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This is a service-oriented podcast where we highlight the helpers who inspire us all to do something more. We 'highlight the helpers' and tell the inspiring stories of others (individuals, organizations, and nonprofits) who have found unique ways to give back to their communities. And we inspire listeners to 'do something more' with simple ideas on how you can serve, volunteer and make a difference. Weekly interview and solo episodes hosted by Melissa Draper. You can contact Melissa at dosom ...
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Send us a text Anadine Marshall has done work with many nonprofits in a variety of ways…and right now she’s serving as the Programs Director with the nonprofit Charity Vision. I was so inspired by this nonprofit and the work they do to not only restore curable sight impairment worldwide…but also the goal they have of empowering the communities they…
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Send us a text In the United States, September 11 has been officially recognized and established under federal law as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Organizations all over the nation…including nonprofits, employers, faith and religious groups, cities and schools…organize projects and use this day to encourage the people of our nation to…
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67. Rebroadcast: Amy Francis with 'Rocky Mountain Therapy Dogs' and Providing Health, Hope, and Healing to the Community with Therapy Dogs
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Send us a text Amy Francis is the Founder and CEO of Rocky Mountain Therapy Dogs. They are a non-profit that offers training and certification of dogs, as well as connecting dog handlers with service opportunities in the community. Therapy dogs are a little different than service animals. While they are working dogs, instead of providing a service …
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66. Rebroadcast: Camber Hess, Using Service to Cope with Grief and Her 'Infant Loss Stories' Project
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Send us a text This podcast episode is a sweet and tender interview with my husband’s cousin, Camber Hess. Camber lost one of her daughters as an infant several years ago, and has also experienced infertility and miscarriage. In this episode she talks about those experiences, and shares how receiving heartfelt service from others helped her cope wi…
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Send us a text Hello! I'm back after a little summer break. I'm so happy to be back here...we've got a lot of great episodes coming up on the podcast. But today, I'm sharing some thoughts with you on why doing a small act of service might be just what you need on a bad day. I also talk about how I love sharing doable ideas on this podcast so ANYONE…
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Send us a text Shauna Brown has been with Project Read for over 20 years…she started out as a volunteer herself, and is now the Executive Director. Project Read is an adult literacy program where they help individuals gain the skills they need in reading, writing, math, and even digital skills. One thing I especially love about this episode is all …
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Send us a text After a 5 year battle with cancer, Quinton Muir passed away in 2017 at the age of 16. Now his parents, Jeff and Lori Muir are running a foundation called the Ironman Q Foundation to honor his memory and to help other families who find themselves navigating a cancer diagnosis. This of course was a tender interview as Lori shared her m…
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Send us a text Vaughn Kimball is my older brother…but he’s also had a lot of experience working with youth through work and also a variety of volunteer roles and opportunities. For this episode I asked him if he could talk about being a volunteer coach for kids sports teams. He shares a lot of good advice and encouragement for anyone that’s ever th…
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Send us a text Summertime for many of us also means vacation time! In this episode I’m sharing some of my own reasons for why service on vacation is a great idea. I also have some simple tips for how you can make service happen: some of them you can do with little to no planning, and some take just a little planning. I hope after this episode you c…
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60. Meg Busing with 'Midwest You Can Foundation' and Creating Empowerment and Community for Individuals Navigating Epilepsy
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Send us a text When she was a freshman in high school, Meg Busing was in a tragic car accident with some of her friends. She ended up with a traumatic brain injury and as a teenager had to learn how to navigate life with a distinct set of new challenges. She was able to successfully graduate high school, but a few years later in college, she had he…
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59. Jen Simonic and Masey Kaplan with 'Loose Ends' and Matching Crafters with Projects People Have Left Unfinished Due to Death or Disability
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Send us a text Jen Simonic and Masey Kaplan are both crafters at heart and have been friends for over 30 years. After having their own experiences with finishing crafting projects for other friends and loved ones who had passed away, they started tossing around the idea of a nonprofit where they could create a community of crafters who would be ava…
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Send us a text It’s Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday here in the United States…so this episode is dedicated to all the good women out there and the good service they do with their own families and those around them. First, I'm sharing some pretty personal thoughts about a conversation I had years ago that gave me a shift on my motherhood and navi…
