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May the FORCE be with You

In a world often filled with noise, division, and overwhelming need, it’s easy to feel small and like one person can’t possibly make a difference. But the truth is, we can. Not by changing the whole world in one grand gesture, but by choosing, moment by moment, to be a force for good. Since this is the month of May it seems like a good time to reflect upon the force within each of us.

Being a force for good doesn’t require perfection, wealth, or extraordinary talents. It begins with empathy, the willingness to see and feel someone else’s pain and to respond with love. It’s found in everyday choices: the kindness we show to a neighbor, the time we give to someone in need, the forgiveness we extend even when it’s hard. It’s those small acts that, over time, ripple outward, creating real change. Service doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Sometimes the simplest gestures are the most powerful.

Each week on the Charity Matters Podcast we interview extraordinary humans who start nonprofits. None of theses founders set out to do this work but something happened along their journey that inspired them to serve. Max Page a young boy born with a congenital heart defect who played “Little Darth Vader” in a famous Super Bowl commercial. Despite countless surgeries and hospital stays, Max and his family turned their pain into purpose. They began advocating for children’s health, raising money and awareness for causes that had once touched their own lives. Max’s courage and generosity remind us that being a force for good isn’t about age or experience…it’s about heart. Max knew about being a force for good.

We all have a story. Some of our stories are marked by loss, trauma, or failure. But those experiences can become the very fuel we need to help others. That’s what Carolyn Blashek discovered. After trying to help a heartbroken soldier during the early days of the Iraq War, she felt called to do something more. She started Operation Gratitude, sending care packages and handwritten letters to military members. Her response to one person’s pain has since touched over 3 million service members. Carolyn’s story shows that when we act from the heart, even the most personal moments can ignite a movement.

Each of these stories teaches us something essential: we don’t need to wait for the perfect time or the perfect version of ourselves to make a difference. We just need to begin. Service is a journey, not a destination. Along the way, we discover more about who we are and what we’re capable of. We find connection in unexpected places. And we realize that the very act of giving not only helps others…..and it changes us.

When we step outside of ourselves and serve, we begin to heal. We begin to understand that we’re not alone, that our lives have meaning beyond our individual circumstances. We find purpose in the shared humanity of helping one another and a call to see ourselves not just as individuals, but as part of something bigger.

So how do we start? We begin by paying attention….. by noticing the lonely neighbor, the friend going through a hard time, the child who needs encouragement. Then we offer what we have…..a listening ear, a helping hand, a small donation, or simply our time. We act not because we have to, but because we want to be part of the solution.

Being a force for good doesn’t mean saving the world. It means showing up, again and again, with love. Being a force for good means choosing kindness even when it’s inconvenient. It means believing that every person matters and that includes ourselves. When we give from that place, we discover the magic that happens when one life touches another.

The truth is, you already have everything you need to be a force for good. Your story, your pain, your joy, your heart, they are your tools. The question is not whether you can make a difference, but whether you’re willing to try. And if you are, then you are already well on your way.

Because changing the world doesn’t start with a grand plan. It starts with you. May the force be with you.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

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Charity Profile

Episode 103: Walk with Me Brother

Some stories ask you to listen. Others ask you to feel. And then there are the rare ones, like this one, that ask you to walk alongside them. This week on the Charity Matters Podcast, you’ll meet Robb Pollard, a husband, father, entrepreneur, and now the founder of Walk With Me Brother, who is about to do something extraordinary. On Monday, Robb began a 2,500-mile run across America…..not because he’s a runner, not because it’s easy, but because he knows what it feels like to be at the very bottom and wonders if his journey might help someone else choose to stay. This isn’t about miles. It’s about meaning. It’s about one man’s decision to turn pain into purpose and to remind us all that asking for help might be the bravest step we ever take.

By the time this episode airs on Thursday, Robb will already be on the road one step at a time, inviting all of us to come with him. His story is raw, honest, and deeply human. It’s about mental health, about breaking the silence so many men carry, and about the power of simply showing up for one another. If you’ve ever wondered how one person can make a difference, this conversation will stay with you. Because sometimes, changing the world doesn’t start with a grand plan …it starts with one step… and the courage to take it.

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what Walk With Me Brother does?

Robb Pollard:  Walk With Me Brother is a mental health nonprofit, but I try not to overcomplicate it. At its core, it started with one simple goal: help one person. If I could save one person from taking their own life (most likely a man) then everything I’m doing is worth it.

That’s really it. That’s the mission.

People talk a lot about mental health awareness, but the truth is, we’re already aware. We know what mental health is. What we’re trying to do is take action…real action to prevent suicide. For me, that means creating connection. It means building a brotherhood where people feel safe enough to talk, to open up, to not feel alone.

The run across America is part of that. It’s a way to get attention without destroying myself. It’s a way to show people, especially men, that there is another option. That you can ask for help. That you can choose a different path.

If I have to run 2,500 miles to reach one person, then it’s worth every step.

Charity Matters: What experiences did you have as a child that influenced your work?

Robb Pollard:   I grew up in a small town in England, and it was very community-driven. Everyone knew each other. Neighbors looked out for one another. It wasn’t nonprofit work in the formal sense, but it was people helping people.My grandmother, my Nan, had a big influence on me. She always used to say, “No matter what you’re going through, there’s always someone worse off than you.” That stuck with me. It gave me perspective early on.

As I got older, I naturally gravitated toward helping where I could. When I lived in Shanghai, I worked with an animal rescue and ended up fostering over 100 dogs. I also spent time with an orphanage, which was pretty eye-opening.

But even then, I never thought I’d start a nonprofit. I just thought I’d support causes, donate money, do my bit. Looking back now, all those experiences were shaping me. They were laying the groundwork for something bigger….I just didn’t know it at the time.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start Walk With Me Brother?

Robb Pollard: The moment everything changed was when I said three words: I need help.I couldn’t even say it out loud at first. I had to write it in an email to my family. But that was the turning point. I knew that nothing was going to change unless I did something different.

I’d been struggling for a long time with my mental health, with addiction, with feeling like I was never enough. And even when I got sober, there was still that voice in my head. I knew eventually I’d crack if I didn’t do something drastic.

Then I went through ketamine infusion therapy, and during one of the sessions, I had this vision of myself running across America. It wasn’t about ego. It wasn’t about proving anything to anyone else. It was about doing something so big that people would notice and in noticing, maybe they’d realize there’s another way. That idea stuck with me. I couldn’t ignore it.

And once it was there, I knew I had to follow through. That’s when it shifted from just a personal challenge to something bigger….a mission. That’s when Walk With Me Brother really began.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Robb Pollard: I definitely underestimated how hard this would be. Starting a nonprofit is no joke. There’s no clear roadmap, and everything takes more time, more effort, and more consistency than you think. Fundraising alone is a massive challenge we’re trying to raise around $80,000 just to support the run.

Then there’s building the right team. The people around you have to believe in the mission. A lot of the people helping right now have personal stories of loss, struggles, experiences with mental health and that’s what drives them. On a personal level, the biggest challenge is balancing everything. I have a business, a wife, kids, a life. And I’m about to step away from that for a long time to do something that’s physically and mentally demanding.

There are moments where I think, “What am I doing?” But once you commit to something like this, there’s no backing out. You just have to keep going.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Robb Pollard: What keeps me going is the thought that someone might still be here because of this. Maybe a kid still has his dad. Maybe a parent still has their son. That’s what I hold onto.

And then there’s my own family. My kids might not understand this right now, but one day they will. I want them to see that you can push yourself beyond what you think is possible. That you can do hard things.

There’s also something personal in this for me. I’ve never really felt proud of myself. This is about changing that. It’s about proving to myself more than anyone that I can do something meaningful.

Charity Matters: When do you know you have made a difference?

Robb Pollard:  If one person chooses to stay because of this, then I’ve made a difference.

That’s success to me. It’s not about numbers, followers, or how much money we raise. It’s about impact. One life is enough.

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Robb Pollard:  We’re still early in the journey, but already I’m seeing the impact. People are reaching out. They’re sharing their stories. They’re opening up in ways they haven’t before. That alone tells me this is needed.

The real impact will come over time. We’re building something bigger than just the run it is a community, a brotherhood, a place where people can talk without judgment. We’re also working on future initiatives things like providing access to support for people who can’t afford it, creating local walking communities, and bringing in ideas that have worked in other countries.

This isn’t a one-time event. This is the start of something much bigger.

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Robb Pollard: The dream is to create a system where no one feels like they have nowhere to turn. I want Walk With Me Brother to become a community….something people can plug into anywhere. Walks, conversations, meetups. Real connection.

I’d love to see it grow across the country and beyond. I want to go into schools, especially high schools, and talk to young men. If we can reach them early and show them it’s okay to ask for help, we can change outcomes.

Long term, I’d like to create access to real support whether that’s therapy, resources, or just someone to talk to. Something practical, not just awareness.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Robb Pollard: The biggest lesson is that asking for help isn’t weakness it’s strength. There is always someone out there who will help you. You just have to ask.

I’ve also learned that nothing changes unless you change something. You can’t stay stuck and expect things to get better. And I’ve learned how important it is to have the right people around you. This isn’t something you do alone. The people involved in this all have a connection to the mission. That matters.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Robb Pollard: It’s already changing me, and I know the biggest changes are still to come.

I’m someone who’s always been very family-oriented, very comfortable at home. This is pushing me way outside of that. Being away from my family is going to be one of the hardest parts. Physically, it’s going to be tough. But mentally, it’s going to be even tougher.

