Podcasts about home society

Coming up on the first show from our brand new studio, Jim Workman of Wally and Wimpy's Sports Digest and Speedy Bevins will talk some sports and we will have more on the Children's Home Society of West Virginia's Day of Giving this Wednesday.

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Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you considering adopting a sibling group? Join us for this interview with Deborah Bass Artis, MSW and Senior Program Director of Foster Care to Permanency with Children's Home Society of NC.In this episode, we discuss:Why is it important to keep siblings together when placed for foster care or adoption?Advantages to adopting siblings.Special issues to considerThinking About Adopting a Sibling Group? Things to Consider FirstPractical Tips for Fostering a Sibling GroupIntegrating siblings with children already in the familyInvolve children already in the familyGet your support network in place before you adopt Suggested books for helping siblings understand adoption. Parentified childTips for handling a parentified child. Parenting Tips for a Parentified ChildOvercoming unhealthy dynamics from their pastOne child was the favorite in their previous family or families.Sibling rivalry When is it not a good idea to keep siblings together?Consider your motivation carefully- be honest with yourself and your partner about your desire to adopt a sibling group. Tips for parents adopting or fostering a sibling group Educate yourself before opening your home to a sibling group- it always helps to have realistic expectationsBe patient with yourselves and the children- it's a big adjustment for everyone.Develop your support system ahead of time.Take care of yourself. Spending time on things that are important to you is not selfish!If married, ensure your marriage/partnership remains strong- it is the foundation of your family's health.If single, maintain your friendships. You need to have a life outside of your children.Find individual time with each child in the family Pay attention to each child's interests and personality and create opportunities for those to grow. Don't treat the sibling group as a unit.Seek out professional support for the family when needed.Support the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Send us a textLalla Pierce is the principal at Global Learning Academy and Lauren Green is the social services navigator at Children's Home Society. In this episode, they share what makes this elementary school in the heart of downtown Pensacola, a hidden treasure. You'll hear about the unique culture they've cultivated as well as outside-the-box ways both parents and staff are meeting the needs of the students for a better tomorrow.Guests: Lalla Pierce & Lauren Green https://www.escambiaschools.org/gla Learn more about Escambia County School District: https://www.escambiaschools.org/Find additional links: https://www.voicesunitedineducation.com/podcast-episodesHost: Meredith Hackwith Edwards

