The Do Gooders Podcast (Christin Thieme)

Do you know how many times the average person touches their phone in a day? 2,617 times. A day!

The American Psychological Association calls these people “constant checkers.” Is that you? 

Are you of the “rise and grind” mindset, day in and day out? If so, you’d better listen up.

Aaron Edelheit is on the show today to share why we need a hard break in our lives each week. And he’ll be the first to tell you, he didn’t come up with the idea—it’s biblical, a Sabbath.

The CEO and Founder of Mindset Capital, a private investment firm, Aaron is also the author of “The Hard Break: The Case for a 24/6 Lifestyle.”

In it, he makes the case for taking one day a week off from work, email and our phones for a more productive, healthier and creative life.

Doing so vastly changed his own life for the better, and so he’s out to share why we need a hard break, the benefits taking a Sabbath can have and the simple steps to doing so. 

 Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

A weekly podcast from The Salvation Army's Caring Magazine dedicated to helping you do good right where you are. 

There’s no question a pandemic is stressful—for everyone. But there’s six key things you can do to lessen the impact of stress on your and your kids’ health. California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is on the show to share what’s inside her Playbook on Stress Relief during COVID-19 and what you can do every day, at home, to help support your mental and physical health.

A meditation on the Beatitudes is a “training in goodness,” says Jonathan Dodson, which as he says, has “the power and wisdom to center us in these dizzying times and bring the change we need.” He’s on the show today to share more about this “humble reflection” and what we can learn from these promises of Jesus.

Howard Thurman once said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

When was the last time you felt that spark? An igniting of your soul? 

As Emily Ley will tell you, there’s inherent magic at the intersection of God’s calling for your life and what makes you feel truly alive. 

Emily is the founder of Simplified, a brand of planners and home organization tools for busy women, the bestselling author of four books, a wife and mother of three. 

She didn’t always have a life she loved, however, and her latest book, “Growing Boldly: Dare to Build a Life You Love,” is a look into her journey to creating one. It’s a letter to women everywhere to believe in yourself, imagine the life of your dreams and chase it with grit and determination. 

She offers five key practices that propelled her in her latest book and she’s on the show to share from her book on pursuing what makes you come alive. 

As she says, your calling is to connect with that spark within you, that unique switch placed there by God, that will ignite your soul. 

So how do you pursue what makes you come alive?

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No one expects to evacuate from their home in the middle of the night, wading through chest-deep water to find a way out of an emergency.

We just don't think it'll happen to us.

But for Shamrock Steele and her husband, Dave Lanphear, it did.

Shamrock and Dave survived the Skagit floods in November 2021.

They made it out in the middle of the night, in their pajamas, with their young grandkids and pets.

Their completely remodeled house that they were just about to move into, however, did not.

Then days turned to months as they figured out what to do next and how to rebuild.

And that's when they met The Salvation Army.

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What does it mean when someone knows you? When they stop and ask you by name how things are going?

It’s perhaps the simplest and most meaningful way to impact a young person, according to Captain Angela Morrow, who leads The Salvation Army Centennial Corps—or church—with her husband as Corps Officer in Centennial, Colorado. 

She grew up attending Salvation Army youth programs and while she said she thought she was going for the fun and friends, it was so much more than that. As she grew, she realized she wanted to be one of those key leaders who make an impact—to be present and available to people, especially youth. 

It’s Captain Angela’s philosophy that if you instill confidence in a young person today, they’ll be ready to face tomorrow. 

And so, she’s been instrumental in starting activities just for the kids—from an after-school program to a beginning youth band, choir, piano and guitar lessons, a character-building troops program, and more.

Captain Angela is on the show today to share more about her philosophy and efforts for youth in her community. As she tells the kids—this is a safe place where you can be yourself.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. 

Way back on episode 8 of this podcast, we heard from Pastor Dr. Mark Moore on Why Understanding the Bible Better Makes Your Life Better and how to go about it.

He had just released “Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year.” In an approachable format, the book helps you master the passages with the greatest potential for practical application—from creation to heaven, money, God’s will and grace.

As a former New Testament professor at Ozark Christian College and now the teaching pastor at Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Mark has spent more than 40 years helping people make sense of Christianity.

And now, he is back with a new book: “Quest 52: A Fifteen-Minute-A-Day Yearlong Pursuit of Jesus.”

It offers a simple plan to experience the life and heart of Jesus as never before, addressing questions like: Does Jesus really care about your pain? And how can you hear God’s voice?

And this Easter week, we get to hear directly from Mark on another question: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

As he says, if this claim isn’t true, then none of the rest of it matters. So what would it take to believe in the resurrection? What do we know?

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I vividly remember my first real reporting outing as an intern. I met Jill, who lived in a Salvation Army shelter for families experiencing homelessness and HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles. Jill told me about the moment she learned she was positive—and pregnant. The baby would be born infected.

Jill showed me the four vials of antiretroviral medication her daughter, then 2, had to take each day. She also gave me a tour of the apartment, their home, with visible pride over her child playing in the toy kitchen. Despite the hurdles, Jill became a mom and it changed her for good. She had a new story to write.

Before I left, Jill thanked me for letting her tell her story, saying it felt good to share.

As I’ve sat down with people in the 15 years since, I’ve heard the same sentiment again and again.

It’s when we name our experiences that we come to understand them in a new way—especially our own. More importantly, stories help us to understand each other, to see past any label and instead see the person.

On this episode of the Do Gooders Podcast, we’re going to talk about story and why it’s so powerful.

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Sarah Bentley started the Silver Line, a toll-free phone line seniors can call for emotional and spiritual support—and a connection to practical support as well. It’s important, she said, that these older adults know they’re not alone. And the phone has been ringing ever since. She’s on the show today to share how she’s helping in the midst of COVID-19 and what she is seeing from the frontlines of service.

Did you know we have nearly 140 published episodes of this show?

That’s a whole lot of inspiration right there at your fingertips for those days you feel a little stuck or like you need a little dose of goodness.

We’ve covered everything from: How to effectively engage anxiety, the state of poverty today, plans for a Salvation Army adaptive camp, what hope does for our minds and bodies, what it means to be commissioned as a Salvation Army officer, how to pursue what makes you come alive, how to receive the Holy Spirit, a truly biblical view of womanhood, how The Salvation Army “saved my life” and so much more.

You may not have caught each and every episode on what it means to do good, what it’s really like to be homeless, principles to spend differently or how to foster gratitude.

So over the next few weeks, we’ll be rebroadcasting some of our favorite and your most-loved episodes. With the click of the “subscribe” button on any player you love, you’ll get each new episode with that boost of inspiration, encouragement and ideas for how you can get involved in doing good.

Then we’ll be back before you know it with a new season focused on helping you do good right where you are. 💛

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What are your plans for the New Year?

As we step into 2025, many of us are thinking about resolutions, goals and what lies ahead. But what if planning for the year ahead was less about our own agendas and more about trusting God's plans?

In this timely rebroadcast, we're revisiting our conversation with Megan Fate Marshman, who continues to serve as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church and the Director of Women’s Ministries at Hume Lake Christian Camps. She recently released a new book, "Relaxed: Walking with the One Who Is Not Worried about a Thing," but her insights from her book "Meant for Good: The Adventure of Trusting God's Plans for You" feel especially relevant as we begin a new year.

So listen in as Megan shares in this past conversation how to practically trust God's plans, even when the path isn't clear, and discover why this trust might still be the most important thing you plan for in the new year.

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We’ve all seen depictions of the white lights and tunnels to heaven in some movie or TV show after the character has a near-death experience.

But for Rick Osgood, that experience was real.

Rick has a long history with advisory organizations in The Salvation Army and is currently a member of the Territorial Advisory Board for The Salvation Army in the western U.S.

In his professional life, he was one of the founders of Pacific Growth Equities, a research-driven bank specializing in technology-based emerging growth. Now retired, Rick operates a vineyard in Napa, California, and serves on a number of boards for public and private companies.

And this summer, he experienced an injury while abroad that left him hospitalized for more than 40 days. It’s an injury he’ll tell you he probably shouldn’t have survived. Miracle after miracle has followed.

Rick is on the show to share his testimony—what God showed him in his near-death experience and what it all means today.

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Did you know one-third of your life will be spent at work?

That’s 90,000 hours over the course of a lifetime.

And that’s a lot of hours.

So, of course, you want to spend that time in a healthy environment.

Al Lopus would call it a flourishing workplace.

Al is the cofounder and CEO of the Best Christian Workplaces Institute and author of the new book, “Road to Flourishing: Eight Keys to Boost Employee Engagement and Well-Being.”

He works to provide research-based measurement tools and strategic advisory services to help Christian organizations set the standard as the best, most effective workplaces in the world.

He serves on the advisory council of the Christian Leadership Alliance, having previously served as a board member.

And he is on the show to share the research on flourishing workplaces and how to get there, including more than a few tangible tips on the eight key drivers for a healthy workplace culture.

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We see stats about addiction. We see substance abuse portrayed in film and in TV shows. We might even know someone who’s personally faced addiction to drugs or alcohol. But most of us don't really understand what causes addiction, and why our brains respond the way they do to drugs.