At the same time, I know that if I can do this, I’ll come out stronger. I’ll know what I’m capable of. And more than anything, I’ll know that I tried to make a difference. Even if it’s just for one person.

Because at the end of the day, that’s all this has ever been about.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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Health

I’ve been thinking…

“I’ve been thinking…”

My husband believes those are three very dangerous words. Perhaps he’s right. Over the past few months being unable to walk, being sick, and being tested……I’ve had more time than usual to sit with my thoughts. Life has felt like a funnel, with so much pouring in and only a slow drip coming out the other end.

Lately, it feels as if I’ve been placed in the observation chair and told to sit, listen, and take everything in. No driving, no constant motion…..just observing.  This is unfamiliar territory.

Normally, I’m in the driver’s seat, pedal to the metal, moving full speed ahead. What I’m beginning to understand is that when you move that fast, it’s almost impossible to truly see or hear what’s around you.

From Full Speed to Stillness

Recently, life has gone from sixty to zero.

This season has become a lesson in patience, in slowing down, and in surrender. Accepting help has not come easily. That delicate line between independence and dependence feels thinner than ever.Asking for help feels vulnerable. It stretches every part of who I think I am.

And yet…

Kindness has met me at every turn. Strangers hold doors as I navigate on crutches. Friends show up with meals. Messages, check-ins, and small gestures appear daily, each one meaningful. Being on the receiving end of so much generosity has filled me with gratitude. More than that, it has renewed my belief in humanity.

When we slow down enough, goodness becomes impossible to miss.

When You Can’t Speak, You Listen

One of the greatest lessons during this time has been learning to listen. Not just to my body, but to everything happening around me.

Last week, I collapsed and ended up in the ER. I’m fine now, so no need to worry. Still, the experience left a lasting imprint. As paramedics loaded me into the red truck, everything became blurry. Awareness faded in and out. By the time we reached the emergency room, I couldn’t open my eyes or speak but I could hear everything.

What I heard is something I cannot stop thinking about.

The Woman Behind the Curtain

Inside the ER, doctors and nurses moved quickly around me. Their voices blended into a steady rhythm of urgency and care. Beyond the curtain next to me, another story quietly unfolded.

The patient beside me was an elderly woman. From her voice alone, I could sense her grace, her precise words  and her calm tone. The doctor explained that she needed surgery immediately. Then came a simple question: “Who can we call?”

Silence followed.

After a moment, she said she needed time to think. Gently, she explained that her concern wasn’t who to call. Instead, she worried about who would take care of her cat. My heart broke.

As the doctor and nurse reviewed forms, I could hear her discomfort. Pain slipped through her voice as she responded. A single thought kept repeating in my mind: Who is helping her? Wanting to speak, to advocate, to do something….I couldn’t. Tears streamed down my face as I listened.

A Life of Order, A Moment of Uncertainty

Soon, a social worker arrived. Questions began about the cat….its age, food, medications, and care instructions. Each answer came with remarkable clarity and detail. The woman described exactly where everything was and how it all worked.

Impressed, the social worker commented on her organization. With quiet pride, the woman replied,
“Of course there is a system for everything. I would like you to know, young lady, that I was a librarian for over forty years. Everything has a system.”

In that moment, I could see her clearly. Her life, her order, her independence and her dignity. Still, one question would not leave me…

Who would take her home after surgery?
Was there anyone to check in on her ?
Who would care for her?

The Questions That Stay With Us

That moment has stayed with me. It returns in quiet spaces and unexpected pauses. Beneath it all lies a deeper question:

How does someone end up alone?

Human beings aren’t meant to live in isolation. We are wired for connection, built for community, and designed to belong. But over time, however, connections fade. People move. Life shifts. Loss enters. Gradually, sometimes without notice, the circle grows smaller. Eventually, it can become just one person… and a beloved cat… facing a moment no one should face alone.

The Power of Asking and Receiving

Here is what I keep coming back to and what is dropping out of the funnel. The power of asking for help… and the power of connection. These two forces are deeply intertwined.

During this season, asking for help has stretched me in ways I never expected. What I’ve discovered is that asking doesn’t weaken us but rather it creates space for others to step in with love. Offering help matters just as much. Noticing someone. Reaching out. Showing up before the need is spoken.

Because not everyone can ask.

What We Can Do

So what do we do with this awareness? We reach out, we check in and  we build connection before we need it.  Then we step into someone else’s world when they do. Notice the neighbor you haven’t seen in a while. Call the friend who has gone quiet. Offer to pick up groceries, share a meal, or simply sit and listen.

Connection begins with small choices. Every act of kindness, no matter how simple, carries weight. Sometimes, those small acts are the difference between someone feeling invisible… and someone feeling seen.

A Final Thought

I don’t know what happened to the woman behind the curtain. Whether someone showed up for her. If her cat was cared for. Or whether she had someone waiting on the other side of surgery. What I do know is this:

She changed me.

That moment reminded me that life isn’t about constant motion or endless productivity. True meaning often reveals itself when we pause long enough to notice others. Maybe my husband is right…” I’ve been thinking” can be dangerous.

Because once awareness begins, it doesn’t stop. Once you truly see… you cannot unsee. And what becomes clear is this: We need each other. Always.

In the end, the smallest act of kindness may simply be making sure someone knows they are not alone.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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Causes

Episode 102: JDS Creative

We often think of the arts as something extra….something creative, expressive, maybe even optional. But what if the arts were actually the bridge to confidence, communication, independence, and purpose? In this powerful and inspiring conversation, I sit down with husband and wife Diane and Scott Strand, the founders of JDS Creative Academy, who are using the arts in the most extraordinary way…..to transform lives. What began as two creatives working in Hollywood, juggling long hours and raising a young family, turned into a simple “what if?” and that one question has now grown into a thriving nonprofit that is changing the trajectory of lives every single day.

Through filmmaking, acting, digital media, and storytelling, Diane and Scott are giving people, especially adults with developmental disabilities, the tools to find their voice, build real-world skills, and step into a life they may have never believed possible. This episode is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the greatest impact doesn’t come from grand plans, but from saying yes to one person, one opportunity, one moment at a time. Their story is filled with heart, humility, and hope and it will leave you inspired to look at your own gifts and ask, “What if I used them to help someone else?”

 

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what JDS Creative does?

Diane Strand:  JDS Creative Academy is a nonprofit 501 c3 with a mission of using visual, performing, and digital arts to enhance life, creativity, and business. We serve youth, teens, and adults both mainstream and special needs through hands-on programs that allow people to step in and immediately be part of the creative process.

The goal is not just learning the arts for fun, although there is joy in that. It is about giving people tools they can use for career pathways, workforce development, and independence. We want people to understand the power of the arts….not just as expression, but as a way to build a life.

Charity Matters: What experiences did you have as a child that influenced your work?

Diane Strand:  I always say you cannot connect your dots looking forward you have to look back. For me, those dots go all the way back to first and second grade. I was a little girl who just wanted to play Betsy Ross in the school play, and everyone told me I couldn’t. I was a struggling reader, an undiagnosed dyslexic, and school was not easy for me.

But the arts were my connection. They kept me engaged in learning and gave me a way to grow beyond my challenges. At the time, I couldn’t articulate why it mattered so much, but now I see it clearly. The arts gave me a voice when I didn’t have one in other areas.

Later in life, when Scott and I were in Hollywood and becoming successful, the environment wasn’t always kind. Something in me instinctively knew I wanted something different something rooted in kindness and purpose. Looking back, all of those experiences were pointing me here.

 

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start JDS Creative?

Scott Strand:  It really started with a “what if” moment. Diane and I were both working long, exhausting hours, and we had just had our son. I was taking him to auditions in a stroller, and Diane was leaving before he woke up and coming home after he was asleep. It just wasn’t sustainable.

One night, after I finished my film degree, I said, “What if we sold everything, moved, and built our own production company? You know how to produce, I know how to film….we can do this.” She said yes, and that started our entrepreneurial journey.

The nonprofit came later, and it happened organically. We had a successful production company and an actor studio that grew out of a drama club we were running. People kept asking us to do more teach writing, filmmaking, theater. We kept saying yes.

Then one day someone asked, “What if you worked with an adult with developmental disabilities who wanted to learn audio?” We said, “Let’s try it.” And once we saw what was possible, it became, “If we can teach one, we can teach many.”

That was the moment. It wasn’t a grand plan……it was a series of “what ifs” that we chose to answer.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Scott Strand: One of the biggest challenges is capacity. The need is so much bigger than what we can serve. When we started, we had five adults in the program, and very quickly that number grew. Once people saw what we were doing, the applications started coming in.

It’s a good problem, but it’s also a hard realization that you cannot meet every need. No matter how much you want to help, you can only serve as many people as your resources allow.

Another challenge is building the right team. Not everyone understands the nonprofit space or shares the same vision right away. We had to grow into leadership that allows people to be creative while still supporting the mission. Now we have a team that truly believes in what we are doing, and that makes all the difference.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Diane Strand:  For me, it’s the people. It’s our students, our families, and our team. Some of the people who stepped in during the early years are still here today. That kind of loyalty and belief is incredibly powerful.

Our own children fuel us as well. They grew up in this environment…. in the arts, in the theater, in this mission and they’ve bought into it completely. That tells me we’re building something that matters.

And truly, the more you serve, the more you receive. That has been one of the greatest lessons of this journey. You give and give, and somehow your life becomes fuller in the process.

 

Charity Matters: When do you know you have made a difference?

