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 stress, and even help us live longer.

Today, I'm joined by health and science journalist Nicole Karlis, author of "Your Brain on Altruism." In her book, she explores how generosity lights up our brains, improves our well-being, and nurtures a culture of caring.

We'll talk about why crises often bring out extraordinary generosity, what the latest science says about altruism, and how we can sustain caring for one another even after the crisis passes.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

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—dropping money in a kettle, buying a toy for a child, or writing a check. But what's so powerful is how giving transforms both the receiver and the giver.

In this episode, you'll hear stories of people who've made generosity part of their tradition. Joy multiplies. Families are knit closer together. Communities are strengthened. And those who receive don't just get a meal, a gift or a place to stay—they experience hope, dignity and love.

So as you listen, I invite you to consider: what's one joyful giving tradition you could start in your own life, or with your family? Because as you'll hear in these stories, cheerful giving doesn't just change Christmas—it changes us.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Discover how the Big Five personality traits shape the way you see the world—and your relationships. 

Dr. Jack Anderson joins Christin Thieme to share practical ways to bridge differences, build trust and bring out the best in others.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

We're kicking off our state of the issues series today with the state of hunger.

According to the USDA, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, today in the United States are food insecure. 

Across the country, The Salvation Army operates more than 1,500 food pantries, and annually serves more than 171 million meals, which includes prepared meals and some 6.4 million food boxes that contain 20 meals each.

To help set the table for this series on hunger and food insecurity, we're talking today with Captain Angel Amézquita, the Corps Officer and director of the Los Angeles Central Corps and Red Shield Community Center, located in the heart of LA's Pico-Union neighborhood.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Just a year ago, if you would've asked the experts where the U.S. was headed, they were certain of one thing: the country was beelining toward a recession. 

In fact, a Bloomberg economic model said the odds of a U.S. recession in 2023 were 100 percent. Not 99 percent. There was no possible chance an economic slowdown was avoidable.

So, how are we doing a year later? Well, you could say those grim forecasts were a little off-target. The U.S. economy, according to all the key indicators, is humming right along.

And yet, for many Americans, prosperity is ever elusive. And there's still unmet need in every zip code across the U.S.

The Salvation Army has its work cut out for them, especially as we work to meet the needs of the whole person—body, mind and soul.

And that's exactly what we're covering in the episodes of this podcast to come. We'll be taking a look at the state of the issues, exploring The Salvation Army's work through the lens of its seven primary areas of service. 

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

As the saying goes, the mind is a terrible thing to waste. 

That's the ethos Major Terry Masango lives by, and it's paid off as he recently received a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership.

Dr. Masango was raised in Zimbabwe and now as a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, he serves in the Seattle area as the General Secretary in the Northwest Division—a role you might compare to a chief operations officer. 

Along his educational journey, Dr. Masango learned to embrace discipline, and is now putting those skills to work. 

So allow me to introduce to you today, to share more about his academic pursuits and how he's applying them to his ministry with The Salvation Army, Dr. Major Terry Masango. 

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Before and after.

Before 2020, the idea of closed borders, lockdowns, face masks, social distancing, and testing weren't a thing.

After, we've experienced the real toll, the disruption, the unknown that the pandemic brought.

It was a crisis of a generation, and it changed the world on a global scale. Mental exhaustion, economic disparities and escalating divisions now mark our times.

But award-winning author, Dr. Chris Rice sees the challenges of our day as a historic opportunity for renewal and fresh growth.

In his new book, "From Pandemic to Renewal: Practices for a World Shaken by Crisis," he examines eight interrelated crises exposed by the pandemic era and provides pathways for followers of Christ to bring transformation and healing to their lives and communities.

Rice is director of the United Nations Office of the Mennonite Central Committee, an international relief, development, and peace agency. He served as Co-Founding director of the Duke Divinity School Center for Reconciliation, and is coauthor of Reconciling All Things and More Than Equals, which both won Christianity Today Book Awards.

Now, from a burnout society and bipolar world order to our own divided selves, Rice helps us understand this emerging world that will reshape our lives for decades to come. In today's show, he also shares some of the transformative practices that can move us toward social healing and spiritual renewal.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Did you know The Salvation Army serves in more than 130 countries around the world and in every U.S. zip code, working to meet human needs in every community—exactly as that community needs? 

Every program is rooted in a passion to serve God by serving the hurting, the helpless and the hopeless. In the Western Territory, The Salvation Army serves the 13 Western states in addition to Guam and Micronesia. With a geographic area that large, the scope of service often takes unique forms. 

So on this show, I'm here to share 11 ways The Salvation Army tailors its service to meet the distinct needs of people in the West.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

After 37 years of not believing, one day, God was there.

That was the experience Andrew Flockhart had. As he says: I found God at the Dallas-Love Field Airport on a business trip. 

