The Podcast
Sharing stories of love, kindness and inspiration from everyday people whose simple acts of kindness have touched so many hearts and made a huge impact on their community.
Latest Episodes
Beyond the Ballpark: Life Lessons from Adoption and Community Engagement with Ben DeCastro
Host Chris and guest Ben DeCastro reflect on the phrase 'sometimes the flowers arrange themselves,' connecting it to navigating COVID and a long foster-to-adoption journey. They discuss their shared radio background, Ben's work as stadium announcer for the PawSox/WooSox, the legendary 1981 33-inning game, and why deteriorating McCoy Stadium facilities helped drive the move to Worcester's Polar Park. The conversation emphasizes community engagement and charity, citing the Cardi family's example and the idea of living with an 'open hand.' Ben also describes Rhode Island's 'Anchor Weekend' foster-parent crash course, a difficult placement glitch that ultimately led to adopting his daughter Callie, and highlights ways to support foster kids through respite care, donations, and Bags of Hope duffel bags — ending with the belief that energy, not time, is the most precious commodity.
Planting Seeds of Kindness: Aussie/Nashville Country Artist Brittany Elise's Journey of Kindness and Music
Chris chats with Australian-born country artist Brittany Elise about her journey from a small northeast-coast Australian town to Nashville. They discuss how early leadership programs, sport, and community laid down the pathway to kindness and inspiration. Brittany shares a decade working with youth as a teacher and coach, including the 'R U OK?' movement to promote mental-health check-ins, and describes childhood fundraising 'Golden Mile' projects with her mother. She recounts a rare, severe knee injury that led her to pivot more fully into music, and discusses her early days, trips to Nashville, securing U.S. residency, buying a home, and the release of her brand new album — all while emphasizing patience, authenticity, kindness and 'planting seeds' over time.
Rethink Recycling: How Small Acts Lead to Big Change
Melissa Chaput talks about being kind to the planet through reducing, reusing, and recycling correctly. Using her 'Don't blow it. Good planets are hard to find' sign as a springboard, they explain how 'wish-cycling' and contamination can cause entire recycling truckloads to be rejected and landfilled. Melissa outlines generic recycling guidelines for paper, glass, metal and plastic, and discusses the other 5-R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair and Rot. Small acts can make the biggest of changes for our planet and our communities.
Surviving the Boston Marathon Bombing: Roseann Sdoia Materia's Story of Survival, Strength, and Paying It Forward
Boston Marathon bombing survivor Roseann Sdoia Materia shares her powerful journey of resilience, mindset, and turning tragedy into purpose. Roseann explains how positivity is a conscious choice and encourages listeners to reframe setbacks as 'bad moments' rather than 'bad days.' She vividly recounts April 15, 2013 — after leaving a Red Sox game, she headed to Boylston Street near the finish line to cheer on friends when the second bomb detonated at her feet, taking her right leg. A 19-year-old bystander carried her to safety. She opens up about life as an above-knee amputee, the power of survivor community and inclusion, her book Perfect Strangers, and the remarkable full-circle moment of meeting — and eventually marrying — the firefighter who helped transport her that day.
Living and Giving in the Moment: Stories of Inspiration and Embracing the Human Element with Jamel Hardtman
Chris talks with longtime friend Jamel Hardtman about slowing down, living in the moment and not taking people and experiences for granted. They share stories of how setbacks can become inflection points that lead to purposeful giving, and discuss the power of the How Can I Help movement to remove our self-focused blinders and actively seek ways to help others. They emphasize kindness as a muscle, encourage sharing positive feedback and other practical ways to be the light for others.
Two Jennifers, One Mission: How a Small Act of Kindness Blossomed into a Heartfelt Fight for Food Insecurities
Host Chris talks with longtime friends Jennifer Capracotta and Jennifer Fantozzi about founding Plates with Purpose — created after their 'How Can I Help?' moment to help a friend during the pandemic. Inspired by holiday giving and a struggling restaurant owner friend, they used donations to support local restaurants while those restaurants prepared and distributed quality meals to people facing food insecurity. The model quickly expanded to about a dozen restaurants and relied on relationship-building with schools, towns, and agencies, plus social media to attract donors.
Finding Purpose in Paws: How Julie Uthoff Transformed Grief into Passionate Animal Rescue
Julie Uthoff shares her lifelong commitment to animal rescue and the founding of Pawfect Life Rescue after her mother's passing. She describes how her 'How Can I Help?' moment led her to rescue over 2,500 dogs through honest, careful matching and building a loving community that feels more like family — plus a glimpse of her new 'Seniors for Seniors' program pairing older dogs with older adopters.
Caring for our Planet: Zookeeper and Conservationist, Betsey Brewer, Shares her Heartfelt Journeys of Kindness, Conservation and Community.
Betsey Brewer discusses conservation, kindness, and community — sharing the story of Southwick's Zoo and her nonprofit EARTH Ltd, which engages and inspires protection of biodiversity through hands-on experiences.
Brewing Kindness, Serving Acceptance: Holly Delrossi Shares her Story as a Mom with a Child on the Autism Spectrum.
Holly Delrossi shares her journey raising a son with autism and how it led her to create NeuroBrews — a mobile coffee trailer 'Brewing Kindness and Serving Acceptance' to build life skills and promote inclusion.
Turning Tragedy into Triumph: Michael 'Mookie' Wilson Shares How his Near Fatal Car Crash Led to Discovering the Superpower of Positivity.
Michael 'Mookie' Wilson recounts his near-fatal 2009 car crash and how a stranger's kindness saved his life. He founded the nonprofit Mookie's Miracle to teach youth the ABCs of Positivity: Accept, Believe, Commit.
Complacency Kills: Transitioning From USCG Special Ops to Civilian Life, Ben Hendricks Shares the Power of Forward Motion.
Ben Hendricks shares lessons from the US Coast Guard and how he co-founded The Garrison Speed Shop — a free workshop for veterans and first responders to rebuild camaraderie and access community resources.
Inspiring Change: How Two Teenage Sisters are Making A Difference Within Their Schools and Community Through Kindness.
Sisters Gwen and Mallory Clavet share how they founded the Ability Bridge Foundation at age 13 to promote inclusion for students with disabilities through education and community events.