Scott Strand:  It’s in the small, real moments. It’s when you see the light bulb go on. I had a moment recently where I walked into the studio and saw a group of students some neurotypical, some adults with autism sharing their ideas for films they wanted to create.

They were listening to each other, supporting each other, and fully engaged. I stopped and thought, “This is it. This is why we do this.”

It’s not about numbers it’s about those moments where someone feels seen, heard, and capable.

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Diane Strand:  Of course, we’ve had awards and recognition, and those are wonderful. But our real success is in the lives we’ve seen transformed.

We’ve had students who didn’t speak much at home start coming home and sharing their day with their families. We’ve had individuals placed into internships and jobs. We’ve seen people gain independence and confidence in ways they never thought possible.

I always say, “Help one person every day,” because that one act creates a ripple effect. When someone grows here, they take that growth home, into their families, into their communities. It changes everything.

 

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Diane Strand:   We created JDS Creative Academy to outlive us. The dream is legacy. We want this work to continue far beyond our time.

I would love to see programs like this across the country arts-based workforce development programs that help adults with developmental disabilities build real skills, find independence, and thrive.

We are working toward making the organization self-sustaining so it can continue without relying on us. That’s the dream that what we’ve built lives on and continues to serve.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Diane Strand:  Patience has been one of the biggest lessons. I came from a fast-paced, results-driven world, and this work requires a different kind of leadership one rooted in patience, kindness, and compassion.

It has also taught me to be more open. For most of my life, I worked around my dyslexia and didn’t talk about it. Now I can share that part of my story and recognize that it’s not something to hide, it’s part of what shaped me.

Kindness, clarity, and perspective those are the lessons I carry with me every day.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Scott Strand: It’s allowed me to become more myself. I’ve always been a performer at heart, but for a long time I felt like I had to be more guarded as a business owner and leader.

Now I can lead with humor, creativity, and openness. I can be playful, and that actually makes me a better leader. It creates an environment where people feel safe to express themselves and grow.

This journey has shown me that when you help someone step into who they truly are, it doesn’t just change their life it changes yours too.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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Charity Matters Inspiration

World Health Day: Caring for ourselves, Caring for our world

Each year on April 7th, the world pauses to recognize World Health Organization’s World Health Day, a global reminder that our health is our most precious resource. Established in 1950 to commemorate the founding of the World Health Organization, the day highlights critical health issues affecting people around the globe and encourages governments, communities, and individuals to take action toward healthier lives.

But while the name may sound global and grand, the truth is that world health actually begins in very small, very personal places: in our homes, in our neighborhoods, and in the choices we make every single day.

Health is something we often take for granted….until we don’t have it. Whether it’s a sudden diagnosis, an injury that slows us down ( yep)  or watching someone we love struggle with illness, those moments remind us how fragile and precious our well-being truly is. Our health is the foundation that allows us to show up for the people we love, pursue our dreams, and serve others in meaningful ways.

Without our health, everything becomes harder….trust me something I am very aware of these days.

The purpose of World Health Day is not simply to recognize doctors, hospitals, or health organizations….although they certainly deserve our gratitude. It is a call for all of us to take responsibility for our own well-being and for the well-being of our communities. Because health is not just about medicine. It is about lifestyle, environment, connection, and care.

Healthy communities create a healthier world.

When we take care of ourselves we are better equipped to help others. A parent who prioritizes their health can be present for their children. A teacher who protects their well-being can inspire generations of students. A volunteer who feels strong and energized can serve their community with compassion and purpose.

Health creates capacity. In many ways, caring for ourselves is one of the most important acts of service we can offer the world.

Around the globe, access to healthcare, clean water, nutritious food, and safe living conditions remains a challenge for millions of people. These disparities remind us that health is not simply a personal issue but it is a collective one. When communities work together to improve health resources, advocate for better systems, and support those in need, we move closer to a world where everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy life.

But change does not always require sweeping global initiatives. Sometimes it begins with simple acts within our own neighborhoods.

Check in on an elderly neighbor who may be isolated.
Bring a healthy meal to a friend recovering from surgery.
Support a local health clinic or nonprofit that serves vulnerable families.
Encourage children to play outside and stay active.
Take a walk with a friend instead of meeting over coffee.

These small actions ripple outward in ways we may never fully see.

Health is also deeply connected to kindness and connection. Loneliness and isolation are now recognized as serious public health concerns. When we reach out to others, build community, and foster meaningful relationships, we strengthen not only emotional well-being but physical health as well.

In other words, caring for each other is a form of healthcare.

The past few years have reminded the world just how interconnected our health truly is. A virus that began in one corner of the world quickly affected every community on the planet. We learned that protecting one another through science, cooperation, and compassion was essential to protecting ourselves.

Global health begins locally.

When we make choices that strengthen our own well-being getting enough sleep, moving our bodies, nourishing ourselves with healthy food, managing stress, and nurturing relationships…..we are contributing to a healthier society. When communities prioritize parks, clean air, safe neighborhoods, and accessible healthcare, they build the foundation for future generations to thrive.

And when we look after the most vulnerable among us, we honor the idea that everyone deserves the opportunity to live a healthy life.

This World Health Day, perhaps the best thing we can do is pause and ask a simple question:

What is one small step I can take today to care for my health and the health of my community?

Maybe it is scheduling that doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off.
Or choosing to move your body and enjoy the outdoors.
Maybe it is checking in on someone who may need encouragement or support.

Health is not built in a single day. It is built through daily choices, shared responsibility, and the understanding that we are all connected.

When we take care of ourselves, we strengthen our families.
And when we strengthen our families, we build healthier communities.
When communities thrive, the world becomes a healthier place for us all.

Because in the end, a healthier world begins with each of us. 🌎

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

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Episode 101: Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Most of us tuck our children into bed each night without giving it a second thought. A warm blanket, a pillow, a place to rest….these simple comforts feel like basic parts of life. But what if you discovered that thousands of children in communities just like yours don’t have a bed at all? That realization changed everything for Luke Mickelson. What began as a small Christmas project in his garage with a few teenage boys and a power drill has grown into a global movement dedicated to making sure no child sleeps on the floor.

In this powerful episode of the Charity Matters Podcast, Luke shares the unforgettable moment that opened his eyes to the hidden crisis of child bedlessness and the little girl named Haley whose first bed changed the trajectory of his life. From one bunk bed to more than 425,000 beds delivered to children around the world, Luke’s story is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the simplest acts of kindness create the biggest ripple effects. This conversation will inspire you to look at the world a little differently and maybe even pick up a hammer and help change a child’s life.

 

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what Sleep in Heavenly Peace does?

Luke Mickelson:  Sleep in Heavenly Peace started as a family Christmas project in a garage, and now it’s a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that’s been around since 2012. Our main and only mission is to see that no kid sleeps on the floor in our town. Of course, we want “our town” to be everybody’s town. So what we do is build and deliver twin beds and bunk beds for kids ages three to seventeen.

The name came around Christmas time, and it really fulfilled two things. It’s what we wanted those kids to feel like when we left, and it had a little tie to the one person we know who didn’t have a bed when He was born. It’s simple, but that’s the whole idea: no kid should be sleeping on the floor.

Charity Matters: What experiences did you have as a child that influenced your work?

Luke Mickelson: The answer is absolutely and not really. What I mean by that is I grew up in a very small town—about 4,000 people. The beauty of growing up in a small town is you know everybody. The crappy thing is, you know everybody. But because you rub shoulders with people everywhere you go, you learn to support each other. I didn’t know any different. That built a desire in me to want to help people. That’s just what you did.

I also grew up most of my school years with my mom as a single parent. There were five of us kids. We didn’t have much. I remember one Christmas, right after my parents divorced, I was pretty sure we weren’t going to have much at all. I went out to the mailbox for my mom, and there was an envelope with $1,500 in it. We knew where it came from. We knew it was our community, people who had donated. Those are the things that happen in your community that change you.

So I didn’t grow up thinking, “I’m going to be philanthropic.” I just grew up in a place where helping each other was normal. I played sports, was team captain, student body president, and I loved being involved. I loved big groups, loved people, loved serving. It was ingrained in me.

I’ve always felt that if there’s one common denominator among all of us, it’s that we’re human. We’re all just humans. Deep down, I think all of us have some desire to help our own. I had a mission president tell me once: if you want to enjoy your career, look at it as a way of service. That stuck with me. If you show up looking at your work as service, it changes everything.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start Sleep in Heavenly Peace?

Luke Mickelson: I was about thirty-five, and on paper my life looked great. I had a good job, had moved into the corporate office as executive vice president of sales and marketing, was coaching my kids, serving in church, and even planning to buy the business. Everything looked awesome. But internally, there was a hole being developed in my heart. It was a slow erosion over a couple of years, and even though I’m a happy, service-oriented guy, I could feel myself slipping.

Then one night at church, a family was mentioned, and in passing someone said, “The kids don’t have beds.” I stopped her. “Wait a minute, what?” She said they were sleeping on the floor. It hit me like a two-by-four. I went home, drew up a simple bunk bed plan off my daughter’s bed, got the boys together, and we built one. Delivering that bed filled something in me instantly. A few days later, when my own kids were asking for another Xbox, I walked straight to the garage and said, “I’ve got leftover wood. I’m going to build another bunk bed, and you’re going to come help me.”

We didn’t know who to give that second bed to, so I posted it online. What stunned me was how many people responded and how many knew children sleeping on floors, couches, pallets, anywhere but a bed. Then I met Haley, a six-year-old girl who had never slept in a bed, only in the backseat of her mom’s car. When I saw the pile of clothes in the corner where she slept, I almost lost it. But when we put her bed together, she hugged it, kissed it, and her mom stood there crying. That’s when I knew this was way more than a bed.