Now in training to become a Salvation Army officer (or pastor) at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, Cadet Andrew Flockhart is preparing to be commissioned and sent out for ministry in June 2024.

Once an atheist but no more, he is here today to share more of his own story, his testimony about what has happened since that day in the airport.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Things are messy, right? That's life?

So where is the joy?

How do you find it?

Captain Arwyn Rodriguera can show you the way.

Arwyn Rodriguera is the Corps Officer and Executive Director of The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center San Francisco and Railton Place, a 113-unit affordable housing development in the city's Tenderloin neighborhood.

And she's also the adoptive mother to twin girls.

She knows about the trust established through attachment to a primary care giver. And that that attachment is the healthy community that can restore what has been broken.

She learned more about attachment theory on her journey to becoming a certified foster parent and realized in those classes that that's exactly how our attachment works to God.

That safety, that joy—alongside community, trust, restoration and celebration—are, as she says, the witness a weary and broken world needs.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

"Great faith inspires great dreams. Great dreams require great faith."

That's a line from Rick Warren's new book, "Created to Dream: The 6 Phases God Uses to Grow Your Faith."

Of course, you know Rick Warren as the author behind the transformative bestseller, "The Purpose Driven Life," which has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and helped millions of readers discover their purpose and meaning in life.

Pastor Rick Warren founded Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. Time Magazine named him the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Now, "Created to Dream" is his first book in a decade—a must-read for anyone seeking to unlock their potential, move past fear, revive a dead dream and live the life they were created to live.

As Rick writes, "When God wants to work in your life, he gives you a dream about what he wants you to do and the impact he wants you to have in the world."

So, what is God's dream for your life?

Listen in as Rick shares the first chapter of his new book, "Created to Dream."

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

How do you want to experience your life? 

What do you want your life to reflect?

What are the simple, soul-filling ways you can upgrade your time, even if it's just a few minutes?

In this episode, you'll find a mini workshop right here in your podcast player—a workshop to make a plan for joy.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

We're doing something different in this episode—giving you a little behind the scenes of what happens in our office and a preview of what's coming.

So I've invited Hillary Jackson, the managing editor of The Salvation Army's Caring Magazine, my partner in publication if you will, to join me today.

Hillary also holds a master's in specialized journalism from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism—we actually went through the same program. She's written for the likes of The Washington Post, The Week and Architectural Digest, and has worked around the world covering the Olympics.

In this episode, we're chatting about the magazine that this podcast is connected to and its goal, with a deeper look inside the making of our annual print edition releasing now. You can find it at caringmagazine.org/belonging.

Plus, you'll absolutely want to listen to the end for the special appearance of some of you who answered a question we recently asked about how you found your place in The Salvation Army.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Today, we're covering one of America's most pressing challenges: homelessness. But this isn't an episode drowning you in statistics. Instead, we're going to explore real solutions happening right now across the western United States—ways The Salvation Army is helping to truly change lives, one person at a time.

Of course, the numbers are sobering. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, homelessness increased by 18 percent between 2023 and 2024. That's approximately 770,000 people experiencing homelessness in our country. But behind every statistic is a person's story, and that's what we're focusing on today.

Christopher Hogan, The Salvation Army's Territorial Social Services Director for the Western Territory, puts it perfectly: addressing homelessness requires "programs of excellence" that combine spiritual care, best practices, clear purpose, strong operations and meaningful outcomes.

He wrote a piece on how The Salvation Army is ensuring excellence in our recent issue of Caring Magazine, themed "Hope in Action," which you can find at caringmagazine.org/hope.

So what does it look like in practice? Let me take you on a journey from Alaska to Arizona, showcasing nine different approaches that are working.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

We recently spent a season exploring The Salvation Army's Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.

So what does that kind of support look like day-to-day?

Maybe that axiom is correct: It takes a village. 

You've heard that one before, right? It takes a village to raise a child. But what if the same is true for all of us, child or not? 

Perhaps we need each other. We need community.

That's what Trina Crawford will tell you. 

As the Director of The Salvation Army Service Center in Havre, Montana, Trina becomes part of that village for those in the Pathway of Hope. She becomes a daily fixture in their lives, checking in with them, providing tangible help and resources, directing them toward community and reminding them of the hope that exists in Christ.

How does she do it? Why does she do it? And what impact has she seen through the years? 

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

It's not polite to talk politics.

I'm sure you've heard the sentiment. Especially in any kind of mixed crowd where people might disagree on the issue at hand.

We live, worship and work in diverse communities, but with politics becoming so tribal in nature, many of us simply avoid the subject. And that does a disservice to us all.

Yet we can get comfortable with being uncomfortable and do it in a grace-filled way, according to Beth Silvers, co-author of "I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations."

