AMPED Founder & President Dave Christopher opens up about overcoming personal struggles that shaped him into the leader he is today.

In this episode, Dave shares what it was like to have inconsistent access to food at an early age. He invites us into what drives him everyday and reflects on what it takes to lead a nonprofit through the highs and lows.

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Dave takes us through the origin story of AMPED—Adventurous Minds Produce Extraordinary Dreams—which began as a bond with his son over music. Today, the nonprofit is changing the footprint in the West End with more than just music, but by providing a pathway out of poverty.

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SVDP USA National President John Berry shares his unexpected journey into the organization and his deep passion for homeless prevention.

In this episode, John invites us into the rich history of St. Vincent de Paul and investing in a mission that's bigger than ourselves.

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He talks about how he ended up at SVDP and the organization's growth, which is now ranked 59th on Forbes' list of largest nonprofits (up from 75th last year). He also makes the connection between the conferences and St. Vincent de Paul, the spiritual side of serving, and the SVDP National Conference comes to Louisville in August 2025!

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Metro United Way CEO Adria Johnson's upbringing and adulthood hasn't been easy. But her faith has kept her standing stronger than ever.

In this episode, Adria opens up about her story. Though she experienced poverty and was a product of a divorced home, she believes God used her childhood to shape her life's purpose.

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Here's what we talked about in this episode:

• The road Adria traveled to get to where she is today.
• Metro United Way's mission and hope for the community.
• Adria's leadership style and how to lead on empty.
• Adria lost both her parents and son Kenneth Rhodes, II, within a year after becoming CEO at Metro United Way. Kenneth tragically passed away at 29-years-old. She shares about still working through grief and how she continues to honor her son’s legacy.
• Adria offers advice for women just starting out in their career.

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For many families, a fruit basket on the kitchen counter and a stocked refrigerator are the norm. We don’t even think twice about it. However, that’s not the case for everyone.

In this episode, we take a deeper dive into food insecurity. We invited onto the show Kroger Corporate Affairs Manager Jessica Sharp and longtime Food Pantry volunteers John and Betsy Bowling, who are Holy Trinity Catholic Church and St. Vincent de Paul Holy Trinity Conference members.

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Here are the topics we covered:

• The ripple effect of food insecurity in one's life.
• Kroger's response to rising grocery costs.
• The life-changing impact regular access to healthy food can have on a community.
• How the Bowling's love story began at the Food Pantry?
• The Food Pantry is serving 20 times more people than the initial estimate in 2014. As we celebrate its 10-year anniversary, we reflect on the unique comradery between volunteers and clients.

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JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio and Evolve502 CEO Marland Cole joined us as this month's podcast guests because our missions closely align. As our Family Success Center celebrates 10 years of providing year-round educational and social development opportunities to the next generation, we are grateful for our partnership with them.

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Here were some conversation topics...

• Marty talks about initially wanting to be a basketball coach and serving under Indiana Hoosiers legend Bob Knight
• Marty's journey in teaching, which started at JCPS in 1996
• Why public school and alternative JCPS options are still a strong and viable option for families
• Marland shares how Evolve502 is opening doors for JCPS students after high school
• Marty and Marland open up about how they handle the pressure and criticism of being a high-level leader
• What JCPS learned from last year's busing system issues. Marty shares how he and his team have made strides to improve school transportation

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Do you truly care about the homeless? CEO Jennifer Clark encourages us to build empathy for the unhoused population in this podcast episode.

If you haven’t heard the news, Jennifer was promoted to St. Vincent de Paul Louisville’s Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director upon Dave Calzi's retirement in late July, who will continue to support SVDP in a newly created advocacy role. Jennifer serves as the first female leader in the organization’s 170-year history!

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Jennifer talks about...

• How she ended up in the nonprofit world
• Leadership transitions and the future of SVDP
• If people choose to be homeless
• How her personal faith influences her work

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If you hope to learn more about the state of homelessness in the U.S. and what we can do about it, Kevin Adler's new book, “When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America,” is a must-read guide.

Watch: YouTube

Kevin’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, on a billboard in Times Square, and in his TED Talk.

As the Founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization Miracle Messages in 2014, Kevin leads a global community of volunteers and referral partners, who have successfully reconnected more than 900 people experiencing homelessness with their loved ones, matched 350 unhoused individuals with volunteers for weekly calls and texts, and launched one of the first basic income pilots for the homeless in the U.S. This has resulted in more than two-thirds of people getting housed.

Our CEO Dave Calzi spoke virtually with Kevin about these topics:

• One out of every two Americans is one paycheck away from homelessness. If that’s true, then why aren't more people homeless?
• Miracle Messages is all about the term "relational poverty." Kevin shares how that's the basis of his organization's strategy.
• What is the overall message of “When We Walk By?"
• Is it fair or proper to label the homeless as "the homeless?" Or is their an alternative way we can talk about those in need?
• Kevin shares that homelessness may be the most intersectional issue in America because there are a lot of “systems” at work. What are the current systems and how have they been set up for those experiencing homelessness to fail?

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Have you ever had one of those days? Well, Whitney Austin had herself a day on Sept. 6, 2018. In our 26th podcast episode, she opens up about her survival story during the mass shooting in the lobby at Fifth Third Bank Headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.

For Whitney to survive after being shot 12 times is a miracle in and of itself, but even more incredible is how she started the nonprofit Whitney/Strong less than a month later to find common ground to end gun violence. You can download to listen, or watch now!

Watch: https://youtu.be/kX_LSr_M1yY

Our CEO Dave Calzi sits down with Whitney to talk about these topics:

• What kept her fighting on that fateful day in 2018, and how the trajectory of her life changed from that moment on?
• Whitney cofounded the nonprofit Whitney/Strong, whose mission is to find common ground to end gun violence through data-driven, responsible gun ownership solutions. She shares the initiatives her organization has spearheaded to create a safer community. This includes advice for parents on how to talk to their children about this tough topic.
• Gun rights are a divisive topic across America. Sometimes we can feel like we must choose a side—to have a gun or not to have a gun. Whitney shares the stance she believes people should take in terms of gun rights.
• Mass shootings can be a loaded term that we may not fully or accurately understand. Whitney reveals what she's learned about mass shootings in our country and encourages our audience to read "The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic."
• Whitney opens up about the aftermath and how she found healing from trauma, grew in her mental health, and leaned into close relationships during that season of her life.

To learn more, visit www.whitneystrong.org/.

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