On the drive home, I told my buddy, “No kid can sleep on the floor in my town if I have anything to do with it.” That Christmas we built and delivered 21 beds. There was no going back.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Luke Mickelson: When you’re passionate about something, passion can be contagious, but it can also act like a bulldozer. You gain friends and you lose friends. Some people wanted to keep it local, and I was thinking, “No, I need to do this.” That’s hard.

Another challenge was my job. Every vacation, every spare minute I had, went to helping the charity grow. My employer saw that this wasn’t slowing down. Eventually my boss sat me down and basically said, “I know you. This isn’t going to stop. You either quit the charity and go to work, or quit work and go do your charity.” At the time it was hard, but it was a gift.

And then as we grew, the challenge became scale. We could build beds fast, but delivering them, organizing volunteers, funding chapters, building a structure that’s real work. Even now, the need is huge. There are 155,000 kids on our waiting list, and we only geographically cover 27% of the United States. That means most of the country still doesn’t know child bedlessness is even a thing.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Luke Mickelson: I live by this mantra: if you want true joy, stop looking at yourself and see how you can help someone else out. Your problems won’t go away, but they won’t seem nearly as heavy.

That’s what this work did for me. It filled something in me that nothing else had. I didn’t care about the paycheck anymore. I didn’t care about the zeros behind it. What fueled me was knowing this mattered. I also had support at home. My wife at the time supported me, and not everybody would support someone saying, “Hey, I’m quitting my job and we’re going to sacrifice for a while.” But she knew this was what made me happy.

Then the mission got a megaphone. Mike Rowe’s Returning the Favor aired our story to 10 million people. We went from seven chapters to 125 in a year. CNN Heroes, Good Morning America, People Magazine….all of it furthered the mission. But at the center of it, what fuels me is still the same thing: helping one kid at a time.

Charity Matters: When do you know you have made a difference?

Luke Mickelson: I knew right there in Haley’s room. When a little girl hugs and kisses a bed, and her mom is crying because for six years she hasn’t been able to give her daughter that, you realize this is way more than furniture.

A bed means physical rest, mental peace, dignity, security, and a sanctuary. These kids sleep better, go to school better prepared, and feel like they matter. They can have friends over. They’re not hiding their lives. So when I see a child’s face, or a parent’s tears, I know we’ve made a difference.

And honestly, I also know it every time a volunteer delivers a bed and comes back changed. The mission helps the child, but it changes the person serving too.

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Luke Mickelson: We started in 2012 with one family Christmas project. We made it a charity in 2014 because we couldn’t finance it ourselves anymore. By the end of 2017, we had seven active chapters in five states. Then after Mike Rowe’s show aired, it exploded.

Now we’ve trained over 440 chapters in four countries. We’re in almost every state, and this year we’ll pass 425,000 beds built and delivered. We’re the largest bed-building charity in the world. That’s remarkable, especially when you realize I found only one other charity in the country doing this when I first looked.

The success is huge, but the impact is still one child at a time.

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Luke Mickelson: The dream is simple: that no kid sleeps on the floor. Right now 70% of the country still doesn’t know who we are. I want every family, every teacher, every counselor, every foster agency, every church, every volunteer to know there is a solution.

If someone’s sister in Miami has a child sleeping on the floor, I want them to know exactly where to go. I want chapters everywhere. I want awareness everywhere. I want this epidemic to stop being invisible.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Luke Mickelson: I’ve learned a lot about people, about passion, and about myself. Skill set matters, but passion matters more. I’ve learned the value of people’s hearts.

I’ve also learned that founders have to grow. Your role has to shift if you want the mission to outlive you. That’s hard, because your mission and your identity get fused together. But growth isn’t loss. Growth is legacy.

And I’ve learned that tiny moments matter. We dismiss them too easily. We think, “I don’t have time,” or “Someone else will do it.” But those little moments of inspiration can become something massive if you act.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Luke Mickelson: A million percent it changed me. I value success differently now. I used to think success was the stuff you had and the zeros behind your paycheck. I don’t believe that anymore.

I believe more deeply than ever in humans helping humans. I wish everybody would adopt that. We’re all human first. If we could put differences aside or even celebrate differences….we’d be so much better off.

And maybe the biggest thing is this: I can now step back and see that if I died tomorrow, the mission would keep going. As a founder, that’s one of the greatest gifts you can ever have.  It means what started in a garage as one family Christmas project became something bigger than me.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

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Charity Matters Inspiration

Joy is a Strategy

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being a guest on a podcast called You Are What You Give, hosted by Avi Zimmerman. Avi lives in Israel and has built his podcast around a simple but powerful idea that what we give to the world ultimately defines who we are. It’s a message that immediately resonated with me because it sits right at the heart of everything we talk about here at Charity Matters: kindness, service, and the quiet power of people helping one another.

About a week after we recorded our conversation, Avi happened to be traveling through Los Angeles. On a rare rainy morning in LA one of those gray days when the city feels softer and slower, we met for breakfast. It is always such a treat when relationships that begin through conversations and shared values get to move from the virtual world into real life. We sat together over coffee and talked about everything from the business side of nonprofits to the deeper questions about why we serve, how we inspire others to care, and the ongoing challenge of getting people to truly listen to messages about kindness and giving.

Those conversations are never small talk.

When two people who care deeply about service sit down together, the dialogue quickly moves beyond surface level. Avi and I spoke about the struggles nonprofit leaders face, the challenge of fundraising in a distracted world, and the reality that sometimes the most important messages about compassion, generosity, and humanity can be the hardest ones to amplify.

But what struck me most was how aligned our missions are.

Despite living on opposite sides of the world, Avi and I are both trying to do something very similar: tell stories that remind people of their capacity to give. We both believe that service is not just a nice idea or a feel-good activity. It is a powerful force for connection, healing, and hope.

Before we left breakfast, Avi handed me a small gift. It was a giving journal he had created—designed as a place to write down acts of giving, thoughts about generosity, causes we care about, and reflections on how giving makes us feel.

It was such a thoughtful and beautiful idea.

The journal invites you to slow down and notice generosity in your life to document the moments when you help someone, support a cause, or simply take the time to care. It reminds us that giving isn’t just something we do occasionally. It’s a mindset. A practice. A way of seeing the world.

We hugged goodbye, each heading back to our busy lives.

Shortly after that breakfast, I had an unexpected injury that sidelined me for a while and forced me to slow down in ways I hadn’t planned. Avi, meanwhile, returned home to Israel.

Then something happened that gave me real pause.

A few days later Avi sent me the link to our podcast episode and told me that when he sent it, he was sitting in a bunker.

Let that sink in for a moment.

While we were sharing a conversation about generosity and joy, the world around him had shifted dramatically. His country was under attack and he was literally sheltering from danger.

And yet, even from a bunker he was still sending out a message about helping others.

That moment stopped me in my tracks.

We live in a world that often feels heavy with conflict, division, and uncertainty. Turn on the news and it can feel overwhelming. The problems seem enormous. The suffering can feel endless.

It’s easy to wonder what difference kindness can possibly make.

But Avi reminded me of something important.

Even in the middle of chaos, people can choose generosity. When the world feels uncertain, we can still choose to help someone. Even when bombs are falling, someone can still send out a podcast about giving. That’s when the title of our conversation really hit me.

Joy is a strategy.

Not because joy ignores suffering but because kindness erases hardship. Choosing joy and generosity in difficult times is one of the most powerful responses we have. Joy shifts perspective. Kindness builds connection.
Giving reminds us of our shared humanity.

In our conversation, Avi and I talk about the power of service, not just for the people receiving help, but for the people giving it. We talk about how generosity changes the giver as much as the recipient. And we talk about how acts of kindness no matter how small can ripple outward in ways we may never fully see.

It’s the same idea I come back to again and again in my work: when we help someone else, something inside of us changes too. Service heals.

It connects us to something larger than ourselves. And sometimes, it is the very thing that helps us navigate the hardest moments in life.

That’s why I wanted to share this conversation with you today.

Not just because I’m honored to have been a guest on Avi’s podcast, but because his perspective continuing to talk about generosity even while facing the realities of war is a powerful reminder of what truly matters.

So today I invite you to take a few minutes and listen to our conversation on You Are What You Give.

Listen to the ideas.
Reflect on your own experiences with giving.
And maybe even start your own version of Avi’s giving journal taking note of the moments when kindness appears in your life.

Because even in a complicated world, we still have choices.

We can choose compassion.
We can choose generosity.
And yes, we can choose joy.

Sometimes joy isn’t just a feeling, joy is a strategy.

🎧 Listen to the episode here:

And if there’s one thing this conversation reminded me, it’s this: no matter what is happening around us, helping one another will always matter.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

 

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Episode 100: Safe Families for Children

For our 100th episode of the Charity Matters Podcast, we are celebrating in the most meaningful way possible….by spotlighting a true innovator, a quiet disruptor, and a modern-day hero who dared to ask a simple but world-changing question: What if no parent ever had to say, “I have no one to call?” When psychologist Dave Anderson saw firsthand the devastating ripple effects of child abuse and foster care, he didn’t just shake his head at a broken system, he built something different. What started with one desperate mom, one brave “yes,” and one family opening their home has grown into a national movement that has helped over 100,000 children and counting.