Happy Christmas! Welcome to Episode 100! It's Part 1 of our 2-part series covering the biggest stories of 2024. Before that, special guests Dennis Aanenson, Kara Flynn join the show. Dennis Aeneson recently wrote a book called 'Bring It On.' Proceeds partially go to the Children's Home Society of South Dakota. Pat Powers of Dakota War College has a new show you should check out. Pat joins us to recap the biggest stories of 2024. @AuthorDennisAanenson, @JakeSchoenbeck, @SoDakCampaigns @DakotaTownHall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Are you planning to adopt or have you recently adopted? If so, you need to listen to this discussion about what to expect during the first few weeks or months you are home! Our guests are Michelle Kennedy and Deborah Artis. Michelle Kennedy has been a social worker with Methodist Home for Children for 27 years. She has direct care experience in residential and foster care services and has been working with youth and families in the foster-to-adopt process since 2005. Deborah Artis is a social worker and the Senior Program Director of foster care, adoption, and post-adoption with Children's Home Society, where she has worked for 30 years. In this episode, we cover:Adopting a NewbornWhat are some common emotions when adopting a newborn?What are some common stresses when adopting a newborn?How may the revocation period affect the transition to new adoptive parenting?Expectations of extended family during this transition period.How do the stresses of newly adopted families differ from a family that gives birth to their child?How does the pre-adoption process affect this transition to new parenthood?What are some feelings that come up about birth parents after the baby comes home?Handling grief of the birth family.Realities of open adoptions.Feeling like the presence of a birth mom makes the adoptive mom less of a “real” mom.The balance of power shifting from the expectant/birth mom to the adoptive mom.How much of your child's “story” should you share?How can infertility struggles impact the transition period?Adopting a Child Past InfancyWhat are some common emotions when adopting a child from foster care or through international adoption?What are some common stresses when adopting a child past infancy?Integrating the new child into a family with other kids.How to help your child and you settle into becoming a new family.Post Adoption DepressionWhat is post-adoption depression?What are the symptoms?Blocked care.How can post-adoption depression impact parenting?How common is post-adoption depression?Can fathers also have post-adoption depression?Who is at risk for post-adoption depression? Are there ways to predict which people are more prone to post-adoption depression?What are some steps to take to prevent post-adoption depression?What should you do if you think you are suffering from post-adoption depression?Additional Resources:4 Tried and True Tips for a Smooth Transition Home with Adopted KidsTransitioning Home with Your Newly Adopted Baby Support the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Chris Blum is the executive director of the Heartland Cancer Foundation in Lincoln Nebraska. Chris joined the foundation after a 25-year career as a professional in the Boy Scouts organization and then working three years for the Nebraska Safety Council. Chris tells us that he is strictly Nebraska born and bred.   During his time as a Boy Scout professional, he did work elsewhere, but all roads eventually brought him back to Lincoln. He left scouting when the organization wanted him to move elsewhere to assume another position.   It was fun speaking with a nonprofit expert and professional. We talked about a number of issues faced by the not-for-profit world, and we even talked about the differences between for profit sales and not for profit fundraising.   Chris brings lots of insights to our conversation. For this being his first podcast appearance, he did quite well, and I think you will like what he had to say. At the end, of course, he gave information about how people can support the Heartland Cancer Foundation.   About the Guest:   Chris Blum joined the Heartland Cancer Foundation in August of 2022.  Chris has 30 years of non-profit leadership experience.  He has spent his career making every team better and every company or organization more efficient and more profitable.  Chris is skilled at recruiting people with talents and skills which compliment his to make the organization stronger.  Here in Nebraska, he has served as the Business Development Manager for the Nebraska Safety Council, the Chief Philanthropy Officer for the Nebraska Children's Home Society, and the Scout Executive/CEO for the Cornhusker Council, Boy Scouts of America.  He served in a variety of positions during a 25-year Boy Scout career with assignments in South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas.  Chris has a bachelor's degree in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University.   Chris provides strategic and professional leadership for all development and operational efforts of the HCF. He works with volunteers and other stakeholders to prospect, cultivate, and solicit support for growing HCF programs by leveraging all available resources.  Chris' professional goals are to develop long-term relationships with donors, friends, and community partners by deeply engaging them to realize their charitable goals and maximize their gifts of time, talent, and treasure to HCF.  Chris and his wife Lori are Nebraska natives (Omaha and Wahoo), they have a son, CJ, who attends Mickle Middle School.  Chris have been active in Rotary, and as a Cub Scout Den Leader, and currently coaches Junior High Cross Country and Track for St. John's Catholic School.     Ways to connect with Chris:   https://heartlandcancerfoundation.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cfbc6e1709361a145ed40d367&id=d94fe9ca05&e=9ea37134d3   https://heartlandcancerfoundation.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cfbc6e1709361a145ed40d367&id=01db9189e7&e=9ea37134d3   https://heartlandcancerfoundation.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cfbc6e1709361a145ed40d367&id=c4ffa1a2af&e=9ea37134d3   https://heartlandcancerfoundation.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cfbc6e1709361a145ed40d367&id=1a81f3f0cb&e=9ea37134d3   https://heartlandcancerfoundation.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cfbc6e1709361a145ed40d367&id=0112187c95&e=9ea37134d3   https://heartlandcancerfoundation.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cfbc6e1709361a145ed40d367&id=60e930e34a&e=9ea37134d3   About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Hi and welcome wherever you happen to be to unstoppable mindset, where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Unexpected is always fun, and it's what we mostly do on unstoppable mindset. But I'm really glad you're here, and I want to welcome our guest today, Chris Blum, who is the Executive Director of the heartland Cancer Foundation. He's going to tell us about that and a lot of other stuff. And I know, Chris, you had a long stint in doing things in the boy scouts, and having been in scouting and and risen to the rank of Eagle with vigil in the Order of the Arrow, I'm very familiar with scouting as well, so we've got lots to talk about, and I want to welcome you and to unstoppable mindset and again, thank you for being   Chris Blum ** 02:02 here. Yeah, Michael, thanks for having me. So it's pleasure.   Michael Hingson ** 02:07 This is Chris's first podcast, so we'll try to be nice, but thanks for doing this. Why don't we start by maybe talking about the early Chris, growing up and all that, and kind of what, what, what drove you, what you learned, and anything else that you want to tell us about the earlier Chris   Chris Blum ** 02:28 Sure. Well, hey, I'm Midwest boy. I grew up in Omaha Nebraska. Council Bluffs, Iowa. If you know anything about Omaha Nebraska, you're familiar with the College World Series, so yeah, I was Yeah. Grew up average milk. Middle class family. Have two parents, one sister, two dogs. You know, lived in Omaha for seven years, and then both my parents were working in Council Bluffs Iowa, so we moved across the river and actually moved to the country because living on a gravel road went from city streets with sidewalks and a park right across the street to to a gravel road with eight houses on it and ended up going to high school at Council Bluffs Lewis Central. Played golf and ran cross country. Was very active in our East Side Christian Church and and I went to Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, thought I thought I wanted a career in broadcasting, so I did some work on the radio station and the TV station there in at school. Thought maybe I wanted to go into sports management. So my first job out of college was with a summer collegiate baseball team in St Joseph Missouri, the St Joseph Cardinals had a lot of fun working in a minor league baseball setting, but couldn't make any money, and didn't like spending my whole summer at the ballpark because I didn't get a chance to play Golf or do a lot of other things, and then an opportunity presented itself to go to work for the Boy Scouts of America in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. And having grown up in scouting, I thought, hey, this might be something that I'd be good at, and that that career lasted 25 years, took me to from South Dakota to Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and then back here to Lincoln, Nebraska, my wife's Nebraska native from Wahoo, and I'm from, as I mentioned earlier, Omaha, so we're. Like, hey, this is a great opportunity to come back home. All of our family is between Council, bluffs, wahoo and Lincoln. So we had, we've got 15 nieces and nephews. I think we got 15. I might be off on the count, but thought it'd be a good opportunity to put down some roots and stop moving all over the country and and then that has led me to to the heartland Cancer Foundation.   Michael Hingson ** 05:32 So when did you leave the scouts? From a professional standpoint,   Chris Blum ** 05:38 left the scouts in 2019 February, 2019 and then had a spent a couple years at The Nebraska Safety Council here in Lincoln, doing some business development and some marketing, helping them as a nonprofit work to keep keep the workers safe through OSHA trainings, we also had some driver ed programs for teaching teenagers how to drive safely and effectively. And then we also had a wellness component to make sure that the the employees of of our companies, you know whether they be manufacturing or in the desk, the office employees making sure that they're taking care of themselves, physically and mentally. You know little things like drinking enough water, getting up and stretching every few hours, having a stand up desk so that you, you don't spend eight hours a day sitting you and yeah. And had two years there, and then an opportunity to present itself, to come, come work for the Heartland Cancer Foundation. And so in in August of 2022, I came on board with the with the heartland Cancer Foundation. So   Michael Hingson ** 07:04 being with the scouts for 25 years, what prompted you to leave and go elsewhere?   Chris Blum ** 07:12 The biggest, the biggest thing was that they were asking me to move again. Oh, I, I had. They're no fun. Yes, set up roots here in Lincoln early on in my career. When you're single, it's easy to move every three or four years, even when you're newly married and you and your spouse don't have kids, it's Hey, it's kind of fun, a new adventure. But then when you realize your spouse has to give up her career and start all over and and you realize that the the raise that you got gets wiped out because your household income gets cut in half, and then you got to start all over with, you know, finding finding a gym to go to, Finding the grocery store, you know, meeting the neighbors finding, you know, the new house that you just moved into. Where's, where's the water shut off, where's the, you know, where's all the stuff I was used to, yeah. And so we had made the decision when we had moved to Lincoln, was that if, if we decided that the Boy Scouts wasn't going to work out for us. Could we stay in Lincoln? And again, we were around family. We had started to put down roots. My son had just started, you know, was into school and like, Look, I'm not uprooting all of this. And decided, you know, there's, there's an opportunity to do, do other things that I can do, and be very successful professionally and personally. And chose to, chose to leave the Boy Scouts.   Michael Hingson ** 08:58 Do you still have family in Omaha, Yes, yep, and that's not very far away.   Chris Blum ** 09:04 Nope. My mom and sister live actually in Council Bluffs. I've got an aunt that lives in Bellevue, which is a suburb of Omaha. And then my wife's got brothers and sisters, and I'll miss that. Count up, she's got seven brothers and sisters in Wahoo and and Lincoln. So we're all we're all right here. So, yeah, it's,   Michael Hingson ** 09:33 it is it is tough to move. And I know my wife passed away in November of 2022, and people started asking me after she passed, well, are you going to move because you've got that big house? And as as I love to say to people, first of all, moving is incredibly stressful, especially when you've been somewhere for a while. But. For me, I pay under 200 I pay under $2,000 a month for principal, interest, tax and insurance. Why would I move? It'd be costing me any a bunch more money to move anywhere. So sure. And the house is seven years old, so it's built to all the codes and solar and all that. So there's a lot to be said for being content with where you are. So I'm with you. I know that I've spent time in Lincoln and worked with the Department of Rehabilitation back there and then across the state somewhat. I have a former geometry teacher, Dick herbalsheimer, who was my sophomore geometry teacher. He now lives in Sydney, Nebraska. He kind of always wanted to move back there, even though he was teaching out in Palmdale, but we visited him. He is, what, 87 this year, and we always discuss the fact that he's older than I am, and he keeps telling me, I'm catching up. And I said, Nope, you're always going to be seven years ahead of me. I'm not going to worry about it, or not seven years you're going to be 14 years ahead of me, and I'm not catching up. Sure, that's kind of fun. But I like, I like Nebraska. It's a lot of fun to be there and so on. Well, you and it's interesting to hear what you say about the Safety Council. I haven't spoken at any State Safety Council meetings, but I've spoken at safety and emergency preparedness organization conventions, and had a lot of fun doing it, and really appreciate some of the kinds of things that you're talking about and what you're trying to teach people to do. Because, yeah, if you just sit all day, every day, and in an office at a desk, that's not good for anybody,   11:46 correct? Well, so   Michael Hingson ** 11:49 you, you, you went to the Nebraska well, to the heartland Cancer Foundation. Tell me about the foundation, if you would   Chris Blum ** 11:58 sure. So the the heartland Cancer Foundation was founded in 2008 by a local group of cancer doctors who, as they were helping their patients and treating their patients, they they saw a need to help them with their their basic expenses, their their car payments, their mortgage, their utilities, and then the the travel expenses to and from treatment. You know, those are, those are expenses that when you get a cancer diagnosis, they don't, they don't stop. You know, they wanted to do something locally for the local patients. You know, raising money for the national organizations for research is is important, but when you're going through treatment and struggling to figure out how to pay your bills, you don't really care about cancer research and funding that leaves the state. So these doctors put together this foundation, and over the past few years, they've just steadily grown it through some special events. We currently provide grants of $750 to cancer patients in Nebraska. You've got to be a resident of Nebraska, you have to be in active treatment, and you have to qualify financially. What we our requirements are, we take the federal poverty guidelines, and we times that by four, and the application process is pretty easy. It's online, or we can actually, we can actually mail a paper copy to a person working with their nurse practitioner or their social worker, the medical staff that they work with they get it filled out. Our turnaround time is about a about a day or two, depending on how, how quick our program director reads it and then, and then we we approve the grant. The The nice thing that I think we offer is we actually pay the bills directly to the mortgage company or the car company or the utility company for the for the patient, so that takes that burden off of them, or their family who's ever might be helping them out throughout the the whole process, if they, if the patient says, Hey, I my biggest need of those four categories is travel expenses to and from treatment, then we will, we'll mail them gas cards to that they can use for their. For their trips. Nebraska, being mostly rural, you know, a lot of our folks are driving outside of Lincoln, you know, 45 minutes an hour into Lincoln for treatment, or if they're in one of our outstanding community towns that we serve, whether it be Beatrice or Grand Island or Hastings, you know, they're, they could be driving, you know, 1520 minutes, you know. And the gas prices the last few years have kind of skyrocketed. So that's been our, our biggest need in the past couple years, to ensure that folks have, have the, have the travel expenses. And again, we we pride ourselves on immediate and practical financial assistance for for local cancer patients. So like I said, as long as you live in in Nebraska and you're in active treatment, you you're eligible, and we've been blessed that we've never turned down a request. So we're, it's something we're we're planning on continuing to a streak with. We hope we'll. We plan on continuing.   Michael Hingson ** 16:16 Are the grants one time grants? Or can people receive more than one? Or how does that work?   Chris Blum ** 16:20 They can, they can receive one every 12 months. Ah, okay, so, yeah, unfortunately, cancer doesn't usually get fixed in a year, no. So we, we offer, you know, after that 12 month cycle, they can, they can reapply. We also collaborate with other other foundations here in Nebraska, the Hope Foundation, the Grace Foundation, and angels among us is another one where we our patients can help. You know, if they get grants from them, we actually encourage that. We don't, we don't disqualify them because they get grants from somebody else. So, you know, we and we share that. We share those resources with our on our website. Hey, here's some other other areas of needs. Because as as great as the needs are for for cancer patients, our mission that we've stuck to is these are our four categories that we fund, and we'll give you money for their for these four if you need help outside of those four categories, here's some here are some people that you you should reach out to.   Michael Hingson ** 17:37 Are there similar organizations in other states,   Chris Blum ** 17:42 that is a very good question. I want to say yes, but I I don't know that for sure. I would. I have to believe that there are. I That's probably a something I need to be more aware of. But like I said, most of the stuff we have done has been all in Nebraska, so we are very familiar with the foundations in Nebraska that help. Again, the great thing about Google is we could probably, I could probably Google it more talented to be able to do this while I'm while I'm talking to you, but I don't want to mess mess that up and hit the wrong button and get cut off from the podcast here.   Michael Hingson ** 18:29 I know, I know what you're saying. We   Chris Blum ** 18:31 can probably Google and like I said, I'm sure there are groups   Michael Hingson ** 18:38 in other states well, and there are a lot of different organizations in Nebraska, as you say, what sets the HCF apart? What makes you unique and what you do? What   Chris Blum ** 18:50 makes us unique is that we provide the immediate, practical assistance, and it's, it's a quick turnaround time, you know, you're not, you're not applying, and then waiting, you know, you you apply and say, Hey, I need my mortgage paid for. We agree. We start, we start covering that mortgage. You know, that mortgage payment, you know, and and most of our, most of our clients at mortgage payments somewhere between one and three months. And so if we can take that burden off of an individual for that that amount of time, and they can spend now that that one to three months just focusing on healing and not having to worry about, how am I going to pay pay the mortgage this month? You know, we're we have a local, a local board of 12 members. So all our decisions are are made here in Lincoln. We're not we're not having to call somebody in in Dallas. We're not having to call somebody in New York. You know, if, if we have a, if we have something we need to do, we we talk to the board and we. Make a decision. Most of our, majority of our funding, is all raised here in Nebraska. And we do get several, several 1000s of dollars of support from the pharmaceutical companies through some educational programs that we run and why those dollars aren't headquartered here in Nebraska. They all have local, local representatives that live and work here in in Omaha or Lincoln, and that, you know, we're, we're we're based local. We serve local, you know, and our staff all lives here. Fact, our one, our one staff member who works part time for us, she worked at the Beatrice hospital for a time in the intake office. So she she was involved with the patients on a daily basis before she came to workforce. So, yeah, that's, I think that's what makes us unique. And again, we were, we were started by local doctors helping helping local patients. Several of those doctors are still involved. Several other spouses are still involved in our our impact. Guild, um, so I think that's a long winded question. Answer to your to your short question. Michael, sorry about that.   Michael Hingson ** 21:27 That's fair. So I'm curious you, you said something that at least prompts a question. So you get funding from some outside sources like pharmaceutical companies and so on. Do they ever try to restrict their funds, or is that part of the message that you send is you can't do that? Yeah,   Chris Blum ** 21:46 that's, that's part of our message is that, you know, we, they can't really restrict the the funds. And if they ask to to restrict the funds, we we just say that we're we can't accept them. So again, the four things that we support are mortgage payment, car payment, utilities and then travel expenses. So that's what we ask them to to support. And it's great that you the most of the companies again, because I'm dealing with local reps, they understand what we're doing. And then we can, we can just work, work through there. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 22:35 you've spent most, well, pretty much all, of your professional life in the nonprofit world, which, generally speaking, certainly from a financial standpoint, doesn't pay as much as working a lot of times in the corporate world, but you've been very successful at being a leader and building teams and so on. What? What makes you stay in the the nonprofit sector as opposed to going elsewhere.   Chris Blum ** 23:01 Oh, good question. I think part of it is in my Gallup strengths. You know, realized I'm a very mission driven individual, a lot of times working in the boy scouts. It, it gave me the the ability to act and operate like an entrepreneur, without the risk I didn't have. You know, there was, there was always a there was always an umbrella there. And so I like the flexibility. I like being able to to help folks. I've never really been a nine to five or so. There's a lot of times meetings, meetings and activities outside of the workday. It's a, it's more of a, it's more of a calling and being able to being able to help folks, is and give back. I think that's why I spent a lot of time with the Boy Scouts, is I knew what it did for me as a kid, and I thought, if I could this, this is my way to help, help give back. Was it the best camper, the best knot tire? I like camping, but I prefer a Marriott, yeah. And so I figured if I could help, you know, raise the money and handle stuff on the back end of things, that that would be something that would be my way of paying it, paying it back or paying it forward.   Michael Hingson ** 24:43 I hear you, I, I, I didn't mind going camping. I enjoyed it, but at the same time, it was always a whole lot more fun to stay indoors, as I learned a whole lot later in life. So there's, there's a lot to be said for hotels, but at the. Same time, I never regret the knowledge and all the information that I learned in my years as a scout, including camping and learning how to function in those kinds of environments, whether I choose to do it or not, having the knowledge is also a very helpful thing to to be able to tie yourself to Yes, and so I don't mind it a bit. How what? What caused you to start being a professional Scouter? What was it just a job that came up? Or how did that work out?   Chris Blum ** 25:38 Oh, so, yeah, that's an interesting story.   Michael Hingson ** 25:43 Love stories.   Chris Blum ** 25:45 When I left the so I was working in minor league baseball, as I mentioned earlier, and the season was over. September. I was actually working with the Wichita wranglers double a team in Wichita, Kansas. Season was over early September, and they said, Hey, we love you. We want you to work for us, the internship to be a full time job, but it's not going to start till January. Well, it's September. I, I got a car payment. I, you know, I got, you know, rent. I need to eat. I can't not work for four months. So I moved back to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and I answered an ad in the Omaha World Herald marketing and fundraising professional. Or maybe it was a, I think it was a marketing, public relations and fundraising professional position. Okay, so I go to the address on the paper back in those days, you didn't Google it. You Oh, the address. Okay, get out the road,   Michael Hingson ** 26:53 get the Thomas brothers map out. Yeah, and   Chris Blum ** 26:57 I showed up at the Boy Scout office. I'm like, Okay, this, this is odd. I didn't know that there was a professional side of scouting, and so I sat down, I interviewed and and they were telling me, you know, here's what you do. You you talk to people, you get a you recruit kids. You gotta raise money. I'm like, oh, that's kind of like sales, sales in minor league baseball, working in the stadium operations department, on putting on camperies, and they're like, Yeah, and you, you're not going to deal too much with kids, you know, you're not, you're not a scout master or a cub, cub scout master or a den leader. You're handling the business side of scouting. Okay, that makes sense. And so I I interviewed in Omaha. And boy scouts have a National Personnel System, so So I was in their system. Omaha didn't have a job. They didn't, they didn't select me for a job. But I got a call from the scout executive in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Scout executive is, would be the CEO of the local council or the local franchise. And I talked to him, he's like, Well, I've got a job for you. I need you to come up here and interview and say, Okay, I really, really don't want to drive three hours for an interview unless you're going to give me the job. And he said, Well, I can't enter. I can't give you the job without interviewing. Yeah. I said, Well, we've got a phone. Let's just interview here. And, and we bantered back and forth, and he's finally just said, Well, you just drive up here and take the interview so I can give you the job. Oh, there you go. So drove up and we talked and and he was telling me, he's like, now you're going to, you're, you're going to work 50 to 60 hours a week. Okay, well, that's a lot less than I worked in baseball. So alright. He's like, you're not going to make, make very much money. I I can only pay you $23,000 I'm like, well, that's, that's, you know, 1012, grand more than I made with the baseball team. So where do I sign? And he's like, Well, you're, you're going to cover 11 counties in South Dakota, so there's a lot of driving time. Okay, well, I've driven all over Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa,   Michael Hingson ** 29:18 and I came here, didn't I? Yeah, I'm like,   Chris Blum ** 29:23 Okay, where do, where do I sign? And so I actually had relatives in my I had a aunt and uncle, great aunt and uncle that lived in winter South Dakota, which was going to be one of my, one of my communities that I would be in charge of. So, you know, I'm like, this is like, a no brainer. I think, you know, the good Lord's looking out for me. You know, go going from not having any job to getting a new job with a car and and a raise and benefits and and so, and I ended up working out of my house. So I had a I had an old desk that I, you know, fact, it wasn't even a desk before I got a desk. I had a two saw saw horses and and an old piece of plywood that I used as my desk because I I remembered reading something that Sam Walton, that's how his desk started. Well, if it's good enough for Sam Walton that it worked for me, and the price was right. I, you know, everything was free. So, so I started working for the Boy Scouts, and really, really enjoyed it. My first summer, I was in in charge of a traveling Cub Scout day camp. So we traveled and put on, kind of like a carnival event in all the communities in South Dakota and Minnesota, and I got paid to run around and shoot BB guns and bows and arrows, run around in shorts and a T shirt and, you know? And I'm like, wow, this is pretty fun. And so it never really felt like a job. I found my two, two good things I was really strong at in in scouting, was I was running good at running camps, making sure kids got signed up. Camps were full, they had a good time, and that we turned a profit. And I was really good at raising money. And realized, if you run camps for the Boy Scouts, it's kind of like being in minor league baseball. Your summers, you don't get a lot of time to do anything but, but work and be at   Michael Hingson ** 31:28 camp. How tough?   Chris Blum ** 31:29 If you raise money, you're always going to have a job. And a lot of times your summers are off, so or you're, you're spending your summers with donors, playing golf, or, you know, going to a ball game or, you know, and so my my skill set translated, you know, Boy Scout councils needed somebody that could relate to donors, raise money, work with marketing and project management. And so my career track with the Boy Scouts, took the the fundraising track and and the development track and and continued to sharpen that skill set, and ended up working for the Boy Scout foundation in Dallas, traveling around the country, working With Boy Scout councils and their and their donors to help figure out how to how to secure gifts of $100,000 to 5 million, and really understanding how to match the donors. Donors passion with the local council's vision, you know, to make sure that you know the donor wanted to give a give money to build a swimming pool, but the council needed a new dining hall, so let's not put a new swimming pool in. Let's figure out how to, how to make a new dining hall work, or find out, you know, does the does the donor really want to do a swimming pool? Or they just thought it was a neat idea, yeah. And so that was, that was kind of how it worked. And I, again, they, they needed local council leadership here in Lincoln as a CEO, and the powers to be at the Boy Scouts thought I'd be a good candidate. So I came here to to Lincoln to interview and and was selected to serve as the scout executive. And, like I said, did that for four years and and enjoyed it, but it when it got to the time that, hey, it's time for you to look at a new job somewhere else, and we want you to start over somewhere else. I think the options they gave me were Pennsylvania and Montana, and they said, why those sound great? Could have come 10 years ago. It would have been a lot easier for me to say, yeah, yeah. So yeah. That's how the kind of the Boy Scout, Boy Scout story started and   Michael Hingson ** 33:55 you you equated or mentioned early on about the fact that what they were asking you to do with the Boy Scouts was really like sales and so on. Tell me what, what do you think the differences are? Or really, are there differences between sales and what, what people do in traditional kinds of selling of things and fundraising? And I'll and I'll tell you why I asked the question, because my belief is that they're really the same thing. Obviously, there's a little bit more of a mission component to fundraising than sales, but really are they all that different?   