Beyond the Box

Send us Fan Mail Over the winter we've had a lot of exciting things happening at S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. The tiny homes have been placed at our farm property located in the country and construction has begun at our second apartment building at 1515 Knox Street in Ogdensburg.  This winter our Executive Director, Dave Bayne, connected with Kearney Coupland, a professor at St. Lawrence Univer...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Carrie and Dave meet with Gayle Morrissey, who is the Education Coordinator for the adult mental health unit at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. Gayle's job focuses on topics such as educating people about their diagnosis, self-regulation, self-care, coping skills, and becoming more self-aware. Gayle's job changes from person to person and day to day as sh...

Send us Fan Mail We are excited to finally announce our collaboration with the three BOCES locations in St. Lawrence County. Together we are constructing tiny homes built by the students at BOCES that will be transported to S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc.'s garden and greenhouse property, which will begin the development of our social farming community. Each house is a duplex and will provide home...

Send us Fan Mail "He loves to grow things, and he is very proud of what he does. Brian worked at the greenhouse and he loved it. He had a purpose, he felt good about himself and like he was contributing. He was so proud to be a part of something, accepted, and to be praised for the work that he did."  ~ Barbara Briggs Ward Dave and Carrie talk with Barb Ward, a local author and self-taug...

Send us Fan Mail We are very grateful to be receiving so much support, and we regularly receive messages from our community members asking how they can help. S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. will be hosting an event on Thursday, January 25th called Homeless No More, and we need your help - we need your voice! With your participation we can help reduce homelessness in our community. This is how you can b...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to a new season of Beyond the Box! We know that you are working to make 2024 your best year yet, so whether you are looking to improve your health and fitness or financial health, volunteer in your community, learn strategies to manage stress and anxiety, or improve your nutrition then join Dave and Carrie as they review some of the beneficial resources that our commu...

Send us Fan Mail It has taken Brittanie Kelso fifteen years to be able to share her story, and after hearing it I have even more respect for the strong, resilient, and caring woman that she has become. Britt has a message for the wives, mothers, children, family, and friends that are left behind when someone ends their own life. She shares what it was like to deal with the guilt, judgement, and bl...

Send us Fan Mail This Week Dave and Carrie sit down with Aida Arias to discuss how she incorporates Chinese Medicine into her Massage Therapy practice. Aida approaches each. massage from a holistic point of view, and uses the ancient practice of Chinese Medicine to help her see the whole picture.  To schedule a massage with Aida you can contact her at: 914-312-5120 609 Canton Street in Ogdensburg,...

Send us Fan Mail This week Dave and Carrie interviewed the Director of REACHOUT of St. Lawrence County - Karen Easter. Karen is truly a pioneer in the field of crisis hotline and mobil crisis intervention. Karen answers questions such as what REACHOUT is, what to expect when you call Reachout, how they train their crisis and intervention team, and what to do if you or someone we know is in crisis....

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode Carrie and Davie interviewed Dennis, who has been a member of S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. for over a year now, and shared his story for the first time with us. Dennis's story begins with a dark time in his life when he was on suicide watch, but he shares with us everything that helped him cope. Dennis's experiences have motivated him to begin w...

Send us Fan Mail As the editor of North Country This Week and North Country Now, Jimmy Lawton has been one of the voices behind our news coverage here in the North Country for the last fifteen years. He has recently begun an editorial column that is a little bit different than what he is used to, venturing into something a little more personal, and having some conversations that are not easy to ta...

Send us Fan Mail Dave and Carrie are back with the second season of Beyond the Box. They kick the season off with a conversation that is not easy to have, but necessary as we attempt to encourage open discussion and challenge the stigma associated with mental health.  If you or a loved one are struggling or having suicidal thoughts you can visit the St. Lawrence County Government website to find a...

Send us Fan Mail Do you think Beyond the Box? We are in search of new interviews and stories to tell in 2023. Do you have an inspirational story that you want to share with us? Are you working on something unconventional or advocating for change and want to get your message out there? Then reach out to us!  Visit our website at www.stepbystepinc.org, fill out the contact information, and send me a...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we talk fitness, nutrition, and New Year's Resolutions with Bridgette Havens, group fitness instructor and nutrition coach. Bridgette shares her inspirational story with us - when she was faced with health challenges she chose to make some changes and take control of her health. Bridgette shares how she got moving, stayed motivated, made lasting lifestyle changes,...

Send us Fan Mail January is quickly approaching, and many of us are thinking about how we are going to improve our financial health in the New Year. This week Carrie and Dave spoke with Richard Tacchino. Richard is a North Country native who has not only spent many years working in the financial industry, but who also knows from experience how challenging it can be to improve your financial health...

Send us Fan Mail Western and Eastern medicine both offer unique perspectives fundamental to healthcare today. Dave and Carrie met with Allison Smith, a Physician Assistant, Yoga Instructor, Entrepreneur, and North Country native. Allison first began practicing medicine from a traditional Western perspective, but the longer she practiced, the more she realized that although there were things she li...

Send us Fan Mail Dave and Carrie talk with Cindy Small, our educator and Personal Medicine Coach at S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., inc.. Cindy organizes classes, outings, and community events for our Drop-In Center. Join us as we discuss where S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. began and how our Drop-In Center has grown over the last twenty-five years.  Cindy defines Personal Medicine, discusses her open teach mod...

Send us Fan Mail Your health and wellness boils down to the choices that you make every day and the daily habits that you create. Join us for this week's episode as we interview Shannon VanHouse and Michelle Catlin, Lifestyle Coaches with Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. We discuss the importance of nutrition and touch on topics such as: how nutrition is linked to anxiety and depression and ma...

Send us Fan Mail Dave and Carrie continue to explore a multi-dimensional, person-centered approach to health and wellness in their interview with Katie Davis. Katie is a Reiki Master, Intuitive Healer, and Breathplay Coach, and we discuss strategies to help manage stress, anxiety, and trauma. Some of the topics that we cover are breath connection, creating a favorable environment, living in the pr...

Send us Fan Mail We all experience pivotal moments in our lives when we know that it is time to make a change. Perhaps you are struggling with a serious health complication, unhappiness in your relationships or career, financial instability, or any number of circumstances that life has thrown at you. It is often fear that initiates our desire for change. What is going to happen to me if I don&apos...

Send us Fan Mail You are a multi-dimensional being, with your own unique blend of physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual components that make you perfectly, imperfectly you. Your genetic make-up, environment, and circumstances can never be replicated. There is, and will only ever be, one you.  This is why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to improving your life. Whether you are tryi...

Send us Fan Mail With cold weather on the horizon,. we have been receiving an increasing number of emails from people that are in need of housing. Unfortunately all of our units are currently full. We do have a waiting list, but there are more resources available in our community. In this week's podcast we interview Lindsay Best from St. Lawrence County Community Services to help provide tool...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt emotionally dominated or abused, or like a victim of injustice? If you have felt held back personally, socially, professionally, or financially, or as though you were unjustly controlled by another, then you know all too well how devastating oppression can feel.  Oppression can traumatize a person over time. It strips a person of his human dignity and identity,...

Send us Fan Mail This week we continue with our Under the Bridge Series, where Dave and I talk with some of the homeless in our community to better understand what is happening, and to shed some light on the questions that we have.  Ed's story and circumstances are very different than anyone else we have spoken to. Ed spent the majority of his life hiding who he was, and it has taken him many...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode Carrie and Dave address the two most common questions that have been asked after the first three episodes of Beyond the Box: How can I help? How do I receive more information to apply for housing? Carrie interviews Tammy Bush, the Deputy Director of S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc., who gives some helpful information on how you can help in your own community,...