In this powerful Episode 100 conversation, Dave shares how his bricklayer father’s words, “If I don’t help them, who will?” became the blueprint for Safe Families for Children, a revolutionary approach that mobilizes communities to step in before crisis becomes catastrophe. This episode is about courage, radical hospitality, and the extraordinary impact of ordinary people choosing to care. If you’ve ever wondered how one idea can spark a movement or how you can be part of changing the world? This conversation will leave you inspired, hopeful, and ready to say yes.

 

 

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what Safe Families For Children does?

Dave Anderson:  Well, I’m a psychologist, and I started Safe Families really, to prevent what I was seeing in foster care. I also run a child welfare agency. What we do is we mobilize communities and engage volunteers to do really a couple different things.

One is to host children in their home for however long a parent needs in order to keep them safe and eventually be able to go back to their parent… and to come alongside and mentor parents and help them get back on their feet. So our goal is to really prevent child abuse, prevent the need to go into foster care, and ultimately, to keep families together. Because our belief is, in nearly all situations, the family is the best place for that child.

 

Charity Matters: What experiences did you have as a child that influenced your work?

Dave Anderson:  I come from a blue collar family. My dad was a bricklayer, so my goal in life was to be a bricklayer… and I was what they call a laborer… and I noticed my dad would always bring on new bricklayers without really any warning. And as kind of a shy, quiet guy, I would talk to these guys that were hired by my dad… and they would say, ‘Oh, I’m from Joliet… Joliet prison.’ And another guy… ‘I just got out of this prison…’”

So one time… I said, ‘Hey, Dad, I think you need to do a better job of vetting your people… all these people you’re hiring are prisoners.’ And he said, ‘Oh, I know that.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, why in the world would you do that?’ And he said, ‘If I don’t help them, who will?’” And it was really those words that… got me thinking about… our role and responsibility in society… there are people in our society who have no one on their side, and I think we as a society have a responsibility to do that.

And what was interesting… my dad never had any of them steal from him… and I remember asking one of them… ‘Why would you risk it?’ And he said, ‘No one else would give us a chance. And your dad did, and I would do anything to support him.’ So that was really the initial model for me… the responsibility to give back.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start Safe Families For children?

Dave Anderson:  It’s interesting. I actually wanted to be a bricklayer. I didn’t want to be a psychologist. And my dad said, ‘Well, whatever you do, don’t be a bricklayer.’” I used to drive a city bus… people from the university would get on my bus and just sit there and talk to me for hours… and eventually someone said, ‘People like to talk to you… why don’t you become a psychologist?’”

And I got into the world of foster care and child abuse… I worked at a large medical center. My job was to assess children who had been horribly abused… determine what’s the psychological impact… find out who did it and put them in jail. And it was a very hard job. But… I met this girl… she happened to be the same age as my daughter at the time… her arm was broken, her retina was detached, and her brain was swelling.

And eventually I talked to her mom… and she said, ‘I grew up in foster care… when I turned 18, my foster parents didn’t want anything to do with me anymore… my bio parents’ rights were terminated… I turned 18 and there was really no one helping me out.’

And she said, ‘I got pregnant… I tried to work… my daughter got sick… if I were to miss one more day of work, my job… so I asked my ex-boyfriend to take care of her… I didn’t realize he went back to drugs, and he did this to her while I was at work.’ And she basically said, ‘I just had no one to call.’ And I couldn’t imagine, in a crisis situation, not having anyone to call.

And I began to look at… that’s why a lot of kids go into foster care because their parent has no one to call. And if they had extended family or a support system… they could tolerate most difficult situations. But if you have no one to call when things go wrong, then worse things are going to go wrong.

So I started to think… what if we could have had a network of people that this woman could call… someone could step up and say, ‘Oh, you need someone to watch your kid today. I’ll take them in.’ We could make a huge difference in preventing kids from going into foster care or from being abused.

And then there was another moment… I was running a nonprofit called Lydia, and this mom came… knocked on my door and said, ‘I’m in trouble. I need someone to take my kids.’ And I said, ‘I’m sorry. We can’t take them unless you abuse them… if it gets like that, then come back…’ And then I thought, What in the world did I just say?

She grabbed my arm and said, ‘I need someone to take my kids, and I want you to do it…’ And I said, ‘Okay, my wife and I will take your kids.’ And she was emotional. She said, ‘There’s no one in my life willing to help me out… it’s just shocking that a stranger… is willing to help me out.” She completed what she needed… got her kids back… and she called me a couple weeks ago—this was 20 years.

And then more moms would end up calling… and I was pastoring a church… and anyone could take them home… and I realized, we should vet people… and we should probably call it something. And this second mom said, ‘I don’t know you… I just have one question… Are you a safe family?’ And that’s kind of how I came up with the name.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Dave Anderson: One is, I didn’t know how to scale. I never actually even had a desire to scale… but I knew there was a couple problems. How do I convince people to do this? Because everyone’s busy… concerned about their own kids… and if we’re trying to build a safety net and mobilize communities, that means everybody has a role to play.

And what we were looking for was host families… who could take kids at the most critical time. Then… how do we find others who are willing to just befriend a mom or dad and say, ‘I’m a listening ear,’ or ‘I can help you find work,’ or ‘you need a ride… And then I needed someone who had things… because moms needed a mattress… dishes… whatever. So those were my three things.

My biggest issue is recruiting people not based on need, but based on shared values… how do I find people that have similar values… and then how do I unleash them and connect them with parents that are in difficult situations.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Dave Anderson: There were times like I’d lay on the floor in my office and cry and think… if we don’t help, kids are going to be harmed. For me… I thought of my kids… If my wife and I weren’t available, I would hope somebody would help them. And I go back to this little girl at Mount Sinai… she’s suffering now the rest of her life… because of a simple problem that had a solution.

And foster care isn’t bad… but when I started Safe Families, if your kid went into foster care, you as a mom or dad would only have a 20% chance of getting them back again… and I just thought, that’s wrong. In the end, kids want to be with their mom and dad… and if we can come alongside mom and dad… help them become what their kids want them to be… that’s the issue.

Charity Matters: When do you know you have made a difference?

Dave Anderson: When you’re helping, it’s not just giving them something… the key thing that they need is relational connections. We call it transactions versus relationships. Everybody does transactions… ‘I’m going to give this kid a pencil or a backpack’… and not that it’s bad, but that’s really not what they need.

What they need is community. They need someone to call and they need a safety net. That happens when isolation is replaced by connection…..you see real change.

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Dave Anderson: I think… one is I had to figure out how to write laws… and so we wrote and passed 17 laws. And… we’ve hosted or placed over 100,000 kids in homes and have probably helped another 100,000 families.” I had to learn what is a movement… because we didn’t want to be a program… we wanted to be a movement.

We did research… in Illinois, they randomly assigned kids that were called into the hotline to Safe Families versus business as usual… and we were able to prove that we were more effective in keeping kids safe and out of care and ultimately with their parents… so that was a big deal for us—to be an evidence-based program.

Then it started growing internationally… helping kids in human trafficking situations and child labor… and the solution is really the same: how does the community take care of these kids, support their parents, in order to avoid these other situations?

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Dave Anderson:  I think we can not eliminate foster care, but we can substantially reduce it… cut it in half.And… the idea that if people had a network of people around… that’s how you survive.

How do we create this network… for any family, for any reason… and I don’t think people should have to prove that they’re worthy of that. It has nothing to do with government benefits… it’s, you’re a human… and we as humans… have a basic responsibility to be the safety net… to be this loving neighbor… particularly at times of need.

And it’s not about me anymore… it’s getting people who are doing it to believe in it… to realize, ‘I’m not necessarily part of a big national movement… I’m just helping these kids in my neighborhood.’ They’re the change agents.

 

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Dave Anderson: With a new idea comes failures… and to really be good at something new, you have to be good at getting over your failures. I had failed… I kind of thought of giving up. But… the need is too great to not figure it out. And… you have to learn when something is ‘good enough.’ My dad would say, ‘It’s good enough,’ and I realized in order to do this, you can’t have things perfect. Try a bunch of things.

I’ve learned… people don’t need professionals necessarily. They need what you have to offer. No matter what you have, you have what they need. For me… how do you make it a way of life? I call that hospitality… love of strangers… welcoming people into your home.

I wrote a book, Unleashing Radical Hospitality because I think what we’re doing is bubbling up principles we all have… loving our neighbor… intentional compassion… resurrecting these ideas and values.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Dave Anderson: I grew up with very low self-esteem and not a strong person. I’d always give up when something bad happens… Okay, I’m not going to push that issue. So I’ve become more confident, more comfortable with failure. And I’ve learned you can’t make it perfect. It has to be ‘good enough.

And the joy of doing something for somebody, not just giving them something….has changed me. We call it transactions versus relationships. Not that a backpack is bad. But what sustains people is connection. I think that changed me for the rest of my life.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

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What Matters?

March Madness 2026

March Madness means different things to different people. For some, it’s brackets, buzzer beaters, and the annual belief that this is finally the year their alma mater goes all the way. For others, it’s an Irish-infused celebration of green everything and wondering if corned beef is actually delicious or we’ve just convinced ourselves it is.

In our house? March is a full-contact sport of a different kind.

For 31 years, March has meant three sons, three birthdays, three cakes and enough candles to trigger the smoke alarm. It means springtime peeking around the corner, daffodils doing their thing, and the sacred family ritual of our March Madness  celebration. It’s a month of joy, fun, and often spring skiing because nothing says “let’s celebrate life” like strapping skis to your feet and launching yourself down a frozen mountain.

Speaking of launching oneself down a mountain.