Dr. Judy Grisel has made it her life’s work to unravel the mysteries of addiction, striving to uncover its root causes.

A distinguished behavioral neuroscientist whose expertise spans the fields of pharmacology and genetics, Dr. Grisel's groundbreaking research draws from her insights into addiction. These insights aren’t just academic though; they're also deeply personal. 

Dr. Grisel's journey has been shaped by her own experience with addiction, which has given her a unique vantage point on the subject. 

Her passion for understanding the neuroscience behind addiction led her to deliver a powerful TED Talk titled “Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction,” which captivated audiences around the world. She wrote a book of the same name.

With a career dedicated to advancing our understanding of addiction, Dr. Grisel is on the show to share her knowledge, insights and research findings, shedding light on this complex and often stigmatized topic.

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When The Home Depot was founded in 1978, I imagine its creators had no idea how revolutionary this new “hardware store” would be for home improvement. Or that their vision of a one-stop shop for the do-it-yourselfer would come true.

Fast forward and I know you’ve been inside one yourself, searching for the right size nail or color of paint. I’ve done my own share of tracking down a friendly face in an orange vest with my latest how-to question.

Today, The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement retailer with more than 2,200 stores across North America. It’s even appeared on Fortune’s Most Admired list.

Perhaps that is partly attributed to its values—because right there next to creating shareholder value is the company imperative to give back. The Home Depot Foundation has even pledged to invest half a billion dollars by 2025 in serving veterans, filling the labor gap and rebuilding after natural disasters.

Joe Wimberley is on the show today to share more about the foundation’s efforts to partner with nonprofits and engage its own employees in fulfilling thousands of service projects each year. As the Senior Manager of Team Depot under The Home Depot Foundation, Joe manages the company’s employee engagement efforts in volunteerism.

These Team Depot members volunteer their time, he says, because they see it as a collective, familial mission. Afterall, some 35,000 Home Depot associates are veterans themselves.

And as you’ll hear, these skilled volunteers have partnered time and again with The Salvation Army to transform facilities for veterans into homes. To ensure our veterans know, as Joe says, that they are well-loved and cared for.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. 

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.

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It’s no secret that the role of guns in violence and what should be done about it are subjects of intense debate in the U.S.

And it’s an important one as some 100 people die by firearm every day in our country.

It’s an issue Dr. Daniel Webster has studied throughout his career, including now as a Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. 

As one of the nation’s leading experts on firearm policy and the prevention of gun violence, Dr. Webster has published numerous articles on youth gun acquisition, adolescent violence prevention, intimate partner violence and sensible firearm policy.

As The Baltimore Sun said about him: “Gun control policy tends to be dominated by emotion and ideology. Dr. Webster has become a leader by approaching the debate with data and reason.”

In this episode, he talks about the epidemic of gun violence, the misperceptions surrounding the issue and evidence-based approaches to addressing it.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

When Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder returned to the U.S. after 11 years living abroad, he said he was taken aback by the number of people he saw living on the streets—in tents, below freeway underpasses, and at the base of our cities’ skyscrapers. 

He returned to the West coast to lead The Salvation Army here and knew The Salvation Army had to act. 

The organization began in London in 1865 as William Booth walked the streets preaching to the homeless, the hungry and the destitute. What became The Salvation Army set out to offer compassionate, tangible service to people in need—you may have even heard the motto: Soup, Soap and Salvation. 

Now that service extends to more than 130 countries around the world and to every zip code here in the U.S. as The Salvation Army works to meet human need in every community—exactly as that community needs. 

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Commissioner Hodder has served as a Salvation Army officer for 31 years—ministering in communities from Glendale, California, to Kakamega, Kenya. 

In this episode, he shares more about The Way Out—a Salvation Army initiative in the West to not only address the epidemic of homelessness, but to double The Salvation Army’s impact—because as Commissioner Hodder says: there is no one better poised to do so.   

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Why do you trust in Jesus?

“Why follow some ancient carpenter-turned-philosopher from a podunk town in the Middle East, a man whose own people didn't believe in him for the most part? It just doesn't make any sense.

Or does it?”

That’s the question Ray Comfort asks in his latest book, “Why Would Anyone Follow Jesus? 12 Reasons to Trust What the Bible Says about Jesus.”

Of all the gods, gurus and good people out there, why Jesus?

Ray Comfort is the Founder and CEO of Living Waters and the bestselling author of more than 100 books, including How to Know God Exists and The Evidence Bible. He also cohosts the award-winning TV program Way of the Master, airing in every country in the world.

In this book, Ray walks through 12 persuasive reasons to believe that Jesus was who he said he was and did the things the Bible records him doing. Most importantly, he explains why it actually matters to your life right now.

And how you can share him with others.

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Many seniors who live by themselves stay busy in community, especially at The Salvation Army Western Territory’s Silvercrest residences for seniors. Across the western U.S., some 3,000 people live in these independent living communities. And now, because of COVID-19, they’re inside their own apartments, together but apart. That’s why in Chula Vista, California, Karin Ingrande initiated a creative way to keep seniors engaged and active—balcony music sessions.

We’ve long extolled the virtue of gratitude. Some have even called it the “social glue” that fortifies relationships and serves as the backbone of human society.

But what is gratitude? Where does it come from? And how can we foster it? 

Dr. Robert Emmons is perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. He is a professor in the Department of Psychology at UC Davis, the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, and director of the Emmons Lab, a long-term research project designed to create and disseminate a large body of scientific data on the nature of gratitude, its causes, and its potential consequences for human health and well-being.

His research has been featured in dozens of outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR.

He’s also written five books on the subject, including the most recent: “Gratitude Works! A Twenty-One Day Program for Creating Emotional Prosperity.”

As he shares on today’s show, there’s no downside to being grateful. Yet it goes beyond a feeling. As he says, rather than feeling gratitude based on our circumstances, we must take it on as an orientation, a lens to life.

We can use gratitude as a way of framing our experiences and thus enjoy an upward spiral of goodness. 

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

The Salvation Army Orange County’s Anaheim Emergency Shelter is a temporary home to 224 individuals. While there, residents have a place to stay, meals and job and housing services. And now, Site Supervisor Benjamin Anozie said The Salvation Army has adapted life at the shelter to increase the safety of residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the crisis has forced a deeper reflection among his team and for himself about why they do the work they do—despite the risks.

What are your plans for the New Year?

Will it depend on how things are going in the moment?

It doesn’t need to. You really can trust God’s plan for your life—in all things, no matter what your life looks like right now.

That’s what Megan Fate Marshman explores in her new book, a power-packed, biblical look at Jeremiah 29:11-14—a familiar passage that begins: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, …

So how is God inviting us to practically trust him through Jeremiah 29?

How can we take active steps to trust God regularly?

And how does trusting God’s plans for our lives change the way we live?

Megan is on the show to share just that.

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How do you see God at work in your everyday life? How do you view the church? If it’s as a place you go on Sunday mornings, then listen up. As Tim Soerens shares this week on The Do Gooders Podcast, the church is more relevant than ever but we must question our default settings in how we pay attention to God at work in our lives.

We are interrupting our ongoing festive Christmas programming here on the Do Gooders Podcast to bring you something different, something special—a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving is a time where families, friends, even strangers, gather around tables to share meals and fellowship, offering thanks to God for his abundant blessings in their lives. 

But what if we celebrated Thanksgiving and every meal as the early Church of Acts did?

While it’s my voice you’ll be hearing, this study was written by Major Nancy Helms, a former guest on the show, who serves as The Salvation Army Western Territorial Director of Disabilities Ministries and Director of Personnel for the College for Officer Training at Crestmont.  

Each of the next seven days will include part of the study along with a reading of the day’s Scripture selection and a closing prayer.

I hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving.  

This is part one by Major Nancy Helms.

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Research has shown volunteering improves physical and mental health, provides a sense of purpose, and nurtures new and existing relationships. And it can also get someone involved in a faith community—especially at this time of year.

That’s what happened for Captain Edith Dye-Mabie, who first met The Salvation Army when her husband was a participant in the Adult Rehabilitation Center program. With her children, she got connected to the nearby Salvation Army corps or church and when they asked for volunteers at Christmastime, she showed up.

The rest, as they say, is history—though quite a bit happened along the way.

Today, Captain Dye-Mabie and her husband are corps officers or pastors of The Salvation Army in Roseburg, Oregon, now working to get others involved with those personal invitations that make all the difference.

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Our salvation in Christ begins personally—it’s a decision and commitment made individually. But it does not end there. A genuine personal relationship with God flows into all of our relationships.

After all, Jesus gave us two commands: love God and love others.

In this episode, Commissioner Jolene Hodder shares more about her own experience of faith, how she knows God is real and where she finds him. She explores how we can express love for God and for others as commanded.

And why, as she says: love is a decision not a feeling.

Commissioner Jolene holds a master’s of religion and has served as an ordained minister—an officer—in The Salvation Army for 31 years. She currently serves as the Territorial President for Women’s Ministries of The Salvation Army USA Western Territory.

