The Giving Town

Send us Fan Mail “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -Mahatma Gandhi Most of us have been taught that we should be generous because it's the right thing to do. But if generosity is only something we feel we should do, but don't actually see how it benefits us, we will miss out on many of the benefits of generosity. In this episode, I pull from bo...

Send us Fan Mail How do you normally react when you hear or read something that you strongly disagree with? Most of us have a similar response—our blood pressure goes up, we get tense, and our body responds about the same way it responds to any other threat. But is it possible to have discussions—whether in person or online—with people who disagree with us and not feel threatened? Is it possible t...

Send us Fan Mail From a young age, Will Worthey wanted nothing else but to be a librarian. After having many roles in multiple libraries throughout Scotland and the United States, Will finally landed his dream job in 2019 as Library Director of Newberg, Oregon's public library. The dream, however, was short-lived. In 2020, Covid-19 hit and the library was forced to have multiple closures for...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, founder and CEO of Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers, Alan Evans, shares his story of how he went from a traumatizing upbringing to founding a revolutionary model that brings healing and stability to people facing homelessness. The Mission of Helping Hands is to provide a helping hand to a sustainable life through Resources, Recovery, and Reentry. They use a...

Send us Fan Mail Newberg FISH Emergency Service is an organization dedicated to serving the community of Newberg and is best known as the local source for providing emergency food service. FISH stands for Friends In Service to Humanity. In addition to serving as a food pantry, Newberg FISH also cooperates with other local agencies to help people meet other critical needs such as housing, utility b...

Send us Fan Mail Since 1975, the Home Builders Association of Metro Portland has worked to produce the NW Natural Street of Dreams event. Every year, Street of Dreams partners with local builders, landscape architects, interior designers, and other tradespeople to feature the latest and greatest in home design and technology. Whether they come looking for their dream home or to get inspiration for...

Send us Fan Mail While most people have heard of Rotary, few actually know what Rotary is or how it works. In this episode, Mike Caruso shares about his own personal Rotary journey as past president of the Newberg Noon Rotary club and past district governor of District 5100. Mike also shares his passion and involvement with the Rotary Peacebuilder clubs, which are a Rotarian movement creating ener...

Send us Fan Mail If you are a resident of Newberg, you have likely heard of Chehalem Cultural Center. In fact, for many people, it is hard to imagine our community without this wonderful resource. While that may be the case, many people are still unfamiliar with many aspects of the cultural center or what its actual role is in building community.  In this episode, Executive Director Sean Andries e...

Send us Fan Mail Is it possible that disagreements could really be a gift rather than a threat? How do we steward disagreements and learn to value them instead of working to avoid or eliminate them? In today’s episode, Ron Mock with The Civility Project shares how civility is more than just the typical notion of being courteous and polite. Rather than avoiding conflict, true civility encourages us...

Send us Fan Mail Abuse is not as black and white as many of us would like to think. Individuals in abusive situations face major challenges that are not obvious to the general public, which is why the work of Henderson House is so important. Henderson House is the only local shelter and advocacy center for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Yamhill County. Their mission is to...

Send us Fan Mail "If Newberg became the most wonderful community in America, what would we be seeing, doing, hearing, and feeling more of?" This is the question that Nurture Newberg invites you to answer in the Newberg Vision Survey. In today's episode, Denise Bacon and I discuss what Nurture Newberg is and how rewarding the things we want to see is ultimately the best way to promot...

Send us Fan Mail Brian Love shares his heart for the town of Newberg and tells us why giving back to the community is so important to him. We also discussed what it means to "change the narrative" and how that idea can help us grow together as a community. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when you need some help but you've run out of options? The Service Integration Teams (SITs) website explains it best: Sometimes people need a little extra help paying rent, or help with a heat bill in a cold winter month. An urgent prescription or medical bill can derail a budget. The SITs can address issues like an urgent prescription or medical bill. They als...

Send us Fan Mail By the time a child is 5 years old, their brain is nearly 80% developed. A Family Place works with families to ensure a safe and supportive environment for children to grow up and have healthy brain development. There are so many ways A Family Place supports families in our community and this episode shares several stories of families whose lives have been forever changed by this...

Send us Fan Mail I'm excited to announce that we are rebranding this Podcast! While the goal of the podcast has always been to be a source of hope (elpis is Greek for hope), we have decided to move in a direction that specifically focuses on our community of Newberg. We wanted to have a new name that more clearly reflects our updated mission to share stories of hope and generosity in Newberg....

Send us Fan Mail Amber Hansen-Moore, YCAP Youth Services Director, shares how the Youth Services programs benefit the whole community of Newberg. Between the Emergency Shelter Program, Transitional Living Program, and the Drop-in Center, there are so many lives that have been transformed. Tune in to learn more! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Laverne Pitts, Development Director at YCAP, shares how Yamhill Community Action Partnership is helping people in need become sulf-sufficient. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Liz Schrader, Chief Development Officer for United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley, shares about United Way’s mission to unite people and communities with resources so they have opportunities to thrive. She also shares how United Way is getting involved in Newberg and Yamhill county and what that might look like in the coming year. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail What makes CPRD so great and what is the impact they have had on our community? Tune in to hear about past and upcoming projects, CPRD’s mission, and the crucial role CPRD plays in helping children become contributing members of society. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail While there is endless controversy surrounding Newberg’s School District, Joe notes that this is a distraction from all of the good things happening in each school. In this episode Joe shares about how the teachers and staff stepped up to the plate during the pandemic, how students are coping and recovering, his vision for the future of education, and many other topics. Support th...

Send us Fan Mail What is the role of a Chamber of Commerce in helping a business community thrive? In this episode, Executive Director Scott Parker shares how he plans to lead the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce in serving the businesses in our community. In August 2021, the Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce welcomed Scott Parker as its new Executive Director. Scott brings years of nonprofit...

Send us Fan Mail Judge Larry Blake shares how Community Court transforms lives by connecting certain individuals who have committed minor crimes with service organizations rather than issuing fines or jail time.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Love in the name of Christ. This is what Love INC is all about. In a time where talk is cheap, Love INC is on a mission to help churches become what Jesus originally intended them to be. While many organizations focus just on tangible needs, Love INC recognizes that poverty is primarily a heart issue that goes beyond physical well-being. Yvette shares how this understanding is cru...

Send us Fan Mail Newberg really is a special place. Whether it’s the friendly people, the beautiful wine country, the thriving nonprofit sector, the growing university, the places of worship, or the promising future, there are many reasons to love this city. Share in the comments what you feel makes Newberg Special! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Affordable housing seems to be an oxymoron these days, but REACH is committed to changing that. Joining me on this episode is Dan Valliere, Executive Director or REACH Community Development sharing how they are making a difference. REACH strives to create communities where all people live in quality and sustainable housing they can afford - empowered to achieve goals, and enjoying...