The Do Gooders Podcast

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 an...

A good start to disaster preparedness is knowing the risks you should be prepared for based on where you live. That's a big part of Jonathan Sury's work. Jonathan is the Project Director for Communications and Field Operations at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Population and Family Health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columb...

Where would you go if you could live anywhere you wanted? For a lot of Americans, the answer is Phoenix. In fact, Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix, Mesa and Scottsdale, has held the title of "fastest growing county in the U.S. by numeric growth" for much of the past decade. But, Maricopa isn't just one of the hottest places in terms of popularity. It's also the literal hottest metr...

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...

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 caus...

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 al...

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...

It's said when an individual is rehabilitated from their addiction, some 50 people around them are positively affected.  For The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center program across the western U.S., that equates to some 50,000 people a year.  And more than only addressing issues of substance abuse, these centers offer life rehabilitation for those who need it, according to Major Mark Nelson,...

One in 7 Americans reports experiencing a substance use disorder, according to the CDC.  Some people may use drugs to help cope with stress or trauma. Others may use them to deal with mental health issues. Others still may even develop opioid use disorder after misusing opioids they are prescribed by their doctors for ailments like back pain.  In any case, using drugs over time makes it easier to...

We've heard church attendance is down globally in the wake of the pandemic. Per Gallup, in the United States, just 22% of people say they attend church every week. That's down from 32% in 2000. We talked last week to General Lyndon Buckingham, the international leader of The Salvation Army, about this trend and what he makes of it. And while The Salvation Army hasn't been wholly immune to this—the...

Are you prepared to give an answer, a reason for the hope that you have? We're told in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be ready—and maybe, especially now. Maybe the world needs that hope more than ever. It's part of what makes The Salvation Army what it is. As General Lyndon Buckingham will tell you, we are visible which signals that we are available. And why? Well, Salvation is in the name. General Buckin...

Despite California's economic might and world-class growth engine, one of the biggest problems plaguing the state is growing right alongside its GDP.  California has dominated the national conversation on homelessness. As of 2022, 30 percent of all people in the U.S. experiencing homelessness resided in California, including half of all unsheltered people. In a recent poll, 84 percent of Californi...

As we've been discussing recently, homelessness in the U.S. is still on the rise. In fact, rates have been climbing nationally by about 6% every year since 2017, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. That uptick coincides with soaring housing costs and rising prices for necessities like food and transportation. As we work to chip away at the homelessness crisis, one of the often...

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...

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 su...

Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is, especially when everyone around you seems to be living their best life? Ciara Laine Myers has. For a long time, Ciara felt like an imposter in her own home and began to think something was wrong with her. She felt trapped in her own world, overanalyzing and critiquing everything she was doing. Can you relate? If so, Ciara's new book, " Glasses O...

Each new year brings us a chance to reset. To review and reflect on our time, our dreams and our plans for the days ahead. It's a natural turning of the page. The opening of a new chapter.  I love this verse, from Galatians 6:4-5 (MSG): "Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must...

What is so amazing about grace? That's the question author Philip Yancey started with when he wrote the book by that title, What's So Amazing About Grace, published in 1997. It went on to sell over 2 million copies. And now, 25 years later, Philip Yancey has released a revised version—updated for the modern day. As the author of 13 Gold Medallion Award-winning books and two ECPA Book of the Year a...

Happy New Year! It's a whole new year and you could say much of the excitement and buzz of this turning of the calendar is concentrated right now in Pasadena, California, for the Tournament of Roses Rose Parade—America's New Year Celebration. For millions of people around the world, the Rose Parade is an iconic New Year's Day tradition as floral-decorated floats, equestrian units, bands and other...

Merry Christmas! What a day to celebrate, born is the King. Today, Christmas Day, I would love to read you the Christmas story and share a Christmas message from Commissioner Doug Riley. Hopefully, this can be something to play while you're cleaning up Christmas breakfast or getting dressed for Christmas dinner as a quiet few moments for you to reflect on the significance of this day. Born is the...

No matter how dark the season is, "By God's abounding grace, Christmas still arrives every year—somehow or other, it comes just the same…to direct our hearts and minds to the story of Christ and his people—and to place our lives and communities within this sacred narrative." These are the words of Dr. Emily Hunter McGowin from her new book, " Christmas: The Season of Life and Light. " Dr. McGowin...

A "Whole Lotta Little" is one of the songs on Emily Ann Roberts' new country album, Can't Hide Country. A 2015 finalist on NBC's The Voice as a member of team Blake Shelton, Emily Ann went on to release her first single, "Stuck on Me and You" in 2018 and now has released her debut album just ahead of going on tour with Blake Shelton in early 2024. When she's not singing, Emily Ann loves the "old t...

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...

You recently heard from a few people donating to a Salvation Army Red kettle on why they do it. Today, I want to take you deeper into what that giving can do. As a young mother, Billie Lawson was married to an active member of the military. There was one Christmas in 1986 that they were struggling to make ends meet. She remembers it well. In fact, she wasn't sure they'd be able to have a Christmas...

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 give...