Wendy Strauss’s story began with a slip of paper discovered in her late mother’s tidy little office. It was a simple note titled “Mom’s Christmas Stocking,” asking her children to keep filling a stocking for Mom by giving it to a woman who needed “a shot of love.” That tender request became a calling. What started as one timid lunch-hour drop-off blossomed into an annual community tradition that now fills hundreds of beautifully curated stockings for women in shelters, prisons, and recovery programs across New York City, each one a love letter, a reminder that someone sees you and you matter. In this episode, Wendy shares how she transformed her grief into grace, how a single note became a nationwide movement (Mom’s Christmas Stocking), and how giving on any scale can be profoundly healing.

Join this week’s conversation between Charity Matters founder, Heidi Johnson, and founder of Uprising Yoga, Jill Weiss Ippolito. Jill’s journey is a full-circle story; From an angry, hurting teenager to a joyful healer bringing trauma-informed yoga and life skills to youth in juvenile halls. She discovered a gift that first saved her own life: breath, presence, and the slow, steady return to self. And then she did the most beautiful thing....she gave that gift away, again and again, to kids who need it most. Listen to learn how a $10, ten-day yoga pass became a mission, how community shows up when we “look for the helpers,” and how gifts once found, can change the world.

Some stories meet you in the deepest places and still lift you higher. This week, you’ll meet Kate Doerge....wife, mother, builder of community......who turned the unthinkable loss of her daughter, Penny, into a living legacy called Penny’s Flight. What began in a cocoon of love and butterflies has become a national movement of students, families, and friends spreading wings for those living with neurofibromatosis. Kate’s pillars; finding beauty in imperfection, choosing positivity in the face of challenge, and having faith over fear.....these aren’t just slogans; they’re the way she gets up, puts both feet on the floor, and kee\ps going. You can feel Penny’s light in every word.

John Snyder’s story begins on a first date with his wife, Nikki, when the two of them decided to do something radically simple: instead of sending candy to their toner customers, they’d use that money to feed people experiencing homelessness. That small act became Project Pop Drop. A monthly movement that rallies “givefluencers” to bring meals, new socks and clothing, and joy-filled experiences to shelters across Los Angeles. Today, Pop Drop is more than a delivery....it’s Easter bunnies and race cars for kids, partners who show up with food and gift cards, and even tiny homes that help families move from encampments into dignity and safety. This week’s episode is a shot of hope and action, packed with contagious energy, hard-won wisdom, and tangible ways to help!

Drawing from Hayden’s love of hockey, Rob used the term “Shoulder Check” not just as a sports reference but as the cornerstone for a movement. What began as a nod to the game has become a beautiful legacy of connection and care. Shoulder Check is about more than hockey.....it’s a mission and a movement about reaching out, checking in, and making contact with those around us. Rob’s story is one of resilience, love, and the reminder that even in the deepest grief, we can create something profoundly good. Take a listen and you will want to be a part of this...

This week on the Season Nine Premiere we sit down with Mindy Richenstein, the founder of Supplies for Success, a nonprofit that has been equipping children with dignity and the tools they need to learn for more than twenty-four years. What began as a small effort to help 68 students has now touched the lives of over 300,000 children. In our conversation, Mindy shares her powerful journey of resilience, the heartbreaking loss that deepened her mission, and the joy of turning pain into purpose. Her story is a reminder that something as simple as a backpack can carry more than supplies......it can carry confidence, opportunity, and hope.

In our 90th episode of Charity Matters, Terry Grahl shares how her childhood struggles and her mother’s resilience inspired her to create Enchanted Makeovers. Her national nonprofit, Enchanted Makeovers, transforms shelters into beautiful, healing spaces for women and children escaping violence and trafficking. Guided by faith and a promise she made to women living in despair, Terry’s journey is one of grit, grace, and listening to a quiet calling. Her story reminds us that even one simple act of love can ripple out to change countless lives. Tune in to be inspired by how hope, creativity, and human connection can restore hearts and homes alike.

As schools are getting ready to close for the summer, today we are talking about what it takes to start a school. What started as a simple realization....a moment of wondering how a mother experiencing homelessness could possibly make it through the day....sparked a movement that’s changing lives and rewriting futures. Kate Kennedy founded a school for children without housing, creating a safe, supportive space where students can rise beyond their circumstances and write their own success stories. She took on the impossible by raising millions, building a school from the ground up, and empowering families who are often invisible in our system. Her journey is a testament to the power of listening, trusting yourself, and doing what you know is right, even when the world doubts you.