The Do Gooders Podcast

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...

Evie Russell drove a truck for 12 years before joining The Salvation Army as the service coordinator in Cortez, Colorado. That's why she had such a strong reaction when she heard that some truck drivers were being turned away from restaurants or having a hard time finding a place to eat as they helped deliver essential goods during the coronavirus pandemic. So she devised Operation Thank a Trucker...

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...

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.

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 seei...

At this point, I think it's safe to say no one has gone untouched by this crisis. The outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus—called COVID-19—was f irst declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, and it has steadily rolled into more than 200 countries and territories around the world. The first case appeared in the U.S. in late January 2020, with Americ...

When law enforcement or Child Protective Services removes a little one from their home due to neglect or abuse, where do they go? In Spokane, Washington, many come to Sally's House—an emergency receiving facility of The Salvation Army for those ages 2 to 12 years old. Since it opened in 2002, 4,000 children have come through its doors averaging a stay of 68 days.   During that time, says Becky Hoo...

You've heard us talk about The Salvation Army's commitment to double its impact on homelessness in the West over the next 5 years. (And if you missed it, head back to episode 6 for a full rundown of what this initiative, called The Way Out, entails.) California has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the country—a fact you can't miss in its largest metropolitan areas. And one—a longtime ma...

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 s...

According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 20 million Americans ages 12 and older battle a substance use disorder.    The effects range from deteriorating one's physical health, to impairing mental functioning and damaging the overall spirit of who they are. But think about it: that's also 20 million families across the U.S. who are directly impacted by addiction—financ...

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...

You've seen the mugs, the t-shirts, the screensavers… "Follow your heart" "Believe in yourself" You may have even had someone say something to the effect of: "God won't give you more than you can handle" or "God just wants me to be happy." But there's a danger in these clichés we often encounter—they're not biblical. As longtime church planter and pastor Shane Pruitt says, Jesus isn't made of Play...

"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 t...

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 i...

No matter who you are or where you live, chances are breast cancer will touch your life. Nearly 270,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women in the U.S. alone each year, according to the American Cancer Society. And as progress in treatment and early detection has led to improved survival, there are now more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.—more than any other grou...

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 bei...

Americans are not living happily ever after. According to a study by the University of Chicago, about 60 percent of respondents rated themselves "pretty happy" in their marriage—which leaves 40 percent of people less than fully satisfied. Further, the American divorce rate has doubled since 1960. As Dr. Gary Chapman says, "No single area of marriage affects the rest of marriage as much as meeting...

We know the value of friendship, we'd all agree with that—yet studies continually show increasing rates of loneliness and isolation in our culture.   There are even companies today that allow you to "rent a friend," to pay for a companion to keep you company. While most people have friends, you could argue that few of us know true friendship. That we walk around largely unknown. Drew Hunter says w...

Poet T.S. Eliot wrote in 1948: "It is against a background of Christianity that all our thought has significance."   Fast forward to 2016, and we find the writing of Mary Eberstadt in her book "It's Dangerous to Believe," in which she writes: "In many influential cultural, political and intellectual precincts, C for Christian has become the new scarlet letter."   Then in 2017, one former president...

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 t...

In far reaching corners of the Last Frontier, the Alaska National Guard and The Salvation Army partner to visit communities that need a little extra love each season with a special project: Operation Santa.   We've just marked the 50th year The Salvation Army has partnered in this way—as the team arrives in Black Hawk helicopters and on snow mobiles to set up a celebration for the community. Every...

It's the start of a new year—a new decade: 2020. The Salvation Army enters this new year with the same mission it has had since 1865: to preach and to serve. (And for much more about the organization and its six key pillars of service , head back to episode 21). But where are we at the outset of 2020 and what is to come? General Brian Peddle, the international leader of The Salvation Army, is on t...

A smile really does make the greatest gift. It's something Eleen Cobb-Adams knows well.   When her five children open a gift just for them on Christmas morning, those smiles make memories.   Yet millions of American parents cannot afford to buy their kids Christmas presents—and the holidays can add additional financial and emotional stress. Five years ago, Eleen was in this group and signed up for...

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...

Of course, you know the story of the baby Jesus born in the manger. But what about the others involved? According to Dan Darling, author of the new book, The Characters of Christmas, there are a number of misfits, outcasts and ordinary people who play a pivotal role in the birth of Christ. What can we learn from Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, and the shepherds? What important thread in God's grand pl...