Chris Blum ** 34:36 Oh, that's a that's a good question. In fact, one of my, one of my really good friends from my time living in Michigan. Matt Stevens is a professional sales coach with Jerry Weinberg and Associates. He's a Sandler assistant guy and and disciple and very talented and very good. There are a lot of a lot of similarities. I. Um, I, my, my viewpoint is that sales is more of a science fundraising, fundraising is more of an art, but they do intertwine. Yeah, the thing about really good sales people and the representative is both of them. It comes down to relationships, yeah, but with sales, the the best ones are the ones that are disciplined. They they know every day. I'm I'm going to make certain amount of calls, I'm going to talk to a certain amount of people, I'm going to meet with a certain amount of people, and then, and they've got that system in place where there's a follow up, okay, you need to, you need to follow back up this conversation. And so sales, in sales, it's about finding the pain point and getting at what the prospect really needs, and for them to tell you what they really need.   Michael Hingson ** 36:04 That's, of course, the real issue is that they need to tell you what they need. And, you know, I I really find that there is a science and an art to sales, because I think the best salespeople are really teachers, they're counselors, and most people don't get that. But I think that's as true for people in the fundraising world. Yeah, there are some differences, but, but I think there, there are, as you said, a lot of similarities, and I think that all too often we miss that and and the best fundraisers and the best salespeople are people who really can dig down and understand or or learn to understand what drives their customer or their donor?   Chris Blum ** 36:51 Yes, I agree. And in fundraising, a lot of times, in fundraising, I know early on, it was very transactional. Hey, I've got this golf tournament I'd like you to buy Forza or, you know, we're doing this fundraiser for this, this trinket or or recognition piece. You know, as I, as I grew up and went to work for the foundation, I really learned more about listening, you know, finding out what the donor, you know, asking them to tell their story. Why are, you know, tell me why you why you're involved in scouting. And once they start telling that story, then you start picking up, you know, bits and pieces. The other thing, I think, was fundraising, is if you can take two people and visit with the donor, you increase your odds of success, because you are going to hear something that the other person won't, and you can actually better strategize. And then a colleague of mine that I worked with at the foundation, he told me, he said, if, if you want somebody's opinion, you ask for their money. If you want somebody's money, you ask for their opinion. And it, it sunk in with me that. Well, yeah, if you, if you ask them what they think and how, you know how, how they think something should work. Or you show them the campaign brochure and, like, give me your thoughts on this, they'll lead you down the path. So similar to to salesman, and I know my friend Matt, he drives me crazy because he's always asking he, he always asks me questions. Or, you know, we go out to eat somewhere, we meet somebody, and, you know, 20 questions later, Matt's still having a conversation with a guy. And I'm like, dude, let's go. But he's, he's got that down. He, he asked, you know, fact Sandler, I've got it here on my desk that I think I got from him in one of his trainings. I I snuck was questions that you should, you know, and so, so, yeah, I think it's, they're very much related. And I think, you know, I've learned, you know, I'm, I've brought the sales discipline to the fundraising, and then I've and then some of the again, asking the questions and not not being, not being so much in a rush. I think that's part of the challenges with fundraisers and nonprofits as we are so into I got to get this money, I got to get this sponsorship for this, for this event, or our year end budget. We, you know, we got to get these year end gifts in. And we don't really, you know, we don't really stop and and and take a donor to coffee and just say, hey, thank you. Thanks for what you do for us. Yeah, why do you do what you do for us? And, once we start having those conversations, and we listen and we and we don't listen to and we're not sitting there thinking about what we're going to say next, that's where, you know, the magic happens. That's where the the sale, the. Or you know, you know. And sometimes I think, you know sales, you're selling a product, and we think that that customer needs that product. Well, do we know if we had asked the issue, right, if they need it? And sometimes they don't even know they need it. And and and I've, I sit on that end all the time, I get emails, hey, we can help you raise more money at this event. You know? We can help you with a bigger with a better CRM and, like, no, no, no, you know. And so, yeah, it I think again. Like I said, I've learned a lot from some of the my good friends that are salespeople and very successful. It's about the discipline. Put it in your calendar, you know. And I've actually been on, I was a sale Salesforce disciple for a few years at the foundation, and that was, to me, that was just too rigid, because, like, well, you met with, you met with Bill Smith three weeks ago. Proposal needs to be completed today, and sent like, Well, no, he's he's not ready. Yeah, you know. And so it felt like I was always managing, managing the tasks of the sales force, but, but understood why they were doing it, tickling it. Okay? It forced me to look okay, well, why isn't bill ready? Oh, because I haven't, I haven't found why. Or I haven't, you know, it's been three weeks since I've talked to him. So, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 41:30 there are, there are definite challenges. It's, it is true that that ultimately, you've got to really have the opportunity to step back and look at what the customer wants, or the donor wants, who is, in a sense, the customer. I know the Sandler system is often about pain. You know, well, what pain are you feeling as the person that we're trying to sell to? And can I figure out your pain? And that works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't, but it isn't any different in fundraiser fundraising, the The difference is that you probably don't call it pain. You call it more an issue of what drives me to want to give to this organization or that organization, or what what influenced me to even come there? And it amounts to the same thing, but we we tend to still put things in such rigid terms that we ultimately don't get back down to what is the what is the customer, the donor, or, in your case, the foundation, really need, and then you map a strategy accordingly.   Chris Blum ** 42:42 Yeah, and it's, it's really, again, goes back to, you know, I think sometimes in the fundraising world the nonprofit, we think we know why somebody, oh, they, they support us because they come to our golf term, okay, well, do you know why? You know. And a lot of times when you sit and ask, Why can't? Because, you know, definitely on the foundation, well, you know, Dr green asked me to to play in his Foursome, or Dr Nate Green was, was my wife's oncologist. Yeah, I was just gonna say, you know, Dr Dunder is my neighbor. You know, those are the, those are the type of things you know that you know, in my, my year and a half I've been here, I've been finding out, you know, you know, there's a ton of golf tournaments. Why do you, why do you come to our golf tournament? Well, my, my spouse, was a patient, or, you know, the foundation helped my, my uncle, or, you know, and so it's, it's finding that, and, and then the, you know, the question that I think we, we don't ask enough in the nonprofit, is, well, we, if we didn't do the golf tournament, would you still support the organization? You know, do you? Would you still support the mission? Because, from my standpoint, I would love to have somebody just write me the sponsor check, yeah, and not have to worry about, you know, paying for a golf course, and we're paying for, you know, if you put on a gala and you got to, you got to pay for the food, you got to pay for the venue. If we didn't have the gala, would you still write the check, you know? And a lot of times I get it the corporate money. It's easier to to be tied to, to an event because they they work at Mark, they look at it as a marketing or a public, public thing. But I think just again, having that conversation so that, you know, well, they're coming, this is why they're coming to the golf term. This is why they're coming to the Mardi Gras Gala, you know. And again, the challenge with with with nonprofits is that we, a lot of us, do a lot of non special events, and having having a lot of special events. But you know, you're not going to get the same sponsors back every year because the dates not going to align, or the person who wrote the check for that company got promoted or left the company and the new person isn't familiar with you. So I think again, that's a that's a question in the nonprofit world, we we need to ask, but a lot of times we're afraid of asking that, would you write us the check without coming to all the events, or if, if that's the why you're coming, or why you're writing the check is because the event that's that's also important to know, because then you know they're not coming if they're if we don't have this event. And I would guess that most, most supporters of your organization in the event, that's not why they're they're coming but,   Michael Hingson ** 45:49 but they do love the personal contact, yes,   Chris Blum ** 45:51 yes. And then they love to see the the stuff you know, the the program in action. And they, they like the personal contact and, but yeah, the the special events are very, very time, time intensive to to put on and, and so, yeah, it would be be much easier if we could just have somebody, you know, give the gift, because they support us and come back, you know, you know, come back next time. I can help so   Michael Hingson ** 46:28 and maybe if they start out coming because of the events and so on, as given the way you operate, as you gain more of a personal relationship with them, you may find that you can guide some of them away from just needing to come to the event to support the organization, and it may mean that you can get them to the point where they'll be a larger donor because you do the event, but also just because they they buy into what you're doing, And you're able to educate them about that? Yeah,   Chris Blum ** 47:02 absolutely. That's, that's where the magic happens is, is after the event, you know, how, how do you follow up? You know, is a thank you, a personal visit, you know, finding out, Hey, why? Why were you there? And, yeah, and we've, you know, we've, we've had some success here at the Foundation with that. We've got. We've got a couple donors. Yeah, they've, they've come to one or two of our events, but yet they, they call us towards the end of end of the year every year, like, hey, what else? What else can we help you with? And sometimes I don't even have to answer, like, we're sending you the check. Use it how you need it. So there you go. And I think a lot of the successful nonprofits around the around the country that they do the exact same thing. It's just with most nonprofits, you're always trying to put 10 pounds of potatoes in a five pound bag, and you literally could work 24/7, and and still be behind. And that's probably the same way in the corporate world. I'm fact, I'm sure it is, you know, and I had a, I had a friend a long time ago. He said, Yeah, faster planes and shorter runways, and that was back in 1993 so could almost say we've got supersonic planes and no runways now, so just how fast things move? The problem with   Michael Hingson ** 48:27 all that, though, is that it's not the planes and the runways, it's the roads getting to the airport that tend to slow you down a lot, right? I was reading an article a couple weeks ago all about how efficient, more efficiently. We have become an R with air travel and so on directly, but it's all the things leading up to it that take a lot longer than it used to, and it adds so much more stress in our lives, and that doesn't help either. But you know, with what you're doing, anyone who understands nonprofits and understands the mission of an organization, and buys into it, knows full well the value and the joy in a lot of ways that you get from doing what you do, and the joy of accomplishing a task, and that's probably a little bit different than what happens in a lot of sales environments, although, I would say for me, when I was selling computer products, and I would spend a lot of time talking with prospects about what they want, what they need, And and also making sure that my product was the one that would do what they need. And I had never had qualms about saying, you know, our product's not going to work for you, and here's why. And that always eventually was a very positive thing, because they would call me back at some point. Say, because of everything you taught us, we've got another project, and we know your product will do exactly what we want. So just tell us how much it is. We're not even going to put it out to bid. But that, again, is all in the relationship. And the joy of knowing that you helped someone really solve a problem is super so it is true that it translates into sales, but you got to look for that opportunity, and you got to look for that joy in your own life and what you do. And I think it is emphasized a lot less than looking at and understanding the mission of a nonprofit.   Chris Blum ** 50:34 Absolutely, good,   Michael Hingson ** 50:36 yeah, which, yeah, which is, was? It's part of the issue, part of the issue. So what does success look like for you? You, you clearly are, I would, I would say successful in what you do and so on. You enjoy what you do. So what is success to you?   Chris Blum ** 50:51 Oh, that's, that's an ever, yeah, ever moving. It is moving obstacle. I guess it just depends, I think, from a professional standpoint, at the foundation here, success is making sure we've got, we've got enough money to to never have to say no to a to an applicant, being able to to grow the foundation you know, you know, live, capitalizing on the success of of my predecessors. You know, the board, the previous director, Amy green, and the previous donors that have set us up for for success, continuing that and making sure that, you know, five or 10 years down the road, we've, we're given grants at, you know, $1,500 or 2000 or, you know, we're paying, we're paying everybody's mortgage for a year being able to, you know, and that, that's kind of pie in the sky. But the the success is that, you know, hey, we're able to fund everybody. You know, we are, we're in, we're we're covering every county in Nebraska, you know our when somebody says the heartland Cancer Foundation, they're like, yep, we know what they do. You need to, you need to support them. You need to get involved with them. I think, success wise, personally, you know, make sure that you know my my wife and son know that I don't spend more time at the office than I spend at home. But no, but their understanding is that when I'm in the office, they understand why I'm is because, you know, there's, there's a deadline for one of our special events, or that, you know, what I'm raising money for and engaging the community with is, is having an impact and changing the lives of cancer patients. But when I'm, you know, success looks like when I'm at home, that I'm, I'm present, you know, when I'm, when I'm at CJs baseball game or basketball game, I'm not on my phone, you know, checking emails or texts of people. I'm, if I'm on my phone, I'm taking a video or or a picture of him. You know, when, when we're at, when we travel to one of my wife, Lori's marathon trips, you know, I'm, I'm not working on the laptop. The laptop doesn't even come with me, you know. And you know, my, my role is the support. Okay, get out on the course. Cheer with her, you know. Make sure she gets to the start line on time. Make sure, you know, she gets picked up on time, and I've got, I've got the change of clothes and and the money to pay the for the massage table, if, if needed that. You know, that's my role. I think success on that end, making sure that what I the effort I give at the office, is the effort I give at home. And sometimes that's not easy,   Michael Hingson ** 54:06 but, but you do it, which is what is so cool, and you are very volitional about doing that. So Lori's a runner,   Chris Blum ** 54:12 yep, yep. She's, she's a marathon runner, half, half marathon runner. I try to be as well. I just my mind can't, can't stay focused for 26 miles. I can stay focused for 13 and and be glad that I'm done with with that part.   Michael Hingson ** 54:32 Does she work?   Chris Blum ** 54:33 Yeah, she's a, she's a seventh grade school teacher. Oh, cool. And so she's up. She's been a, she's been a school teacher since I married her, and then she she took some time off to run the household when my son was born, our son was born, so she, she was the CEO of the Blum household for nine years, and then she jumped back into the teaching world.   Michael Hingson ** 54:58 Now it's a team effort. Yes,   Chris Blum ** 55:02 and so, and yeah. And then success for me personally is making sure you know that I'm, you know, staying in relatively good shape and and and being healthy, and, you know, being proactive, you know, with my health and I need to do a better job of watching what I eat. From a healthy standpoint, I love watching cake and cookies and sugar. You know, desserts go into my mouth. But, you know, I like to make sure that I stay in shape through classes at the Y I teach a spinning class to help get help. Help participants start their day off. It's, it's a 530 Tuesday morning. So let's, let's get the day off while most people are sleeping. Let's, let's get the blood flowing. You know, set, set a good, good example for for our other family members who're still home in bed, but get, get yourself off to a to a good start, and just try to keep the body movement we're we're meant to move and and I, I spend a lot of time sitting at my desk, sitting in my car, sitting at, you know, tables, talking to people. So I gotta be up and moving and just making sure that I'm healthy. Because I, you know, want to be able to play golf and want to be able to, you know, survive and snow, yep, do things as I get get older.   Michael Hingson ** 56:43 There you go. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? I'm sure that you've, you know, you had mentors and coaches and people that you've worked with, and a lot of people I'm sure have offered advice. What's the one that sticks out in your brain?   Chris Blum ** 57:01 One of my, yeah, one of my first bosses. He told me, always trust your instincts. It seemed like every time I'd ask him a question that I was, you know, or I had a something I was dealing with, trust your instincts.   Michael Hingson ** 57:16 Good piece of advice. That's that's always   Chris Blum ** 57:18 there. And then a co worker of mine when I was at the Boy Scout Foundation. He, he had a slogan, shut up and do stuff. And I just always thought that that, you know, it's kind of his version of Talk is cheap, you know. And so, yeah, I think trust your instincts. And then the shut up and do stuff always makes me laugh, but it's just something that I just kind of   Michael Hingson ** 57:49 remember and make sense. Well, where do you see the nonprofit world going in the next five or 10 years? I mean, we're seeing so many changes in so many things, and everybody is trying to grab a little piece of each of us and so on. Where do you see nonprofits going?   Chris Blum ** 58:08 It's it's going to continue to be a challenge. I think the nonprofits need to, need to refocus how we put together strategic plans. I mean, you know, having a three to five year plan is just non realistic anymore. Your your strategic plan is probably six to eight months, and then it's gotta, it's gonna, it's constantly evolving because, you know, the world is changing that that that quickly. I think nonprofits, those that are going to survive and be successful, need to operate more like a business. So many times in the nonprofit world, my experience is when times get tough, they cut back on marketing dollars. They let go of their development staff, which, in the for profit world, that would be like, Well, why are you, you know, if times are tough, you got to sell more so you got to, you know, your salesman. You got to, do, you know, make more sales. You make more product. You don't cut your sales force to in the for profit world. So I think nonprofit wise, we've got to operate. We've got to change our mindset. You know, not only the staff getting out of the scarcity mentality, but also our boards, making sure that our boards understand it's okay to end the year with a with a surplus, because you can use that surplus to put it into an endowment. You can use that surplus to fund cash flow to pay down debt. Having a surplus, you're a winning team. People. People want to be on a winning team. You know, you don't want to recruit new board members and say, Oh yeah, by the way, we're. We got, you know, a debt of this amount, and we don't know how to get out of it's, it's easy to recruit a board member. Hey, we had a we had a significant surplus. We were blessed because we were, you know, we tightened our belt. We were aggressive in fundraising and relationship building. And we've got money in the bank. Our balance sheets positive. So I think again, in five years, the nonprofits that continue to be aggressive and strategic with relationship building and sharing their mission and then operating like a business and not, oh, we don't want to spend money on this. Let's see if we can donate. Get it donated. Well, you're spending all your time and effort to try to get something donated that if you would have just spent the $500 to take care of it already been taken care of, but you just spent your your staff time and energy trying to get it donated, and a lot of times, it ends up costing you more to get it donated than if you would have just wrote the check. Yeah, and I think you know, and I do feel that several foundations are starting to understand that we've got to operate like a business. We don't, you know, because years ago, foundations that you could never put in your proposal that this is going to fund a staff position. You had to call it, you know, program delivery, yeah, and, you know, because nobody wanted to fund overhead. And if your overhead was over, you know, 40% or whatever, you just weren't doing stuff effectively, right? We've got to change. We're changing our the nonprofits that change their messaging to here's your impact. Yes, we have we might have 40% overhead, but we serve 30,000 people. Would you rather do that than have 10% overhead and serve 3000 people? Which impact do you want to make? And you know, the more people you serve, the greater impact that you have. Chances are your your overhead is going to be more and so sharing that message, getting your board to understand that, that it's it's okay to it's okay to budget a five or 6% raise for your staff. You know, well, the industry standard, and you know, in our industry, is three Well, 3% when you're making 150 or $200,000 sounds like a lot. You know, 3% when you're making 50 or $60,000 that's not a whole lot. A six or 7% raise, you know, is, is more impactful at that 50 or $60,000 level, and what you'll keep good quality people, you know it, you know, again, the nonprofit sector is always going to be here again, I think the the ones in five years, the ones that act like a business, that relate to donors, that take more of a relationship based for the fundraising part, and educating the donors. You know, sometimes I think, oh, they give us a lot of money, but do we really tell them what we're what we're about and and do we ask them to, do we ask them to critique our our annual report? Or do we ask them to, you know? Do ask them to review the golf or some assignments, just to say, hey, what do you what do you think you know? You know? And I've been guilty of this too, or they don't really need to know that. But sometimes it's, you know, it's just a courtesy, and maybe they see something. Hey, you know, I wouldn't put these two guys together because they're competitors or whatnot, but have we? Do we ask donors and, and our board, you know, their for their thoughts and, and, you know, so I think, yeah, five years down the road, it, it'll be interesting. I like to joke. I hope I'm retired by then, but my, my son, will be going into college then, so I think I'm going to still be working to to fund his college, his college adventure. But is, is he in scouting? He was in scouts we I was his den leader. He was one of the first lion cubs that we, that we had here in Lincoln, as lion cubs started and we got through arrow of light. And then he went to a first couple of his troop meetings. And then other other things got. Got to compete for his time, music, music in school. And it happens, baseball and basketball and our, our cub Dan went through that covid, those two covid years, and so it, it was. It was pretty rough. I. Yeah, I would like to see, it's going to be interesting to see the the effects that covid has had on that, on that group of kids that you know for basically three years actually, here in Lincoln. Three years were, you know, my son, yeah, third grade year. Half Year was work, learning from home. Yeah. Fourth grade year was all mask. Fifth grade year was, I think, all masks. So, you know, but a lot of those extracurricular activities for those three years, we weren't meeting in churches. We weren't, you know, we weren't doing the social things. I I'm curious to see how that, how that affects them down the road. And there were a lot of organizations that it covid really struggled. You know, the the service clubs that had, you know, relied on those weekly meetings, and those that weekly human interaction, those really struggled, yeah, and so he still, you know, he still reminds me when we're doing stuff, he's like, oh, gotta take this. Gotta be prepared, Dad, we don't. We don't need three bags for full of stuff. But okay, yep, you're, you're right. We need to, we need to be prepared. So had a, we had a great time in in Cub Scouts, and several of several the kids in Cub Scouts are now all on the baseball team and the basketball team and several of the parents. It's funny because few of the parents that I was the den leader for their kid, they're now the coach. They're the baseball and basketball coach for my son. So that just takes a village.   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:36 It does well if people want to support the heartland Cancer Foundation and reach out to you. How do they do that?   Chris Blum ** 1:06:43 It's, it's, again, real simple. Go online, Heartland Cancer Foundation, org, click the donate button. Or they can, and they can, you know, make a donation, cash check. You know, we can take, we can take Venmo, you know, we'll take, we can take stock gifts, you know, we, we can help, help anybody out who's willing to, to make an impact for cancer patients here in Nebraska. But yeah, our website, Heartland Cancer Foundation, org, tells you all about us. If you're, you know, if you're want to come to our Mardi Gras gala February 17, it's a that's a good time. It's like being in New Orleans without having to go to New Orleans. We we do a golf tournament in August here. So if you're, if you're a golfer, and find yourself in Lincoln, Nebraska, we'd love to have you at our at firethorne Country Club.   Michael Hingson ** 1:07:43 And if, if they'd like to chat with you, how can they do that?   Chris Blum ** 1:07:47 It's very, very easy. You can send me an email at Chris at Heartland, Cancer foundation.org, or you can can reach out to me cell phone number 972-835-5747, that's a that's a Texas number. I just learned that number. I wasn't going to relearn a new number when I moved to Lincoln here. So I actually use that to my advantage, because when it comes up, people think, Oh, they're calling me about lapsed auto insurance or life insurance. So I get to leave a voicemail, and they're like, Oh, the heartland Cancer Foundation.   Michael Hingson ** 1:08:22 Okay, yeah. Well, Chris, I want to thank you for spending all this time with us. I value it and really appreciate you telling us all the things that you have and on all the insights. It's been very educational for me and inspiring, and I hope it has been for everyone listening. I hope that you all enjoyed Chris's comments. We'd love to hear from you. Of course, as I always ask, I love a five star rating from you, if you would please, wherever you're listening to us, if you'd like to reach out to me. It's easy. It's Michael, H, I M, I C, H, A, E, L, H I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, E.com, or go to our podcast page, www.michaelhinkson.com/podcast and Michael Hingson is spelled M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, S O Ncom/podcast, but again, love to get five star rating from you. We value that very highly. And any opinions and comments that you'd like to make love to read them. And so Chris, for you and any of you listening, if you know anyone else who ought to be a guest on unstoppable mindset, please let us know. We're always looking for people. And I have to ask Chris, since she said this is your first podcast, how did it go for you?   Chris Blum ** 1:09:38 Well, I enjoyed it. I guess probably need to get, need to get the see how many rating, five star ratings you get. Yeah, we'll have to see how that goes. But yeah, very, very nice. It. It was good. Brought me with the headset and the microphone. It brought me back to my radio radio station days in college,   Michael Hingson ** 1:09:58 and so I know the feeling. Well, yeah, well,   Chris Blum ** 1:10:01 me too. If you need, need another speaker down the road, I can, I can come up with some, some other topics to talk about, I guess.   Michael Hingson ** 1:10:09 Well, if you want to, you're welcome to to do that. If you want to shoot some more questions and all that, let's, let's do it again. Always will be, I'm always ready. Yeah, happy,   Chris Blum ** 1:10:20 happy to do it. But let's, let's see how many of your star ratings you get. If you get like, half a star for this one, then you're probably like, Yeah, we're gonna lose Chris's email. Nah.   Michael Hingson ** 1:10:29 Never happened. Well, thanks once again for being here and for all your time. All right. Thank   Chris Blum ** 1:10:35 you very much, Michael.   **Michael Hingson ** 1:10:40 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visi