She and Sarah Stewart Holland also co-host the Pantsuit Politics podcast. As working moms from opposite ends of the political spectrum, they regularly sit down to talk politics together.

Beth, a conservative life and business coach, spent 11 years as an attorney and then an HR executive before opening her own business. Named one of Cincinnati's "40 under 40" business leaders and as one of Ohio's Most Powerful and Influential Women, Beth regularly speaks to organizations about hard conversations.

She asks us to hear each other's thoughts, to test our own beliefs against each other's philosophies and to better appreciate our own core beliefs by having to articulate and challenge those beliefs. 

As Beth says, politics is all about how we live in community with each other. And if we engage in conversation with a goal not to persuade but to be open to personal growth, we're all better off. 

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

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 being instead of adding to it.

A former pastor and the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist—with two books on the subject and an online course—he empowers readers to adopt a form of minimalism that works for them—in effect, optimizing our values.

Because minimalism, he says, isn't about living in a white room with zero belongings, but about intentionally promoting what we most value by removing anything that distracts from it. And in return, we can find more time, more money and less stress.

Joshua is on the show to talk about this purposed-focused journey, which he says comes down to a simple question: What do I want my life to be about?

It's not: What do I need to get rid of? But what can I add to my life? And he shares plenty of practical advice along the way.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

"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 those who have lost the ability to cope with their problems and provide for themselves.

The free addictions recovery program provides housing, food, counseling, community and employment as The Salvation Army works to treat the symptoms and ultimately the root causes of prolonged substance abuse and dependence for some 150,000 people a year.

And while it's no easy feat to conquer an addiction, on this show Lt. Timothy shares his number one indicator of success—and he would know. He went through the program himself 13 years ago and now works every day to bring others out of their addiction too—to say to others on graduation day, you're at a new starting line.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Men lead. Women follow. The Bible tells us so.

Or does it? 

Is there a divine order when it comes to men and women?

What if so-called "biblical womanhood" isn't biblical at all but arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments?

What if there is a better way forward for the contemporary church?

Dr. Beth Allison Barr lays out clear evidence that there is in her book, "The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth."

Barr is a professor of history and former associate dean of the Graduate School at Baylor University.

She's been teaching world history for more than two decades while also a pastor's wife. And as she'll tell you, there's more to the story when it comes to those verses on women's submission and silence.

In this episode, she shares some of the evidence, calls to flip the Christian narrative around patriarchy and offers a vision for a truly biblical view of womanhood.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

We spent a season discovering The Salvation Army's Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.

But let's take a step back. What is hope?  

Kierkegaard called it a passion for the possible. Psychologist C.R. Snyder said it's a reservoir of determination. Emily Dickinson said it's the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tunes without the words. 

It's hope. 

And it's an essential ingredient, part of the namesake of The Salvation Army's Pathway of Hope. 

Dr. Suzanne Phillips is a licensed Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, and Fellow and Co-chair of Community Outreach for the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA). She has been a psychologist for more than 35 years and is a newly retired Adjunct Full Professor of Clinical Psychology at LIU Post, a private university in New York.

And as someone in the business of hope, she's on the show to help us better understand hope and what it does psychologically and physiologically—plus how we can recognize it and find more of it in our lives. 

It's not magic, she says, but a mindset, a propeller for action and possibility. And, it's contagious. 

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

As Dr. Gary Chapman says, "No single area of marriage affects the rest of marriage as much as meeting the emotional need for love."

After years as a family counselor, he developed a system to effectively communicate love to the people closest to us. His book—"The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts"—has been translated into 50 languages and has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide.

In it, Chapman acknowledges that while falling in love is easy, staying in love takes work. And he provides a simple map to better expressing love exactly as the recipient needs. 

On this episode, he explores the five love languages and offers tips for better living in each one with our spouses, children and even at work.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

This is a good word from the Good Word with Commissioner Doug Riley. 

Commissioner Riley is the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. You may remember him from previous episodes of this podcast on gratitude and the Christmas story. 

Here, he preached at the 2022 commissioning and ordination meeting of The Salvation Army in the western U.S., when the Army commissions those in training as Salvation Army officers or pastors. 

And he had one question: What is your purpose? 

While we often start with ourselves and struggle through our identity, importance and impact, Riley said we fail to see the answers are found in understanding God's reason for putting us here on earth. 

God's purpose, he said, is simple: To know him and to glorify him. Our purpose is found not in what we do, but who we know.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

"The sound of gentle silence."

That's how 1 Kings 19 describes the voice of God.

Which might explain why hearing him speak can be really hard.

But Pete Greig's latest book is meant to help us do just that. It's called "How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People."

You may remember Pete from Episode 71 of this podcast, when we talked with him about a simple guide for how to pray.

