The Missions That Made Them

Learn more by visiting https://www.bbbsns.org. For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation's largest donor- and volunteer-supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. They develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.

Learn more about Illuminate Stem by visiting https://www.illuminatestem.org. Illuminate STEM is a local response to a national issue and our mission is to ENCOURAGE, EMPOWER and EQUIP K-12 students from underrepresented communities to innovate the technical future. ​ We inspire and prepare students to compete and succeed in high paying careers related to Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math through career exploration, entrepreneurial endeavors and even global competition. We connect students to the skills and insight they need to leverage STEM careers to build their best lives.

Learn more about The Community Cross by visiting https://www.ccxwv.org. The Community Cross is on a local mission, with a long-term commitment to McDowell County. This county has serious challenges and they are there to address these needs (see the February 2015 PBS special “The First 1000 Days” for a poignant portrayal of young children in our community). The Community Crossing is staffed by residents of McDowell County. They interact daily with the community there, raise their children here, and understand the needs there better than well-meaning agencies and ministries that are based outside the county. They can thoughtfully provide the right help to those who need it most. Young families are served by their in-home education program Parents as Teachers (PAT), who also benefit from their partner YouthWork's Home Repair Ministry. Their youth athletic programs (Mac Center) directly impact the lives of youth in our county to encourage growth into strong, confident adults. Each facet of their ministry includes inviting all into our Missional Communities and discipling relationships.