First Dance Ballroom Studio proudly presents the 4th Annual Greatest Showcase on Saturday, July 27,  at 7 pm at the Saenger Theatre. Proceeds from the show will benefit Children's Home Society. Margaret Takacs and Raven Taylor share the details.

In this episode I talk with Dave Newell who is the CEO of Akin in Seattle, WA. Akin is a new organization (kind of) that formed as the result of a merger of two 100+ year old organizations, Children's Home Society of Washington and Childhaven. I wanted to talk with Dave about his vision for the future of Akin and how he hopes to seize the opportunity to not simply merge two organizations into a larger one but to create a new organization all together. We talk about how they aspire to lead with a start-up mentality, let go of programs that don't align with their vision, and move beyond impact through programs. This is a great conversation for any organizational leader who aspires to use their position of power to not simply steward organizational legacy but to re-imagine how the organization can advance healing and justice. For more information about Akin you can visit their website. Home - akinYou are invited to join the Proximity Podcast Club, a growing community of people supporting one another through their process of becoming who they want to be in this work. We meet every Monday morning at 9am est. Message me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn for the meeting link.Please connect with me, Matt Anderson, on LinkedIn - Matt Anderson | LinkedIn

Today's True Weird Stuff - Baby Broker   Georgia Tann was a social worker who ran a child kidnapping and adoption scheme starting in 1924. Georgia ran the Tennessee Children's Home Society, and for over 20 years she would take children from poor families and sell them to wealthy families for a hefty profit. She would even steal newborns from mothers in prisons and mental wards. Georgia Tann stole over 5,000 children during the course of her black-market baby ring.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year's Forsyth Reads Together book pick is Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. In this episode, Ross speaks with Lisa about her inspiration for the book and its characters, as well as the book's impact on the victims of the Tenneessee Children's Home Society.  Lisa also previews her new book, out this summer, called Shelterwood, which is about the women who fought to protect Choctaw children, who owned oil rich land in Oklahoma, from the land barons seeking power and wealth.  Lisa Wingate will be speaking on March 26, 2024 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Forsyth Conference Center. Please follow this link to researve your seat. 

County Commissioner Henri Brooks found out two years ago she was adopted through the Tennessee Children's Home Society - a notorious black market adoption operation. Her lawsuit against the state could open a “floodgate.” Brooks talked about the sudden revelation in The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast series.

"Paul Kimball, a biracial adoptee, explores his own abandonment issues as he searches, and eventually reunites with his birth parents. After a seemingly joyous reunion, his birth mother, a Caucasian professional cellist, rejects him. This causes him to seek out his Armenian birth father, who along with his extended family, accepts him as one of their own.  Paul's birthparents met at the Hollywood Methodist Church in 1961. Vahe had immigrated from Iraq to California, while Wendy gave cello concerts throughout the United States. After Wendy became pregnant, they decided to have an abortion in Mexico, and upon arrival, changed their minds. As directed by her parents, Wendy had her baby in secret in Fort Bragg. Vahe was told that the baby had been aborted.  After one week with Wendy, Paul was given up for adoption. He was placed in foster care through Children's Home Society for four and a half months. Being biracial, Paul was considered a "Hard to Place" baby. The Kimballs, a wonderfully liberal Berkeley family, decided to adopt Paul. On Paul's first birthday, November 22nd, 1962, he was officially adopted three hours before the assassination of President Kennedy.  Paul became a professional French Horn player, conductor and music teacher. He had always been deeply moved by the cello, especially the recordings of Jacqueline Du Pre. Music was his life, and cello his therapy.  After marrying and becoming a father of two daughters, Paul searched for his birthmother. Upon learning that she was a cellist, he was even more determined to meet her. After several months and false leads, he found her name in the Musician's Union directory. This led to a three-hour phone call with birth mother, Wendy.  Paul and Wendy met in L.A. and had a beautiful three-month reunion. That summer, she went to New York to play in an orchestra. While there, she made the decision to keep Paul a secret. She was afraid of being thought of as a "slut." She stopped all communication. When the horrors of 911 happened, Paul left one last message on her phone. This led Wendy to contact his mother in law, and let her know that Paul must never contact her again. In shock, Paul decided to search for his birth father. With some clues provided by Wendy, including his last name, Paul tracked down Vahe through his brother Vasken. On Christmas day, Vasken announced to his extended family that Vahe had an unknown son, much to their astonishment. That evening, Paul called Vasken who handed the phone to Vahe. The first words that Vahe said to him were "Son, I love you!" For twelve years, Vahe, Paul and the extended Armenian community got to know and love each other.  Paul kept tabs on Wendy through her summer orchestra's website. One summer he noticed that she wasn't listed. He learned through a facebook message that Wendy had died a few years earlier.  Paul found her gravesite, but no marker, just grass. He decided to design one for her. When the marker was completed, he visited it alone, in tears, while listening to cello music. Paul's adopted parents, and Vahe passed away. His adopted father committed suicide three days after his mother passed while looking at her pictures.  Now that his parents were gone, Paul continued to contemplate his abandonment issues. The realization that we are all human beings, adopted or not, and that we are all a part of nature, has brought much comfort and healing." Buy Paul's book: https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Human-Beings/dp/1977236197 Follow us on Instagram @unearthingadoption Send us an e-mail: unearthingadoption@gmail.com

For years the Children's Home Society has given more than 6,000 kids a safe home. Now, the society offers children everything from grief counseling to music therapy, regardless of their ability to pay, but the building itself is in need of a little TLC.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Wednesday, Jan. 10  Grant money will provide job opportunities at state parks for disabled high schoolers. What was the Summersville dam *almost* called? Find out, and learn other cool facts about dams. And a new event challenges motorists to navigate across WV on backroads…on today's daily304.  #1 – From WBOY-TV – A grant has enabled several state parks as well as the New River Gorge National Park to provide job opportunities for disabled high school students in West Virginia. Community Access Inc. was awarded a one-year grant by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to create paid employment opportunities for 10 to 15 students from select school districts at select parks.  The jobs will be awarded based on student interest and aptitude to ensure an easy transition from training to paid employment. Those looking for more information can contact Community Access Inc. at 304-545-1483. Read more: https://www.wboy.com/news/lewis/wv-state-parks-providing-job-opportunities-for-students-with-disabilities/   #2 – From WVNS-TV – Did you know that the Summersville Dam almost had a very different name? The remains of the farming town of Gad lie at the bottom of Summersville Lake. The residents of the town had to move once the decision was made to build the dam, as the entire area would become the Summersville Lake. Traditionally, dams are named after the nearest town, which would have been Gad. Now that name would have been a little awkward, so a decision was made to name it after the town of Summersville instead! The Summersville Dam is not only the largest dam in West Virginia, it is also a part of West Virginia's newest State Park in Nicholas County. Meanwhile, Gad Dam Brewing in Summersville slyly pays tribute to the dam's origins while serving up delicious specialty coffees, craft beer and snacks. Check out the story at WVNS to learn more fascinating facts about some of West Virginia's dams. Read more: https://www.wvnstv.com/news/west-virginia-news/interesting-dam-facts-about-west-virginia/   #3 – From WBOY-TV – A lot of us drive back roads often; some of us do every day. A new event is taking this idea to the extreme and is challenging drivers to cross the entire Mountain State in one day using only backroads. 24 Hours of Appalachia: Run for the Hills challenges adventurous drivers to navigate more than 600 miles of West Virginia back roads and trails in 24 hours or less. The event is put on by Backroads of Appalachia with help from the West Virginia Gambler 500. The event begins Feb. 3 in Seneca Rocks and ends in Point Pleasant, traversing the mountains of West Virginia and taking drivers past many scenic landmarks. The event also serves as a fundraiser for the Children's Home Society of West Virginia.  Registration is full for February's Run for the Hills, but non-participating drivers are encouraged to run the route for fun after the event cars have been released. Visit www.backroadsofappalachia.org to learn more. Read more: https://www.wboy.com/wv-outdoors/can-you-drive-across-west-virginia-in-24-hours-using-only-backroads/   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Ernie Hamilton from the Children's Home Society of Florida joins JMN with tips for keeping your kids safe while enjoying Halloween activities.

Colby and Ty discuss the Mariners' fourth-consecutive loss as their room for error dwindles and what it will take for them to get back into playoff position. Then, Ty is joined by Mariners right-handed reliever Penn Murfee to talk about his exciting partnership and auction with Children's Home Society of Washington, how his injury rehab is going, what his thoughts are on the current club, and more! Follow the show on Twitter: @LO_Mariners | @danegnzlz | @CPat11 Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Jase Medical Save more than $360 by getting these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical plus an additional $20 off by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.  eBay Motors Keep your ride-or-die alive at ebay.com/motors. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. FanDuel Make Every Moment More.Make Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS - GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started. Sleeper Download the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper's Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today! FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Colby and Ty discuss the Mariners' fourth-consecutive loss as their room for error dwindles and what it will take for them to get back into playoff position. Then, Ty is joined by Mariners right-handed reliever Penn Murfee to talk about his exciting partnership and auction with Children's Home Society of Washington, how his injury rehab is going, what his thoughts are on the current club, and more!Follow the show on Twitter: @LO_Mariners | @danegnzlz | @CPat11Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Jase MedicalSave more than $360 by getting these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical plus an additional $20 off by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.  eBay MotorsKeep your ride-or-die alive at ebay.com/motors. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelMake Every Moment More.Make Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS - GUARANTEED. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.SleeperDownload the Sleeper app and use promo code LOCKEDON and you'll get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper's Terms of Use for details. Currently operational in over 30 states. Check out Sleeper today!FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abby Miller and Traci Bodkins from the Children's Home Society of WV stopped by the studio to discuss their mission and this year's fund raising campaign. CVB President Susan Riddle on the economic impacts of the Backyard Brawl returning to Morgantown. And Dave believes we may be living in an alternative timeline.

