Hope Is My Middle Name

Almost Heaven, West Virginia isn’t just coal mines and country roads. Called the Birthplace of Rivers, the state sits on the Eastern Continental Divide, where 40 rivers and 56,000 miles of streams provide drinking water for millions of people from the Chesapeake Bay out to the Gulf of Mexico. And yet, while West Virginia serves the country with her pristine headwater streams, there are entire counties in the state that have been on boil water alerts for years, with wells contaminated by coal mining and fracking, with no infrastructure for clean drinking water, with no funding, and no real plan. Compounding that are issues of food insecurity, poverty, and addiction. With limited access to well-paying jobs, education, and broadband, West Virginia’s population continues to dwindle, and it leads the nation in opioid deaths. Where is the hope for a place like West Virginia? It’s in the people, and it's in the water, according to Angie Rosser, West Virginia’s Headwaters WaterKeeper and executive director of West Virginia Rivers Coalition. As Angie says, “We're well-positioned geographically, resource-wise, to have this paradigm shift around what it means to develop natural resources [...] as something to preserve and hold up, as something we are the keepers of. You can experience this and it will make meaning for your life, your family, your connection to nature and the bigger world around us. So I'm excited about that and that’s why I'm not leaving. I'm staying here.” Join us for a delightful conversation on rivers, resilience, and restoration born in the hills of Appalachia on this season finale episode of HOPE. Learn more about Angie Rosser and West Virginia Rivers Coalition at https://wvrivers.org/ If you liked this episode, listen next to Tim and Beth Reese: Building Small Town Resilience in West Virginia on HOPE Is My Middle Name season 2, episode 3. Follow Kate’s adventures through West Virginia on Made In America, now streaming on YouTube.com/ConsensusDigitalMedia Connect with Kate on YouTube.com/KateTucker and instagram.com/katetuckermusic and please follow, rate, and review the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it means a lot to us! Hosted and executive produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Terri Oyarzun can’t imagine life without goats. She grew up with goats, she met her husband out herding goats, and together they rescued 55 “Charlie Brown” goats and trained them to fight wildfires. Today, the 5,000 strong Goats R Us herd works with government agencies, universities, and communities to find innovative solutions for fire control and prevention, while advancing animal husbandry and livestock management in California’s increasingly challenging climate. “Fire season is twelve months out of the year now. The goats are protecting people. They're the four-legged firefighters of California.” Get ready for a fun and insightful conversation on goats–what we can learn from their many wonderful quirks and how they are helping us build a more resilient ecosystem. See Terri and her goats at GoatsRUs.com If you liked this episode, listen next to Bayou Dave: Cleaning Up Trash to Save the World, Hope Is My Middle Name season 2, episode 7. Connect with Kate on instagram.com/katetuckermusic and please follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it means a lot to us! Hosted and executive produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you do when your hometown has been ranked in the top 4 US cities most vulnerable to coastal flooding? If you’re Nancy Metayer Bowen, you run for office. And you become the first Haitian-American to be elected to office in Coral Springs, Florida. Now as a city commissioner, Nancy is hard at work, what storms may come – hurricanes, Imposter Syndrome, sea level rise – building a more sustainable future for her family, her community, and the rich and diverse ecosystem of the South Florida Everglades. Join us for a courageous and enlivening conversation on finding hope to outlast the storm. To learn more about Nancy and her work in Coral Springs, visit metayerbowen.com If you liked this episode, listen next to Transforming a Toxic Wasteland into a Wildlife Haven with Sally Sears on HOPE Is My Middle Name season 3, episode 3. Connect with Kate on YouTube.com/KateTucker and instagram.com/katetuckermusic and please follow, rate, and review the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it means a lot to us! Hosted and executive produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Out of prison and addiction into a full-time job with big-time responsibility, Kyle Wedge transformed his life in no small way, with the help of a whole host of folks who had faced that same hard recovery. Now, as Field Operations Manager at MaineWorks, he is helping people move from incarceration and addiction into aliveness and connection. Founded in 2010 by Margo Walsh, MaineWorks is an employment company offering support, structure, and accountability for people facing real barriers to employment, like felony convictions and substance use disorder, by providing quality, long-term job placement in the fields of construction, carpentry, masonry, roadwork, bridges, demolition, landscaping, and more. As Kyle says, “We can't define someone by everything that they've done in the past. The person that needs that second chance could be the most valuable person that you add to your company or team, because that person has hit all the pain in the world and they're willing to go to any lengths to be their best self.” Kyle’s voice is heartwarming, his story heart-wrenching, and ultimately– incredibly inspiring. Join us as he shares his perspective on the power of service, sobriety, and good hard work. Find out more at MaineWorks.us, and support the work at UnitedRecoveryFund.org Special thanks to Margo Walsh and to Sternman Productions, Tom Hildreth and Ian McCrudden, for clips from the amazing documentary, Hopeful: The Story of MaineWorks. If you liked this episode, listen next to Doug Naselroad: Building Instruments to Recover from Floods and Addiction in Appalachia. Connect with Kate on YouTube.com/KateTucker and instagram.com/katetuckermusic and please follow, rate, and review the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it means a lot to us! Hosted and executive produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where’s your creek? Atlanta’s own Sally Sears asks, as she spills the tea on how she and her neighbors discovered an urban paradise, hidden in swaths of kudzu, swamped with sewage and asbestos, but there nonetheless, waiting for them to reclaim it. This is the story of Zonolite Park, an industrial wasteland abandoned for decades, declared a brownfield by the EPA, only to be rescued by a handful of locals who believed it could be done. From court battles to coordinated clean