Pete is a writer and pastor who co-founded and leads the 24-7 Prayer movement around the world.

Now, he offers insight and tools to help turn your ordinary, everyday prayers into a real, conversational relationship with the God who is speaking, more than you know. 

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Take a quick inventory: 

• Do you often feel tired when you wake up in the morning?
• Have difficulty concentrating?
• Are your emotions easily affected by the actions of others?
• Have headaches, muscle aches, or generalized fatigue with no known medical diagnosis?
•  Do you depend on quick energy fixes like caffeine or sugar to help you get through the day?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you're in need of genuine rest.

How can you keep your energy, happiness, creativity and relationships thriving in the midst of never-ending family demands, career pressures and simply the stress of everyday life?

Here's the doctor's orders: Rest is not optional.

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is an author, speaker, and board-certified physician with an active medical practice in Alabama. 

And she's found seven types of rest lacking in the lives of those she treats: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social and creative. Plus, she knows firsthand the toll a deficiency of rest can take.

She's on the show to share how you can find and embrace true rest today to live the good life we're all after.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Lately, here on this show, we're exploring what happens when hope moves from feeling to doing, from possibility to practice. And today, we're continuing our journey inside one of The Salvation Army's recent transformations: Hope Markets.

As we covered in our recent "Hope in Action" issue of the magazine, these aren't your typical food pantries. In Hope Markets across the Northwest, people don't receive pre-packed boxes—they shop for their own groceries, selecting fresh produce under gentle misters, browsing grocery-style shelves and building relationships along the way.

It's meeting need in a more personal way when the need is great. Right now, more than 47 million people in the U.S. face hunger, including 1 in 5 children, according to the USDA. And in one recent year alone, more than 50 million people turned to charitable food assistance for extra help.

Across the Northwest Division, Hope Markets served more than 457,000 people in 2024.  

But to understand the real impact of this model, we need to talk with someone who's lived both sides of the experience.

Stacy Bleuel is the Social Services Coordinator at The Salvation Army in Puyallup, Washington. Years ago, she arrived at their doors—not as an employee, but as someone seeking help. Homeless, grieving and struggling to care for her three children, Stacy came through a state assistance program.

Today, she runs the Hope Market in the very place that once helped her rebuild her life.

And her journey from Salvation Army food recipient to janitor to program coordinator isn't just inspiring—it's a living example of what's possible when we create spaces where hope is both given and received.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

What are your plans for the New Year?

Will it depend on how things are going in the moment?

It doesn't need to. You really can trust God's plan for your life—in all things, no matter what your life looks like right now.

That's what Megan Fate Marshman explores in her book, a power-packed, biblical look at Jeremiah 29:11-14—a familiar passage that begins: For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, …

So how is God inviting us to practically trust him through Jeremiah 29?

How can we take active steps to trust God regularly?

And how does trusting God's plans for our lives change the way we live?

Megan is on the show to share just that.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Did you know we have nearly 140 published episodes of this show?

That's a whole lot of inspiration right there at your fingertips for those days you feel a little stuck or like you need a little dose of goodness.

We've covered everything from: How to effectively engage anxiety, the state of poverty today, plans for a Salvation Army adaptive camp, what hope does for our minds and bodies, what it means to be commissioned as a Salvation Army officer, how to pursue what makes you come alive, how to receive the Holy Spirit, a truly biblical view of womanhood, how The Salvation Army "saved my life" and so much more.

You may not have caught each and every episode on what it means to do good, what it's really like to be homeless, principles to spend differently or how to foster gratitude.

So over the next few weeks, we'll be rebroadcasting some of our favorite and your most-loved episodes. With the click of the "subscribe" button on any player you love, you'll get each new episode with that boost of inspiration, encouragement and ideas for how you can get involved in doing good.

Then we'll be back before you know it with a new season focused on helping you do good right where you are. 💛

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

RECEIVE A GOOD WORD. Get the daily affirmation email. 

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Hygge.

From a Norwegian term meaning "to comfort" or "to console," hygge has gained in popularity in recent years. There's even a hygge line at Target.

But it's more than cozy living.

As author Jamie Erickson says, it's a way of making the mundane and necessary meaningful and beautiful. It's soul rest.

Her new book, "Holy Hygge: Creating a Place for People to Gather and the Gospel to Grow," shows us how.

Jamie is a homeschooling mom to five kids. She encourages other moms on the Mom to Mom podcast, through her blog The Unlikely Homeschool and as a speaker and author. 

Now she has given us a guide to hygge as it appeals to our desire for slow living and shared moments. For warmth and simplicity. For home.  

And all of this is sacred, Jamie says, when understood in the light of Christ and his kingdom.