As a two-time author, Commissioner Jolene shares in her writing about her overseas ministry and day-to-day life in Kenya—including the good and the moments where she had to look for God.

Her stories illuminate a personal relationship with God, and how it is central to understanding who we are and what life is about.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

What is peace—and how do we build it? 

How can we create a shared future where everybody belongs. 

In this episode, Monica Curca talks about peace and why it involves all of us...Why we’re all responsible to solve violence. And why power is found in relationship. 

Monica founded Activate Labs, a nonprofit organization that builds a creative force for peace and justice. Her projects bring together the ingredients for joy to enable direct, structural and cultural peacebuilding. 

As a refugee herself and someone who holds two master’s degrees in sustainable international development and conflict and coexistence, Monica is perfectly poised to help us pursue a lens of peace. 

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Don’t only invite your friends or the rich, Jesus said in Luke 14. He said, “Make it your habit to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Then you will be blessed…” (14:12-14). 

At about 20 percent of the population, the disabled community is the largest minority group in the world.

Yet, estimates are that 80 to 85 percent of churches don’t have any level of disability ministry.

And worse, surveys reveal most families with a disabled child do not attend church at all because they don’t feel welcome or it’s just too hard.

Major Nancy Helms is the Territorial Disabilities Ministries Director for The Salvation Army in the western U.S.

For her, it’s a role that’s also personal as she has a child who has disabilities. She is out to make sure everyone has a seat in ministry and friendship.

She’s on the show to share more about her own experience, what she wished the Church knew about loving beyond disability and practical ways we can all engage in ministry in this way.

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This season, we’re exploring The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.

Last week, we heard from an expert at the Urban Institute on the state of poverty in the U.S., what it means for families and the strategies that point to a way out.  

So what does that kind of support look like day-to-day?

Maybe that axiom is correct: It takes a village. 

You’ve heard that one before, right? It takes a village to raise a child. But what if the same is true for all of us, child or not? 

Perhaps we need each other. We need community.

That’s what Trina Crawford will tell you. 

As the Director of The Salvation Army Service Center in Havre, Montana, Trina becomes part of that village for those in the Pathway of Hope. She becomes a daily fixture in their lives, checking in with them, providing tangible help and resources, directing them toward community and reminding them of the hope that exists in Christ.

How does she do it? Why does she do it? And what impact has she seen through the years? 

(And stay tuned later in this episode for a special guest appearance…)

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Every disaster scenario creates its own unique circumstances and special needs. In each case, The Salvation Army is there with other agencies to offer relief in the form of food services, emergency communications, donations management, social services and more.

Perhaps most uniquely, The Salvation Army deploys specially trained individuals to offer emotional and spiritual care to rescue workers and disaster survivors alike.

That ministry of presence is all we do and say—a collective action of words, touch, listening and presence. Collectively, those actions work together to express the love and compassion of God.

Major Tammy Ray, who currently serves as the corps officer in Redding, California, has a long history of responding to disasters as part of The Salvation Army's disaster relief team. And she helps prepare people to serve in this emotional and spiritual care role—to discern and offer what someone might need, even if they can't state for themselves—to create the "transforming place."

As she says, It's more being than doing.

It's a quiet servanthood, a calm presence.

It's not about fixing but it is a gift of connection with another person at a critical time in their life.

It might be exactly what St. Francis of Assisi meant when he said, "Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.”

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It’s the season of giving. 

Giving love, giving thanks. Giving to a red kettle near you.

And while those bells ring, it’s also a season when many give of their time. 

They volunteer.

Each year more than 3 million people of all ages volunteer their time, talents and resources to assist The Salvation Army's work across the U.S. These volunteers are critical partners in helping The Salvation Army fulfill its promise of "Doing the Most Good."

And yes, 3 million people is a lot of people. So I’d like to introduce you to just one of them today. 

Dustin Wallace is a long-time Salvation Army volunteer because he loves it. 

He’s a graduate of The Salvation Army’s addictions rehabilitation program and now attends The Salvation Army corps, or church, in Seattle. He regularly volunteers alongside his husband—from distributing meals or hygiene items to those experiencing homelessness, ringing the bell at a kettle or assisting in the toy distribution at Christmas.

He’s here to share more about his experience with the organization, why he chooses to give back and why he believes anyone can be the reason somebody believes in goodness. 

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Imagine a December spent savoring the true joy and awe of Christmas.

Sounds dreamy, right?

Well, get this: You can.

With your family this season, you can dive deeper into understanding the true wonder, mystery and excitement of God sending his only Son to the world. Make more of the reality of who Jesus is as our source of hope, peace, joy and love. Unwrap the true gift that Christmas brings to each one of us.

And we have the guide for your journey.

Lt. Erin Wikle is a Salvation Army officer (or pastor) currently serving in San Francisco. She’s also a mom to four and a singer/songwriter. In fact, you might remember her from episode 26 of this podcast.

Together with Caring, she has shaped a 28-day Advent Journey for families and we are here invite you in to creating a meaningful season.

To making memories with your family as you set aside time to look forward to Jesus’ arrival with increasing expectation.

But let’s start from the top…what is Advent and why do we recognize it?

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The New Republic observed in 2019 that “America seems to be in the midst of a full-blown panic attack.”

And then came 2020...and with it, an exhausting instability.

By the end of March 2020, 45 percent of Americans said stress from worrying about the virus was negatively affecting their mental health.

In April 2020, a government emergency hotline for emotional distress heard from 20k people—compared with just 1,800 in April 2019.

But—pandemic or not—this rise in anxiety isn’t all that surprising. It could be expected, in fact, when our unchanging faith collides with a changing culture. 

That’s what authors Sarah Zylstra and Collin Hansen explore in their new book: “Gospelbound: Living with Resolute Hope in an Anxious Age.”

The influence of Christians with hearts tangled up in the gospel seems to be waning just as we're needed most. But there’s another story unfolding, too.

Sarah, senior writer and faith-and-work editor for The Gospel Coalition, is on the show to counter growing fears with a robust message of a gritty, real, resolute hope for anyone hungry for good news.

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What motivates a person to “do good” and why would one choose to do so alongside The Salvation Army?

That’s what Craig Darian is sharing on today’s episode.

Craig is a longtime executive, producer and businessman in the entertainment industry who has owned and operated several companies.  

Currently, as Co-Chairman and CEO of Occidental Entertainment Group Holdings, Inc., Craig presides over five operating divisions, including 15 sound stages, and roughly three dozen office buildings with about 1 million sq. ft. of production, editorial and creative office space. 

As Co-Chairman and CEO of Tricor Entertainment, Inc., Craig has produced films with the likes of Robert DeNiro, Anthony Hopkins, and Kathy Bates. Movies like King Kong, Spider-Man, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pearl Harbor and Meet the Parents.

As Chairman and CEO of Darian Management Group, LLC, Craig has represented a wide range of clients doing business in the motion picture, television and music industries.

He is a longtime voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, Producers Guild of America, Television Academy and Los Angeles County Bar Association.

And he serves on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Metro Board of The Salvation Army; Shakespeare Center of LA, where he is president of the board, and St. Anne’s. In fact, in April 2019, he was honored with an Angel Award by St. Anne’s, along with Mayor Eric Garcetti. 

Yet, as Craig will tell you, he prefers the term “humanitarian” to “philanthropist” so the emphasis is on the recipient rather than the giver because it’s his moral imperative, he believes, to give back. 

 Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Just a year ago, if you would’ve asked the experts where the U.S. was headed, they were certain of one thing: the country was beelining toward a recession. 

In fact, a Bloomberg economic model said the odds of a U.S. recession in 2023 were 100 percent. Not 99 percent. There was no possible chance an economic slowdown was avoidable.

So, how are we doing a year later? Well, you could say those grim forecasts were a little off-target. The U.S. economy, according to all the key indicators, is humming right along.

And yet, for many Americans, prosperity is ever elusive. And there’s still unmet need in every zip code across the U.S.

The Salvation Army has its work cut out for them, especially as we work to meet the needs of the whole person—body, mind and soul.

And that’s exactly what we’re covering in the episodes of this podcast to come. We’ll be taking a look at the state of the issues, exploring The Salvation Army’s work through the lens of its seven primary areas of service. 

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Chances are, if you’ve been online at some point over the past decade, you’ve probably watched a TED Talk.

You know the format—world-renowned speakers, experts and innovators on various topics take center stage to present one great idea in 18 minutes or fewer.

TED Talks often challenge conventional thinking and offer new perspectives. They can be inspiring, thought-provoking, and even controversial—sometimes sparking spirited discussions and debates. 

More than one billion TED Talks are viewed every year. And chances are, you know the name TED, in large part, because of a man named Chris Anderson.

As the curator of TED, Chris helped transform TED from a small, annual conference in Monterey, California, into the global phenomenon it is today. His TED mantra—"ideas worth spreading"—continues to flourish around the globe. It’s created a platform for people from all walks of life to gain access to new ideas and research on virtually any topic they find interesting, for free.