Mike Berman was conceived in Bay City, Michigan in November 1944 and was born onAugust 8, 1945 in Nashville, Tennessee to an 18 year old woman who surrenderedhim for adoption to the Tennessee Childrenʼs Home Society the day after his birth.Mike was adopted by a Jewish couple living in New York City and he was raisedthere. In February 1950 his Mom gave birth to her only natural child, Mikeʼsyounger brother. Mike never considered searching for his birth parents until hebegan to see the online ads for DNA testing and finally began his search in lateJune 2017. In addition to DNA testing Mike discovered that because of theappalling crimes committed by the TCHS under the direction of Georgia Tann hewould be able to acquire his complete adoption record from TN. Mike receivedthose records in late September 2017 and they proved to be a treasure trove ofinformation. In addition to his genealogical research Mike also began to readabout adoption and the psychological havoc it leaves in its wake. He has also readmany of the books written by other adoptees and has benefitted from the insightand understanding they have achieved, each from their unique experiences. Thatself-education continues and Mike expects it will go on for as long as he can keepat it. Mike is currently in happy reunion with an older half-brother and a youngerhalf-sister, all three being the only remaining children of their common birthmother, and all of them born on a Wednesday (refer to the childrenʼs rhymeMONDAYʼS CHILD). Mike and his sister have met three times in person, mostrecently earlier this month. His brother lives in Rhode Island and they havenʼt metbut they all keep in touch by phone and social media. Mike has been retired since2014 and lives in Central Texas. He has been married twice, divorced once and iscurrently separated from his second wife. Mike has two sons, one daughter, onegrandson, and one son-in-law who has the same first and middle name as hisadoptive brother. All of them live in the same town and get together regularly forholidays and birthdays and for the occasional random reason. Mike has a 5 yearold female cat, Clara, who graciously permits him to share her house in exchangefor full-time litter-box maintenance. Mike says, “Life is good.”To go directly to Mike's interview, skip ahead to  8:26.Also in this episode, Sarah and Louise discuss American Baby by Gabrielle Glaser.Thank you to our sponsor S12F.Joe Soll & other adoptee resourcesFireside Adoptees Facebook GroupReckoning with the Primal Wound DocumentaryIf you want to support our show, you can go to our Patreon Page.Thank you to our current Patreon donors for their support.Our Patrons:  Laura Christensen, Barbara Frank, Ramona Evans, Linda Pevac, Blonde Records, Daphne Keys, Denise Hewitt, Michelle Styles, Emily Sinagra, Linda David, John Frey, Eric David, Beth Figuls, Ron Schneider, Tony Corsentino, Kristi Reed,  Kristen Steinhilber, Jane Bofenkamp, Kelley Brickfield, Sandra de Quesada, The Harpy, Kristan HigSupport the showTo support the show - Patreon.

Detroit Phoenix Center and Methodist Children's Home Society are providing 24 units where young people can live temporarily. Plus, Michigan is investing $30 million in water infrastructure improvements, and more. Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Bill MarxWilliam Woollcott Marx (born January 8, 1937) is an American pianist, arranger, and composer. He is the adopted son of actors Harpo Marx and Susan Fleming.Marx was placed in the Children's Home Society in Los Angeles by his birth parents when he was eight months old, and four months later he was adopted by Harpo Marx and his wife, Susan Fleming. He attended the Juilliard School, where he studied composition and he studied with composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He began working in entertainment when he was 12 years old, when he was put in charge of his father's props for shows, including his harp. At 16 he became arranger and musical conductor for his father. Marx's compositions include concertos for alto saxophone, flute, harp, piano, and violin.] He also composed symphonies and scores for films, including the score for the film Weekend Pass (1984). Marx transcribed music that his father composed, because the elder Marx did not read music. The two worked together on two albums that Harpo recorded in the early 1960s. He also composed and arranged for recording artists in both jazz and popular music. In 1961, Marx signed with Vee-Jay Records. His projects there included arranging cover versions of music for four albums by the Castaway Strings. In 1967, he began writing music for commercials. In the 1970s, he composed for several low-budget horror movies, including Scream Blacula Scream, Terror at Red Wolf Inn, and Count Yorga, Vampire. For these projects, he often collaborated with lyricist Marilyn Lovell. He continued his work on films outside the horror genre throughout the 1980s, such as arranging music for John Cassavetes' Big Trouble . As a performer, Marx has played in jazz clubs, lounges, and theaters In the late 1980s, Marx and harpist Carrol McLaughlin toured the United States, giving performances and promoting Harpo Speaks, his father's autobiography. In the early 1990s, Los Angeles magazine named Marx the most popular lounge pianist in that city. In 2002, he received a star at 265 S. Palm Canyon Drive on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.                                                           (Adapted from wikipedia). Buy the books:Bill's book: https://www.amazon.com/Son-Harpo-Speaks-Bill-Marx-ebook/dp/B00INB1JLW/Harpo's book: https://www.amazon.com/Harpo-Speaks-Marx-ebook/dp/B06XWDPNB4/Susan's book : https://www.amazon.com/Speaking-Harpo-Susan-Fleming-Marx-ebook/dp/B09XTJ1KC6/Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2023Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

For years, the Tennessee Children's Home Society had a sparkling reputation — a private adoption organization that went largely unregulated with the backing of wealthy and grateful adoptive parents, as well as Georgia Tann's relationships with high-ranking members of Memphis' political and societal landscape. But over time, people grew suspicious and began to pull back the curtains masking the Society's inner workings.The Society, once thought to be an upright adoption non-profit, was revealed to be a child trafficking organization. Tann took children — often through outright kidnapping or coercion of the parents — and charged adoptive parents high prices, effectively selling the children that were under her care. Thousands of families were broken apart; thousands of children were placed into new situations without adequate investigations into their new families; and hundreds of children died while in Tann's neglectful custody.After the truth of the Society was uncovered, laws were passed to further regulate adoptions in Tennessee. And today, many of those children — now grown, with their own generations of descendants — are reconnecting with their birth families.As always, we have a segment preceding the episode. Zoey covers a cryptid: the Smiling Man.Sources: https://hauntedhospitality.wordpress.com/2023/07/11/ep-119-the-lost-and-found-children-of-the-tennessee-childrens-home-societyVisit us on Social Media! Stay Spooky!

Many children and families across Florida face a variety of challenges, including poverty, abuse, neglect, mental health issues, and educational disparities. These challenges can have long-lasting negative effects on the lives of children and their families, as well as on the overall well-being of the community. Instead of offering support, many of these challenges directly result in children going into foster care. Children's Home Society of Florida is working to end the need for foster care as we know it. Find out how the Children's Home Society of Florida is doing good for the most vulnerable of our society. Want to support Organization? https://chsfl.org/  Find the episode on Great.com: https://great.com/great-talks-with/childrens-home-society-of-florida/

About Crystal Brown:Crystal Brown is Vice President of Product and Strategy at Benefitfocus, a cloud-based benefits administration technology company serving Health Plans and Employers nationwide.  Crystal is the lead for all aspects of product strategy, roadmap development, and product execution for the full product portfolio of Benefitfocus. In this role, she ensures the viability, feasibility, and desirability of the product offerings, by tapping the expertise of business leaders and keenly knowing the competitive landscape. Crystal brings with her 20+ years of leadership experience spanning deep business acumen, user insights, and technical savvy delivering product designs resulting in a compelling competitive advantage.Prior to this role, Crystal was the Vice President of Strategic Programs at Florida Blue. There she was responsible for leading enterprise strategy, roadmap development, and program execution for transformational initiatives in Sales, Engineering, Clinical Operations, and Provider Networks. A sampling of strategic initiatives she most recently led includes Provider Interoperability, Cost and Quality Transparency, Population Health Management, and Enterprise Data Governance.An active member of her community, Crystal has annually served through United Way leading and participating in community service activities focused on supporting local agency programs.  Agencies of support include Clara White Mission, Daniel Kids, Hands on Jacksonville, and Children's Home Society of Florida.  While in and out of the office, Crystal remains an active mentor providing interview coaching, development plan building, career pathing, and on-the-job competency mentoring. She is most passionate about mentoring individuals in technology as they prepare for progression into management, focusing on coaching, organizational structure, and general management practices.  Crystal holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Florida with a concentration in Marketing and eCommerce. She is a native of Jacksonville and enjoys cheering alongside her husband of 20 years at the various activities of their three children. Things You'll Learn:Advanced Engagement Services is Benefitfocus' enhanced automated communication solution to help health plans and employers connect with their customers and employees.Disengaged members are often three times more likely to have unmet medical needs and two times more likely to delay medical care.Health plans that proactively engage their members can see an increase in overall satisfaction when they try to keep out-of-pocket costs low. It's hard to create personalized and meaningful communications for customers without their complete and accurate information.Usher Technology, Benefitfocus' latest partner, uses a no-code AI-driven platform that delivers a highly personalized digital experience in customer journey automation with a secure, HIPAA-compliant, password-free customer interface. Resources:Connect with and follow Crystal Brown on LinkedIn.Follow Benefitfocus on LinkedIn.Visit the Benefitfocus Website.Reach out to Crystal at sales@Benefitfocus.com

June is Reunification Month and in this special episode we talk with Misty Combee, about her reunification story and role as Parent Mentor for Children's Home Society. After having her 5 children placed into foster care due to domestic violence, Misty started the process of completing her case plan and was reunified with her children within 6 months! Through her experience, Misty developed a passion to help other parents that are going through a similar experience. She is now the first to be in the role of Parent Mentor which is designed to come alongside parents that are working towards reunification to encourage and help navigate the child welfare system. Learn more about ⁠Heartland for Children⁠ and how you can ⁠get involved⁠ at https://heartlandforchildren.org You can find "Let's Talk About It" on Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Spotify or at https://heartlandforchildren.org/podcast

How does one woman manage to steal an estimated 5,000 babies from their parents, then sell them to the rich? In this episode, Christine goes over the atrocities committed at the Tennessee Children's Home Society, an orphanage ran by a woman named Georgia Tann. Tann committed everything from fraud to abuse, and even murder.Learn how Tann got away with committing these crimes for over 20 years, and discover how adoption law (and adoption in general) was forever changed as a result.*As a warning, this episode does involve (minor and non-detailed) discussion surrounding child abuse and some mention of child loss*Sources: 1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Wingate 2) https://www.insider.com/georgia-tann-tennessee-children-home-society-survivors-speak-out-2019-12 3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Tann 4) https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/daughter-origins-adoption-america/ 5) https://adoption.org/what-is-the-history-of-adoption 6) https://consideringadoption.com/adopted/search-and-reunion/how-to-open-adoption-records/ 7) https://lisawingate.com/ 8) https://nypost.com/2017/06/17/this-woman-stole-children-from-the-poor-to-give-to-the-rich/ 9) https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2010/title-36/chapter-1/part-1/36-1-127 

This week we travel to Tennessee to discuss the tragic story of the Tennessee Children's Home Society.  What started as a safe place for children to find loving homes turned into a truly criminal affair.  Support the show

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with ChangeMaker, Mark Melson, President and CEO of Gladney Center for Adoption, who shares some of his personal story in growing up in Euless, Texas, attending Texas A&M and the University of North Texas, moving to Louisiana and meeting his wife, and aligning his passions and purpose as both a "Gladney Dad" and leader of the nonprofit based in Fort Worth, Texas, that focuses on adoption and the belief that every child deserves a loving and caring family. During the interview, Mark talks about the power and magic of adoption, how growing up with an adopted older brother helped pave the way for he and his wife to adopt their son out of foster care and add to their family, and how Gladney Center for Adoption continues to evolve in order to help children, parents and families thrive. He talks about some of the challenges and yet the blessings received, as well as how the community can support their efforts and support foster adopting families and youth in your local community to help make a difference. Visit www.adoptionsbygladney.com to learn more. This podcast is produced by cityCURRENT and powered by Higginbotham. To learn more about Higginbotham, visit www.higginbotham.com.  About Mark Melson: After joining the Gladney Center for Adoption in 2008 as the Chief Development Officer, Mark was later was appointed to Chief Operating Officer before being named President and CEO in 2018. Gladney allowed him to focus his efforts on bettering the lives of children in need not only in Texas, but around the world through both domestic and international adoption programs. Mark earned a BBA and MBA from the University of North Texas and later worked in various leadership capacities in Louisiana and North Texas not-for-profit organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Children's Home Society of America. Mark is an adoptive dad and resides in Texas with his wife and three children.

Hey Ghoulfriends we're back and better than ever! Here is the long-awaited Episode 47! Ever wonder if you were adopted? How about stolen from your family and sold to another? Grace's Case details the horrific business Created by Georgia Tann. Bigfoot, Sasquatch and Skunk Ape pretty much describes Trevor's Mystery. If you don't know any of those names, tune in for Trevor's Mystery. Follow us on IG: @wheremurdermeetsmystery Email us Questions at: wheremurdermeetsmystery@gmail.com Scarlett Scale Ratings: Grace's Case (7); Trevor's Mystery (3) Sources: ----------------------------------------------------------- Grace's Case: https://allthatsinteresting.com/georgia-tann https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Tann https://www.insider.com/georgia-tann-tennessee-children-home-society-survivors-speak-out-2019-12 Trevor's Mystery: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigfoot

What comes after the fog? What helps us navigate that? What do we do to feel good? Adoptee Paul and I go deep for answers, because that's where the priceless gems are hidden. Those priceless gems are  insights that move us to a better, happier place. We both loved this conversation and hope you love it too. If you don't we will give you your money back. Hold on a minute - we're giving you these priceless gems free! Enjoy....Here's a bit about Paul:Paul Kimball, a biracial adoptee, explores his own abandonment issues as he searches, and eventually reunites with his birth parents. After a seemingly joyous reunion, his birth mother, a Caucasian professional cellist, rejects him. This causes him to seek out his Armenian birth father, who along with his extended family, accepts him as one of their own.Paul's birthparents met at the Hollywood Methodist Church in 1961. Vahe had immigrated from Iraq to California, while Wendy gave cello concerts throughout the United States. After Wendy became pregnant, they decided to have an abortion in Mexico, and upon arrival, changed their minds. As directed by her parents, Wendy had her baby in secret in Fort Bragg. Vahe was told that the baby had been aborted.After one week with Wendy, Paul was given up for adoption. He was placed in foster care through Children's Home Society for four and a half months. Being biracial, Paul was considered a "Hard to Place" baby. The Kimballs, a wonderfully liberal Berkeley family, decided to adopt Paul. On Paul's first birthday, November 22nd, 1962, he was officially adopted three hours before the assassination of President Kennedy.Paul became a professional French Horn player, conductor and music teacher. He had always been deeply moved by the cello, especially the recordings of Jacqueline Du Pre. Music was his life, and cello his therapy.After marrying and becoming a father of two daughters, Paul searched for his birthmother. Upon learning that she was a cellist, he was even more determined to meet her. After several months and false leads, he found her name in the Musician's Union directory. This led to a three-hour phone call with birth mother, Wendy.Paul and Wendy met in L.A. and had a beautiful three-month reunion. That summer, she went to New York to play in an orchestra. While there, she made the decision to keep Paul a secret. She was afraid of being thought of as a "slut." She stopped all communication. When the horrors of 911 happened, Paul left one last message on her phone. This led Wendy to contact his mother in law, and let her know that Paul must never contact her again.In shock, Paul decided to search for his birth father. With some clues provided by Wendy, including his last name, Paul tracked down Vahe through his brother Vasken. On Christmas day, Vasken announced to his extended family that Vahe had an unknown son, much to their astonishment. That evening, Paul called Vasken who handed the phone to Vahe. The first words that Vahe said to him were "Son, I love you!"For twelve years, Vahe, Paul and the extended Armenian community got to know and love each other.Paul kept tabs on Wendy through her summer orchestra's website. One summer he noticed that she wasn't listed. He learned through a facebook message that Wendy had died a few years earlier.Paul found her gravesite, but no marker, just grass. He decided to design one for her. When the marker was completed, he visited it alone, in tears, while listening to cello music. Paul's adopted parents, and Vahe passed away. His adopted father committed suicide three days after his mother passed while looking at her pictures.Now that his parents were gone, Paul continued to contemplate his abandonment issues. The realization that we are all human beings, adopted or not, and that we are all a part of nature, has brought much comfort and healing.https://www.facebook.com/paul.kimball.14https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Human-Beings/dp/1977236197