Jamie is on the show to share how this Danish lifestyle pairs with the deep, theological truths of the gospel—and how hygge can help us make a home where people can find God, especially as we enter this New Year.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Right about now, as you are dashing through the snow … or around town … you might be wishing upon a star for a way to hit pause.

Maybe you could use a prayer for hope.

Or a prayer for paying the bills.

A prayer for when you're too busy.

Or a prayer for going on a walk.

Maybe a prayer for friendship.

Or a prayer for giving thanks.

Authors Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore offer these and more in their newly released book titled "Liturgies for Hope: Sixty Prayers for the Highs, Lows, and Everything in Between."

These contemporary, comforting liturgies break through the noise of modern life to offer time-tested wisdom.

Audrey works at SparkNotes and Elizabeth at Penguin Random House as these two friends both live in New York and serve with the Church of the City New York.

They're on the show to share more about the liturgical tradition, this new collection of prayers and the hope that is available to you and me today.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

While The Salvation Army is much more than red kettles, Christmas is unquestionably the season of The Salvation Army. 

And really, what better season to be synonymous with than Christmas? 

Every year, kicking off at the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game and running through Christmas Eve, you'll see red kettles and bell ringers standing outside supermarkets and shopping malls, encouraging you to drop in a few dollars—or more—to support The Salvation Army.

Some 25,000 bell ringers a year help The Salvation Army raise money for local programs. And yes—money given in your community stays in your community to help your neighbors.

With the generous support of the public, and a long list of corporate partners, The Salvation Army serves more than 31 million Americans in need each year. 

And this Christmas season, I wanted you to hear it in the words of those engaged in the Fight for Good—volunteering to ring the bell at the kettle, making sure families have food and presents under the tree, and ensuring the lonely are not forgotten. 

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

You've no doubt seen a Salvation Army red kettle—maybe you've seen one already this Christmas season.

It is an iconic part of The Salvation Army and of Christmastime itself.

What started in 1891 with one creative Salvation Army officer or pastor wanting to provide a free Christmas dinner in San Francisco, has spread around the world.

Today, public contributions to the kettles in the U.S. enable The Salvation Army to assist more than 31 million people in need during the holiday season and throughout the year.

It's a truly unique face-to-face touchpoint that gives us a chance to connect with our community and remind them The Salvation Army is at work in their neighborhood.

Major Ken Perine is the Administrator and Pastor for The Salvation Army in Spokane—with nine major programs from a church and community center with an afterschool program and league sports center, to three foster care programs, three shelters for families and adults experiencing homelessness, the largest food bank in Spokane County and a camp. The Salvation Army in Spokane impacts some 100,000 people a year.

And every year, the corps manages a kettle effort, putting out 68 kettles each Christmas and bringing in more than $430,000 in kettle donations.

Kathy Lovin is the Public Affairs and Communications Manager for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. And you may remember her from Episode 120 of this show where she shared six tips for tough conversations.

They're both on the show today to share their own kettle experience and their take on why kettles are so critical to The Salvation Army.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Could you use a good word from the Good Word?

Today, Captain Emmanuel Masango is bringing us the Word from Exodus 33:12-20.

Captain Emmanuel is a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, currently serving as The Salvation Army Territorial Youth Secretary in the western U.S. He preached here at a gathering of Salvation Army youth leaders from all across the West.

He looks at Moses' conversation with God from Exodus 33. Moses had a job, a ministry, a responsibility—but he was looking for something more.

Show me your glory, show me your presence, he says, maybe feeling a little distant from God.

Can you relate?

Do you have the glory of God in your life? The presence, radiance of God?

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

What are you grateful for today?

Does your life experience help build the list?

For Joaquin Galvan, it certainly does.

He's the Director of Railton Place, a transitional and supportive housing program of The Salvation Army in San Francisco's Tenderloin community.

And the path that led him here is not what you might expect.

As he says, you can't plan life.

Joaquin is on the show to share more about his own experience, how it shapes the way he interacts with the residents under his care today, and why he lives with gratitude with a simple goal each and every day.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Are you out the door at 5:01, won't work weekends and prefer texting to face-to-face meetings?

Or do you live to work, can't text and can't tolerate change?

Like most stereotypes, these over-generalized generalizations about generational groups lead to further miscommunication—and often aren't correct.

So how does one speak across generations, particularly in the Church?

Rev. Dr. Darrell Hall lays it out in his new book, "Speaking Across Generations: Messages That Satisfy Boomers, Xers, Millennials, Gen Z, and Beyond."

He currently serves as the Campus Pastor of the Elizabeth Baptist Church campus in Conyers, Georgia.

And he's made it part of his ministry to communicate effectively with members of every generational people group—each with its own culture and preferences.

He's on the show to share more about this idea of generational intelligence and how we all can better speak across generations.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

I vividly remember my first real reporting outing as an intern. I met Jill, who lived in a Salvation Army shelter for families experiencing homelessness and HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles. Jill told me about the moment she learned she was positive—and pregnant. The baby would be born infected.