Today, we’re talking with Chris about generosity and his recent book, “Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading.” In it, he explores the power of human kindness and its potential to transform the world. He explains why simple acts of generosity can have a profound impact on individuals and communities, and how the spread of kindness can create a more connected, compassionate society.

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It’s no secret that sports teach character. 

Both wellness and life lessons come with being part of a team. 

Jose Moreno gets to take those benefits to the next level. 

As the Vice President of Marketing and Community Relations for the Fiesta Bowl, Jose leads charitable giving and philanthropic efforts across Arizona. 

Through events like the Fiesta Bowl—a college football bowl game held annually in Phoenix—Fiesta Bowl Charities gave $2.5 million to Arizona nonprofits in 2018—including The Salvation Army. 

In this episode, Jose talks about sportsmanship and how sports provide an avenue to do good. 

Yet—as someone named to the Phoenix Business Journal Forty-Under-40 Class of 2018 of up and coming leaders in the community—Jose says you don’t need an organization behind you to do good. He shares practical tips for being intentional with our efforts and explains how we can each have an impact right where we are. 

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

In the words of French writer Antoine de Saint Exupéry, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."  

In other words, cast a vision of what could be.

That’s exactly what Dr. Matthew Desmond is doing in his latest book, “Poverty, by America,” because the end of poverty, he says, is possible.

Dr. Desmond is a professor of sociology at Princeton University. He’s the author of four books, including “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” which won the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, Carnegie Medal, and PEN / John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction.

His latest book, already a #1 New York Times Bestseller, reimagines the debate on poverty, provocatively challenging all of us that the reason it persists in America is because so many of us benefit from it.

As he writes, “some lives are made small so that others may grow.”

But we can end poverty, he argues, and each one of us can become a poverty abolitionist.

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It’s 2024, and the opioid crisis is showing no signs of slowing down.

Overdose deaths from opioids, including prescription painkillers and synthetics like fentanyl, continue to rise.

The statistics paint a chilling picture. 

According to the CDC, an estimated 187 people in the U.S. die every day of opioid overdoses, most involving illicit and dangerous versions of fentanyl. 

What’s perhaps more alarming, is this crisis is now affecting every age group. In fact, overdose is now the third leading cause of death in American children. From 2019 to 2021, adolescent overdose deaths more than doubled.

To help us better understand the crisis, Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal is on the show today. At the University of Southern California, Dr. Bluthenthal is a Professor and Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Department of Populations and Public Health Sciences, and Associate Dean for Social Justice in the Keck School of Medicine.

He’s well versed on the opioid crisis and its devastating effects on families and communities. He’s been published more than 190 times in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Drug Policy. Dr. Bluthenthal has received numerous awards including the John P. McGovern Award for Excellence in Medical Education from the Association for Multidisciplinary Education & Research in Substance Use & Addiction.

On this episode, he joins to give us more insight on the opioid crisis and what he believes needs to happen to make change.

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Online searches for gratitude spike every year, right around this time. And with 196 million Google search results for the word gratitude, it’s a concept we have plenty of information about.

But what does it really mean to be grateful? Why is it important? And how does it improve your daily life?

Commissioners Doug and Colleen Riley are territorial leaders of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. In 25 years of pastoral leadership, they’ve experienced rejoicing and endured suffering. They’ve sat with people in all circumstances, good and bad. Simply put, they know what it is to be grateful.

The Rileys are on the show to dive deeper into gratitude, to help us see biblical examples of it and point us toward how to find it, especially, in a year like 2020.

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You’ve probably seen the red kettles and thrift stores, and while we’re rightfully well known for both, The Salvation Army is so much more than red kettles and thrift stores.

So who are we? What do we do? And where?

In this episode, we’re going to cover the who, what, where, why and how of The Salvation Army—plus how you can get involved in the Fight for Good.

So take a seat for Salvation Army 101.

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Could you use a good word from the Good Word?

In this episode, Commissioner Dave Hudson—who was also the very first guest on this podcast—brings us the Word from the life of Jesus, who was known as a friend of sinners.

This recording is from 2020, when Commissioner Hudson was just days away from retirement. After dedicating himself to ministry with The Salvation Army for more than 40 years, Commissioner Dave Hudson retired in 2020 as National Commander of The Salvation Army in the U.S.

He preached here at a Commissioning event for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. The event annually marks the ordination and appointment of new officers, or pastors, of The Salvation Army.  

Commissioner Hudson challenges those individuals—and each one of us—to consider the way Scripture shows us that Jesus accepted everyone as they are. That was regardless of their background and despite a society where the marginalized were ignored, religion was defined by laws, and people were separated and treated differently because of their identity and status.

Jesus’ instructions to us were simple, Commissioner Hudson said: Love.

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Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.

Of course, you know this list—the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.

Much has been written about this list and how we can better find and embrace these traits in our lives, as evidence of being a Jesus follower. The marks of our godly character.

But author Jessica Thompson asks: Has it ever occurred to you that the fruit of the Spirit are also the characteristics of God? Can it be that God loves us with the fruit of the Spirit? And only when we are secure in that love can we display it to others?

Jessica’s new book, “How God Loves Us: 40 Days to Discovering his Character in the Fruit of the Spirit,” is 40 readings designed to take you deeper into the love God has for you.   

She’s the author of several books, a frequent speaker, part of the podcast Front Porch with the Fitzes and is the director of church life at RISEN Church in San Diego, California.

And Jessica is on the show today to share more about her book and the love God has for you.

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Right now across the U.S. there are 442,000 children living in the U.S. foster care system. Nearly a third of them are eligible for adoption.

As Proverbs 24:12 reads: “Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act."

And that’s exactly what led Brandlayn Musial from a career in marine biology to one of advocacy for vulnerable children.

She works with The Salvation Army and beyond to understand the factors that result in family breakdown, the needs of hurting kids and families and how the Church can effectively live out the Scriptural call to look after orphans as found in James 1:27.

As a trained practitioner in helping communities better understand and navigate the impacts of childhood trauma, she works with churches on becoming agents of change and places of healing for children and foster and adoptive families.

Based in British Columbia, Brandalyn also serves as the OrphanSunday and Stand Sunday Coordinator for Canada, helping connect churches with the resources to bring awareness and education to their own church family.

In this episode, she shares more about our responsibility to care for vulnerable children and what exactly we can do.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. 

Hunger is a new reality for many as the coronavirus has taken hold of communities across the country, and as a result, The Salvation Army has stepped up its services to meet the need. 

In Denver, Lt. Sarah Aguirre said the Denver West Adams Corps has increased the amount of food it distributes by 75 percent. She’s on the show to share how she’s helping in the midst of COVID-19 and what she is seeing from the frontlines of service.

As The Salvation Army California South Divisional Camp Director, it’s been a tough year for Marty Brown.

Imagine: A sprawling camp without campers. 

He’s on the show to talk about the long-lasting impact of a week at camp—and what is planned for this summer as we transition to a post-pandemic world. Because, while it may not look like a traditional Salvation Army summer in many ways, camp is back on across the West this year.

Marty has attended camp, worked on staff at camp and now oversees The Salvation Army’s camps in Calabasas and Big Bear, California. He holds a master of theological studies from Tyndale University and Seminary. 

And as he’ll tell you, in between the camp fun and the food, most importantly, kids at camp learn that God loves them and they experience that love from so many people who are at camp specifically to care for them.

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Did you listen in on what it means to do good, what it’s really like to be homeless, principles to spend differently, how to foster gratitude, and more? After nearly a year of weekly shows on the Do Gooders Podcast, we have a lot of good ideas to catch up on. So we’re hitting pause and giving you a chance to do just that. Hear how The Salvation Army is working to double its impact on homelessness, strategies for raising kind kids, or why understanding the Bible better makes your life better—all of it is right here, waiting for you to press play. We’ll be back before you know it with a new season focused on helping you do good right where you are. And you can stay up to date with all the goodness by heading to caringmagazine.org/newsletter and signing up for the free, weekly Do Good Digest email newsletter. Until we chat again, keep on doing good.

Find show notes for all episodes at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

We spent a season discovering The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.

But let’s take a step back. What is hope?  

Kierkegaard called it a passion for the possible. Psychologist C.R. Snyder said it’s a reservoir of determination. Emily Dickinson said it’s the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without the words. 

It’s hope. 

And it’s an essential ingredient, part of the namesake of The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope. 

Dr. Suzanne Phillips is a licensed Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, and Fellow and Co-chair of Community Outreach for the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA). She has been a psychologist for more than 35 years and is a newly retired Adjunct Full Professor of Clinical Psychology at LIU Post, a private university in New York.

And as someone in the business of hope, she’s on the show to help us better understand hope and what it does psychologically and physiologically—plus how we can recognize it and find more of it in our lives. 

It’s not magic, she says, but a mindset, a propeller for action and possibility. And, it’s contagious. 

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This is a good word from the Good Word with Commissioner Doug Riley. 

Commissioner Riley is the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. You may remember him from previous episodes of this podcast on gratitude and the Christmas story. 

Here, he preached at this year’s commissioning and ordination meeting of The Salvation Army in the western U.S., when the Army commissions those in training as Salvation Army officers or pastors. 