Learn more about Spread Truth by visiting https://spreadtruth.com. Spread Truth reaches the world with God's Story by providing Christians the opportunity to be equipped and to generously give to see everyone connected to God. We get people Gospel Ready through our missional programs that connect people to each other and to God's rescue in Jesus.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of the United Way of Dodge County by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- United Way of Dodge County's mission is to improve lives by mobilizing and empowering the caring power of Dodge County, Wisconsin. They envision a world where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, income stability and personal safety and well-being. They strive to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion clarity to our daily work. Learn more by visiting https://www.unitedwayofdodgecounty.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide is dedicated to increasing awareness, saving lives and reducing the stigma of suicide through specialized training programs and resources that empower teens, parents and educational leaders with the skills needed to help youth build a life of resiliency. Learn more by visiting https://sptsusa.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of Mission Transformation by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Mission Transformation's mission is to motivate young men of color to become passionate, empowered, and inspired to achieve greater, be greater, and do greater! Their mentor program is designed to work with these young men starting between the ages of 9-13, until the completion of High School while providing consistent exposure to careers, concepts, and ideas. This program is committed to helping our young men of color build legacy's and create generational wealth through consistent exposure. Their vision is to see every young man of color who comes through their program, lives changed and impacted by leadership, discipline, and commit to excellence in all things. Learn more by visiting https://www.missiontr.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of Feed Starving People by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Feed Starving People started out as an organization that feeds starving people in Southeast Asia and over the years we have grown into an organization that feeds humans whatever it is that they need to become self-sustaining, anywhere they can reach them. With the right funding and modern day creative technology, they believe that the amount of lives and areas they can change are unlimited. Learn more by visiting http://feedstarvingpeople.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of New Creation Home Ministries by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- New Creation Home Ministries demonstrates God's love and fosters long-term independence for at-risk mothers. Their holistic approach provides parenting resources, supportive housing, and a loving community. Learn more by visiting https://www.newcreationhome.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of the Farmhouse Foundation by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Documents referenced during the interview: Website: https://farmhouse.org National Fraternity Research: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6piv8slduasm2rw/Fraternities%20Matter_One%20Pager%202021.pdf?dl=0 FarmHouse Foundation Overview: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uc6vb1fl8de25de/FarmHouse%20Brand%20One%20Sheeter_Final_V6.pdf?dl=0 About Allison Rickels, CFRE: Allison is executive director and CEO of the FarmHouse Foundation, serving as the first and only woman CEO of a men's fraternity educational foundation. She began this role in June 2007. In the Foundation's 50-year history, Allison is only the second person to fill this position on a full-time basis. She has led the efforts to grow the Foundation's assets from $2 million, when she started on staff, to over $24 million today. Last fiscal year, the FarmHouse Foundation raised over $2.5 million. Allison has been part of the FarmHouse Foundation staff for 20 years, since July 2001, first as the director of annual fund and communications, and then as the senior director of the annual fund and assistant secretary to the Board of Trustees. For 10 years, she was the design editor for Pearls & Rubies, the Fraternity's award-winning magazine, and continues to help write and edit the magazine. A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Allison graduated in May 2001 with a degree in public relations and minors in marketing and journalism from the University of Northern Iowa. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), a designation only 6,300 fundraising professionals internationally hold. In August 2013, the North-American Interfraternity Conference Foundation (NICF) honored Allison with the prestigious William D. Jenkins Outstanding Professional Award. The award recognizes outstanding professional achievement and exemplary service in fundraising and philanthropy in the fraternity and sorority movement and craft. Allison and her staff have won 12 NICF Award of Distinctions under her leadership, and she is often a presenter at interfraternal conferences. In November 2014, Allison and the Foundation Staff was honored with the “Excellence in Fundraising” Award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Mid-America Chapter at the National Philanthropy Day Celebration. Allison served on the NICF Board of Directors (now the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence) for six years including as President, Vice President and Secretary. She served for six years on University of Northern Iowa Alumni Association Board of Directors. Allison is a member of the AFP MidAmerica Chapter, serving on their board of directors for six years, is a 12-year faculty member of her AFP Chapter's Fundraising 101 Seminar and each semester presents to students at Rockhurst University, teaching about stewardship and fundraising. She is active with her sorority, Alpha Phi Fraternity, serving on its Quarterly Editorial Board and was President of the Greater Kansas City Alpha Phi Alumnae Chapter for six years. In 2010, she received Alpha Phi's esteemed national Ursa Major Award, for her role as the FarmHouse Foundation's CEO. She was also named a Greater Kansas City Panhellenic Woman of the Year. She served five years on the Fraternity Communications Association's board of directors and in 2007 received their Marilyn Simpson Ford Award for service to the association.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of the McNeilly Center for Children by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Nestled on five acres in historic McFerrin Park, McNeilly has been assisting families for over 100 years. The mission of the McNeilly Center for Children is to provide high quality, affordable early care and education for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, whose parents are working, in job training, or at school. Parenting education and social services are provided for the families of our enrolled children. Learn more by visiting http://www.mcneillycenter.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of the Hit Cancer Below the Belt by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Hitting Cancer Below the Belt (HCB2) is dedicated to colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer prevention in our hometown of Richmond, VA, surrounding counties, and across the Commonwealth. They are focused on the importance of colon health for cancer prevention. HCB2 provides community education, early detection services for the uninsured, and direct support services for patients and survivors. By hosting events and offering services, they are able to raise awareness, provide education, and raise funds for local efforts in cancer prevention. Their vision is to build and bridge resources in an effort to create a community where cancer is challenged to survive. Learn more by visiting https://hcb2.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of the Realness Project by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- In 2017, Laurie Lazar began co-facilitating a Victim Impact Class at the Boulder County Jail. While the participants were engaged in the discussions, she wondered if the class had any long-term, transformational impact on the participants' lives. With a Masters in Education and a certification in AR (Authentic Relating), Laurie's curiosity began to grow as she started to visualize adding in the critical tools of AR into the curriculum. For example, how might the inmate's lives be impacted if they were intentionally trained to navigate conflict through skillful communication? Could the experiences of AR give inmates a higher percentage of success once released from incarceration? In a serendipitous moment, Laurie connected with friend and colleague Ryel Kestano, who was using AR methods while mentoring men at the Boulder County Jail. His company, Authentic Relating Training International, had just launched a two-day program, “The ART of Being Human,” and they delivered it throughout Europe and the US to the general public. Together, Laurie and Ryel brought the first-ever Authentic Relating workshop to the Boulder County Jail in January of 2018. Many of the men in this workshop had been in Laurie's Victim Impact class, and now she was able to observe their marked difference in engagement and excitement through the AR method. After two days of training, participants began to transparently share about the ineffectiveness of their previous therapy and intervention programs, expressing that there was nothing like this program offered in the correctional system and how vital it would be to expand into the Department of Corrections regionally and nationally. That weekend was a game-changer for Laurie. She began reaching out to prisons throughout Colorado, offering the two-day workshop. From the movies, many of us know that it's not so easy to break out of prison. But what we don't learn is that it's also hard to break in! Laurie called many prisons before one finally said yes. The first prison they delivered The ART of Being Human in was the highest level of security prison, Centennial Correctional Facility in Canon City, CO. The class was half men who are labeled as sex offenders and half mentally challenged men. They didn't know if this group would be receptive. And yet, even though the skepticism, a transformation occurred. Laurie's questions were being answered as she witnessed personal transformation happening for the participants. After delivering the workshop to dozens of incarcerated people in several institutions, the Realness Project was born! The Realness Project has delivered workshops to nearly 450 men and women in the Colorado Department of Corrections. Learn more by visiting https://www.realnessproject.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of FAWC Conservatory of Arts and Sciences by pledging your support for promotion of this video. -- FAWC Conservatory of Arts and Sciences' mission is to promote creative youth and adult development by linking arts and science education, training, and interpretive experiences with building personal, social and intellectual capacities needed to succeed in school, career and life. Mentoring and fostering our youth is in their blood. Find out more by visiting https://www.fawccas.com.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of Rocky Mountain Raptor Program by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Since 1987, the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program (RMRP) has served the northern Colorado community through the rescue of injured birds of prey and environmental communication. Their community-based team of raptor rehabilitation experts, excellent veterinarians, and specially trained volunteers provide compassionate and high-quality raptor rehabilitation to every wounded warrior in need. The Rocky Mountain Raptor Program also plays a vital role in community education and outreach, providing hands-on learning about raptor species and the environment. The work they do represents a collaborative community effort focused on the humane treatment of raptor species, bringing together a diverse public to nurture, and protect the health and environment of birds of prey. Learn more by visiting https://www.rmrp.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of Helping Mamas by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- The mission of Helping mamas is to connect helping mamas to mamas needing help. They are the baby supply bank for East Tennessee. What Helping Mamas Does: Collect essential items such as diapers, pack n' plays, bottles, clothes and car seats; etc. Distribute the donated items to case workers at our partner location. Allow clients to focus on job training, parenting education and violence prevention, instead of worrying about these essential items. The strength of our model is in partnering with organizations to help their clients with everyday essentials. Learn more by visiting https://tennessee.helpingmamas.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of Houston Justice by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Houston Justice is a non-partisan advocacy group aimed at eradicating homelessness, recidivism, and injustice in the community at-large. Learn more by visiting https://www.houstonjustice.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of Borderless Friends Forever by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Borderless Friends Forever is a boutique international exchange student program, specializing in bringing students to the USA for an amazing study abroad experience. Whether you are reading this from Albania, Brazil, Chile, or any other country, they would love to help you explore American culture for your study abroad program. They offer a variety of programs, including summer, semester, and academic year programs. In addition to helping students come to the USA, they also send American students abroad, so that they can experience another culture for a few weeks, a semester, or an academic school year. Learn more by visiting https://borderlessfriends.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of the Hope Center KC by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- The Hope Center KC is an organization that represents that real solution that communities need to flourish. They've created a flourishing community on Kansas City's east side by identifying gaps and developed various programs to fill those gaps. In this interview, you will not only learn their success story, but also gather ideas to make your community a better place. To learn more, visit https://www.hopecenterkc.org.