Jill showed me the four vials of antiretroviral medication her daughter, then 2, had to take each day. She also gave me a tour of the apartment, their home, with visible pride over her child playing in the toy kitchen. Despite the hurdles, Jill became a mom and it changed her for good. She had a new story to write.

Before I left, Jill thanked me for letting her tell her story, saying it felt good to share.

As I've sat down with people in the 15 years since, I've heard the same sentiment again and again.

It's when we name our experiences that we come to understand them in a new way—especially our own. More importantly, stories help us to understand each other, to see past any label and instead see the person.

On this episode of the Do Gooders Podcast, we're going to talk about story and why it's so powerful.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Today, we're heading to Long Beach, California, to talk to someone with a unique perspective on youth programming. Captain Jared Arnold runs The Salvation Army Red Shield Community Center, and he recently caught my attention when he said, "Summer is our Christmas."

Now, when most of us think about summer, we might think about vacations, beach days or maybe just trying to keep the kids entertained. But for Captain Arnold and his team, summer represents something much more profound.

While school is out and many families are scrambling to figure out childcare, the Long Beach Red Shield becomes a hub of activity serving kids from kindergarten through eighth grade. Their summer day camp runs from June through August, providing not just a safe place for children, but a launching pad for growth, learning and character development.

But this isn't just about keeping kids busy. The Red Shield operates year-round programming that includes everything from homework assistance and technology labs to 3D printing classes and partnerships with the LA Rams for flag football. They're serving multiple generations—from young children to seniors—creating what Captain Arnold calls a truly intergenerational community space.

Serving communities that include Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, Hawaiian Gardens and Avalon, they've made their programs intentionally accessible to diverse neighborhoods with varying needs. So I wanted to understand: How do you create programming that truly serves everyone? What does it mean when summer becomes your Christmas? And what happens in the daily life of a community center that's touching multiple generations?

Today, we're getting an inside look at the energy, the programs and the victories—from puzzles to pickleball, from senior programming to youth development, and how one community center is working to ensure that every person who walks through the doors knows they matter.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Why do you trust in Jesus?

"Why follow some ancient carpenter-turned-philosopher from a podunk town in the Middle East, a man whose own people didn't believe in him for the most part? It just doesn't make any sense.

Or does it?"

That's the question Ray Comfort asks in his latest book, "Why Would Anyone Follow Jesus? 12 Reasons to Trust What the Bible Says about Jesus."

Of all the gods, gurus and good people out there, why Jesus?

Ray Comfort is the Founder and CEO of Living Waters and the bestselling author of more than 100 books, including How to Know God Exists and The Evidence Bible. He also cohosts the award-winning TV program Way of the Master, airing in every country in the world.

In this book, Ray walks through 12 persuasive reasons to believe that Jesus was who he said he was and did the things the Bible records him doing. Most importantly, he explains why it actually matters to your life right now.

And how you can share him with others.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Could you use a good word from the Good Word?

In this episode, Commissioner Dave Hudson—who was also the very first guest on this podcast—brings us the Word from the life of Jesus, who was known as a friend of sinners.

This recording is from 2020, when Commissioner Hudson was just days away from retirement. After dedicating himself to ministry with The Salvation Army for more than 40 years, Commissioner Dave Hudson retired in 2020 as National Commander of The Salvation Army in the U.S.

He preached here at a Commissioning event for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. The event annually marks the ordination and appointment of new officers, or pastors, of The Salvation Army.  

Commissioner Hudson challenges those individuals—and each one of us—to consider the way Scripture shows us that Jesus accepted everyone as they are. That was regardless of their background and despite a society where the marginalized were ignored, religion was defined by laws, and people were separated and treated differently because of their identity and status.

Jesus' instructions to us were simple, Commissioner Hudson said: Love.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

What's bigger than Starbucks and Google combined?

A $150 billion industry?

Involving 25 million people worldwide?

It's human trafficking. And it's a problem in your community.

Across the U.S., The Salvation Army has 49 anti-trafficking programs. Recent statistics show The Salvation Army served 4,415 trafficking survivors in just one year.

Erin Kauffman is the Housing Director for one of those Salvation Army anti-trafficking programs, called Stepping Stones, in Spokane, Washington.

She's worked to help trafficking victims become survivors for many years, including most recently as the SEEDS of Hope Program Coordinator in Las Vegas.

These are people, much like all of us, she'll tell you, searching for love and belonging.

And she's on the show to share more about The Salvation Army's anti-trafficking work and some of the myths surrounding the issue.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Did you know one-third of your life will be spent at work?

That's 90,000 hours over the course of a lifetime.

And that's a lot of hours.

