Skip to content

Topic: Youth

His Tool Helped 13,000 Families Out of Crisis. This is How | Restore Hope

Paul Chapman spent years doing charitable work until he finally got frustrated by this: the people trying to help were often doing great work — but they were doing it in silos and too many families still weren’t flourishing. 

So he built “HopeHub” to connect nonprofits, churches, law enforcement, child welfare, treatment providers, and others around the very same family, so that they could stop making families try to find help in 10 different places and start working together to empower them. What started as an effort to help 100 families has now reached more than 13,000 and in Sebastian County, Arkansas family reunification rates have gone from a statewide average of 43% to 70% for Hope Hub clients! 

This innovative leader will teach you how changing the world can start with only 100 families — and why breaking down silos just might be one of the most powerful ways to change lives.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, “the hero’s journey for service” at 10LevelChallenge.org

HIGHLIGHTS: His Tool Helped 13,000 Families Out of Crisis. This is How | Restore Hope

Paul Chapman spent years doing charitable work until he finally got frustrated by this: the people trying to help were often doing great work — but they were doing it in silos and too many families still weren’t flourishing. 

So he built “HopeHub” to connect nonprofits, churches, law enforcement, child welfare, treatment providers, and others around the very same family, so that they could stop making families try to find help in 10 different places and start working together to empower them. What started as an effort to help 100 families has now reached more than 13,000 and in Sebastian County, Arkansas family reunification rates have gone from a statewide average of 43% to 70% for Hope Hub clients! 

This innovative leader will teach you how changing the world can start with only 100 families — and why breaking down silos just might be one of the most powerful ways to change lives.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, “the hero’s journey for service” at 10LevelChallenge.org

The Forgotten Club That Once Had 1 Million Members

In this Shop Talk, Bill and Alex dive into the odd history of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows – one of the largest organizations most Americans have never heard of. At their peak, they had over a million members and thousands of lodges across the country. They cared for widows and orphans, built hospitals, and more than 800 cemeteries. And then, slowly, they disappeared.

If you’ve ever wondered why community feels harder to find than it used to – or why civic life seems to be quietly fading – this episode might be the most important conversation you hear this week. It’s a history lesson that hits surprisingly close to home.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, “the hero’s journey for service” at 10LevelChallenge.org

 

Inside the Town Run Entirely By 10-Year-Olds | Junior Achievement

Economic mobility has dropped 45% in recent decades. The American Dream – doing better than your parents did – is getting harder to reach. But Leigh Mansberg and Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South are doing something about it. In this conversation with Bill, Leigh breaks down how Junior Achievement uses experiential learning to unlock economic mobility for kids K-12 – and why giving a child hope might be the most important thing a community can do. This episode will change how you think about education, opportunity, and what it means to invest in the next generation. This episode is for everyone who wants to see the American Dream continue on through future generations.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, “the hero’s journey for service” at 10LevelChallenge.org

 

HIGHLIGHTS: Inside the Town Run Entirely By 10-Year-Olds | Junior Achievement

Economic mobility has dropped 45% in recent decades. The American Dream – doing better than your parents did – is getting harder to reach. But Leigh Mansberg and Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South are doing something about it. In this conversation with Bill, Leigh breaks down how Junior Achievement uses experiential learning to unlock economic mobility for kids K-12 – and why giving a child hope might be the most important thing a community can do. This episode will change how you think about education, opportunity, and what it means to invest in the next generation. This episode is for everyone who wants to see the American Dream continue on through future generations.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, “the hero’s journey for service” at 10LevelChallenge.org

 

HIGHLIGHTS: This State Is Solving The Foster Care Crisis (Here’s How)

This is the shorter “highlights” version of the episode. 

Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Chris Campbell, Executive Director of Oklahoma’s 111 Project, to unpack how Oklahoma has cut the number of children in foster care nearly in half—from 11,500 to 6,000—and what communities across America can learn from their success.

Rather than pointing fingers at government, Chris shares how churches, nonprofits, everyday citizens, and public agencies began working together to build practical pathways for people to help. From recruiting foster families to preventing children from entering foster care in the first place, this conversation is full of ideas that any community can adopt.