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57. Melanie Rodger with 'Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep' and Providing Remembrance Portraits to Parents Experiencing the Death of a Baby
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Send us a text Melanie Rodger lost her first son just 32 hours after his birth when she was 20 years old. That loss prompted her to want to seek community and not feel alone as she navigated the grieving process. During that time, she learned about 'Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep', a nonprofit that provides remembrance portraits to parents experiencing…
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56. Krysti Wright with 'Stitching Hearts Worldwide' and Providing Service Opportunities to Create Handmade Items for People in Need
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Send us a text Several years ago Krysti Wright felt nudged to more intentionally start using her gifts and talents to make a difference in the world. She had always loved doing long-arm quilting and decided that was where she could make her contribution. She started off with a small group of women who worked together making and donating quilts to d…
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Send us a text Time! We all wish we had more of it! Especially when it comes to serving and helping others, many of us feel we wish we had time to do more of those good things we’ve felt inspired or nudged to do. In this episode I’m sharing some of my thoughts on time and submitting the idea that we are more in control than we think. I talk about t…
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54. Janelle Christensen with 'Family Haven' and Working to Prevent and Treat Child Abuse by Providing Support and Healing to Families
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Send us a text Janelle Christensen has been involved with Family Haven in a myriad of ways for almost 15 years and right now she serves as the Director. On this episode of the podcast she shares how Family Haven fulfills its primary purpose of preventing and treating child abuse. What impressed me in this interview is Family Haven truly believes in…
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53. Brady and Andrea Murray with 'Rods Heroes' and Inspiring Families to Answer the Call to Adopt Children in Unique Circumstances
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Send us a text Brady and Andrea Murray are the parents of 11 children, 7 of them they adopted into their family. Their journey with adoption and their passion for advocating for children began after their first son was born with Down syndrome. Soon after that, they became aware of the fate that many children born with Down syndrome around the world…
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Send us a text This week the podcast is celebrating one year! I am so proud of putting out an episode each week for one whole year. I also am so, so grateful for every guest that graciously gives of their time to come on the show, and each person that downloads, follows, or shares. This episode is a fun one celebrating the podcast...I'm sharing som…
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51. Kristen Carr with 'People Helping People' and Teaching Low-Income Women How to Gain Good Employment
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Send us a text ‘People Helping People’ is a non-profit organization that likes to say they are often in the business of building confidence. They help primarily women and single mothers gain and keep good employment so they can provide for themselves and their families. My guest on the podcast this week Kristen Carr is the Community Outreach Coordi…
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50. Tallia Feltis with 'The Neighborhood Art Center' and Providing an Engaging Space for Kids to Create Art
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Send us a text Tallia Feltis was raising her young kids in Provo, Utah when she realized they needed an accessible and affordable place they could go to create, explore, learn and try new things. She decided to be the one to create that community space, and the Neighborhood Art Center was born. Tallia’s taken her passions from visiting other Childr…
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Send us a text Anxiety and depression have been a reality for me like they are for many others. In this episode I share what I’ve learned about the nature of managing my own mental health, and one way of doing it is to find regular things I put in my daily life and routines that help me navigate those challenges and keep moving forward. I share why…
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48. Wendy Osborne with 'Tabitha's Way' Food Pantry and Helping People Through Tough Times by Providing Temporary Food Assistance
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Send us a text Wendy Osborne was working in a corporate career when she found herself on a spiritual journey and felt inspiration come that she needed to open a local food pantry in her community. She decided to name the pantry ‘Tabitha’s Way’ after a story from the Bible about a woman who provided food and clothing to the needy. That was in 2010, …
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47. Ivan Gonzalez with 'Best Seat in the House' and Providing Joy and Fun for Children Experiencing Difficult Times
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Send us a text Several years ago, Ivan Gonzalez wanted to throw himself a birthday party. But it was a little different than your typical party. At this party he wanted to invite children and families going through hard times, whether it be because of poverty and finances, or because of a medical diagnosis, or special needs. After having a great ti…
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Send us a Text Message. On this episode I'm sharing 3 simple ways anyone can use service to strengthen, boost, or improve their relationship with their spouse or significant other. And of course, I share a few stories about me and my husband! At its core, service is an act of love. It naturally brings good feelings with it and helps us feel connect…