Visit http://missionsthatmadethem.com to help us bring more awareness to the great work of the House of Hope by pledging your support for promotion of this video. --- Since 1990 the House of Hope has been serving those facing homelessness. They strive every day to care for the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the people we serve at our shelters. The House of Hope continues to lead the way in the Pee Dee (river system in South Carolina), offering nearly 20,000 nights of shelter to men, women and children in need. In 2019 the House of Hope served more than 50,000 meals to their guests and residents. By partnering with national, state and local organizations, and with local churches and businesses, they are able to offer a wide range of education and training for our life-recovery residents. Learn more by visiting https://hofh.org.

Choroideremia (CHM) is a rare inherited disorder that causes progressive vision loss and ultimately leads to complete blindness. The disease affects the retina, which is the area at the back of the eye. The Choroideremia Research Foundation is on the forefront to a cure for this rare form of blindness. In this interview, Cory MacDonald (Engagement Director) shares the amazing story behind Choroideremia Research Foundation and their incredible advancements toward a cure. A little bit about the Choroideremia Research Foundation: The Choroideremia Research Foundation (CRF) is the largest organization in the world focused on the search for a cure for choroideremia (CHM). Our mission is to raise funds in support of scientific research leading to a treatment or cure of choroideremia, a hereditary retinal-degenerative disease that causes blindness; to educate people affected by the disease; and to inform the public. The CRF was founded in 2000 by a small group of individuals affected with CHM and their families. There are an estimated 6,600 affected male CHMers in the United States. The organization hosts regular conferences for patients and families as well as scientific symposia for researchers and clinicians. It also offers one-day regional meetings several times a year around the world. Webinars and interactive online chats are offered (and recorded) several times monthly on topics such as emotional support, research, assistive technology, clinical trials and genetic testing. CRF hosts a CHM patient registry. The organization advocates for patients legislatively nationally and internationally, provides education for medical professionals, and offers information and one-on-one support to patients and family members. CRF was conceived by a small group of patients in 1999. It formally established nonprofit status in 2000 and began funding research in 2002. A few of CRF's first early research projects included establishment of a CHM mouse model, creating induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models, formation of a human CHM cell biobank, and support of several pre-clinical gene therapy research studies which ultimately led to launch of three clinical trials. CRF is now exploring collaborations and/or funding development of a CHM pig model, possible pharmaceutical therapies, gene therapy, optogenetics (light sensing), neuroprotection (to delay progression), rna and dna editing, stem cell therapy, sight replacement therapies, transplantation, assistive/bionic technologies, and understanding genetics and phenotypes (characteristics and variations) of CHM cells and how these differences may affect progression and outcomes. Learn more by visiting https://www.curechm.org.

