview with Tracy Chmelecki of Children without Beds.
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In today's episode we interview Gary Oppenheimer, the founder of AmpleHarvest.org. Gary and his team envision an America where millions of gardeners eliminate wasted food, malnutrition and hunger in their own community.
Gary shares with us the inspiration behind starting AmpleHarvest.org, and how he had the vision of connecting gardeners with local food pantries to provide fresh food for people in need. We discuss how within 5 years of starting his organization, Gary was recognized as a CNN Hero, spoke about food waste on the TedX stage, and was invited to the White House. Gary is passionate about helping people and one of the most interesting change makers we’ve spoken to this year.
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In today's episode we interview Christine O’Connell, the executive Director of Riley’s Way Foundation. Their mission is to empower young leaders to use kindness and empathy to create meaningful connections and positive change.
Christine shares with us the background of Riley’s Way and details the amazing programs that they offer. We discuss their initiative to help kids in Public & Private schools connect in a meaningful way. We learn about their upcoming event , “Call for Kindness” and how they’ve been able to continue to make an impact even through the pandemic.
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In today's episode we interview Victoria Strickland, the Director of Communications and Partnerships at About Fresh. Located in the Boston area, they are on a mission to strengthen communities by getting healthy food to the households that need it most. The key to accomplishing their mission is that their programs are built to be integrated into community health systems.
Victoria shares with us the inspiration behind “about fresh” and how the organization has evolved over the years. We learned about the food programs that they are offering and how they are bringing healthy food closer to communities that need it most. Victoria educates us on their “Fresh Connect” program, which is a tech-enabled food prescription program that empowers people with the money and flexibility to buy the foods they need to be healthy.
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In today's episode we interview Jacob Cramer, the founder of Love for our Elders. His motto is - It only takes 5 minutes to put a smile on someone else’s face so Jacob began making & collecting cards to mail to elders in senior communities across the globe. He started his nonprofit at 13 so they now have over 50,000 volunteers.
Jacob shares with us what inspired him at such a young age to start a nonprofit that focuses on helping the elderly. We discuss the programs that Love for our elders offers and the process for collecting and distributing the letters. We discuss some of the challenges that Jacob’s organization has faced during COVID and the bright future that lays ahead for Love for our Elders.
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In today's episode we interview Brian Dozer, the founder of Vital Link. This 501c3 organization is dedicated to preparing students for their future careers through experiential learning opportunities. They offer programs that introduce students to the world of robotics, manufacturing, healthcare, computer programming, automotive technology and much more. Through these hands-on programs, they inspire students to feel confident and excited to pursue a fulfilling career.
We learn about the programs that Vital Link offers and what makes them such a unique organization helping our youth. Brian shares with us the benefits of community colleges and how it can be a launching point of a successful career. With their already established programs, plus their new virtual learning programs, they are setting the course for young adults to find their passion and their dream careers.
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In today's episode we interview Sarah Aadland, the Director of Doing Good Together's Big-Hearted Families Program. DGT is a Minnesota-based national nonprofit that works to make volunteering and service, along with daily kindness, easy for every family.
Sarah shares with us the mission of Doing Good Together and how they provide tools to both families and organizations to help raise compassionate, engaged children. Sarah opens up about some of the lessons that the organization has learned over the past 16 years and also one of her favorite success stories.
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In today's episode we interview Luke Michelson, the Founder and Executive Director of Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Luke and his team of volunteers are dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. Their motto is “No kid sleeps on the floor in our town”.
Luke shares how a tiny moment changed the course of his life and set him on a mission to make sure that no kid sleeps on the floor. We discuss how a simple Christmas project with his kids has launched a successful nonprofit with a presence in 45 of the 50 states in the US. Luke shares some amazing stories of how their organization has been able to make such a big impact in just a short amount of time.
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In today's episode we interview Gloria Abram, the founder of A Bouquet of Balloons. Based in Georgia, this nonprofit organization is dedicated to delivering smiles and a bouquet of balloons to those patients in hospitals and the various senior citizens communities.
Gloria shares with us the origin story of A Bouquet of Balloons, and how a visit to the hospital to see a friend gave her the idea to start her organization, and set her on a mission to brighten people’s day. We discuss some of the challenges of running a small nonprofit, as well as some things that Gloria believes will take her organization to the next level.
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In today's episode we interview two amazing young women from the PSYDEH Team, Mahathi Kumar, the Assistant Project Manager & Andrea Muñiz who leads Digital Communications. PSYDEH A.C. is an award-winning, non-profit organization that educates and empowers marginalized women in Mexico to lead social change and fight the inequalities they face.
Andrea and Mahathi share their journey that led them to joining the PSYDEH team. We learn about the different initiatives that they are leading and how they are making a difference in indigenous women’s lives. We talk about the impact they were able to make last year, even during the pandemic and we learn about some of their organizational goals moving forward.
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In this episode we interview Diana Greenfield, the Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of Young Voices of Austin. They foster musical excellence, leadership, and sustained academic achievement for a diverse population of young people ages 6 to 18. The children of Young Voices of Austin become global citizens who use the power of music as the path to create bridges throughout their city and into the world.
Diana shares with us how she was inspired to start her organization in Austin, TX and how the community has been so supportive in helping her grow it. We discuss the programs that Young Voices of Austin offers and how they use singing as a vehicle to bring children from all over the city together to learn from each other and foster meaningful relationships
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In this episode we interview Peter Rose, who is the President of the Rockhouse Foundation in Jamaica. The Rockhouse Foundation has been transforming learning environments in the Negril area for over 15 years. Originally focused on the renovation of public primary schools, the foundation broadened its focus to include the Negril Library, and the past 5 years has been concentrating on early childhood education.
Peter shares with us his background and what led him to dedicating his life to helping others. We discuss the challenges that his organization has faced during the pandemic and how they were able to continue to help their communities with their food distribution initiative. We also discuss how the Rockhouse foundation was able to open their SAV inclusive school, which pairs typical learners and children with learning disabilities in the same classroom to promote empathy, unity and acceptance.
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In today's episode we interview Cathy Heying, the Founder of The Lift Garage. Imagine a homeless person who lives in their cars or the families that can barely put food on the table. Have you ever wondered who fixes their cars when they need it? The Lift Garage is the answer.
Cathy and her team aim to move people out of poverty and homelessness by providing low-cost car repair, free pre-purchase car inspections, and honest advice that supports their community on the road to more secure lives. In the interview Cathy shares with us what led her to start the organization, we discuss some of the challenges that her team faces on a daily basis, and we learn about their plan for the future to help positively impact more and more lives.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/connectkindness/support
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