Today I am joined by Sarah Hunt Hinson. Sarah Hunt is a wife, mom, and the face behind the popular blog So Sarah Hunt.I loved sitting down and recording this episode with Sarah Hunt because she has such a unique career journey. We talked about all of the different jobs she has had, how she got started blogging, imposter syndrome, and so much more! Sarah's InstagramChildren's Home Society of Florida

For close to thirty years, Georgia Tann helped families adopt babies. But the truth was much darker. As the person in charge of the Tennessee Children's Home Society in Memphis, Tennessee, Georgia used her position to adopt out children to families outside of Tennessee. In doing so, she was able to “sell” the babies and line her pockets. Due to demand, she often stole babies from poor and struggling families.Adoptee rights advocate, Julie Dixon Jackson, from the podcast Cut Off Genes, joins us as we discuss the horrific deeds of Ms. Tann. Then we begin exploring her family tree starting with her father, a judge in charge of adoptions. We'll be back in two weeks with Part 2.All sources and information on this Episode can be found at our website, murderousroots.com

AGT, CNN, The ViewLots of Great Stuff Happening for Landau, International Travel, New Music, & Fatherhood!  Part 1Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. first burst onto the national conscience as the Sinatra-and-Soul singing  on NBC TV's “America's Got Talent with his incredible voice, undeniable charisma and unparalleled showmanship.  And a decade later, he's still going strong.Seeing Landau in concert is a revelation; backed by the dynamic Landau Big Band, you'll always hear swinging arrangements of Great American Songbook classics from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat ‘King' Cole and many more, along with a dusting of that special Motown Magic that is sure to move your feet and make you sing along.And after the show, every show, you'll always have the opportunity to meet Landau one-on-one for photos and have the chance to talk with him about his incredible rags-to-riches story.  “It's my favorite part of the night; it's something we always do. Sometimes I'm the last one at the venue, talking to fans and friends. The janitor is waiting on me to lock up!”Landau was born into extreme poverty in the Appalachian coalfields of southern West Virginia. His parents split while he was in elementary school, and Landau was shipped off to Detroit in the middle of the night. He woke up in the Motor Cities notoriously gang and drug-riddled “7 Mile” neighborhood. Landau likes to say that he went from Almost Heaven to Little Baghdad overnight!After a series of dead-end jobs, run-ins with the police and a too-soon failed marriage, Landau eventually found himself homeless and sleeping in his car. Then, his voice became his calling card.“I loved to play basketball in Detroit, and these guys were good. Some of them went onto the NBA. But we were in the hood; it wasn't anything to see guns drawn on the court after the game, so to keep people cool and laughing, when I'd dunk on someone, I'd sing a Frank Sinatra song like “Fly Me To The Moon” and everyone would laugh and put their guns away.”Eventually, that one-of-a-kind voice would lead him back to West Virginia to perform for local charities and nursing homes. Landau says, “I was singing for charities, when most of the time, I had less than the people receiving the charity proceeds did, but that was OK because I was singing.”At the end of his rope, Landau tied a knot and pulled himself back up by auditioning for NBC TV's “America's Got Talent” with thousands of others. After months of competition, Landau emerged the winner, scoring a million dollars, a recording contract, and America's hearts, and he's never looked back.Landau's Columbia Records debut album “That's Life” reached number one on the Billboard Jazz Charts and was followed by “Christmas Made For Two”, “Landau” and his latest “Landau Live In Las Vegas” recorded during a performance at the legendary Caesar's Palace.  Landau has made dozens of TV appearances including “The Today Show”, “The View”, CNN, “Fox and Friends”, “The Talk”, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade.He's performed all over the world, from China to New York City, Los Angeles to Europe where he had the honor to perform for U.S. servicemen and their families stationed there. He's sung the national anthem prior to games by the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, New York Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Nationals, and his beloved West Virginia University Mountaineers during a nationally televised homecoming game.He's helped raise millions of dollars for charities, many in his home state of West Virginia where he serves on the Board of Directors for the Children's Home Society of West Virginia and was named “West Virginian of the Year” by the Governor's office and the state's largest newspaper.Landau's book “From Washing Cars to Hollywood Stars” featuring his amazing story reached #1 on Amazon, his “Live in Washington DC at Bethesda Blues and Jazz” concert DVD was a best-seller and he had his first movie cameo in 2017 in the Ron James biopic “Choices”.In 2021 Landau proudly released LANDAU LIVE IN LAS VEGAS a pre-pandemic recording at Caesars Palace that includes several never-before-released tracks. Enjoy Landau's unique take on the Great American Songbook as well as classic R&B, all backed by his long-time stellar musicians in LANDAU'S LITTLE BIG BAND, with guest background vocals by former Temptations and Four Tops lead singer Theo Peoples!© 2022 Building Abundant Success!!2022 All Rights ReservedJoin Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23bAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Mark Avera of Avera and Smith (https://www.avera.com/).   Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review   Episode Details: Gainesville, Florida trial lawyer Mark Avera of Avera & Smith explains how he secured justice for Yvonne Wiederhold, the wife of the late Rich Wiederhold, by connecting the actions of one negligent delivery driver in Orlando, Florida to the larger Domino's Pizza corporation through established right-of-control practices. Rich, a retired Brevard County District Fire Chief, strategically swerved and ultimately rolled his truck to avoid crashing into a Domino's delivery car that pulled out in front of him. Rich was rendered a quadriplegic and died 15 months later due to complications. An Orange County, Florida jury returned a verdict of $8,977,788.55 in damages against Domino's Pizza LLC. View/Download Trial Documents   Guest Bio: Mark Avera Like his father before him, Mark Avera has a history of many years of service to the people of Florida. His knowledge and understanding of the legal needs of his clients come not only from the practice of law but from his early career as sheriff's deputy in Alachua County. Before becoming a law partner at Avera & Smith in 1989 (then Avera & Avera), Mark served as a sheriff's deputy for Alachua County. He became the department's youngest deputy ever to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant. His primary assignments were uniform patrol division, SWAT, and the supervision of the department's Street Crimes Unit. Mark completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Florida while working midnight shifts for the Sheriff's Department and went on to graduate from UF with a law degree. Today, Mark serves as Managing Partner for Avera & Smith and works alongside his brother, Lance Avera, who specializes in workers' compensation law, and partner Rod Smith, who specializes in personal injury law. Mark is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law (B.C.S.) by the Florida Bar. He received his initial certification in 1998 and has remained qualified for board certification in civil trial law since that time. Board Certification is the Florida Bar's highest level of evaluation in competence and experience within a specific area of law and indicates superior professionalism and ethics in practice. Only slightly more than 1,000 of the more than 100,000 lawyers currently licensed in the State of Florida are actually Board Certified in Civil Trial Law. During his career, Mark's professionalism and dedication to his work as a trial advocate are reflected by his induction into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and in 2015 his induction into the International Society of Barristers. His accomplishments in the courtroom are recognized yearly in legal publications such as Florida Trend's Legal Elite, Florida's Super Lawyers, and in 2007 he was recognized by Lawdragon as one of the top 500 Plaintiff's lawyers in America. After the landmark Supreme Court decision in Engle v. Liggett Group, Inc., Mark has been involved in representing Engle plaintiffs against various tobacco companies responsible for the deaths of smokers who began smoking as children in the 1940s and 1950s. Beyond his professional achievements, he believes in community service to give back to the community which has been an integral part of his life. Mark serves on the Board of Directors for the Santa Fe College Foundation and in the past served on the Boards of Directors for the Children's Home Society, North Central Florida Community Foundation, and the Executive Committee of the North Florida Heart Ball, American Heart Association. Mark is married to the former Stacy Marie Upchurch and their blended family consists of four children; Alexandria, Danielle, Myles, and Weston. They all enjoy the outdoors and travel. Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Welcome relatives and listeners to our “From Boys to Men, Healing the Patriarchy Within” Series, where our CAM Cohort Cohort interview and put praxis into action as they learn from men about their stories and experiences at the frontline of healing intergenerational roots as they address toxic masculinity and address patriarchal challenges. We recognize and celebrate that both the masculine and feminine should be celebrated and honored in harmony. In this episode, we learn from Matthew Anderson and his journey as Vice President of Programs and Business Development at the Children's Home Society of North Carolina*, the Director of the Institute for Family, and an award-winning documentary producer. He is a change agent for child welfare reform, amongst many more things. Matt is a wonderful friend of HIR Wellness and our founder, Lea Denny; we thank him for his time and energy. Please visit the links at the bottom of this description to learn more about Matt. Hosts: Eva and Fondé Bridges If you want to engage in the conversation and reflect for yourself, come along with us as we free-think and activate our medicine together. Come as you are! Learn more about the Institute for Family and listen to the Seen Out Loud podcasts where Matt engages in conversation with like-minded leaders and healers in the U.S. Foster Care System Watch and listen to a TedTalks by Matt in Greensboro around transforming the child welfare system and the power of being seen, click here Check out Cody's story in Matt's documentary “From Place to Place” in this trailer. Be sure to subscribe to the Institute for Family here for a link to the full documentary. You can find and follow Matt on LinkedIn too! Explore the powerful work Children's Home Society of North Carolina is committed to for our families. *As of Fall 2022, Matt has decided to pursue passions outside of CHS, check out his LinkedIn to learn more about his journey. We are sending you joy, as always!

Ami Surbaugh The Mission of the Children's Home Society is to promote the well being of children. Our current efforts are directed at helping children find lifetime families, protecting and nurturing children, and helping to preserve and strengthen their families.   Podcast sponsored by Brackens Painting LLC www.brackenspainting.com Music provided by Peter Clark from the album, Peter Clark After Dark found on Soundcloud

www.hdreach.org eboulavsky@hdreach.org 919-327-1804 Erika Boulavsky, MSW, LCSWA, serves as the Community Outreach Specialist for HD Reach. Erika is responsible for helping to build relationships and education within the medical community as well as assisting HD families navigate supportive resources. Erika has a BA in Sociology from Costal Carolina University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. She is originally from Myrtle Beach, SC and began her journey as a social worker for her local hospice agency in 2017. She moved to Raleigh, NC in 2020 and continued to work with the hospice population until starting with HD reach in July 2022. She and her partner have family members affected by HD and have been long time volunteers within HDSA youth programs, HDYO camps, and speakers at the HDSA convention. Erika and her partner enjoy relaxing with their two dogs, spending time with family and friends, and traveling as much as they can. Debbi Fox-Davis has enjoyed a 23-year career leading and developing resources for nonprofits in North Carolina. Her career accomplishments include being the first Executive Director for Dress for Success of the Triangle; raising funding and engaging community supporters to ensure all children have permanent, safe and loving families for the Children's Home Society of NC; raising scholarship and research funds for NC State University and running NC State's Institute for Nonprofits online journal for nonprofit management. Debbi has also served as the Assistant Director for Development at Habitat for Humanity of Wake County and as the Director of Development and Marketing for the North Carolina Theatre.

Dr. Baker earned his B.A. from the University of Texas at Arlington and his Ph.D. from Wayne State University. Aside from teaching philosophy at the University and College levels, he also spent 3 years teaching writing and computer skills at the Methodist Children's Home Society group home in Detroit, Michigan. Beyond teaching at Navy, he coaches the Ethics Bowl team, and is a member of the team that produces our interactive ethics simulations, and interactive electronic ethics and leadership volumes such as Ethics for the Junior Officer.Alvin Townley is a best-selling New York Times-reviewed author and Emmy-winning storyteller. Alvin graduated from Washington & Lee University, where he served on the university's student government and honor council. He studied politics and economics in Europe before working in Congress, managing global strategy for an 85,000-person firm, and leading external affairs for a Grammy and Tony winning national arts center. He is a former Senior Fellow at the Naval Academy's Stockdale Center.

Publisher/CEO: Midlands Business Journal & metroMAGAZINE | Speaker | Wellness WarriorAs a multimedia publisher, Hoig still—as she puts it—wears a lot of hats. In addition to managing the business side of things, she determines and creates content. The most enjoyable aspects of her work, Hoig said, are developing relationships and cultivating special projects.“It's relationship-building and connecting to the community and nonprofits and helping them get their message out to the community,” she said. “I love doing that.”Although Hoig's work supports hundreds of nonprofits, some touch her more closely including Nebraska Children's Home Society (she is a birth mother) and several that serve animals like Nebraska Humane Society, Midlands Humane Society, Nebraska Wildlife Rehab, Inc., and Omaha Zoo Foundation.Hoig clearly loves animals. She has three adopted cats: Sophie, Raj and Sunny, and fond memories of several others. Her first, Murphy, reached an unusually advanced age of 20 and was a source of support during some of Hoig's most tumultuous years. Her beloved Benny, rescued as a kitten after being tossed from a car, passed away prematurely when he was just six years old. Hoig was devastated, but a little Sunshine soon came into her life. The kitten known as Sunny bears an uncanny resemblance to Benny and shares a coat of the same unusual color. Like her three-legged housemate Sophie, Sunny has special needs. She was born with underdeveloped eyes, a condition that caused blindness and necessitated surgical removal of her eyes. However, Sunny's disposition fits her name, and she enjoys a happy life of ample playtime and exquisite care under Hoig's watch.“My cats have been a huge part of my life for so many years, the ones who are here, the ones who have passed,” she said. “They're here for me and they are each unique little personalities.”In 2018, Hoig introduced metroTV. Each episode of the weekly 30-minute talk show features guests who represent the community, enhancing and expanding the coverage in metroMAGAZINE and its sister publications The Giving Guide and Event Book and 101 Things to Love about the metro™. metroTV will reach show number 170 in January.A Hurrdat Media Production. Hurrdat Media is a digital media and commercial video production company based in Omaha, NE. Find more podcasts on the Hurrdat Media Network and learn more about our other services today on HurrdatMedia.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Between 1924 & 1950, Georgia Tann completely changed the game of adoption, placing thousands of children with families, even celebrities like Joan Crawford, June Allyson, & Rick Flair. However, the “Mother of Modern Adoption” used this reputation, along with the help of many powerful politicians, to kidnap over 5,000 children to be sold under the guise of adoption over the course of 26 years, though many didn't make it out of the orphanage alive. Listen to the full story of Georgia Tann & The Tennessee Children's Home Society Here. Check out our girls at True Crime New England here!