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Send us a text Dorthy Haskell has loved horses all her life. After receiving some training and working with adults as a certified clinical hypnotherapist, she decided to combine her lifelong love of horses with her skills and training, and now serves children and teenagers with her equine therapy practice. I loved this episode because like any good…
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Send us a text Brent Crane has been with the Food and Care Coalition for 35 years, so he has a lot of experience and expertise to share when it comes to serving and helping the homeless and those in poverty. On this episode he starts off explaining how the Food and Care Coalition began as a truly grassroots movement, the ways they collaborate with …
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Send us a text We've all had that moment when we've come home from work or a party or other social function...and realized we had something in our teeth, or our fly was down, or there was some food dribbled on our shirt...or whatever it might be! In that moment we wonder how long we walked around like that and maybe might have even wished someone w…
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42. Brice Julian with 'Hardhats of Hope' and Helping with Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Blue-Collar Careers
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Send us a text The statistics surrounding suicide in construction and other blue-collar careers are alarming. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that they have some of the highest rates of suicide among all other occupations. My guest on the podcast this week, Brice Julian, has seen some of the effects of working in these professions firs…
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41. Tiffany Larson with 'Days for Girls' and Working to Create a World Where Periods Are Never a Problem
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Send us a text 'Days for Girls' is an organization that is working to improve the livelihood for women and girls all over the world, through education and by providing the resources necessary to eliminate the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation. My guest on the podcast this week, Tiffany Larson, is the CEO of 'Days for Girls' and sh…
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40. How a Simple Act of Service on Christmas Day Lifted Me During a Hard Time and Helped Me See My Worth
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Send us a text Listen to the podcast this week to hear a special Christmas story that happened to me several years ago. I was struggling as a young mother with depression and anxiety, and this simple opportunity I had to help someone else on Christmas day helped me feel God's love and gave me something to hold on to during a difficult time. It's a …
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39. Ben Lyne from @runnerguywithasign and Spreading Encouragement and Inspiration through Motivational Running
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Send us a text Ben Lyne is a runner and for over 2 years he kept having the thought that he could use those regular runs to inspire and motivate others…by holding a sign while he ran that says ‘I Believe In You’. He finally got the courage to act on those thoughts a couple of years ago, and the reaction and feedback he’s received has been tremendou…
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38. Katie Bunnell with 'Live Your Dream Foundation' and Helping Single Mothers with Their Education
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Send us a text For the podcast this week I had the opportunity to talk with Katie Bunnell, co-founder and President of the Live Your Dream Foundation. The foundation awards scholarships to single mothers in Utah to help them complete their education so they can better provide for their families. Their scholarships can be used at any university, col…
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Send us a text It’s the holiday season! Many of us are shopping for family members and buying gifts for others, so I wanted to share a few thoughts on the podcast this week about leaving reviews. I share a story at the beginning that really illustrates this idea, and I also give three ideas on ways you can leave a review and why it might matter. Le…
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Send us a text This week for the podcast I am featuring my sister, Catherine Cheshire. Catherine is the mother of 8 children and has so much wisdom to share on serving your family and finding meaning, purpose, and joy in that service. She sprinkled so many good nuggets of wisdom throughout this whole interview. Catherine shared her thoughts on why …
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35. Amy Francis with 'Rocky Mountain Therapy Dogs' and Providing Health, Hope, and Healing to the Community with Therapy Dogs
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Send us a text My guest on the podcast this week is Amy Francis, the Founder and CEO of Rocky Mountain Therapy Dogs. They are a non-profit that offers training and certification of dogs, as well as connecting dog handlers with service opportunities in the community. Therapy dogs are a little different than service animals. While they are working do…
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Send us a text Today for the podcast I'm sharing a few thoughts on choosing an abundance mindset and the benefits of establishing a regular ritual for expressing gratitude. And of course, I talk about how that's all connected to service and giving back! Listen to the episode to get some inspiration on how you can start having more of an abundance m…
