Army of Normal Folks

For our “Shop Talk” series, Coach Bill Courtney shares one of the most vulnerable stories of his life. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After racking up 17 felonies, Trina finally had enough and had a vision for a resource center to help other women like herself. Today, her nonprofit Mending Hearts has grown into something far beyond her wildest imagination, owning 15 homes in Nashville that provide shelter, hope, and healing to women who are homeless due to addiction and mental health disorders.  Support the show: https://www.nor...

After racking up 17 felonies, Trina finally had enough and had a vision for a resource center to help other women like herself. Today, her nonprofit Mending Hearts has grown into something far beyond her wildest imagination, owning 15 homes in Nashville that provide shelter, hope, and healing to women who are homeless due to addiction and mental health disorders.  Support the show: https://www.nor...

Coach Bill Courtney answers this question from a premium member of An Army of Normal Folks. Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are 677,000 volunteer firefighters across America and Ellen Yarborough joined their ranks at 45 years old. The history teacher then accidentally pioneered giving her students academic credit for their service as fire cadets, which they can do as young as 14 years old! Her model called “Schoolhouse to Firehouse” is inspiring the next generation of firefighters and community leaders.  Support...

There are 677,000 volunteer firefighters across America and Ellen Yarborough joined their ranks at 45 years old. The history teacher then accidentally pioneered giving her students academic credit for their service as fire cadets, which they can do as young as 14 years old! Her model called “Schoolhouse to Firehouse” is inspiring the next generation of firefighters and community leaders.  Support...

In Melvin’s family, you were either a drug dealer or a junkie. At 8 years old, he remembers choosing between these two options and joined his family’s cocaine ring that was arguably the largest in West Tennessee history. It led him to one of the most desperate situations you could imagine and making a deal with God to get out of it. He promised to save other inner-city Memphis kids just like him a...

In Melvin’s family, you were either a drug dealer or a junkie. At 8 years old, he remembers choosing between these two options and joined his family’s cocaine ring that was arguably the largest in West Tennessee history. It led him to one of the most desperate situations you could imagine and making a deal with God to get out of it. He promised to save other inner-city Memphis kids just like him a...

25 million books sold, a film starring Tim McGraw and Octavia Spencer, and tens of millions of lives touched. But the extraordinary impact of The Shack never would have happened if 3 different people didn't save the life of the author, William Paul Young. For our special "Supporting Greatness" series, Paul pays tribute to these unsung heroes.  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See...

25 million books sold, a film starring Tim McGraw and Octavia Spencer, and tens of millions of lives touched. But the extraordinary impact of The Shack never would have happened if 3 different people didn't save the life of the author, William Paul Young. For our special "Supporting Greatness" series, Paul pays tribute to these unsung heroes.  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See...

While working as a fashion designer, Christina found herself being the only girl volunteering with an army of tradesmen to renovate buildings for nonprofits—and she loved it! The amazing work of Servant’s Heart Ministry has turned out to be her true calling that she never could have expected.  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While working as a fashion designer, Christina found herself being the only girl volunteering with an army of tradesmen to renovate buildings for nonprofits—and she loved it! The amazing work of Servant’s Heart Ministry has turned out to be her true calling that she never could have expected.  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After marrying her husband whose son Bradley has an intellectual & developmental disability (IDD), Jane heroically gave up her own job to try to help train him for one. In our broken culture where 66% of adults like Bradley are not employed, Jane’s nonprofit called The H.E.A.R.T. Program has broken the mold and helped more than 1,000 adults with IDDs operate 90 vending machines, concession sta...

After marrying her husband whose son Bradley has an intellectual & developmental disability (IDD), Jane heroically gave up her own job to try to help train him for one. In our broken culture where 66% of adults like Bradley are not employed, Jane’s nonprofit called The H.E.A.R.T. Program has broken the mold and helped more than 1,000 adults with IDDs operate 90 vending machines, concession sta...

After decades working as a traditional real estate developer, one day Tim Sittema was shocked by a study that ranked his city of Charlotte as dead last in upward mobility out of the top 50 cities and he couldn’t unsee this reality. Tim felt called to dedicate 50% of his time on a type of development that you would never do if your goal was to make money: affordable housing. He’s since built around...

After decades working as a traditional real estate developer, one day Tim Sittema was shocked by a study that ranked his city of Charlotte as dead last in upward mobility out of the top 50 cities and he couldn’t unsee this reality. Tim felt called to dedicate 50% of his time on a type of development that you would never do if your goal was to make money: affordable housing. He’s since built around...

In 1996, Alice decided to “bloom where you’re planted”—in prison. After receiving an unexpected life sentence, she got to work serving her fellow prisoners by helping them with vocational training, organizing plays, the very first Special Olympics events in a prison, and even loving some as they died as a hospice volunteer. And once she got pardoned, Alice’s service has only accelerated.  Support...

In 1996, Alice decided to “bloom where you’re planted”—in prison. After receiving an unexpected life sentence, she got to work serving her fellow prisoners by helping them with vocational training, organizing plays, the very first Special Olympics events in a prison, and even loving some as they died as a hospice volunteer. And once she got pardoned, Alice’s service has only accelerated.  Support...

Jessica is a survivor of child molestation and human trafficking, who found her calling helping other survivors transform painful reminders of their past into symbols of hope. Her nonprofit Atlanta Redemption Ink, and their network of 80 tattoo shops across the country, have helped 673 people get tattoos removed and covered up that were from their sex traffickers, gangs, addiction, or self-harm. S...

Jessica is a survivor of child molestation and human trafficking, who found her calling helping other survivors transform painful reminders of their past into symbols of hope. Her nonprofit Atlanta Redemption Ink, and their network of 80 tattoo shops across the country, have helped 673 people get tattoos removed and covered up that were from their sex traffickers, gangs, addiction, or self-harm. S...

Al is the co-founder of Secret Families, which just over two weeks ago provided over 10,000 Christmas gifts to 2,000 kids whose families couldn’t afford them in their community of Muncie, Indiana. Their Army of 2,200 volunteers, more like elves in this case, make it all happen on a single Saturday in only 10 hours!  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for...

After Rev. John Anderson heard our episode on  Sleep in Heavenly Peace (who’s built 140k beds for kids without them), he decided to play it for his friend Andre Forges, who started crying. Andre, a former orphan who’s since created a Haitian orphanage called Place of Hope, decided at that moment that their orphans would build beds for Haitian kids without them!  Support the show: https://www.norma...

The pastor and businessman never expected to find himself in prison, and yet there he was. So he decided to dive in, serving the minds and souls of the men around him. When Lee got out, he started a re-entry program called Vital Signs, which has helped over 1,800 returning citizens, boasts a recidivism rate of only 2%, and our favorite part is that it’s self-sustaining! Support the show: https://w...

The pastor and businessman never expected to find himself in prison, and yet there he was. So he decided to dive in, serving the minds and souls of the men around him. When Lee got out, he started a re-entry program called Vital Signs, which has helped over 1,800 returning citizens, boasts a recidivism rate of only 2%, and our favorite part is that it’s self-sustaining! Support the show: https://w...

After suffering through a failed adoption, Troy and Erica put themselves through the process again. It’s a wild story with twists and turns that would have led many to give up, but not these two. Today, there’s around 117,000 kids waiting to be adopted.  Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.