And he had one question: What is your purpose? 

While we often start with ourselves and struggle through our identity, importance and impact, Riley said we fail to see the answers are found in understanding God’s reason for putting us here on earth. 

God's purpose, he said, is simple: To know him and to glorify him. Our purpose is found not in what we do, but who we know. 

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“The sound of gentle silence.”

That’s how 1 Kings 19 describes the voice of God.

Which might explain why hearing him speak can be really hard.

But Pete Greig’s latest book is meant to help us do just that. It’s called “How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People.”

You may remember Pete from Episode 71 of this podcast, when we talked with him about a simple guide for how to pray.

Pete is a writer and pastor who co-founded and leads the 24-7 Prayer movement around the world.

Now, he offers insight and tools to help turn your ordinary, everyday prayers into a real, conversational relationship with the God who is speaking, more than you know. 

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More than 400,000 people were homeless last year. That’s a record high, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

To put that number in perspective, that’s roughly enough people to fill Michigan Stadium, the largest stadium in the U.S., not once but four times.

And many experts agree even that figure might be an undercount.

Despite pouring billions of dollars into shelter beds and support services, cities across the country are struggling to keep up with the demand.

That’s especially true on the West Coast, where encampments are ubiquitous and housing costs continue to skyrocket. In the Greater LA area, which, according to some experts, has become Ground Zero for homelessness, several new projects are taking aim at the issue.

The Salvation Army recently launched two.

In these new projects, and the existing ones across Southern California, the goal is to help end chronic homelessness in the community and transform the lives of those who come in.

As we begin our series exploring the state of homelessness, Lt. Colonel Mike Dickinson, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army in Southern California, is here today to tell us more about what The Salvation Army is doing to chip away at the crisis, and why.

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Each year from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, you’ll spot The Salvation Army’s red kettles outside of grocery stores and shopping malls just about everywhere you go.

The kettle debuted in San Francisco in 1891 in the midst of a depression that had thrown many out of work. A Salvation Army officer put out a crab pot on the ferry landing to collect donations to feed those who were hungry on Christmas Day. Passerby dropped in coins and the campaign was born.

Now every year, about 25,000 bell ringers, young and old, brave the elements to help The Salvation Army raise money for local community programs. And yes, money given in your community stays in your community. Those gifts allow The Salvation Army to serve 23 million Americans a year.

And in Redding, California, Captain Timothy Danielson runs the local Salvation Army kettle campaign with 100 percent volunteer bell ringers.

Last year, those volunteers gave 2,300 hours ringing the bell. Collectively, they raised more than $136,000—a 7 percent increase from 2017.

But as Danielson says, though critical for raising money to keep Salvation Army ministry going—the red kettle serves as a reminder to busy, Christmas passerby that hope exists.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. 

People call him “Ragu the Plumber.”

But these days Ragu Razo doesn’t work as a plumber. Six years ago, he swapped his old nine-to-five job to drive a refrigerated truck for The Salvation Army in Mesa, Arizona. 

Every weekday, Razu collects food from five different stores on his route in the East Valley. The food is still good, but it won’t be sold anymore at stores because it’s reached the “sell by” date. Once Ragu’s loaded up the food, he brings it back to the Mesa Citadel Corps so it can feed hungry families in the area. 

It’s all part of the Grocery Food Rescue Program, a partnership between the United Food Bank and The Salvation Army.

Ragu’s efforts help feed about 50 families a day. And it’s not just canned food. The corps is able to offer meat, poultry, fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, bread and other food staples to clients. 

Not to mention, the program helps keep food that is still good out of landfills. Each year, some 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the U.S., according to Feeding America. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food discarded each year. 

That means that nearly 40 percent of all food in the U.S. is wasted.

That number’s even more concerning when you consider 34 million Americans are living in food-insecure households.

That’s why food rescue programs like the one Ragu helps out are more important than ever. 

Today, we talk with Ragu about his “second career,” what fuels his desire to give back, and what it’s like to see firsthand just how much food is being saved in one community.

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Anxiety.

We all have it. 

And it’s not always a bad thing—it’s a natural response to facing the unknown that can protect us.

But it can also go too far.

The American Psychological Association said in late 2020 we’re facing a national mental health crisis that could see serious health and social consequences for years to come. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 1 in 5 American adults are affected by an anxiety disorder—that’s some 40 million people.

And yet, freedom from anxiety is learnable.

That’s what Jason Cusick will tell you.

He’s the Pastor of Journey of Faith in Southern California. Formerly a hospital chaplain, he’s passionate about the connection between faith and wellness.

He has a new book—“The Anxiety Field-Guide: Healthy Habits for Long-term Healing”—and is on the show today to share his own experience with anxiety and how to effectively engage it.

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Are you out the door at 5:01, won’t work weekends and prefer texting to face-to-face meetings?

Or do you live to work, can’t text and can’t tolerate change?

Like most stereotypes, these over-generalized generalizations about generational groups lead to further miscommunication—and often aren’t correct.

So how does one speak across generations, particularly in the Church?

Rev. Dr. Darrell Hall lays it out in his new book, “Speaking Across Generations: Messages That Satisfy Boomers, Xers, Millennials, Gen Z, and Beyond.”

He currently serves as the Campus Pastor of the Elizabeth Baptist Church campus in Conyers, Georgia.

And he’s made it part of his ministry to communicate effectively with members of every generational people group—each with its own culture and preferences.

He’s on the show to share more about this idea of generational intelligence and how we all can better speak across generations.

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This season, we’re exploring The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.

Last week, we learned about the research surrounding self-sufficiency and how essential hope is along the way. 

Hope was described as the driver that leads to goal attainment—and critically connected to our spiritual well-being.

That’s why Pathway of Hope is grounded in Scripture.

From what God requires of us, as found in Micah 6:8, to the motivation for serving suffering humanity, as found in 1 Corinthians 16:14, which says: “Do everything in love.” 

That theological foundation is about joining God at the place of need and allowing him to work through us to bring his healing and hope.

And that’s exactly what you’ll hear in this testimony. 

Katherine Reid first met The Salvation Army in eighth grade, when she and her mother became residents at a shelter.

Years later, as a mother herself, she again met The Salvation Army and became a participant in the Pathway of Hope.

And this year, Katherine was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer—a pastor—now serving in full-time ministry as the Assistant Corps Officer in Bloomington, Illinois.

Only she can do the incredible details of her story justice. 

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You don’t need resolutions, you need rhythms.

Rhythms provide a cadence, a pace to live by. They let you transform one step at a time.

And there’s four you need, says Rebekah Lyons—rest, restore, connect and create.

As the bestselling author of “Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose” and a new companion planner, Rebekah will tell you these rhythms are not complicated, but they do take practice.

She’s on the show to share more about the four rhythms you need and how to find them today.

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The U.S. experienced a record number of billion-dollar weather disasters in 2023, and it’s not a one-year fluke but the new trend.

In the face of this changing disaster landscape, there's one organization consistently on the frontlines, bringing aid and hope to those in need: The Salvation Army, whose disaster relief operation never sleeps.

Last year alone, The Salvation Army served nearly 600,000 people across a staggering 4,300 disaster events. Thanks to the generosity of donors and corporate partners, The Salvation Army was able to provide these survivors with a warm meal, a safe haven for the night, and in some cases, something just as essential: a listening ear and a moment of prayer.

John Berglund, The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services Director in the West, is helping us set the stage for our ongoing conversation about the current state of disaster relief.  

He's sharing more on the dynamics of serving throughout another record-breaking disaster year, the importance of cleverly adapting to meet needs, and some of the common misconceptions around disaster relief.

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When The Salvation Army began responding to COVID-19 in March 2020, there simply was no way to know the sheer breadth the response would take.

Now, a year later, the need remains great, and the response isn’t over. The Salvation Army is still providing food, rent and mortgage and utility assistance, lodging and emotional and spiritual care, and more. To date, The Salvation Army has provided more than 6 million to those in need in the Western U.S. during the pandemic. 

And yet many of the needs The Salvation Army has met over the last year weren’t unique to the pandemic.

Hear 10 new ways The Salvation Army met old needs over the last year—and then, how you can go about finding your why, too. 

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Building resilience is a lengthy process, but it's an investment that pays off. By focusing on preparedness, mitigation and adaptation, more communities can ensure that they too build and sustain resilience after a natural disaster.

Todd De Voe is a true authority on all things resilience and emergency management.

Todd is the Editor in Chief of The Emergency Management Network newsletter, a published author in the reference book "Campus Crisis Management," and has penned numerous whitepapers and studies.  He hosts The EMN Newsletter Podcast and The Leader's Cafe. He even delivered a TED talk on building and sustaining resilience. Todd holds a Masters in Public Administration and another in Emergency Management, and he's a graduate of the National Emergency Management Executive Academy.

Today, we're diving into what resilience truly means in emergency management, the the role of community organizations and programs in building a culture of preparedness, along with strategies communities can use to strengthen their bonds and resources in the face of adversity. Most importantly, Todd will share insights into the common challenges communities face during recovery and how they should be approached.