Chris also shares the deeply personal moment that changed the course of his life: holding a two-day-old baby with nowhere to go.

In this episode:

  • Why America has a foster parent shortage—and the consequences for children.
  • How Oklahoma dramatically reduced the number of kids in foster care.
  • Why prevention is just as important as recruiting foster families.
  • The story behind CarePortal and how a simple app is helping keep families together.
  • Why supporting struggling families often matters more than removing children.
  • The surprising role churches can play in solving one of America’s biggest challenges.

If An Army of Normal Folks each did what we can, this is one problem we really can solve.

Check out the resources below!

RESOURCES

Learn more about 111 Project at 111Project.org | One Church, One Family, One Purpose

Follow 111 Project on socials @111projectok

Interested in fostering? Search for foster parent classes in your community and join them. No commitment required. Exploration is the first step. 

Want to help prevent kids from unnecessarily entering foster care? Sign up for CarePortal at https://www.careportal.org/

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, “the hero’s journey for service” at 10LevelChallenge.org

This State Is Solving The Foster Care Crisis (Here’s How)

Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Chris Campbell, Executive Director of Oklahoma’s 111 Project, to unpack how Oklahoma has cut the number of children in foster care nearly in half—from 11,500 to 6,000—and what communities across America can learn from their success.

Rather than pointing fingers at government, Chris shares how churches, nonprofits, everyday citizens, and public agencies began working together to build practical pathways for people to help. From recruiting foster families to preventing children from entering foster care in the first place, this conversation is full of ideas that any community can adopt.

Chris also shares the deeply personal moment that changed the course of his life: holding a two-day-old baby with nowhere to go.

In this episode:

  • Why America has a foster parent shortage—and the consequences for children.
  • How Oklahoma dramatically reduced the number of kids in foster care.
  • Why prevention is just as important as recruiting foster families.
  • The story behind CarePortal and how a simple app is helping keep families together.
  • Why supporting struggling families often matters more than removing children.
  • The surprising role churches can play in solving one of America’s biggest challenges.

If An Army of Normal Folks each did what we can, this is one problem we really can solve.

Check out the resources below!

RESOURCES

Learn more about 111 Project at 111Project.org | One Church, One Family, One Purpose

Follow 111 Project on socials @111projectok

Interested in fostering? Search for foster parent classes in your community and join them. No commitment required. Exploration is the first step. 

Want to help prevent kids from unnecessarily entering foster care? Sign up for CarePortal at https://www.careportal.org/

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, “the hero’s journey for service” at 10LevelChallenge.org

The 36 Year-Old Single Woman Who’s Fostered 67 Kids—And Will Change Your Life (Pt 1)

At 25 years old, while many young people are still trying to way their way in life, MK Hill made one of the most mature decisions you can make—to foster a child.

Today, at just 36 years old, the single woman has fostered 67 children, adopted six, and has built a home where kids who have experienced unimaginable trauma can find safety, love, and belonging.

Even if we never reach MK’s level of righteous craziness, her story will show you how we’re far more capable than we allow ourselves to believe. And support foster and adoptive families like hers. 

Support MK’s nonprofit Many Arrows: https://arrowsnest.givingfuel.com/arrows-nest

Follow MK on socials @manyarrowsmama

Subscribe to the podcast, join the Army at NormalFolks.org, and follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

The 36 Year-Old Single Woman Who’s Fostered 67 Kids—And Will Change Your Life (Pt 2)

At 25 years old, while many young people are still trying to way their way in life, MK Hill made one of the most mature decisions you can make—to foster a child.

Today, at just 36 years old, the single woman has fostered 67 children, adopted six, and has built a home where kids who have experienced unimaginable trauma can find safety, love, and belonging.

Even if we never reach MK’s level of righteous craziness, her story will show you how we’re far more capable than we allow ourselves to believe. And support foster and adoptive families like hers. 

Support MK’s nonprofit Many Arrows: https://arrowsnest.givingfuel.com/arrows-nest

Follow MK on socials @manyarrowsmama

Subscribe to the podcast, join the Army at NormalFolks.org, and follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks