The Do Gooders Podcast

What if joy isn't just something you feel—but something you do? In this episode, you'll hear from volunteers across The Salvation Army who are showing up in simple, powerful ways—distributing food, helping families in crisis and offering presence when it matters most. Their stories reveal that joy often shows up when we do. If you've ever wondered where to start—or if what you have to offer is eno...

Lately, we've been exploring a simple but powerful idea: Joy is meant to be shared. We've heard how stories shape us. How stability restores dignity. How gifts, when given away, multiply. And again and again, we've seen the same pattern: Someone receives help. Hope takes root. And that hope begins to ripple outward. To close this season, we're turning to two recent stories from Caring Magazine—sto...

Are you loved—or just tolerated? In this episode, Pastor Timothy Jones explores the question at the heart of his book "Fully Beloved": Am I loved? In a culture shaped by comparison, loneliness and performance, many of us quietly strive to prove we're enough. Pastor Jones invites us to discover a deeper freedom—rooted not in achievement, but in grace. Together, we explore how the Trinity reveals a...

What does it mean to grow up receiving help—and then spend your life giving it? In this episode, Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang shares her story as the daughter of Hmong refugees who once stood in line at The Salvation Army for Christmas gifts, winter coats and a safe place to belong. Mai reflects on how those early experiences shaped her understanding of community, compassion and leadersh...

Why did Jesus choose stories instead of sermons? In this episode, New Testament scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine explores how Jesus' parables don't simply explain God's kingdom—they invite us into it. Rooted deeply in Jewish storytelling tradition, the parables aren't tidy moral lessons. They don't resolve neatly. They don't hand us conclusions. Instead, they challenge us, unsettle us, and ask us to wr...

When does a talent become a calling? In this episode, Rhys Jones, Divisional Music Director for The Salvation Army's Cascade Division, shares how music shaped his life—from childhood band camps to mentoring the next generation of young musicians. Rhys reflects on the discipline it takes to grow in a gift, the mentors who encouraged him along the way, and the moment he realized music wasn't just so...

Of course, you will remember meeting Commissioner James Betts in our first episode of the year, in which we introduced him as the new Territorial Commander in the West. Today, we're sharing a message from him, delivered just recently during the Welcome and Installation service held February 14 at the Tustin Ranch Corps in California. Drawing from Romans 12, Commissioner Betts challenges us to move...

When everything feels uncertain—where you'll live, how you'll provide, what comes next—stability can change everything. In this episode, Lt. Nick Carrillo shares his journey through housing insecurity, recovery and faith—and how receiving help became the turning point that reshaped his future. Lt. Nick opens up about what it's like to live in survival mode, why simply having a safe place to be res...

What if sharing a story could actually change the brain? In this episode of The Do Gooders Podcast, behavioral neuroscientist Dr. Paul Zak explains why stories move us so deeply—and how they spark empathy, generosity and joy at a biological level. You'll learn what happens in the brain when we hear a story of hope, why personal stories inspire action more than statistics, and how helping others le...

Sharing joy isn't just a phrase. It's not a slogan. It's a lived experience. It's what happens when someone who once received help becomes someone who helps. It's what happens when hope doesn't stop at relief—but continues through healing, takes root, and then moves outward. Help. Healing. Hope. Helping. That full circle—that's what this season is about. Over the coming weeks, you'll hear stories...

As we begin a new year, we're sharing the joy of a new chapter in the Western Territory. Commissioners James and Sue Betts have stepped into leadership as the new Territorial Commander and Territorial President of Women's Ministries for The Salvation Army's USA Western Territory. After nearly three decades of ministry together—in corps, divisions, the Adult Rehabilitation Centers, and most recentl...

Today, we're closing out our Give With Joy series with a special Christmas message from our Territorial Commander, Commissioner Douglas Riley. As we celebrate the season together, Commissioner Riley invites us to pause amid the noise and remember the heart of Christmas—the miracle of God's love made known in Jesus. It's a message of hope for the weary, joy for the heart that gives, and peace for a...

Every December in Olympia, Washington, the sound of Christmas isn't just bells ringing—it's engines revving. For one incredible day, thousands of bikers fill the streets, each with toys strapped to their motorcycles—dolls, skateboards, games, stuffed animals—all destined for children who might otherwise go without. It's the annual Olympia Toy Run, and for 48 years, this event has brought together...

There's nothing quite like the joy on a child's face when they open a Christmas gift chosen just for them. It's the kind of joy that lingers long after the wrapping paper is gone—the joy of being remembered, seen and loved. For more than 40 years, The Salvation Army's Angel Tree program has made that moment possible for children across the country. It has grown into a movement that now brings Chri...

Christmas isn't only about the manger in Bethlehem. It's about the bigger story—one that stretches from Genesis to Revelation. The story of creation, fall, redemption and restoration. And at its center, the good news, as we read in John 1:14, is the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  At Christmas, we celebrate that truth—the Word became flesh. In the middle of all the gift-giving a...

Today, we're pulling back the curtain on one of the most familiar sights and sounds of Christmas: the Red Kettle. You've probably walked past one outside your grocery store or shopping center—the bell ringing, the volunteers bundled up in scarves and mittens, and that iconic kettle inviting you to pause for just a moment and give. This year, for the 135th year, The Salvation Army's iconic Red Kett...

The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 9:7 that "God loves a cheerful giver." And we've seen that throughout this series—giving changes lives, both for those who receive and for those who give. But here's something interesting: science agrees. Research shows that helping others doesn't just strengthen communities—it also transforms our health. Acts of kindness can boost our resilience, lower s...

Alright, let's cut right to it today: the people behind the gifts—the donors, kids, families and partners who show us what it means to give with joy. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." And when we hear "cheerful giver," it's easy to picture the act itself—d...

Both science and Scripture agree on something powerful: generosity is good for you. The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley found that generosity leads to better health, longer life, stronger relationships and yes, greater happiness. And long before researchers confirmed it, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:7: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantl...

In a world that glorifies busyness, what if rest is actually the most faithful thing you can do? In this final episode of our Slowing Down series on The Do Gooders Podcast, Christin Thieme talks with Alyson Pryor—marriage and family therapist, spiritual director and author of the forthcoming book "Come Away and Rest: A Guide to Personal Spiritual Retreats." With wisdom drawn from her own story of...

What if slowing down isn't lazy, but holy? Hear Jodi Grubbs—author of "Live Slowly: A Gentle Invitation to Exhale"—share why our bodies and souls weren't designed for hustle culture, and how embracing slower rhythms can help us live with presence, peace and purpose. EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more. BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series. JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group. WHAT'S YOUR CAUS...

What if the good life isn't about having it all, but about embracing our limits? Dr. Ashley Hales, author of "A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits," invites us to rethink freedom, not as endless choice, but as life within God's loving boundaries. EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more. BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series. JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group. WHAT...

What if slowing down wasn't selfish—but essential? In this episode, holistic nurse educator and author Tracie Braylock talks about her new book "Radical Relaxation: Releasing the Stress You Were Never Meant to Carry." Drawing from her background as a surgical nurse and over 15 years in holistic wellness, Tracie shares how stress isn't just unpleasant—it makes us sick. She offers both scientific in...

Do you ever feel like busyness is running your life? What if slowing down could actually make you more effective in doing good? Author and spiritual director Alan Fadling talks about living unhurried—not as laziness, but as faithful discipleship. Learn why presence matters more than productivity, how Jesus' rhythms of rest and work offer a better way and what it looks like to serve from overflow i...

What's the real state of the Church today—and how is The Salvation Army positioned within it? Jim Sparks, Western Territorial Mission Strategist, joins Christin Thieme to unpack surprising new data about spiritual commitment in America, why Gen Z and Millennials are leading a revival, and how corps can connect with people who are open to Jesus but hesitant about organized religion. EPISODE SHOWNOT...