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On this show, we like to share stories of everyday people turning hope into action in small, real-life ways right where they are—people like Suzanne Pickering.

As a representative of Banner Health, Suzanne started a winter coat and blanket drive in partnership with The Salvation Army in Tucson, Arizona.

She knows firsthand what it is like to need a little help—and after seeing people without a warm coat amid freezing temperatures, she said she decided to do something about it.

She said, “The Salvation Army once helped me and it was exactly what my family needed—hope.” Now some 20 years later, she organized this Warm Up Tucson drive—doing what she can with what she has right where she is.

As part of our Warm Hearts, Warm Homes series, we’re asking how we can embolden a spirit of care and community, especially in these coldest weeks of the year. Stick around to the end to hear this week’s challenge for you.

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How did you spend your last $20?

Did it make you happy? 

You might be interested to know that science shows money really can buy happiness.

And it’s not about amassing greater wealth.

Dr. Michael Norton, a member of Harvard University’s Behavioral Insights Group, says money can bring us increased happiness if we shift our focus from earning more to spending differently.

His research shows we find happiness when we spend money on others. 

He and co-author Elizabeth Dunn wrote “Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending” with five principles to spend differently that lead to happier people.

In this episode, Dr. Norton shares those principles and how we can apply them in our own lives.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. 

“Conquering addiction is a miracle in itself.”

Those are the words of Lt. Timothy Pemberton, who leads The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center in Santa Monica, California.

The Salvation Army has more no-fee rehabilitation facilities than any other program in America. For more than 100 years, these Adult Rehabilitation Centers have offered spiritual, emotional and practical assistance to those who have lost the ability to cope with their problems and provide for themselves.

The free addictions recovery program provides housing, food, counseling, community and employment as The Salvation Army works to treat the symptoms and ultimately the root causes of prolonged substance abuse and dependence for some 150,000 people a year. 

And while it’s no easy feat to conquer an addiction, on today’s show Lt. Timothy shares his number one indicator of success—and he would know. He went through the program himself 13 years ago and now works every day to bring others out of their addiction too—to say to others on graduation day, you’re at a new starting line.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. 

We’re back with more highlights from the 2024 Testify Congress.

This 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.

Today, we’re sharing his message from the first main session of the Congress with some 3,000 attendees at the Pasadena Convention Center Civic Auditorium.

Listen in as the General shares a four-part formula for life in Christ: Connect with God and know him, share the good news of Jesus Christ, demonstrate care and concern for those in need, and pursue holiness.

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Before and after.

Before 2020, the idea of closed borders, lockdowns, face masks, social distancing, and testing weren’t a thing.

After, we’ve experienced the real toll, the disruption, the unknown that the pandemic brought.

It was a crisis of a generation, and it changed the world on a global scale. Mental exhaustion, economic disparities and escalating divisions now mark our times.

But award-winning author, Dr. Chris Rice sees the challenges of our day as a historic opportunity for renewal and fresh growth.

In his new book, “From Pandemic to Renewal: Practices for a World Shaken by Crisis,” he examines eight interrelated crises exposed by the pandemic era and provides pathways for followers of Christ to bring transformation and healing to their lives and communities.

Rice is director of the United Nations Office of the Mennonite Central Committee, an international relief, development, and peace agency. He served as Co-Founding director of the Duke Divinity School Center for Reconciliation, and is coauthor of Reconciling All Things and More Than Equals, which both won Christianity Today Book Awards.

Now, from a burnout society and bipolar world order to our own divided selves, Rice helps us understand this emerging world that will reshape our lives for decades to come. In today’s show, he also shares some of the transformative practices that can move us toward social healing and spiritual renewal.

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A network of Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers across the U.S. have a common goal: to help people discover and develop their passions in their own neighborhood. 

The 26 centers were created thanks in large part to Joan Kroc, wife of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, who entrusted The Salvation Army with $1.5 billion to build a space for arts, education and athletics in underserved communities. 

The Hawaii Kroc Center, on the island of Oahu, has been offering fun for more than seven years. With some 11,000 members, the center attracts locals with everything from a water park to a dance academy to Kroc Church. 

In this episode, Executive Director and Senior Pastor Major Phil Lum says the Hawaii Kroc Center is a one stop shop for the family. A Salvation Army officer for more than 30 years, Lum was appointed to help develop the Kroc Center back in 2006 and he’s steered its growth since.   

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

The past year and a half tested us all but it also brought countless examples of hope and sacrifice. We saw brave Salvation Army officers, staff, volunteers and friends continue to serve and show care in their communities in ways big and small. 

We’re designating these incredible individuals—nominated by you!—our Caring Heroes. And, as a small gesture of respect and gratitude, we honored them in a live virtual awards ceremony July 23.

We named the 2021 Caring Heroes—the brave, compassionate, passionate, uplifting, caring members of our communities. We were inspired by Brad Montague, New York Times bestselling author and creator of Kid President. And we were encouraged and challenged by The Salvation Army’s Western Territorial Commander Commissioner Douglas Riley. He thanked the awardees for “loving people who need it—whether they know it or not.”

And on this episode of the podcast, we’re bringing you his message along with a song by Matt Woods, with accompaniment by Jill Ulmer, titled “Love Changes Everything.” 

As the song goes: “Love will never let you be the same.”

Enjoy this clip from the awards show and then watch the full replay.

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Have you heard the saying that God uses broken people to do great things? That’s good news for all of us, and if you haven’t yet been personally invited to know more—consider this episode especially for you. Lt. Paul Chisholm from The Salvation Army Fountain Valley is on the show today to share more about his own testimony and why he knows firsthand that discipleship—relationship—makes all the difference in making the choice to do things differently, to evolve.

We’re kicking off our state of the issues series today with the state of hunger.

According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, today in the United States are food insecure. 

Across the country, The Salvation Army operates more than 1,500 food pantries, and annually serves more than 171 million meals, which includes prepared meals and some 6.4 million food boxes that contain 20 meals each.

To help set the table for this series on hunger and food insecurity, we’re talking today with Captain Angel Amézquita, the Corps Officer and director of the Los Angeles Central Corps and Red Shield Community Center, located in the heart of LA’s Pico-Union neighborhood.

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Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.

If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.

We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving. 

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Did you know every 39 minutes, someone dies in a drunk-driving accident in the United States? That's about 37 people a day.

We know drinking and driving is deadly, yet it continues to happen across the country.

According to one estimate, on average, those who drive drunk will be intoxicated 80 times before being caught. In addition, studies show the odds of being involved in a fatal auto accident increase with each additional DUI arrest. 

It’s a fate Shauna Zeuske tempted again and again.

In 2015, she was arrested for driving under the influence. That DUI was her third. Within a month, she’d received two more and ended up with a three-year jail sentence. She was able to get some time shaved off her sentence, but within six months of returning home, she got her sixth DUI.

When she went back to jail, she told her public defender she wanted to go to The Salvation Army. They allowed it, so she entered the Adult Rehabilitation Center program. These residential programs provide spiritual, emotional and social assistance to individuals who are experiencing a variety of social, emotional and spiritual challenges, including issues relating to substance abuse. Shauna feared she wouldn’t be able to get sober, but she stuck with it, because as she said, “she desperately wanted to stop drinking.”

And in 2021, she graduated from The Salvation Army San Diego Adult Rehabilitation Center. 

She went on to manage the Transitional Living Center at The Salvation Army Door of Hope Rady Campus in San Diego, helping other women looking for transformation too.

And today, she works as a financial controller for a construction company. She recently married and continues to sponsor and mentor others through their own challenges.

Shauna is on the show to share more about her own experience on the road to recovery.

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What are your plans for the New Year?

Will it depend on how things are going in the moment?

It doesn’t need to. You really can trust God’s plan for your life—in all things, no matter what your life looks like right now.

That’s what Megan Fate Marshman explores in her book, a power-packed, biblical look at Jeremiah 29:11-14—a familiar passage that begins: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, …

So how is God inviting us to practically trust him through Jeremiah 29?

How can we take active steps to trust God regularly?

And how does trusting God’s plans for our lives change the way we live?

Megan is on the show to share just that.

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Ok, trivia time:

• What is the color of Santa's suit?
• Can you name the animal that pulls Santa's sleigh?
• Why is Christmas celebrated across the world?

Or rather, how do you explain the story of Christmas to kids?

In a season filled with celebration and merriment and presents and fun…as parents we, of course, want to help our kids understand and appreciate the reason for it all, the gift we were given, the birth of Christ.

Majors Emmanuel and Jennifer Masango understand this well as the parents of three boys and also as Salvation Army officers, or pastors, currently serving as Western Territorial Youth Secretary and Territorial Candidates' and Recruitment Secretary, respectively.

Their best tip? Keep it simple and be intentional.

And we have just the new Advent resource to do just that and enjoy a small meaningful moment with your family throughout this season, which they’ll tell you more about. You can find it at caringmagazine.org/advent and I am inviting you to grab that resource today, involve your kids in a fun family night coloring and putting together a classic paper countdown chain to hang in your home this Christmas and remind you of that greatest gift of love.