From the 1920s through the 1940s, one woman became the face of modern adoption. But the horrifying secrets living within the walls of the Memphis orphanage were too sinister for most to imagine. Join Olivia Cornu and John Conner as they dive deep into the dark to discuss Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children's Home Society. Will this terrifying, true-crime case be enough to make you...Check the Locks? Follow Us: Instagram Twitter Join Our Facebook Group Visit our website Subscribe and Review on Apple Podcasts Post-production editing courtesy of Mat Halliday of Mat Halliday Audio Production Sources: Insider.com Article By Erika Celeste AdoptionLand.Org Living Magazine Ric Flair article by Alva Yaffe --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/checkthelocks/message

On this week's podcast, we feature an online event hosted by Fostering Media Connections called “Stability Now: Getting Proactive About The Child Welfare Workforce.” This conversation features several child welfare experts who in different ways have worked on putting either their organization, or the system in general, in a better position to retain and support good workers. Featured in this conversation are:Andry Sweet, CEO, Children's Home Society of FloridaLeslie Calloway, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Child Welfare, Louisiana Department of Children & Family ServicesBarry Chaffkin, CEO, Fostering Change for ChildrenDr. Jay Miller, Dean, University of Kentucky School of Social WorkReading RoomPack to the Future: Youth Voice 2022 Summer Fundraiserhttps://bit.ly/2022BackpackDriveJackie Walorski, Congressional Leader on Child Welfare Issues, Dead at 58https://bit.ly/3zCPFB4Little Rock, in a Child Welfare Crisis, Becomes First Test for Family Integrity & Justice Workshttps://bit.ly/3cE7B30A Need for Fresh Ideas on Training the Child Welfare Workforcehttps://bit.ly/3bD7kACSocial Work Supervisors Are Key to Stable Workforcehttps://bit.ly/3A4bZVw

Cherie Craft, the founding CEO and Executive Director of Smart from the Start, talks about her organization's unique approach to engaging communities and addressing conditions to enhance child and family well-being. Cherie references a previous episode of Seen Out Loud with Matthew Jackson to explain how Smart from the Start builds trust with families. Cherie also offers advice for other organizational leaders on relationship building, reducing recidivism rates, and incorporating social justice into community work. 00:00:23  | Matt recaps the last episode S2, E5: The Impact of Community Conditions with Matthew Jackson 00:02:36  | What is Smart from the Start and what are they all about? 00:07:39  | What is Cherie's “secret sauce” to building trust with families?   00:08:52  | Why don't families trust social workers and service-providing organizations that come into communities? 00:10:14  | Cherie shares how Smart from the Start operates 00:13:03  | Cherie talks about how she saw Matthew when he first approached her at Smart from the Start.   00:18:00  | Cherie talks about baking a strengths-based approach to seeing families into Smart from the Start's culture. 00:20:10  | Matt and Cherie recall a story Matthew shared in S2, E5: The Impact of Community Conditions with Matthew Jackson00:25:27  | Matt asks Cherie about what happens when something her team vouches for doesn't come to fruition. 00:29:06  | Matt asks Cherie how Smart from the Start responds to skeptics of her organization.00:33:11  | Cherie shares more about her origin story.00:36:44  | Cherie shares how her organization's foundation impacts the recidivism rate for fully engaged families in organizational programs.00:39:50  | Cherie explains Smart from the Start's intentional approach to addressing systemic issues impacting families and the new program, Justice 4.00:47:22  | Matt, an organizational leader at Children's Home Society of N.C. and the Institute for Family asks advice from Cherie for leaders like him that feel like they don't have relatable stories to use as building blocks when connecting with families. 00:49:12  | Final thoughts from host Matt Anderson. Connect with us and support us by...Rating and reviewing the showSupporting our show through PaypalVisiting our podcast website for more contentFollowing Institute for Family on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter

In the 1920's, Georgia Tann re-invented adoption. At a time when children were often only taken in as hired help, Tann instead found permanent placements for abandoned children. Except most of these children were never willingly surrendered. Listen as Tann manipulates, steals, lies, and neglects innocent lives across generations for the purpose of money and power. Tea of the Day: Turmeric ActiveTheme Music by Brad FrankSources:Show: Unsolved Mysteries (Season 2, Episode 11)Book: Before and After by Judy Christie and Lisa Wingate (2017)Book: The Baby Thief: The Untold Story of Georgia Tann, the Baby Seller Who Corrupted Adoption by Barbara Bisantz Raymond (2007)https://www.timesdaily.com/ap/state/elwood-to-honor-victims-of-tennessee-childrens-home-society/article_665c0a6c-7d6d-5aa4-bd23-5c87637b97e7.htmlhttps://www.highgroundnews.com/features/UnmarkedMemphisI.aspxhttps://www.insider.com/georgia-tann-tennessee-children-home-society-survivors-speak-out-2019-12https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-20-vw-882-story.htmlRecommend reading: Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate 

Chris is here to talk all about the Appalachian Beard Fest that is taking place in Ghent West Virginia on Saturday June 4th, at the glamorous Skyline Lodge Pub & Grill. He is the National vice president of the Bearded Sinners which are one of the organizations that are putting on this event along with Beard Mobb West Virginia. This event will be working with two great charities. One of them is the Children's Home Society of West Virginia where they offer child welfare, behavioral health, social casework, and advocacy services which include foster care and adoption, to 13,000+ children and families from 13 primary locations statewide. Their aim is to help build a future where, ultimately, their services are no longer needed: where every child has a safe and permanent home, a family to love them, and opportunities to thrive. https://www.childhswv.org/ Appalachian Beard Fest https://fb.me/e/16oHiEDev Chris Parent https://www.facebook.com/chris.parent86 Talking Beards  www.talkingbeards.com The Beard Calendar https://thebeardcalendar.com/ Please check out our friends at Honest Amish and try one of the best selling beard brands available!!! Honest Amish- use promo code "talkingbeards" to save 15% https://www.honestamish.com Grooming Emporium https://www.thegroomingemporium.org/ SUBSCRIBE to the Talking Beards podcast by going to- www.thebeardcaster.com/subscribe Talking Beards Store https://teespring.com/…/talking-beards-3 BS Buttons Beard Bulletin Board- let us know about something you want to promote https://www.facebook.com/groups/407082256748940 BS Buttons on Facebook-order your buttons through this link- https://www.facebook.com/groups/872390072895713/ Aaron D. Johnston- Aaron D Johnston- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aaron.d.johnston1 Aaron D. Johnston-Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aarondjohnston Scott Sykora Scott Sykora- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/scottsykora Scott Sykora- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/scottsykora/ Check out our other great shows on Talking Beards-The Network www.talkingbeards.com/the-network Talking Beards is available of the KPNL Network-go check out other various “strange” shows- KPNL RADIO http://www.kpnl-db.com/ THE NEW HOME OF THE TALKING BEARDS NETWORK https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkingBeards/featured  