Last week, my husband and I were lucky enough to spend three magical days skiing in one of our favorite places. A dear friend generously loaned us her home, and for a few blissful days, we skied and skied and skied. Blue skies. Crisp air. That satisfying crunch of snow under your skis. It was the kind of weekend that makes you feel 25 again.

Until it wasn’t.

You know how the last run of the day is always “just one more”? The victory lap. The grand finale. The triumphant glide into après-ski glory? Yes. That run.

I was following my husband who, as usual, was far ahead of me when I noticed that the center of the trail was filling with little ones zig-zagging their way down the mountain. It was icy and crowded. So, I confidently decided to move to the left side of the run into the shadier part of the slope.

It seemed like a brilliant plan…..Until I skied off a three-foot drop I didn’t see because of the shade and that charming phenomenon known as flat light. One moment I was upright and composed. The next, I was airborne……unintentionally.

To say I missed my landing would be generous.

There was a brief, cinematic pause in midair where I had time to think, “This is the end.”  Then came the yard sale. Skis here. Poles there. Dignity somewhere further down the mountain. Enter Todd. A kind young stranger who skied over and said, “Wow. I can’t believe you’re okay. That was incredible.”

Incredible. That’s one word for it.

It turns out, I was not, in fact, okay. I tore my calf muscle and did some soft tissue damage in what I will now refer to as my Non-Olympic Landing of 2026. The good news? It could have been so much worse. No surgery, no head injury and no dramatic helicopter rescue. Yes, there was ski patrol and a snowmobile but thankfully no toboggan.

The bad news? I can’t walk or drive for about a month. My curent transportation consist of my crutches, and a very humbling scooter. I’m one week in and still in total denial. Surely tomorrow I will spring up like a gazelle? This scooter can’t belong to me? How is it possible that I am now the woman who now calculates how far it is from the couch to the refrigerator?

And yet…here we are.

March Madness has taken on a whole new meaning.

It has literally forced me to slow down. I am not a slow-down kind of girl but more like a “just one more run,” “just one more meeting,” “just one more project” kind of girl. But when you can’t physically get from point A to point B without wheels, crutches, or assistance, you start to listen a little more carefully.

God is whispering (or possibly shouting), “Pause.” And as much as I don’t love the method, I’m starting to appreciate the message.

Because here’s the beautiful twist in this tale of ice and ego: this forced slowing down has given me space. Space to think and to reflect. And space to pour my heart into something that fills me with joy….our 100th episode and Season 10 premiere of the Charity Matters Podcast.

Can you believe it? One hundred episodes. Ten seasons. Hundreds of modern-day heroes who have opened up to share their stories of courage, compassion, and service.

My calf may be in a brace, but my dimples are working overtime. Our team is putting the finishing touches on conversations that are inspiring, grounding, and deeply hopeful. And I cannot wait to share them with you.

Our first guest this season is one of the most compassionate, kind men I have ever met. His work for children and families is beyond beautiful. It is the kind of story that reminds you that while the world may sometimes feel like it has gone mad, there are extraordinary humans quietly stitching it back together.

And perhaps that is the real March Madness.

Not the brackets, not the birthdays and not even the three-foot drop I didn’t see coming. The real madness is how much goodness is out there how strangers like Todd who stop to help. How founders give their lives to serve others and even how an unexpected fall can become an invitation to grow.

So however you celebrate the madness this March…..whether it’s basketball, birthdays, green cupcakes, or cautiously navigating icy slopes. I hope you celebrate the helpers, that you cheer for the modern-day heroes. And I hope you let their stories steady you.

If you happen to find yourself unexpectedly airborne this season, figuratively or otherwise…….may you land in grace, surrounded by kindness, and maybe with a good story to tell.

Just preferably without the crutches.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

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Cancer

Episode 99: Looking back

It is incredible believe that we are on the precipice of 100 episodes of this podcast! Truly remarkable.  I mentioned at the beginning of the year Mel Robbins saying that we can not know where we are going unless we know where we have been. So this moment, before we step off into a new season seemed like that moment to reflect on so many incredible life lessons learned from 99 incredible guests!

Since 2020, the world has changed in ways none of us could have imagined. We’ve all lived through loss, fear, isolation, and uncertainty. And yet, during these years, something extraordinary happened here at Charity Matters … we kept meeting heroes.

Not superheroes.
Not people with perfect answers.

But ordinary humans who faced life’s hardest moments and chose love anyway.

Episode 99 is a pause. A breath. A moment to look back at the people who showed us what courage, compassion, community, and faith really look like. These are the stories that didn’t just inspire us….they changed us.

I’m so glad you’re here.

 Loss, Love, and Legacy 

“Some of the most powerful Charity Matters conversations begin with the unimaginable……the loss of a child.”

Episode 94: Kate Doerge  Penny’s Flight

Kate Doerge lost her daughter Penny to Neurofibromatosis. And yet, what stays with me most from that conversation was not just grief it was joy. Kate taught us that joy and sorrow are not opposites. They coexist.

Through Penny’s Flight, Kate searches for a cure for NF while keeping Penny’s spirit alive. She reminded us that love does not end when life does and choosing joy is not denial, it is bravery.

Lesson: Joy can be an act of defiance in the face of grief.

Episode 92: Rob Thorsen  Shoulder Check

Rob Thorsen lost his son to mental health struggles and instead of letting silence continue, he broke it. Shoulder Check is built on one life-saving idea: checking in.

Rob showed us that mental health conversations are not optional. Asking “Are you okay?” can be an act of love and sometimes, an act that saves a life.

Lesson: Love becomes legacy when it leads to action.

Episode 84:  Mary Fagnano Thrive N Joy

After a tragic surfing accident changed their son Nick’s life forever, his parents chose purpose. Thrive N Joy became a youth leadership organization rooted in resilience, character, and hope.

The Fagnano family reminded us that tragedy does not have to be the end of the story, it can become the mission.

Lesson: Resilience can be modeled, taught, and shared.

Episode 64: Ian Sandler Riley’s Way

When a father lost his nine-year-old daughter Riley at sleepaway camp, he created a movement of kind leaders in her name. Riley’s Way is about empathy, courage, and leading with heart.

Riley’s short life left a long legacy.

Lesson: Kindness is never small and leadership begins with compassion.

“None of these parents chose this path. But all of them chose what came next.”

Homelessness, Dignity, and Healing 

“Homelessness is not just about housing….it’s about dignity and being seen.”

Episode 90: Terry Grahl  Enchanted Makeovers

Terry Grahl knows homelessness and trauma personally. Through Enchanted Makeovers, she transforms shelters for women and children into spaces of beauty and calm.

These rooms say: You matter.

Terry taught us that dignity is not a luxury, it is the foundation of healing.

Lesson: Beauty can be a form of justice.

Episode 36: Kevin Adler  Miracle Messages

Kevin Adler showed us that connection can be the bridge back to life. Miracle Messages reconnects people experiencing homelessness with loved ones they’ve lost touch with….sometimes for decades.

Homelessness often begins with broken relationships. Healing begins with being remembered.

Lesson: Community heals what isolation breaks.

Community: How We Rise Together

“If there is one truth that echoes through nearly every Charity Matters episode, it is this: we are not meant to do life alone.”

Episode 71: Debbie Bial  The Posse Foundation

Debbie Bial believed that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. By sending students to college together in “posses,” she created belonging and tens of thousands of college graduates.

Lesson: Belonging is a catalyst for success.

Episode 69: Rachel Doyle Glamour Gals

Teenagers doing nails with seniors might sound simple but it dissolves loneliness on both sides. GlamourGals reminded us that community doesn’t have to be complicated to be powerful.

Lesson: Small connections create big change.

Episode 46: Maggie Kane  A Place at the Table

Maggie Kane’s pay-what-you-can café invites everyone to the same table…..housed or unhoused. No labels. Just dignity.

Lesson: When we eat together, we humanize one another.

Faith: The Quiet Foundation 

“So many of these heroes didn’t set out to build nonprofits. They set out to live their faith.”

Episode 9: Brian Mavis America’s Kids Belong

Brian Mavis and his wife’s faith compelled  them to act for foster children turning belief into belonging for tens of thousands of kids.

Lesson: Faith becomes powerful when it moves us beyond ourselves.

Episode 24: Hal Hargrave  Be Perfect Foundation

After becoming a paraplegic, Hal Hargrave chose to see his setback as a calling. His faith helped him transform pain into purpose.

Lesson: Faith doesn’t remove obstacles—it gives them meaning.

 

Episode 58: Kurt Handler  410 Bridge

Kurt Kandler showed us faith in action through partnership, not handouts. Empowering communities to lift themselves up.

Lesson: True service creates possibility, not dependence.

“When I look back at all of these heroes, one thing is clear….none of them did this alone, and none of them did this without love.”

Episode 99 is not just a look back. It’s an invitation to belong, to believe, and to act.

Revisit these stories on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and www.charity-matters.com. Share the ones that moved you. And remember:

Every time you choose kindness, compassion, or service….you become part of this story too.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

 

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Ways to make a difference

The Science of Kindness

For as long as I can remember, I have believed that kindness changes everything. I didn’t need a study to tell me that showing up for someone matters but it turns out, science agrees.

Over the past few years, researchers across psychology, medicine, neuroscience, and public health have been quietly confirming something many of us who live lives of service already know in our hearts: giving doesn’t just help the person on the receiving end. It heals the giver too.

At a time when loneliness has been declared a global public health crisis, when anxiety and burnout feel like constant companions, and when the world often seems more divided than connected, kindness is emerging not just as a moral choice but as a biological and emotional lifeline. This is the science of kindness. And it is powerful.