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Everything feels a bit more whimsical this time of year. And maybe you're after a little more of it?

As bestselling author Bob Goff will tell you, we can't catch what we don't chase.

Which is why he's out with a new devotional next week called “Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility.”

In it, he offers daily thoughts to help you chase after a more meaningful life, experience a more engaged faith and approach the challenges that will likely come your way with greater intention and confidence than perhaps you have experienced in the past. And with a short daily entry, it's an adventure to last you a full year.

Bob spent decades as an attorney, became the Honorary Consul to Uganda, and gave up his law firm to pursue writing and speaking full time. He's a New York Times bestselling author several times over, runs a popular weekly podcast, and will tell you life is too short to just go through the motions.

Whimsy, he says, shows up as joy and hope and generosity and selflessness and endless amounts of curiosity.

And some things, like whimsy and wonder and passion and the ability to give and receive extravagant love are worth catching. You might be just a decision or two away from a more beautiful and winsome life.

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Perhaps more than any other story, the story of the first Christmas has connected with people for millennia.

Every year, we tell of the baby born in a manger, with angels announcing his birth to shepherds and men traveling long distances to see him. Why has it connected so profoundly with millions of people?

What was society like at the time?

And what is the significance of the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Messiah being born alongside livestock? 

Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder, who leads The Salvation Army in the Western U.S. as Territorial Commander, is back on the podcast today to share more about this story of peace and goodwill—a story ultimately of love.

You will remember Commissioner Hodder from episode 6, when he shared more about The Salvation Army’s work to double its efforts on homelessness. Today, he explores what the gift of Jesus Christ means in our lives, why this story still matters, and how we can best mark this Christmas in appreciation for all the story has to offer.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. 

We’re in the business of telling you stories of transformation and hope—and sometimes, we get the chance to show you.

If you head to caringmagazine.org/video, we have an entire library of firsthand accounts of hope found with the help of The Salvation Army.

From a teen roasting her own coffee to bring water to Ethiopia, to a couple serving people living out of their vehicles, to a father who had lost everything to addiction and finally found healing and got his family back.

In this episode, we want to share with you one of these stories of hope.

The Seruyange family fled their home in Uganda in search of safety for their young children. They arrived in the U.S. seeking asylum in 2018 and found themselves alone in San Bernardino, California.

After a serendipitous encounter with The Salvation Army, the Seruyange’s journey to freedom and safety brought them to a new hope and a new church family. It would change the course of their lives.

Listen to the story here, and visit caringmagazine.org/video to see it and share it with others.

Allow me to introduce to you today, the Seruyange family.

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Welcome to a new series—Walking With Jesus: A Journey to the Cross.

Over the next four weeks, we’ll be guided by Major Dr. Terry Masango through a thoughtful exploration of Scripture and its meaning in our everyday lives.

In this series, he invites us to walk alongside those who encountered Jesus on his journey to the cross—from the lost sheep being carried home on the shepherd's shoulders, to the Good Samaritan who showed true compassion across social boundaries, to the thief on the cross who found salvation in his final moments, and finally to the empty tomb that changed everything.

You’ll be challenged to see yourself in these stories—sometimes as the lost sheep, sometimes as the Good Samaritan and always as recipients of God's grace.

Today, we'll discover the lengths to which the Good Shepherd will go to find those who have strayed.

>>> Get your free Holy Week Art Journal here.

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Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.

If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.

We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving. 

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Welcome to this special presentation of "Army of Stars," a radio program that captured the spirit of giving during the golden age of radio.

From the 1930s through the 1990s, this series brought together some of entertainment's brightest stars in support of The Salvation Army's mission.

And today, we're traveling back to December 25, 1949, for a particularly memorable Christmas broadcast.

Hear from a best-in-class lineup of operatic talent—including Lawrence Tibbett, Kirsten Flagstad, Lisa Albanese and José Berling—a Nativity story reading by Jean Hersholt, beloved by radio audiences as "Dr. Christian," and a message from The Salvation Army's then National Commander Commissioner Ernest Pugmire.  

While much has changed since 1949, The Salvation Army's commitment to serving those in need remains constant.

So let's return to Christmas Day, 1949, as an Army of Stars salutes The Salvation Army.

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Have you been to a Salvation Army summer camp? If so, you probably remember it well. 

Camp is a place where kids discover inner-strength, learn valuable life skills, make lifelong friends, appreciate the outdoors and are mentored with love and kindness. 

And Mechale Mency remembers it well. 

In fact, she recently emailed a thank you to the director of Camp Gilmore, The Salvation Army’s Calabasas, California, camp that she attended in the late 1970s.  

Mechale is from the Los Angeles-area, and for three summers she spent a week at Camp Gilmore at no cost to her family. Did you know every summer thousands of kids attend one of 12 Salvation Army camps across the West, many of them on scholarships funded by generous donors? 

Mechale is one of them and she’s on the show to share what she remembers of camp and the experience she had there that made her want to be an experience for others today. Now, as the principal of Garfield Elementary School in San Diego, she’s out to make sure kids feel seen and valued, and learn to value others—just as she did at camp. 

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There’s a lot of focus, and rightfully so, on decreasing homelessness in the U.S. It’s a complex issue that deserves our attention more than ever. But it’s important to remember that when you dig beneath all of the data and all of the policies and all of the ambitious housing projects, you find real human stories. And you see that a lot of people who experience homelessness at some point in their lives are our neighbors, friends, coworkers, and family members. And many of them, given the chance, go on to transform their lives and do incredible things.

That’s what this episode is all about. Today, we’re talking with someone who fits that description to a tee, Morgane Dussault. Morgane is The Salvation Army’s Corporate Engagement Director in the Golden State Division. 

She grew up in Chico, California, with dreams of studying international business at Pepperdine University. But her path changed one night at a high school party when she tried hard drugs. Six months later, she dropped out of school. For the next 15 years, Morgane struggled with addiction. She found herself homeless with nowhere to turn.

Then one day in jail, a fellow inmate told her, “If you want to change your life and you’re serious about it, then you need to go to The Salvation Army.”

So she did.

And today, Morgane says all of the struggles shaped her into someone inspired and committed to making a difference for others. She's on the show today to share more of her incredible story with us and you have to hear it from her.

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What’s bigger than Starbucks and Google combined?

A $150 billion industry?

Involving 25 million people worldwide?

It’s human trafficking. And it’s a problem in your community.

Across the U.S., The Salvation Army has 49 anti-trafficking programs. Recent statistics show The Salvation Army served 4,415 trafficking survivors in just one year.

Erin Kauffman is the Housing Director for one of those Salvation Army anti-trafficking programs, called Stepping Stones, in Spokane, Washington.

She’s worked to help trafficking victims become survivors for many years, including most recently as the SEEDS of Hope Program Coordinator in Las Vegas.

These are people, much like all of us, she’ll tell you, searching for love and belonging.

And she’s on the show to share more about The Salvation Army’s anti-trafficking work and some of the myths surrounding the issue.

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Did you know: One in seven Americans will be affected by addiction? And the disease is even more prevalent in members of the armed forces, particularly with tobacco, alcohol and prescription drug abuse. 

Unsurprisingly, the problems created by addiction are many. 

As veteran Edwyn Hector says, addiction takes you from you. 

For 18 years, Ed has helped more than 3,000 people work through addiction to gain control at The Salvation Army’s Bell Shelter. Located just outside of Los Angeles, the Bell Shelter is one of the largest homeless shelters west of the Mississippi—and many of its clients are vets. 

In this episode, Ed talks about addiction, why recovery is different than sobriety, and what it takes to find healing. 

It all begins with learning to love who you are, Ed says, and he shares how he leads clients to do exactly that. 

According to Ed, how we feel is how we live. And there’s a lot to love for each one of us.  

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Did you know we have some 50,000 storage facilities in the U.S.? That’s more than the number of Starbucks and McDonald’s locations combined.

One estimate cites the number of items inside the average American home at 300,000. But what purpose does all of this “stuff” serve?

Joshua Becker believes that a large amount of our stuff serves absolutely no purpose—and in fact, detracts from our well being instead of adding to it.

A former pastor and the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist—with two books on the subject and an online course—he empowers readers to adopt a form of minimalism that works for them—in effect, optimizing our values.

Because minimalism, he says, isn’t about living in a white room with zero belongings, but about intentionally promoting what we most value by removing anything that distracts from it. And in return, we can find more time, more money and less stress.

Joshua is on the show to talk about this purposed-focused journey, which he says comes down to a simple question: What do I want my life to be about?

It’s not: What do I need to get rid of? But what can I add to my life? And he shares plenty of practical advice along the way.

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We’re doing something different in this episode—giving you a little behind the scenes of what happens in our office and a preview of what’s coming.

So I’ve invited Hillary Jackson, the managing editor of The Salvation Army’s Caring Magazine, my partner in publication if you will, to join me today.

Hillary also holds a master’s in specialized journalism from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism—we actually went through the same program. She’s written for the likes of The Washington Post, The Week and Architectural Digest, and has worked around the world covering the Olympics.