Welcome aboard for another crazy episode! Today on the train we step into a familiar world…or should we say .. Worlds? A couple episodes ago we did some mass disappearances and you know we love some true crime so today we sort  of combine the two. You see, for the mass disappearances episode there was one case that kept popping up. Now this was interesting to us because we've had that particular case on our list of shows to do for some time now. We figured this would be a good time to go ahead and finally do it. Today we are talking about the disappearance of the Sodder children.  The incident happened on Christmas Eve in 1945 in Fayetteville, West Virginia. George and Jenny Sodder lived with 9 of their 10 children. At the time, the oldest son was off fighting in WW2. The night of the incident, Jennie was awoken three times.   First, at 12:30 a.m., she was awoken by a phone call during which she could hear a woman's voice she didnt recognize asking for a name she didn't know, as well as glasses clinking in the background. Jennie told the caller she had reached the wrong number, later recalling the woman's "weird laugh". As she did, she noticed that some of the lights were still on and the curtains hadn't been closed, two things the children normally did when they stayed up later than their parents. Marion had fallen asleep on the living room couch, so Jennie assumed the other children ,who had stayed up later, had gone back up to the attic where they slept. She closed the curtains, turned out the lights, and returned to bed. She then went back to bed only to be startled by a loud bang and a rolling noise on the roof. She soon dozed off again and finally awoke an hour later at around 130, to see the house engulfed in smoke. She found that the room George used for his office was on fire, around the telephone line and fuse box.   Those are pretty much the facts that can be proven for the most part. Everything else…well it's strange to say the least.   George and Jennie made it out of that fire, as did Sylvia, just a toddler at the time. Also two of their teenage children, Marion and George Jr, made it out. 23 year old John rounded out the kids that made it out alive. Or did he? John said in his first police interview after the fire that he went up to the attic to alert his siblings sleeping there, though he later changed his story to say that he only called up there and did not actually see them. The children remaining inside were Maurice 14 , Martha 12, Louis 9, Jennie 8, and Betty 5. According to accounts, Marion, ran to the neighbors house to call the fire department because their phone was not working. A driver on the nearby road had also seen the flames and called from a nearby tavern; they too were unsuccessful either because they could not reach the operator or because the phone there turned out to be broken. It was Christmas Eve and I've read that the police chief sent everyone home to their families. She couldn't get an answer so another neighbor went to find the fire chief and let him know what was happening.    While this was going on, George, who climbed an outside wall, barefoot, to get to the attic and Jennie tried desperately to save their other children. This is where some of the strange things happen. First off neither of the Sodders trucks would start, despite having worked perfectly during the previous day.. Then their ladder was found to be mysteriously missing. Because of the family not being able to get help from the neighbor and their trucks oddly not starting when they tried to leave to look for the fire chief, help didn't arrive until 8am, almost 7 hours later. The fire department is just 2 miles from the home. The fire department was low on manpower due to the war and relying on individual firefighters to call each other. Chief F.J. Morris said the next day that the already slow response was further hampered by his inability to drive the fire truck, requiring that he wait until someone who could drive was available. Because he was fucking drunk; partying at a local pub, celebrating Christmas Eve. Oh, and one of the firefighters was Jennie's brother, their children's uncle.   The fire was initially blamed on faulty wiring, even though the Sodders claim there had never been any kind of issues with the electrical wiring before. In fact, A visitor to the house, seeking work, went around to the back of the house and warned George that a pair of fuse boxes would "cause a fire someday." George was puzzled by the observation, since he had just had the house rewired when an electric stove was installed, and the local electric company had said afterwards it was safe.   During the investigation something happened that makes this case the crazy thing that we are talking about. 5 of the Sodder children allegedly perished in the fire but the body's were never found. The fire chief told them the fire had cremated the bodies. Jennie asked a crematorium worker if that was possible, the worker told Jennie that bones remain even after bodies are burned at 2,000 degrees for two hours. The Sodder home only took 45 minutes to burn to the ground. So we did a little fact checking about this and there is a lot of argument about whether a house fire can burn bones to ash, but, it seems like those who have degrees and a bunch of letters after their name all agree that a house fire typically will not burn hot enough to get rid of bones. Also another thing we found is that even during cremations bones do not actually turn to dust. In fact after being incinerated at usually between 1800-2000°f, for about 2 hours, the bones are the only thing left. Now, the bones are not the same, granted, as with all the heat, it destroys the structure of the bone but does not turn it to ash. The ashes you receive are actually the bones of the deceased that have been put into what is essentially a big mixer, to pulverize them into dust. So enjoy that thought.    At any rate, due to what the experts said, the family did not believe that the other children simply burned up in the fire. They believed something else happened to the kids. But what else could have happened?   What else would lead one to think something possibly nefarious happened? Well according to some reports, some strange things happened in the lead up to the fire. One strange thing that happened was that in the months before the fire a "ominous drifter, hinted at doom '' We're assuming it was like Friday the 13th…the guy just points and goes…you're all dooooooomed, doomed! Whatever happened it sounds funny.    A few weeks earlier, not too far out from the incident, an angry insurance salesman berated George, telling him that his house was going to go up in smoke and his children would be destroyed as a retaliation for his criticisms of Mussolini in the mostly Italian immigrant community. Actually he said "the dirty remarks you have been making about Mussolini." If it was a sales tactic, it definitely needs work, otherwise, it's oddly specific! Also a bus driver came forward and spoke of how she saw "fireballs" being thrown into the roof of the house, could that be the noise she heard?   In the weeks before Christmas that year, George's older sons had also noticed a strange car parked along the main highway through town, its occupants watching the younger Sodder children as they returned from school.   What about the man who cut off the telephone lines at the Sodder residence? Someone witnessed him taking away a block and tackle used to remove car engines during the fire. He admitted to the theft but answered that he had no part in starting the fire; he had just wanted to cut off the power lines but instead clipped the telephone line. He was let go, and no records exist identifying him or questioning why he wanted to cut lines to steal a block and tackle.    Then on top of that you have the incidents on the night of the fire. There was the phone call and then the noise on the roof and she woke up to smoke in the house. Put all that together, and one could see where people may start to form some theories that this was more than just a tragic house fire.  You know we love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next folks…well at least Moody does.    Not only that, sightings of the children started almost immediately. For starters, locals reported seeing the 5 children in a car that was driving past and watching the fire. Then the next morning a woman operating a truck stop claimed she saw the children come in for breakfast with 4 Italian speaking adults.  Once pictures began to circulate, more sightings came in. a woman said that she saw four of the children (where was the fifth?) in the company of four adults at a hotel in South Carolina.  Which could lend credence to the truck stop story, which also mentioned 4 adults.    Armed with all these facts, George and Jennie went back to the police and demanded to have the fire further investigated. But the police refused, claiming that the coroner's inquiry determined that no crime had been committed.   This is when George and Jennie decided they would continue the search on their own.   George would constantly go and dig through the rubble trying to find something. At one point his searching seemed to find the first evidence of the children. He found what appeared to be an internal organ and also some small pieces of bone. They were sent for testing and the tests revealed that the "organ" was a cow's liver, and that the bones were from someone older than any of the missing children. The small bone fragments that were unearthed were determined to have been human vertebrae. The bone fragments were sent to Marshall T. Newman, a specialist at the Smithsonian Institution. They were confirmed to be lumbar vertebrae, all from the same person. "Since the transverse recesses are fused, the age of this individual at death should have been 16 or 17 years", Newman's report said. "The top limit of age should be about 22 since the centra, which normally fuse at 23, are still unfused". Thus, given this age range, it was not very likely that these bones were from any of the five missing children, since the oldest, Maurice, had been 14 at the time (although the report allowed that vertebrae of a boy his age sometimes were advanced enough to appear to be at the lower end of the range). Also the bones show no sign of being affected in any way by the fire. It was speculated that the bone fragments were mixed in with some dirt brought in to help fill in the basement. Later, Tinsley supposedly confirmed that the bone fragments had come from a cemetery in nearby Mount Hope, but could not explain why they had been taken from there or how they came to be at the fire site. The Smithsonian returned the bone fragments to George in September 1949, according to its records; their current location is unknown.  As far as the liver, it is said that a private investigator found out that the liver was put there by the fire chief at some point in hopes the family would find it and accept the idea that the kids perished in the fire.  George sometimes made his own sightings. On one occasion, George saw a magazine photo of a group of young ballet dancers in New York City, one of whom looked like his missing daughter Betty. He drove all the way to the girl's school, where his repeated demands to see the girl himself were refused.   The investigation and its findings attracted national attention, and the West Virginia Legislature held two hearings on the case in 1950. Afterwards, however, Governor Okey L. Patteson and state police superintendent W.E. Burchett told the Sodders the case was "hopeless" and closed it at the state level. The FBI decided it had jurisdiction as a possible interstate kidnapping, but dropped the case after two years of following fruitless leads.   After this second official investigation ended, George and Jennie continued their search.   George followed up on many leads on his own including heading to St Louis where a woman claimed Martha was being held in a convent but nothing came of that. Another woman in Texas claimed that she overheard two other patrons making incriminating remarks about a fire that happened on Christmas Eve in West Virginia several years before. Again nothing here proved significant.    At one point George heard that a relative of Jennies who lived in Florida had children that looked exactly like his had. He went down there to check it out and only when the relative was able to prove the children were his that George would leave it alone.         In 1967, George went to the Houston area to investigate another tip. A woman there had written to the family, saying that Louis had revealed his true identity to her one night after having too much to drink. She believed that he and Maurice were both living in Texas somewhere. However, George and his son-in-law, Grover Paxton, were unable to speak with her. Police there were able to help them find the two men she had indicated, but they denied being the missing sons. Paxton said years later that doubts about that denial lingered in George's mind for the rest of his life.   That same year the family would receive something pretty crazy. A photo showed up in the mail one day. The photo showed a man that appeared to be around his early 30s with strikingly similar features as their son Louis had had.    Written on the back of the photo was this:               Louis Sodder I love brother Frankie Ilil boys A90132 or 35   Interesting…. Very interesting.    The photo was in an envelope postmarked central city Kentucky. There was no return address.    The Sodders hired a private detective to go to Central city and try and track down where this letter came from and follow this lead. The private detective headed to Central city and guess what he fucking found….. well no one will ever know because after he left he was never heard from again. He never reported back to the Sodders and they were unable to ever locate him. Did he disappear with their money or was he made to sleep with the fishes?   Unfortunately, this took a pretty heavy toll on George. He said in an interview the following year that the lack of information had been "like hitting a rock wall—we can't go any further". "Time is running out for us", he admitted in another interview around that time. "But we only want to know. If they did die in the fire, we want to be convinced. Otherwise, we want to know what happened to them".   George would pass a year later in 1969 believing that his children were never killed in that fire and they were still out there someplace.    After this the rest of the family would continue to search and publicize the case. The only one that would not get involved was John. John believed that the family should accept what happened and all move on with their lives. Jennie stayed in the family home and built a fence around it and added rooms. She wore black for the mourning for the rest of her life and tended the garden at the site of the former house.    These are basically the facts as we know them. Since there's not much in the way of actual forensic evidence in this case, there's no way of telling for sure what happened as far as the children's bodies being burned. Obviously the investigation was quick, taking only 2 hours, and there wasn't a ton of forensic detective work back then. Plus DNA testing wasn't a thing. And just in general investigating wasn't generally as thorough as it is these days.   The surviving Sodder children, joined by their own children, along with older Fayetteville residents, have theorized that the Sicilian Mafia was trying to extort money from George and the children may have been taken by someone who knew about the planned arson and said they would be safe if they left the house. They were possibly taken back to Italy. If the children had survived all those years and were aware that their parents and siblings had survived too, the family believes, they may have avoided contact in order to keep them from harm.   Sylvia Sodder Paxton, the youngest of the surviving Sodder siblings, died in 2021. She was in the house on the night of the fire, which she said was her earliest memory. "I was the last one of the kids to leave home", she told the Gazette-Mail in 2013. She and her father would stay up late, talking about what might have happened. "I experienced their grief for a long time". She believed that her siblings survived that night, and assisted with efforts to find them and publicize the case. Her daughter said in 2006: "She promised my grandparents she wouldn't let the story die, that she would do everything she could".   George and Jennie passed out flyers and put up a billboard on route 16 in Fayetteville. The Sodders purchased the billboard in 1952. It featured black-and-white photographs of each missing child and an account of the fire with a $5000 reward that was increased to $10,000. It was taken down shortly after Jennie's death in 1989. It read:  “After thirty years, it's not too late to investigate. So what happened to the children if they didn't die in the fire? Well there's a few  theories but nothing solid.   One of the biggest questions is how someone could abduct 5 children with nobody being woken up. Well truecrimefiles.com say of that question:             "One of the most puzzling questions is how the actual alleged abduction took place. How did the kidnapper(s) get the five children out of the house, considering that the eldest sister was asleep on the sofa in the living room and the parents were asleep in a bedroom less than 20 feet away? Surely at least one of the children would have made some noise had a stranger (or even someone known to the family) come into the house and taken them away. There is at least one scenario that may have happened that would solve this specific puzzle. One of the chores the two boys were told to do was to attend to the family's handful of farm animals.”   On a side note, Marion, the oldest daughter, had been working at a dime store in downtown Fayetteville, and she surprised three of her younger sisters—Martha, Jennie, and Betty—with new toys she had bought for them. The younger children were so excited that they asked their mother if they could stay up past what would have been their usual bedtime.   At 10 p.m., Jennie told them they could stay up a little later, as long as the two oldest boys who were still awake, 14-year-old Maurice and his 9-year-old brother Louis, remembered to put the cows in and feed the chickens before going to bed themselves.    ”It is possible that all five of the children left the house to perform these chores (the three girls went along to watch) and were taken once they were outside and away from the house."   But an even bigger question would be why would someone do this. Many people believe that it had to do with George's and his background.    George immigrated from Italy and changed his last name from Soddu to Sodder upon arrival. Nobody really knows why he came to America or the circumstances behind his immigration. He would never discuss the issues and whenever it was brought up he would change the conversation. So that's kind of strange. Also George owned a coal trucking business, and at that time the coal industry was under a lot of pressure from the mafia. That plus his little known about past, have lead many people to speculate about mafia involvement in the crime.    Another theory suggests the kids were abducted by an illegal child-selling agency similar to Georgia Tann's with help from the local police. And remember that insurance guy George argued with, the guy that warned that their house would burn and the children would vanish. He was also a member of the coroner's jury which ruled the fire accidental. Leading many to suspect foul play.   For those of you wondering, For more than 20 years, Georgia Tann ran the Tennessee Children's Home Society, where she and an elaborate network of co-conspirators kidnapped and abused children to sell them off to wealthy adoptive parents at a steep profit. This is too crazy a story to not talk about a little here because if there was a network similar to this operating in that area, it seemed like another plausible theory.    Beulah George "Georgia" Tann was born in 1891 in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Named for her father, a powerful judge, she hoped to follow in his footsteps and practice law. Instead, her domineering father forbade it, and she instead pursued a career in social work — one of the few socially acceptable positions for a woman of her means.   She first went to work in Mississippi, but she was soon fired for inappropriately removing children from impoverished homes without cause. She made her way to Texas, where it's believed she adopted her daughter, June, in 1922. Later, in 1923, she adopted Ann Atwood Hollinsworth, a woman believed to be Tann's longtime same-sex partner. It was common at the time for same-sex couples to use adult adoption as a means of transferring property or inheritances.   Tann then moved on to Memphis, where her father used his political connections to secure a new job for her as executive secretary at the Memphis branch of the Tennessee Children's Home Society in 1922.   By 1929, she had staged a takeover and named herself executive director.   Tann's scheme coincided with a sharp increase in families looking to adopt kids In the 1900s and 1910s, formalized adoptions were fairly rare, but in the 1920s adoption began to be marketed as a shortcut to societal improvement. According to one ad from the National Home Finding Society, adopting would "reduce divorces, banditry, murder, and control births, fill all the churches and do real missionary work at home and abroad, exchanging immigrants for Americans and stopping some of the road leading to war."   At the time, the theory of eugenics — that is, the controlling of the reproduction of genetically "inferior" people through sterilization — was popular. The movement claimed that people of better genetic endowment were subject to greater infertility. It became important in adoption not just to get babies but to get the best babies. A campaign to explain the superiority of adoption was launched.   This new outlook, along with the popularization of baby formula, helped Tann's baby-trafficking business grow. Suddenly, nonnursing mothers could easily and affordably feed their babies. The demand for adoptable infants rose, especially among busy, successful women.   Tann was calculated in her approach and targeted the rich and famous, who paid premium prices for their adopted children. Actors, authors, and entertainers, including Dick Powell and June Allyson, Lana Turner, Pearl S. Buck, Smiley Burnette, and New York Gov. Herbert Lehman, all adopted Tann babies. In 1947, Joan Crawford adopted twins, Cathy and Cindy, from Tann.   Stealing children wasn't a small side business. During the 21 years Tann ran the Children's Home Society, it's believed she made more than $1 million from taking and selling children — about $11 million in today's money. And she didn't do it alone.   Tann's extensive child-trafficking operation required connections, and she quickly linked up with E.H. "Boss" Crump, who ran a powerful Tennessee political machine. Crump offered Tann protections in exchange for kickbacks.   To kidnap and traffic her victims, Tann paid off a network of social workers, police officers, doctors, and lawyers. Some kidnapped children from preschools, churches, and playgrounds for her. Kidnappers preyed on poor children and families who didn't have the means to fight back. Tann's coconspirators were authority figures — people not to be contradicted — so children often went with them willingly. Sometimes, Tann would approach families and offer medical or other help. Tann would tell parents she could get their children into a clinic at no cost, but if they came along as well they'd be charged a large bill.   In the era before internet and with few phones, Tann relied on her network of spotters. They alerted Tann to children on riverbanks, in shantytowns, or walking home from school. She drove up in her big black car and offered them rides.   Tann was also in cahoots with a local judge who helped procure children, specifically from impoverished single or widowed mothers. One of her most high profile coconspirators was Judge Camille Kelley, who presided over the juvenile court in Shelby County, Tennessee, for 30 years.   "She had a stooge down in the welfare department when someone would apply for assistance, this person would get their name, and get in touch with Camille Kelley," Robert Taylor, an investigator, said in a 1992 interview with "60 Minutes."   In 1950, Taylor, a local lawyer, was asked by newly elected Gov. Gordon Browning to do an in-depth investigation into Children's Home Society and Tann. "Camille Kelley would send a deputy out to pick them up and award custody to Georgia Tann," he added.   Tennessee law required children to be adopted in state for a fee of $7, about $75 in today's money. But Tann moved her "merchandise" at $1,000 per head — $10,000 today. When the state finally investigated, the report on the Children's Home Society, the Browning report, found that Tann conducted "private" adoptions and pocketed up to 90% of the fee. She would gouge prospective parents on everything from travel costs, to home visits, and attorney's fees.   The report also detailed how children were then spirited away from the Home Society in the middle of the night to avoid detection by authorities who weren't in the know or others who might ask too many questions. Her "nurses" had regular circuits to New York and California, though she shipped to all US states and Great Britain.   Elaborate backstories were added to stolen children's files to make them more "marketable." Their files said they came from "good homes" with "very attractive" young mothers. Fathers were described as "intelligent" and often in medical school.   Tann also knew how to capitalize on opportunities in the adoption market. Few agencies adopted to Jewish families, and Tann saw her chance. A few pen strokes turned a Southern Baptist child into a baby from a "good Jewish" family. As the Children's Home Society scandal was exposed, the scenario played out in the adoption records over and over again.   If parents, biological or adoptive, asked too many questions about children, Tann threatened to have them arrested or the child removed. She was known for "repossessing" children whose adoptive parents couldn't make full payments on time. And she wasn't above blackmailing customers for more money later.   Often she would return to adoptive parents months later and say relatives of the child had come around asking for a baby's return. But for a hefty fee she had lawyers who could make the situation go away.   Homes for unwed mothers, welfare hospitals, and prisons were targeted. Doctors, working with Tann, told new mothers their babies had died during birth. Those children were "buried" at no cost to the families.   Other mothers were coerced into signing their children away while still under sedation from labor. Tann preyed on women's desperation, their poverty, and their sense of shame.   "If they were unsedated and tried to hold on to the babies after the baby was born, then Georgia Tann would step in and say, 'Well, you don't want people in your home town to know about [your pregnancy], do you?'" Robert Taylor, a lawyer who investigated the Tennessee Children's Home Society scandal for Gov. Gordon Browning, said in his 1992 "60 Minutes" interview.   By the 1930s, as a result of Tann's scam, Memphis had the highest infant mortality rate in the US.   Archives at the Benjamin Hooks Library, in Memphis, reveal some of the cruelties children were subjected to. Babies were kept in sweltering conditions, and some children were drugged to keep them quiet until they were sold. Other children were hung in dark closets, beaten, or put on starvation rations for weeks at a time. Drug addicts and pedophiles were hired to watch over them.   According to "The Baby Thief: The Untold Story of Georgia Tann, the Baby Seller Who Corrupted Adoption," sexual abuse was a common occurrence at the home.   Tann was brutally unsparing in her cruelty. Former Home Society employees revealed to Taylor that if an infant was deemed too weak, it might be left in the sun to die. If a child had a congenital disability or was considered "too ugly" or "old" to be of use, Tann had people get rid of them. Many were buried on the property, though about 20 children were buried in an unmarked plot of land within Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.   In the 1940s, Tann developed a new publicity stunt.   "They would raffle 20 or 30 babies off every year in the 'Christmas Baby Give Away' in the newspaper," Wingate said. "How did anyone ever think that was all right?"   For $25 a ticket — about $350 today — purchasers could buy as many raffle tickets as they liked.   Tann pocketed thousands of dollars that ticket holders assumed went to the Home Society, and had to give away just a fraction of her "merchandise" in the process.   Tann's baby-selling scheme carried on unabated for over two decades. But in 1949 things took a turn. Tennessee elected a new governor, Gordon Browning. Weakened, E.H. Crump, Tann's crony, lost his hold on Memphis politics.   On September 12, 1950, Gov. Browning held a press conference during which he revealed Tann and her network managed to amass more than $1 million from her child-selling scheme — again, nearly $11 million in today's money.   But Tann was never held accountable. Three days later, she died at home after slipping into a mysterious coma from untreated uterine cancer.   On November 11, 1950, Judge Camille Kelley, who had worked so closely with Tann, quietly resigned. It took until late November or early December to find safe homes for the remaining children. Somewhere in the waning days of 1950, the doors to the Tennessee Children's Home Society were closed for good.   No one was ever prosecuted for their roles in the black-market baby ring.   Holy fuck…. So we know that was a tangent but you got a 2 fer here with that crazy tale, and again the reason we went into the  details on this are because there is speculation that the Sodder children could have been victims of a similar scheme. I mean.. If it happened on that scale in one place who's to say it didn't happen here as well. https://www.ranker.com/list/best-movies-about-kidnapping/ranker-film

It is a rare person who has soul-baring vulnerability, especially as a deacon, in front of the whole congregation, spontaneously, while on a Live Stream.  Overcome by the weight of his inner struggles, and contradictions, Nii  shares everything... the love and death of his mother, the abuse by a Catholic priest, the suicidal thoughts and the contradictions he was wrestling with.  His wife,  his children, and his church were hearing this for the first time.The  Lord has moved greatly in and through Nii, before, during and after this pivotal moment.  You won't want to miss this everyday extraordinary faith story, which starts in a privileged home in Ghana.IJohn 3:16- "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers."---------------------------------------Topics Shared:Growing up in GhanaMama's boy, with an absent fatherForced to go to churchMother dies in childbirthMoving into his aunt's home, now momAbused once by a Catholic priest, and not able to speak about itConfusion and rebellious years ensueKicked out of many private schoolsUnplanned pregnancy and marriageJoining the militaryLiving a life of liesHis father is extradited from Canada and is saved in an American prisonSpontaneous confession of  major struggles before church on a LivestreamThe result of his vulnerabilityThe desire to honor his familyFosteringInfo To Begin Your Foster Care Journey:Children's Home Society and Lutheran Social Servicehttps://chlss.org/Nii Quotes:SINGLE MOTHER"My dad did send money, but money doesn't really fix anything. Money doesn't give you happiness. Money doesn't bring back your loved one that died. It helps in certain ways, but it can't hold me when I'm sad and afraid as a little boy. Money can't do that like a mother's love."ADOPTION"You can make that change in a child. And if you are fighting it, ask God, and God will give you that one child, that forever in that child's life, they will always remember you."------------------------------------------For more inspiring stories:https://lettersfromhomepodcast.com/*FREE APP* Letters From Home Podcast has its own downloadable app., with all of our episodes in one easy place.  Search our podcast name in the Apple APP store, and in the Google Play store. All free!Google Play: play.Google.com/store/appsApple App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/letters-from-home-podcast/id1525564599For one splashy bright monthly Letters From Home Newsletterhttps://lettersfromhomepodcast.com/newsletter/Letters From Home Podcast is on Instagram, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher,  Alexa, Siri, Amazon, Audible,  Google, iHeartRadio and all of the places podcasts live. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MegGlesener)

This week Tayler & Christine dive into the stories of Georgia Tann who ran the Tennessee Children's Home Society and a list some of the most cursed movie sets!