Loneliness Is Not a Feeling It’s a Health Risk

In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General called loneliness an epidemic. By 2024 and 2025, researchers around the world were publishing data that made one thing heartbreakingly clear: loneliness isn’t just sad it’s dangerous.

A major 2024 scientific review published in Nature Reviews Psychology found that social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased risk of depression, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and early mortality. The authors concluded that social connection is as critical to health as sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Let that sink in. Connection is not a “nice to have.” It is a biological need.

In 2025, the World Health Organization reinforced this conclusion, stating that strong social connection improves both mental and physical health outcomes, while chronic loneliness increases the risk of illness and premature death. So where does kindness fit into all of this? Right at the center.

Volunteering: One of the Most Effective Antidotes to Loneliness

One of the most compelling studies I’ve read recently came out in 2025. It was a randomized controlled trial (the gold standard of research) examining the effects of volunteering on loneliness. The findings were remarkable.

Researchers found that older adults who already felt lonely experienced significant reductions in loneliness when they volunteered, and perhaps even more importantly that these benefits were sustained over time when volunteering continued. This wasn’t about grand gestures or massive commitments. It was about showing up, consistently, for others.

The takeaway? Helping gives people a place to belong again. And belonging heals.

Why Helping Others Makes Us Feel Better (Even When Life Is Hard)

One of the most beautiful things about kindness is that it works even when we are struggling ourselves.

A 2025 paper published in Current Directions in Psychological Science reviewed decades of research on prosocial behavior, things like volunteering, donating, mentoring, and helping strangers. The authors concluded that acts of kindness reliably reduce loneliness and increase well-being across age groups and cultures. Why?

Because kindness restores three things we often lose during difficult seasons of life:

  1. Connection  “I am not alone.”

  2. Meaning  “What I do matters.”

  3. Agency  “I can still make a difference.”

When grief, loss, illness, or burnout strip away our sense of control, helping someone else even in a small way and then returns it. This is why service so often becomes a turning point after trauma. It reminds us that even when we are hurting, we still have something to give.

And that realization is deeply healing.

Kindness and the Body: What’s Happening Under the Hood

Here’s where things get especially fascinating. Kindness doesn’t just change how we feel. It changes what’s happening inside our bodies.

A 2024 review examining the brain, and the endocrine and immune system (published in Frontiers in Neuroscience) showed that practices associated with compassion, meaning, and stress reduction can influence inflammatory pathways, pain perception, and immune response. In plain English? Lower stress and greater emotional regulation lead to healthier bodies.

Another 2024 clinical study focusing on mindfulness and inflammation found measurable reductions in inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) among participants. While the study focused on meditation, researchers consistently note that meaning-driven, connection-based behaviors, like service, often produce similar stress-buffering effects.

This helps explain what so many nonprofit founders have told me over the years: “Helping others saved me.” It wasn’t just emotional. It was physiological.

The “Helper Effect” Is Real and It’s Scalable

Sometimes people dismiss kindness as soft or sentimental. But the data says otherwise. A 2025 mixed-methods evaluation of a community health program found that youth volunteers meaningfully improved health screening outcomes for older adults. The impact wasn’t theoretical, it was measurable.

This is what researchers call the “helper effect.” When service is structured thoughtfully, it benefits: the recipient, the helpers and the broader community. Everyone wins. And here’s the most important part: the helper effect doesn’t require perfection, wealth, or expertise. It requires presence.

Why Small Acts Matter More Than We Think

One of my favorite findings across this body of research is this: consistency matters more than intensity.

The volunteering study showed that sustained, modest engagement produced longer-lasting benefits than short bursts of activity. This aligns beautifully with something nonprofit founders say all the time: “Small actions, done consistently, change everything.” Science backs that up.

A smile. A phone call. A few hours a month. A handwritten note. These are not insignificant gestures, they are biological signals of connection. And connection is medicine.

Designing Kindness That Heals (For Individuals and Organizations)

So what do we do with all of this? Whether you’re an individual wondering how to feel better, or a nonprofit leader designing programs, the research points to a few powerful principles:

1. Make it social

Service that includes human connection is far more impactful than transactional giving.

2. Keep it doable

Small, repeatable acts are more sustainable and more healing than overwhelming commitments.

3. Show the impact

When people can see how they helped, they’re more likely to keep going. Meaning fuels momentum.

4. Serve with others

Community amplifies kindness. We heal faster together.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

We are living in a time of extraordinary need and extraordinary opportunity. Loneliness is rising. Burnout is real. And yet, kindness remains one of the most accessible tools we have to combat both. The science is finally catching up to what many of us have lived: service is not just something we do for others. It is something that restores us.

Kindness reconnects us to ourselves, to one another, and to hope. And perhaps that’s why it has always mattered so much. Because every time we love, we give. And every time we give, something inside us heals too.

 

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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Charity Matters Inspiration

Episode 98: Caroline’s Cause

Nonprofit founders are some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs on the planet. They see a problem and create a solution. Today’s guest, Drew Long is no exception. Her first entrepreneurial journey was to create a shopping cart for her disabled daughter, Caroline. Drew is an Alabama mom with a big heart, a thick skin, and the kind of determination that changes systems. After solving that problem for millions of families she went on to solve another. Drew founded Caroline’s Cause, a scholarship nonprofit created for the typical siblings of children with special needs. In the middle of caregiving, life, and all the messy real-world logistics, Drew looked at those overlooked siblings and said, “We see you.” That simple sentence becomes a force in this conversation.

Drew is that she’s the real deal. She is equal parts tenderhearted and tough, honest about how hard this life can be, and hilarious in the way only someone who’s been through it can be.  In our chat, Drew shares the moment she realized there were scholarships for everything and yet nothing for students growing up with a special needs sibling. So she built it. Her dream is simple: no unfunded scholarship, ever. If you want a story about grit, love, community, and what it looks like to take a hard card in life and turn it into change for good….press play.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

 

Charity Matters: Tell us a little about what Caroline’s Cause does?

Drew Long:  Caroline’s Cause is a nonprofit that awards college scholarships to entering freshmen who have a special needs sibling. To qualify, students come from families like mine—families where there is one child with significant needs and other children who are “typical.” In those families, the dynamic is real and unavoidable: the special needs child requires more time, more attention, more resources. That doesn’t mean you love the other children less. It simply means the needs are different.

In our home, my daughter Caroline has seizures, she doesn’t walk, she wears a diaper, and she needs full-time care. My other children grew up knowing that Caroline needed more of Mama’s time. They stepped back quietly and selflessly. And there is almost nothing out there that recognizes those siblings….the ones who take the back seat without complaint. Caroline’s Cause was created to say, we see you. We want to thank you for being such a great brother or sister. We want to honor that sacrifice and that love.

Charity Matters: What experiences did you have as a child that influenced this work?

Drew Long: I grew up with a special needs aunt, my mom’s sister had cerebral palsy. Looking back, I really believe that was God’s way of softening my heart and preparing me for a life I had no idea was coming. I was always tender toward special needs families, even before I fully understood what that life meant.

And I’ll say something that took me a long time to admit: nobody wants a special needs child and that’s okay to say. That doesn’t mean you don’t love your child. It means that as parents, we all have hopes and dreams for our kids, and when you face a diagnosis like I did, those dreams crash and burn. My heart had been prepared early on, not through nonprofits or philanthropy, but through proximity through seeing special needs up close and watching families navigate it.

Charity Matters: What was the moment you knew you needed to act and start Caroline’s Causes?

Drew Long: The moment came when my oldest daughter was getting ready for college. Like every parent, we started looking for scholarships and we found everything under the sun. If you’re left-handed, there’s a scholarship. If you have a tiny percentage of Irish ancestry, there’s a scholarship.

So I said, “Surely there’s a scholarship for students who have a special needs sibling.” There wasn’t. Not one.

That’s when I knew. I told my husband, “I have a great idea,” and he practically shut me down, until I said, “It’s not a product. It’s a nonprofit.” I thought that would make it easier. It didn’t. But it was born out of a real need, this time for my typical daughter, and for families like ours everywhere.

Charity Matters: What are your biggest challenges?

Drew Long: Honestly, my biggest challenge has been my own naïveté and strangely, that’s also what’s sustained me. I truly believed both my business and this nonprofit would be easy. Had I known how hard either one would be, I might never have started.

With the business, my husband and I ended up funding it with our retirement something we never planned or intended. With the nonprofit, I assumed that because it wasn’t a product, everyone would love it as much as I did. That hasn’t been the case. If I had sat down early on with seasoned nonprofit leaders and heard everything that could go wrong, I probably wouldn’t have done it. So not knowing what was around the corner actually worked in my favor.

Charity Matters: What fuels you to keep doing this work?

Drew Long: Award day. Every single time.

When I call the families and the moms are crying, telling me this was the only scholarship their child received…..that’s what fuels me. We don’t look at ACT scores. We require a 3.0 GPA and base everything on need. I lived the ACT nightmare with my own kids, and I don’t believe it’s a good measure of potential.

These kids often wouldn’t qualify for academic scholarships, but they are absolutely deserving. That moment when they realize, I got a scholarship, when they get to stand with their peers on awards day and that sense of pride is everything. It’s not just financial. It’s validation.

Charity Matters: When do you know you have made a difference?

Drew Long: I know we’ve made a difference because I stay in touch with the families. Our first scholarship recipients are graduating this spring. Parents tell me that we lifted a burden during that first year and that initial push made college possible.