In this episode, we’re chatting about the magazine that this podcast is connected to and its goal, with a deeper look inside the making of our annual print edition releasing now. You can find it at caringmagazine.org/belonging.

Plus, you’ll absolutely want to listen to the end for the special appearance of some of you who answered a question we recently asked about how you found your place in The Salvation Army.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

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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.

Consider for a moment that you lost your job at the start of this global pandemic. You had a good job. Last New Year’s Eve you never could have expected to be unemployed. But now you are. Your usual expenses are still due and while you now have no income, you’ve also added new needs—like health insurance. You know this Christmas won’t be like it was last year, but can you really not buy any gifts for your child?

It’s a sobering reality that so many Americans are facing this year.

And as some have said, it’s a disaster without the cleanup. We’re in month nine of the ongoing hurricane.

So while we’ve heard again and again this year that the need is greater, we know that need is personal. It touches individual lives—many who have never needed assistance before.

Sabrina Kiser is the Director of Social Services for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. She oversees initiatives like The Way Out, a plan to double The Salvation Army’s impact on homelessness by 2024. And this year, she has supported the significant expansion of feeding and sheltering in response to COVID-19.

In just the 13 western states, The Salvation Army has provided more than 5.5 million meals, beverages and snacks and some 600,000 nights of lodging since mid-March.

Sabrina is on the show today to explore need from all angles—as the pandemic hit, the outlook right now and as The Salvation Army prepares for what’s to come—especially as we’re currently out to rescue Christmas. 

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This season, we’re discovering The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.

Last week, we heard from a smalltown service center director about what it takes to deliver Pathway of Hope support day-to-day along with a current participant in the initiative. 

But let’s take a step back. What is hope?  

Kierkegaard called it a passion for the possible. Psychologist C.R. Snyder said it’s a reservoir of determination. Emily Dickinson said it’s the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without the words. 

It’s hope. 

And it’s an essential ingredient, part of the namesake of The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope. 

Dr. Suzanne Phillips is a licensed Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, and Fellow and Co-chair of Community Outreach for the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA). She has been a psychologist for more than 35 years and is a newly retired Adjunct Full Professor of Clinical Psychology at LIU Post, a private university in New York.

And as someone in the business of hope, she’s on the show to help us better understand hope and what it does psychologically and physiologically—plus how we can recognize it and find more of it in our lives. 

It’s not magic, she says, but a mindset, a propeller for action and possibility. And, it’s contagious. 

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

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GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

This season, we’ve been talking a lot about hope in The Salvation Army.

Hope, by definition, is a feeling of optimism—it’s based on expecting a positive outcome.

That’s what Commissioner Doug Riley will tell you.

He’s the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S.

He was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer—or pastor—alongside his wife Colleen in 1995. He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and has now spent nearly three decades in pastoral leadership.

And he’ll also tell you, our hope is in Christ.

This is the time of year we celebrate the power of hope, the most wonderful time of the year—Christmas. 

And just as there was great hope for those living in the time of Jesus’ birth, there is great hope for us today.

Commissioner Riley is on the show today to share more about the hope we find in the Christmas story and its reminder that darkness will give way to the light. 

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

This is a very special episode as it’s our 100th episode of this show!

When I sat down to plan this season and saw episode 100 would fall just before Christmas, I wanted to make sure we had a really special guest.

And we do.

I am so excited today for this episode on the nostalgia and traditions of family at Christmas with one of my favorite people in the world, Fehrn Hesse. Otherwise known as Mama, my grandmother.

She instilled in our family a love of Christmas.

To sing it loud for all to hear.

To watch every heart be light.

To bask in the inescapable glow of making spirits bright.

I love Christmas for the way it brings us together—one song, one cookie, one smile, one movie at a time.

In my family, I’ve named myself the Chief Holiday Cheermeister—and that love of the wonder and true meaning of this season is due in large part to our family matriarch, Mama.

Not only has she raised our family, Mama also taught as a professor in the nursing department at Mt. Saint Mary’s for 24 years and worked for 40 years as a mother-baby nurse at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California. 

If you’ve met her, you’ve probably received a hug from her. She radiates love and encouragement and it’s a real gift to me this season to get to talk with her here about the love of a mother at Christmas.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

You’ve probably heard of The Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving dinners, food pantries or the provision of meals during a natural disaster. But you might not know that TSA in communities across the country fills backpacks or other bags with food to send home from school with kids for the weekend.

That’s to make sure kids who receive free or low-cost breakfasts and lunches at school don’t go hungry at home.

Hemet, California, is one of those communities.

Located some 80 miles from downtown Los Angeles in the San Jacinto Valley, the 28-square mile city has a population of roughly 85,000 people. With a median household income of about $37,000, some 23 percent of the population lives below the federal poverty line. And the number of children who qualified for the National School Lunch Program was so high, the school district decided to make it easier—now everyone qualifies.

For Lt. James Fleming, the corps officer or pastor of the Hemet Corps, making sure a person gets the help they need is his greatest passion. And that includes these kids.

In this episode, Lt. James shares more about The Salvation Army’s weekend food program for school kids in Hemet. He works with volunteers, donors, drivers and school nurses to make sure bags with four meals, four snacks and two drinks go home on Friday afternoons with the kids who need it.

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast. 

Quick programming note: We recorded this episode before recent events unfolded. It doesn’t address the current war in the Middle East but we believe this episode still holds value so we’re sharing it today as planned. Then we’ll be back with an added bonus episode this week with a family therapist on how to care for ourselves in an emotionally taxing world and how to address what’s going on with our kids. Be sure to subscribe to the Do Gooders Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and you’ll be the first to know when that episode drops this week.

What would it mean to you to see the scenes of Scripture, the places where Jesus walked and talked and performed miracles, right in front of you?

To survey the land and picture the people, to take in the detail of a setting we so often study?

How would it affect your understanding of the Bible?

Of the legacy you want to leave as a follower of Jesus?

Emily Anderson is here to answer these questions after recently returning from the Holy Land.

Emily is the Social Media Editor for Caring Magazine.

So while she’s usually behind the screen, interacting with you on our Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest, today she’s sharing more about her time seeing the setting of Scripture come to life.

And she’s reflecting with us on what the experience means for her moving forward.

After the episode, be sure to follow Caring on Instagram and send us a DM with your favorite Holy Land experience or what you would most want to see if you go in the future.

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.

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.

Love others.

I imagine you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who'd disagree with this sentiment in theory. But what about practically speaking, when it comes down to actually loving others?

We're back today with part two on loving others with Lt. Colonel Dean Pallant.

If you missed last week, listen to part one for what it means to love others with Dean Pallant. He's the Communications Director for The Salvation Army United Kingdom with the Republic of Ireland Territory and recently spoke at a virtual Salvation Army holiness retreat about loving others. In part two today, he gets into details of really loving others.

As he says: “We need a practical, perfect love that can thrive in the gutter. We must be able to love others when the rubber hits the road of life."

So how do we do it?

EPISODE SHOWNOTES

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

On any given night in America, more than 550,000 people are homeless. 

To put that in perspective—that’s more than 8 times the capacity of Gillette Stadium, home of the SuperBowl Champion New England Patriots. It’s more than the number of people who live in all of Sacramento, California, or Tucson, Arizona.   

That number includes men, women and children—each with a unique story. 

And while the number of those who are experiencing homelessness has declined by some 100,000 people since 2007, there is still work to be done. And it’s work The Salvation Army, for one, is committed to. 

That’s why we turn to people like Chris Christian. 

Chris was homeless on the streets of Santa Barbara, California, for nearly 5 years. He and his wife slept in their van—and eventually a tent. 

Chris was a lawyer for more than 20 years prior to that. But he was called to ministry—and he found it in the midst of homelessness. 

Today on the show, Chris shares what it really means to be homeless, how it feels and what the hardest part about it is. He talks about his own crisis of faith in feeling abandoned—and how the stories of struggle and pain that we see reflected in so many biblical characters became his story. 

He reveals insight and compassion for those without a place to call home and he lets us in on the way out of homelessness. 

Find show notes for this episode and more at caringmagazine.org/podcast.

Welcome back to Table-ology, a seven-day Scripture study in the lead up to Thanksgiving Day by Major Nancy Helms.

If you’re just joining in, head back to part one to hear more about this series and then continue on.

We hope it will serve as a meditative moment for you as you prepare your heart and home for this Thanksgiving. 

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.

To live simply is to live holistically in your life’s purpose—and set aside all the rest.

That’s what Tsh Oxenreider will tell you after more than a decade of writing about the art of simple. Tsh is the bestselling author of several books and just released a new journey into Advent that guides us with simplicity in contemplating the presence of God before feasting in it.

She writes: “Advent is our invitation to rest in the already–not yet anticipation of the God incarnate, who will one day right all the wrongs of the world. And yet he already came, 2,000 years ago as a helpless baby. Already, not yet. We live in the middle, where we’re invited to wait with hope.”

Tsh says Advent is an inward posture—it’s a gift, not a burden. She’s on the show to share more about her new guide and how you can meaningfully observe Advent in the days ahead.

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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.