So, of course, you want to spend that time in a healthy environment.

Al Lopus would call it a flourishing workplace.

Al is the cofounder and CEO of the Best Christian Workplaces Institute and author of the new book, "Road to Flourishing: Eight Keys to Boost Employee Engagement and Well-Being."

He works to provide research-based measurement tools and strategic advisory services to help Christian organizations set the standard as the best, most effective workplaces in the world.

He serves on the advisory council of the Christian Leadership Alliance, having previously served as a board member.

And he is on the show to share the research on flourishing workplaces and how to get there, including more than a few tangible tips on the eight key drivers for a healthy workplace culture.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more. 

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Don't only invite your friends or the rich, Jesus said in Luke 14. He said, "Make it your habit to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Then you will be blessed…" (14:12-14). 

At about 20 percent of the population, the disabled community is the largest minority group in the world.

Yet, estimates are that 80 to 85 percent of churches don't have any level of disability ministry.

And worse, surveys reveal most families with a disabled child do not attend church at all because they don't feel welcome or it's just too hard.

Major Nancy Helms is the Territorial Disabilities Ministries Director for The Salvation Army in the western U.S.

For her, it's a role that's also personal as she has a child who has disabilities. She is out to make sure everyone has a seat in ministry and friendship.

She's on the show to share more about her own experience, what she wished the Church knew about loving beyond disability and practical ways we can all engage in ministry in this way.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

We've all seen depictions of the white lights and tunnels to heaven in some movie or TV show after the character has a near-death experience.

But for Rick Osgood, that experience was real.

Rick has a long history with advisory organizations in The Salvation Army and is currently a member of the Territorial Advisory Board for The Salvation Army in the western U.S.

In his professional life, he was one of the founders of Pacific Growth Equities, a research-driven bank specializing in technology-based emerging growth. Now retired, Rick operates a vineyard in Napa, California, and serves on a number of boards for public and private companies.

And this summer, he experienced an injury while abroad that left him hospitalized for more than 40 days. It's an injury he'll tell you he probably shouldn't have survived. Miracle after miracle has followed.

Rick is on the show to share his testimony—what God showed him in his near-death experience and what it all means today.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

How do we seek the peace and prosperity—the shalom—of our communities?

It's a charge from God as we find in Jeremiah 29:7: "Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

So how do we love our neighbors and work for the common good?

Dr. Amy Sherman lays it all out in her new book, "Agents of Flourishing: Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society." It's part theological reflection and part instruction manual on how to be, as she calls it, a "kingdom foretaste bringer."

Dr. Sherman directs the Sagamore Institute's Center on Faith in Communities, a capacity-building initiative for congregations and faith-based and community-based organizations. Its aim is to help leaders invest more strategically and effectively in their communities as they address poverty and injustice.

She also works closely with Made to Flourish, a pastors' network for the common good focused on issues of faith and work. She's the author of seven books and more than 100 articles and essays, and frequently speaks and trains congregational and nonprofit ministry leaders.

Dr. Sherman holds a Ph.D. in international economic development from the University of Virginia and volunteered for several years as a Senior Fellow with the International Justice Mission.

She's on the show to help us better understand the concept of biblical flourishing and how we can effectively seek it in our communities.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

It won't come as a surprise to you that the number of employed people plummeted as the pandemic unfolded.

In April 2020, the unemployment rate reached 14.8%—the highest rate observed since data collection began in 1948. Compare that to February this year, 2022, when the unemployment rate marked 3.8 percent. 

Now, we hear a different story about America's worker shortage. In January, the U.S. had 11.3 million jobs to fill and not enough workers to do so, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You've probably seen the "help wanted" signs in your own community.

And so The Salvation Army retooled its own programs for workforce development in Northern California in an effort to more quickly prepare workers for skilled jobs.

And notably, help people out of or altogether prevent homelessness. 

Captain Larry Carmichael is the Social Services Officer for The Salvation Army in Sacramento County.

He was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer, or pastor, in 2016 and has since served in Phoenix; in Marin County, California, and now in Sacramento. He holds a master's degree in organizational leadership and has a personal commitment to persevere.

He's on the show to share more about The Salvation Army's workforce development programs ranging the construction, culinary and certified nursing assistant fields.

It's an effort, he says, to help an individual and a community.  

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

If you could use a boost of inspiration in 1 minute a day with a daily affirmation from Scripture—something that landed right in your inbox to help you start your day with goodness, then you are in the right spot.

The Salvation Army's Caring Magazine, which produces this show, has a new free resource: Good Words from the Good Word, an email series to get you a boost of inspiration in 1 minute a day with a daily affirmation from Scripture. Get on the list now at caringmagazine.org/words.

You'll open your inbox each morning to a pep-talk for the day.

A boost of inspiration and comfort. 