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Send us a text The 'Revolving Closet' is a community supported idea, where anyone can come to find children's clothes for their kids for free, and donate clothes as well. They are locally managed and overseen by individuals who run them out of their homes and do it all on a completely volunteer basis. Brianna Call has been running a 'Revolving Clos…
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Send us a text I loved my conversation with Michelle Cox for this episode! Michelle helps parents find joy in parenting through building connection with their children and finding confidence in themselves. She offers classes and coaching through her company 'Build Family Connection,' and I'm so grateful she was willing to come on the podcast and sh…
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Send us a text I spend a lot of time on this podcast talking about serving and giving in unique ways, but for today's episode I'm flipping it around and giving advice on how to be a better receiver. Admittedly, this is something I have struggled with myself in the past, but it's also something I've recognized I need to work on...because serving and…
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30. Best Bagalwa with the 'Bagalwa Foundation' and Restoring Hope for People Living in the war-torn Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Send us a text It started as a tradition Best Bagalwa and her husband did with their children. During the holidays and at other times, instead of giving presents or other things they would gather donations or buy necessities to send to communities in Africa. But after a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and visiting some of the communiti…
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Send us a text This was such a sweet and tender interview with my husband’s cousin, Camber Hess. Camber lost one of her daughters as an infant several years ago, and has also experienced infertility and miscarriage. In this episode she talks about those experiences, and shares how receiving heartfelt service from others helped her cope with her gri…
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Send us a text I shared the quote in today's podcast title a couple weeks ago on a solo episode...and today I'm sharing the sweet story behind it! Listen to the podcast to hear it and also get a gentle reminder that acting on the simple, good thoughts we have can truly make a difference. Devotional talk mentioned in the podcast: BYU Devotional Febr…
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27. Tanya Macdonald with 'Embrace You' and Helping Teenage Girls and Women with Positive Body Image
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Send us a text While working as a health coach at a local university, Tanya Macdonald met many women who struggled with body image issues and realized a lot of them carried those from their youth and teenage years. She wanted to find a unique way to reach teen girls before they started developing things like physical insecurities or body shame. She…
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26. Jessica Farnsworth with '100 Women Who Care' and Combining Charitable Gifts to Make a Meaningful Impact
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Send us a text This week for the podcast I interviewed Jessica Farnsworth who helps run the Utah Valley chapter of '100 Women Who Care'. This organization takes crowd funding to a whole new awesome level! Members meet quarterly to choose non-profits in their local community to give their combined donations to. Each member commits to giving $100 eac…
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Send us a text One of the goals of this podcast is to encourage listeners with ideas on how to make service a regular part of your life...so the topic I'm addressing this week is actually talked about on the podcast all the time! But I wanted to put some of these ideas together in one episode. Give it a listen to hear some simple tips that I hope w…
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Send us a text It started with Stephanie DeCremer's animal-loving daughter finding simple ways to raise money for their local Humane Society, and has now turned into over five years of Stephanie and her children volunteering together there every week. They have done everything from walking dogs and cleaning kennels, to helping with special fundrais…
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Send us a text Shauna Brown is the Executive Director of Project Read, a program that helps adults with literacy through one-on-one tutoring and small group instruction. On this episode she shares inspiring stories on how this organization truly is changing lives by helping adults acquire the skills they need in reading, writing, digital literacy, …
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Send us a text Several years ago I had a neat experience that impacted me and taught me the true power a compliment can have, even with a stranger. Listen to the episode to hear my story (I promise it's pretty cool!) and why I think complimenting others can be a great act of service.Melissa Draper
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21. Melissa Christensen with 'Utah Kids Foundation' and Supporting Families and Individuals with Special Needs
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Send us a text Melissa Christensen is the mother of three children, two with special needs. She knows what it's like to learn how to advocate for and support a special needs child, all while navigating the medical needs and different unique challenges that come up along the way. She has used that experience and knowledge to assist other families fo…
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Send us a text Cari Bartholomew is passionate about education, advocating for children, and empowering others through information. She has been spending a lot of time this summer at different camps for children, performing and reenacting the role of Harriet Tubman. I loved not only learning more about Harriet and her story in this interview, but al…
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