Since childhood, Sara developed maladaptive behaviours growing up in a tiny shack with no electricity and an abusive father who sold her to the sex trade at the age of three. In and out of foster care for much of her life, it was finding herself in prison where Sara finally decided it was time to seek support and services for her mental health. Initially denied, she fought for access to services, and for what she couldn’t receive, she taught herself. Since her release, nothing has stopped her from fighting for justice. In her role at Northpine Foundation, Sara has served over 7500 formerly incarcerated people, reduced homelessness by 86%, lowered recidivism to 4.7%, and saved taxpayers over $1.13 billion of incarceration fees per year, over $68 million per year in hospital stays, and over $43 million in emergency visits. She also raised median income for formerly incarcerated people from $14,000 to $58,000. But her biggest impact has been looking into the eyes of the prison guard who sexually assaulted her and countless women in prison, and saying that she believed in him and forgave him. In this episode, Sara tells her story from the greater thread of social justice — from the effects of colonization on the prison system, the programming of society, and the political system. For Sara, social justice looks like changing the system; specifically, it’s rebuilding the house from the very foundations.

The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe!

The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier".

Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cheri Chafin Norris was 16 years old when she became addicted to methamphetamine — and her father’s drug dealer. She wrote to God through her journals for 20 years, recently digging through them to put together her new book, ​The Purpose of Abundance​, re-discovering her own connection to God, the miracles that were always in front of her, and religion's reflection in modern society. She sifts through experiences dealing with addiction, recovery, and relationships, dismantling shame along the way. Now, a speaker, entrepreneur, and investor, Cheri helps incarcerated people find jobs, reminding us the wisdom of God is always available, even when it feels like He isn’t there.

Get your copy of The Purpose of Abundance on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Purpose-Abundance-40-Day-Guide-Hearing/dp/1964251931

00:00 - Episode Primer

01:22 - The Purpose Of Abundance

03:16 - Becoming Dad's Drug Dealer

06:20 - Miracles

09:04 - Relationship & Addiction

14:06 - God In Modern Society

19:15 - Don't Stay The Shame

28:45 - Changing The Past

30:30 - God's Final Answer

36:09 - End Credits

The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe!

The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier".

Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I talk about headlining Transform The Night and how it all came to be with opening act, DJ Seith, and speaker, Karen Bird, Founder of Nakehndan.

Transform The Night was a benefit concert held on Sunday, September 28th, 2025. With a contribution from Northern Credit Union, we were able to contribute $3,000 CAD to our community spotlight partner, Nakehndan, supporting Indigenous survivors of abuse across Northern Ontario.

Headliner: Vanessa Ferlaino

Opening Artist: DJ Seith

Community Spotlight: Nakehndan

Speaker: Vanessa Ferlaino

Speaker: Karen Bird / Nakehndan

Venue: The Speakeasy

Video: Rogers

The Human Challenge is hosted and produced by Vanessa Ferlaino. Watch the full episode on her Youtube channel here. Don't forget to subscribe!

The Human Challenge is an award-winning podcast, recognized by Amazon Music and ACAST as an "Indie Podcast Amplifier".

Guess what? We're on Rogers TV! Check us out there!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.