And it goes beyond money. It’s confidence. It’s pride. It’s knowing someone believed in them. One of our recipients went to welding school, and his mom told me she applied on a whim. We were proud to support that because trades matter. AI isn’t replacing welders or plumbers. We need to normalize that path again.

Charity Matters: Tell us what success you have had and what your impact has been? 

Drew Long: So far, we’ve awarded 13 scholarships and each one is $5,000. People told me that was too much, but I wanted to move the needle. College is expensive. Five thousand dollars can cover a year at junior college. It’s enough to matter.

The impact isn’t just the number. It’s the pride these students feel. It’s families who thought college wasn’t possible suddenly seeing a path forward. That’s success to me.

Charity Matters: If you could dream any dream for your organization, what would that be?

Drew Long: My dream is simple: to never have an unfunded scholarship. Last year, we had 78 unfunded applicants. That number still sits with me.

Caroline’s Cause is my give-back. I don’t take a salary. If someone gives $5,000, it goes in and goes right back out as a scholarship. I want donors to know exactly where their money goes. People work hard for their money, and transparency matters.

Charity Matters: What life lessons have you learned from this experience?

Drew Long: Do not take no from someone who can’t say yes. Corporate America turned me down when I pitched the idea for a special needs shopping cart. Had I not lived the daily reality of this community, that cart wouldn’t exist today.

You cannot be afraid of hard. You have to be willing to put it all on the line. It’s terrifying. It’s risky. I never thought I was a risk-taker but that’s what it took. You may be asked to walk a path you never imagined, and you have to say yes anyway.

Charity Matters: How has this journey changed you?

Drew Long: You can’t go through years of financial and emotional uncertainty and come out unchanged. Being a special needs parent gives you thick skin. You learn to advocate. You learn to fight. That prepared me for business and for this nonprofit.

I’ve heard “no” more times than I can count and I’m still hearing it. But you keep going. Failure is part of the journey. Community is everything. Nothing I’ve done, neither business nor nonprofit, happened alone. It was people rallying together to solve a problem.

Caroline’s legacy lives through this work. And if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s this: just keep going.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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Heart Disease

February is all about heart

January gets all the attention. New calendars. Fresh planners. Big resolutions written in bold ink. We step into the New Year fueled by hope, energy, and the belief that this will be the year everything changes.

And then February arrives quietly.

The decorations come down, the confetti is swept away, and real life settles back in. The gym crowds thin. The lists get tucked into drawers. And yet, this is exactly when the real work begins.

February is Heart Month. And not just in the medical or nonprofit sense, though that matters deeply. February is the month that invites us to pause, look inward, and ask a far more important question than What do I want to do this year?

It asks: Who do I want to be?

February is the month of love. Valentine’s Day reminds us of romance, connection, and affection but the deepest kind of love is not always wrapped in red paper and ribbon. Sometimes love looks like honesty. Often it looks like courage. More than that love looks like choosing to change patterns that no longer serve us.

This is the month to take stock.

By now, we have enough distance from January to tell the truth. Which goals still feel aligned? What goals were fueled by pressure instead of purpose? Which dreams are whispering instead of shouting and refuse to go away?

February doesn’t demand grand gestures. It invites quiet commitment.

In the nonprofit world, February is also Heart Month, a reminder of why so many of us do this work in the first place. We don’t show up to change the world because it’s easy. We show up because something in our heart tells us we must. Because injustice, suffering, or loss has touched us personally. Because love compels action.

And that’s the connection February offers us all.

Real change for good rarely happens in loud moments. It happens in the quiet spaces where intention turns into action. Where reflection turns into resolve. Where love becomes something we do, not just something we feel.

February is not about starting over. It’s about recommitting.

It’s about asking:

  • What habits am I willing to protect?

  • Are there boundaries  I need to strengthen?

  • Where have I been rushing past what really matters?

This is the month to check your heart…..not just your pulse, but your purpose.

Are you living in alignment with what you believe matters most?
Do your days reflecting your values?
Are you loving others and yourself in ways that are sustainable?

Winter still surrounds us in February. The pace is slower. The evenings are quieter. Nature itself seems to be resting and preparing. There is wisdom in that.

We don’t always need to do more.
Sometimes we need to become more intentional about how we do what we do.

February gives us permission to stop chasing shiny resolutions and instead nurture lasting change. Small, steady, heart-centered steps. The kind that don’t burn out by March but grow roots that last all year.

In a world that glorifies urgency and noise, February reminds us that transformation often begins softly…ireflection, in love and in choice.

This is the month to lean into compassion.
To forgive yourself for what didn’t stick in January.
Time to celebrate what did.
Then adjust, not abandon your goals.

Because love is patient.
Change is incremental.
And the heart knows the way forward if we’re willing to listen.

So as February unfolds, I invite you to treat it as a gift. A pause. A checkpoint. A heart check.

Let this be the month you choose intention over intensity.
Connection over perfection.
Purpose over pressure.

Because when change is led by the heart, it doesn’t fade with the seasons.

It becomes who we are.

And that is how we truly change for good.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

YOUR REFERRAL IS THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT,  IF YOU ARE SO MOVED OR INSPIRED, WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO SHARE AND INSPIRE ANOTHER. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please connect with us:

Copyright © 2026 Charity Matters. This article may not be reproduced without explicit written permission; if you are not reading this in your newsreader, the site you are viewing is illegally infringing our copyright. We would be grateful if you contact us.

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Cancer

World Cancer Day: February 4th

The words, “You have cancer,” change everything.

They change the rhythm of a heartbeat, the meaning of time, the way a family breathes together. Those words change plans and priorities, conversations and calendars. According to data from 2022, more than 20 million people around the world hear those three words each year, and over 53 million people are alive within five years of a diagnosis, still living with and navigating the disease.

There isn’t one person reading this who hasn’t been touched by cancer. A parent, a sibling, a spouse, a friend, a colleague and a neighbor. Cancer is indiscriminate and relentless, and yet, so are the people who rise to meet it with courage, grit, and hope.

Right now, I have three dear friends all young, vibrant, and full of life who are actively fighting this insidious disease. Watching someone you love endure cancer is its own kind of heartbreak. You want to fix it, take the pain away and most of all to do something. When the truth is that so much of it is out of your control. And yet, this is where love lives, in the something we can do.

Next week, on Wednesday, February 4th, the world will pause to recognize World Cancer Day. I’m sharing this early this year with one simple hope: that we use this moment not just to raise awareness, but to take action. Because kindness, support, and connection matter more than we sometimes realize especially to someone walking through cancer.

The Silent Weight of Cancer

Cancer is not just a medical diagnosis. It is emotional. Financial. Spiritual. It brings exhaustion that sleep doesn’t cure and fear that no amount of reassurance fully erases. Cancer affects the patient, yes but also their families, caregivers, and communities.

There are days filled with scans and waiting rooms. Days of good news and days of devastating setbacks and days when the bravest thing someone can do is simply get out of bed. And while survivors often speak of strength, what I have learned again and again is this: strength doesn’t mean doing it alone. Support matters. Being seen matters. Feeling remembered matters.

What Not to Say and What to Do Instead

Many of us want to help, but we’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. So we say nothing. Or we offer vague promises: “Let me know if you need anything.” Here’s the truth: people with cancer are tired. Tired of explaining, tired of asking and tired of being strong.

Instead of waiting, show up with intention:

  • Drop off a meal (or better yet, a grocery or restaurant gift card).

  • Send a simple text: “Thinking of you today.”

  • Offer specifics: “I can drive you to treatment Tuesday” or “I’ll take the kids Saturday.”

  • Sit quietly. Listen. Let them talk or not talk at all.

Sometimes the greatest gift is presence without pressure.

Small Acts That Make a Big Difference

As we approach World Cancer Day, here are tangible ways each of us can support those living with cancer:

1. Support Cancer-Focused Organizations
There are incredible nonprofits providing research funding, patient services, advocacy, and community. A donation large or small that all helps fuel hope. All of these resources below are linked.

2. Give Time, Not Just Money
Volunteer at a hospital. Help with transportation. Babysit. Walk a dog. Cancer steals energy and your time gives it back.

3. Send Comfort, Not Just Cards
Soft socks. Cozy blankets. Journals. A playlist. Small comforts can bring enormous relief during long treatment days.

4. Educate Yourself
Understanding the disease your loved one is facing allows you to be more compassionate and present. Knowledge builds empathy.

5. Honor Caregivers
Caregivers are often the quiet warriors. Check on them. Feed them. Encourage them to rest. They need support too.

The Power of Community

One of the greatest lessons cancer teaches us, if we’re paying attention, is the power of community. No one is meant to walk this road alone. When we show up for one another, we lighten the load in ways medicine alone cannot. I’ve seen how a meal train becomes a lifeline. How a text at the right moment becomes strength. How a prayer, a note, a simple “I’m here” becomes hope.

And hope matters.

Why World Cancer Day Matters

World Cancer Day isn’t just a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder that cancer is a global fight and a deeply personal one. World Cancer Day is a call to compassion, to advocacy and a call to action. On February 4th, wear a ribbon. Share a story. Make a donation. Reach out to someone who is fighting. Do something….anything that says, “You are not alone.”

Because love doesn’t cure cancer but it carries people through it.

A Final Thought

To those fighting cancer: you are seen, you are loved. and you are more than this diagnosis. For those who have lost someone: your grief matters, and your love lives on. And to those who want to help but don’t know how: start small. Start now. Start with love.

This World Cancer Day, let us turn awareness into action, compassion into community, and kindness into healing. Because when we care for one another, truly care, we change the world, one act of love at a time.

CHARITY MATTERS.

 

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