A bit of encouragement when you need it.

A good Word to draw on with intention, knowing your thoughts change how you feel…and act. 

And today on the show, I'm bringing you a sample—a version you can pop in your ear buds and hit play on.

Use it as a reminder when you need it.

A meditation to pray through.

Or any way you are inspired to.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

You've probably seen the red kettles and thrift stores, and while we're rightfully well known for both, The Salvation Army is so much more than red kettles and thrift stores.

So who are we? What do we do? And where?

In this episode, we're going to cover the who, what, where, why and how of The Salvation Army—plus how you can get involved in the Fight for Good.

So take a seat for Salvation Army 101.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Want to hear some encouraging news that's emerging from communities across America? After years of declining volunteer participation—a trend that accelerated during the pandemic—researchers are documenting what they're calling a "volunteer rebound."

The numbers are striking. Nearly 30 percent of Americans formally volunteered from 2022 to 2023, contributing almost 5 billion hours of service. That's a return to pre-pandemic levels, and in some places, volunteer participation is reaching heights we haven't seen in years.

But this isn't just about getting back to where we were. Something deeper is happening. We're seeing new forms of volunteering emerge—virtual opportunities that make service accessible to people who couldn't participate before. We're witnessing dramatic growth in some locations, like one Salvation Army center that saw a 162 percent increase in volunteers across three years. And perhaps most meaningfully, we're seeing more people who once received help returning to serve others.

To help us understand what's driving this volunteer rebound and what it means for communities across the West, I'm joined by two guests today: Hillary Jackson is the Managing Editor for Caring Magazine, and recently reported on this trend, and Adriana Thiele is the Director of Volunteers and Community Engagement for The Salvation Army in San Diego.  

We'll explore not just the numbers behind this rebound, but the stories—how volunteering is becoming a pathway to healing, how people are finding new ways to serve and how communities are becoming more resilient as a result. We'll also look at some innovative approaches, from disaster response training to virtual volunteering opportunities that are expanding who can participate in meaningful service.

Whether you're already volunteering, thinking about getting involved, or simply curious about this trend that's quietly on the rise, this episode will give you insight into how people just like you are choosing to be part of extraordinary change.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

BE AFFIRMED. Get the Good Words email series.

JOIN THE HOPEFULS. Get inside the group.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

DO GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

This is a good word from the Good Word with Commissioner Doug Riley. 

Commissioner Riley is the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. You may remember him from previous episodes of this podcast on gratitude and the Christmas story. 

Here, he preached at this year's commissioning and ordination meeting of The Salvation Army in the western U.S., when the Army commissions those in training as Salvation Army officers or pastors. 

And he had one question: What is your purpose? 

While we often start with ourselves and struggle through our identity, importance and impact, Riley said we fail to see the answers are found in understanding God's reason for putting us here on earth. 

God's purpose, he said, is simple: To know him and to glorify him. Our purpose is found not in what we do, but who we know. 

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Have you ever dreaded a conversation?

Maybe you hit a difficult topic or needed to address a sticky issue, but you knew it would be a tough one.

Chances are it'll happen again, so go ahead and bookmark this episode now.

Kathy Lovin is the Public Affairs and Communications Manager for The Salvation Army in the western U.S. She's spent more than two decades coaching people on how to address difficult topics with the media, employees, boards, and even family members.

Tough Talk, as she calls it, is a discipline we all need and one we can all grow in.  

She's on the show to share what she's learned over the years and to offer six tips for being a more effective, purposeful communicator.

As she says, it all comes down to caring for people.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

If you've ever donated gently-used items to The Salvation Army or shopped in one of our thrift stores, then you've directly supported addiction rehabilitation in your community.

Across the U.S., The Salvation Army has more than 130 residential treatment facilities which equip more than 150,000 people a year to combat addiction, build work and social skills and restore families. Each of these facilities sift and sort the public's donations that are then sold in more than 1,200 thrift stores nationwide.

And those sales fund the cost-free, biblically based six-month program helping so many people find not only sobriety, but recovery.

Cheryl Tuck-Smith is the mom of one of those program graduates. She's experienced the transformation that results, and for the past 20 years, has stayed involved in the effort in Chico, California.

Now in retirement after a career as an attorney, Cheryl has taken on a new role overseeing what she calls, Grandma's Jewelry Box.

As an advisory council member for The Salvation Army Chico Adult Rehabilitation Program, Cheryl offered to help sift and sort donations of jewelry, looking for items to be sold in the area's seven thrift stores.

When she discovered the warehouse had more jewelry than she could get to, she recruited help. The group of volunteers now meets weekly and have turned it into a ministry.

Cheryl is on the show today to share more about the effort, what they look for and the result—a remarkable average monthly income from the majority $4 to $10 pieces of jewelry for sale.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.