Overcoming food insecurity in America starts with scaling proper nutrition education and a collective effort to donate within each local community. The problem today isn't with the shear volume of donated food, but rather the quality of food being donated which is contributing to the ever-growing obesity epidemic in America. In this interview, we interview Andrea White with the Food Bank of Greenwood County in South Carolina to cover the solution to the food insecurity and obesity problem and exactly what you can do to contribute to this solution today. Andrea and her staff are leading the way to educate the community on nutrition and making food choices that lead to a happier and healthier society. If adopted nationwide, we truly believe that we can tackle both food insecurity and the obesity epidemic in America. A little bit about the Food Bank of Greenwood County The Food Bank of Greenwood County is a volunteer-driven organization which depends on the generosity of individuals, churches, businesses, and organizations to help us meet the emergency food needs in our community. Through a variety of programs,. we feed more than 2,000 individuals in our community each month. That accounts for approximately 3 percent of the population of Greenwood County. Learn more by visiting https://foodbankgreenwood.org.

It is possible to get rid of stress and make new friends while making your local community a better place to live. In this interview, we'll hear from Natalie Evans from Oklahoma City (OKC) Beautiful on ways local residents can get involved in projects that are making Oklahoma City a better place to live, work and play. We'll also touch on some really important topics the personal benefits of getting outside and getting involved that help to get rid of stress and make new friends in the process. A little bit about OKC Beautiful: Mission OKC Beautiful: Leading Oklahoma City's beautification and environmental stewardship through collaboration, education, and advocacy. Vision Oklahoma City is a vibrant community where citizens practice environmentally sustainable lifestyles and nurture economic growth through our programs. Philosophy OKC Beautiful believes the appearance of our city directly impacts its economic viability as well as affecting the quality of life and self-image of its residents. Learn more about OKC Beautiful and find ways to get involved by visiting https://www.okcbeautiful.com.

The mission of SportsAbility Alliance is to enrich lives through accessible, inclusive recreation and active leisure. Their long term objectives include: To educate the public and disseminate information pertaining to recreational areas, facilities, programs, events, and opportunities that include persons with disabilities. To promote and provide recreational activities and programs for people of all abilities and all ages. To forward the advancement and development of the appropriate use of public and private lands on which people with disabilities may participate in recreation. To advocate for accessible and inclusive recreation while networking with recreation program providers as well as organizations that serve persons with disabilities. To assist designers, planners, and managers in making recreational programs, areas, and facilities universally accessible. To work with civic groups and organizations in promoting special recreational opportunities to include people with disabilities. To provide community resource information to the public emphasizing efforts to reach persons with disabilities. To promote the wise use of our natural resources in the best interest of all, both present and future. To advance understanding of the importance of active leisure activities on the health and well being of everyone and the therapeutic value of recreation. To promote high standards of sportsmanship and ethics. In this interview, you'll learn how you can become part of a solution that is truly changing lives for the better. Sportsability Alliance can serve people with disabilities all over the United States. Here are a few additional links to learn more about Sportsability Alliance and how you can support their mission and make the world a better place. Website: https://www.sportsability.org Programs: https://www.fdoa.org/programs Donate: https://www.sportsability.org/donate Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sportsabilityalliance Twitter: https://twitter.com/sportsabilitya LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/51692457 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sportsabilityalliance/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FLDisabledOutdoors

In this episode of The Missions That Made Them, we interview ReZsuan Lewis, Executive Director, with Lowcountry Youth Services. Lowcountry Youth Services aims to ensure that "Every Child Wins." To achieve this vision, they offer several programs that provide Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties (South Carolina) youth with the tools they need to succeed in every area of their lives. Life is challenging at times, and for some children, it's more challenging than usual. Their group mentoring and youth development programs address these needs, and their programs are intentional about providing positive role models and teaching children various life, social, and problem-solving skills. The Lowcountry Youth programs are available to young people from all ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds. It doesn't matter if a child is a straight-A student who happens to be distracted by a traumatic situation at home or a child who has been charged with multiple juvenile offenses and labeled "high-risk." The reality is every child can benefit from structured support, and every child can win if given the opportunity! If you're interested in getting involved, reach out at info@lowcountryyouth.org or visit lowcountryyouth.org. Also, be sure to stay up-to-date with new happening with Lowcountry Youth Services by subscribing to their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMVZTnhARj7dhv-kjeSMlRw/featured About The Missions That Made Them Nonprofits are changing the world for the better. Although there are those in this world that bring negativity and harm, there are those that are making the world a better place. The problem is that we are constantly delivered negative media and stories about what's going wrong in the world. This isn't going to solve any problems. The Missions That Made Them podcast is a platform to bring awareness to organizations and people that are actively changing the world for the better. It's intended to inspire you to become part of a solution that's making the world a better place.