up, the people of South Fork Conservancy built a veritable wildlife haven between two major interstates. And it’s only the beginning… With five miles of pathway and three new public parks along Peachtree Creek, they plan to connect and restore 31 miles of thriving watershed. A lifelong journalist and co-founder and CEO of South Fork Conservancy, Sally shares her wealth of experience covering urban growth in the South. “When you can help a little thing like a creek, you start to see some of those intertwining connections that make for a much more rich life for yourself, as well as for the world around you, and you inspire other people to do it too. [...] It's a purpose. It's a unifier. We are not here alone. We are here as part of something bigger.” Learn more about the restoration of Zonolite Park at SouthForkConservancy.org And connect with Sally Sears on LinkedIn Listen to the podcast episode Sally referenced: Bayou Dave: Cleaning Up Trash to Save the World Connect with Kate on youtube.com/katetucker and instagram.com/katetuckermusic and please follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it means a lot to us! Hosted and executive produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a young Alan Graham chided a homeless man panhandling next to a taco stand in Austin, he could not have imagined that 36 years later he’d be living in a vibrant neighborhood of formerly homeless people, a neighborhood that he built. In 1998, real estate developer Alan Graham launched Mobile Loaves and Fishes to help communities offer food, housing, and employment for neighbors coming up off the streets. What started out as one food truck and a mission to meet people where they are turned into a multi-million dollar operation with tens of thousands of volunteers who have never missed a night, delivering more than 6 million meals from their food trucks and lifting folks into permanent housing, jobs, and most importantly, community. Today, Community First! Village is a thriving neighborhood still growing to span 178 acres and eventually provide 1,900 permanent homes for people coming out of chronic homelessness, alongside those who support and care for them. As you'll hear, Alan didn't plan on dedicating his life to serving the homeless, but a twist of fate and a leap of faith changed everything for him and for so many others. For more on Alan Graham and Mobile Loaves and Fishes, visit mlf.org Read Alan Graham’s book, Welcome Homeless Connect with Kate on youtube.com/katetucker and instagram.com/katetuckermusic and please follow, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it means a lot to us! If you liked this episode, listen next to Ron Pringle: An American Dream to End Hunger, from season 2, episode 2. Hosted and executive produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kegan Hilaire was hard at work as a bouncer in Philly, with no plans to become an organic farmer. Until one day, he cracked open a pasture-raised egg with an impossibly orange yolk and he wondered, “Why is this egg so much better than the ones in the grocery store?” This is the story of a nightclub bouncer who found himself in the middle of a field with a handful of seeds and a dream to bring healthy, organic food to everyone, especially those who can least afford it. Today, Kegan Hilaire is the owner of Blackbird Farms, an organic vegetable farm in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, and as Small Farms and Diversified Vegetable Consultant for Rodale Institute, he’s helping folks start their own sustainable agriculture ventures. Kegan’s love for food, farming, and community is absolutely inspiring and he’s eager to share practical tips for how anyone can grow anything anywhere. To see what Kegan’s growing at Blackbird Farms, go to https://blackbirdfarms.square.site/ And to learn more about how you can benefit from organic farming visit RodaleInstitute.org Connect with Kate on youtube.com/katetucker and instagram.com/katetuckermusic, and please follow the show and leave a review, it means a lot to us! If you liked this episode, check out Jon Turner: Veteran on a Life-Giving Mission (season 1, episode 2) Hosted and executive produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug Naselroad says, “Recovery from a substance abuse disorder is not that different than recovery from a catastrophic disaster. It's a work that you're going to be doing for the rest of your life.” That understanding energizes Doug’s work helping people recover from addiction by teaching them to build stringed instruments. Doug lives in the small town of Hindman, Kentucky, which on July 28, 2022 was all but destroyed after severe rains caused the Troublesome Creek to rise into a thousand year flood. We heard Doug in a news interview as he stood in four feet of water trying to save 100-year-old instruments from rushing downriver, and it resonated that in the midst of utter disaster, people were working to recover instruments of song, of story, of Appalachian history, all the while holding on to hope. Learn more about Doug Naselroad and the Culture of Recovery at troublesomecreekguitars.com. This is the last episode of Season 2, but we’ll be back again next fall with more HOPE. In the meantime, connect with Kate Tucker on instagram.com/katetuckermusic and follow, rate, and review the show, it makes a BIG difference. Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bayou Dave, aka David Rivers, has a calling. It involves a whole lot of trash and a vision for a clean, healthy, vibrant world that his kids can grow up in. So every day, he goes out on Houston’s Buffalo Bayou on a big makeshift barge and picks up trash—167 dump truck loads every year. He’s been called King of the Bayou, and he notices every little shift in the ecosystem. To hear him talk about the return of the snakes, or the bald eagles—his delight is contagious and his commitment, compelling. To see Bayou Dave take on rivers of trash visit BuffaloBayou.org Connect with Kate Tucker on instagram.com/katetuckermusic Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Please follow, rate, and review this podcast, it makes a BIG difference. Thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Betty Reid Soskin became a park ranger at the age of 85, bringing a wealth of experience to the National Park Service. As Betty says, “What gets remembered is a function of who’s in the room doing the remembering,” and Betty’s history is helping other untold stories come to light at Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. From working in a Jim Crow union hall during the war, to starting one of the first Black-owned record shops in America, to receiving a Presidential Medal, Betty has lived many lives and she’s fully shown up for all of it. Now 101, Betty shares with us why she has even more hope for the future. For more about Betty’s memoir, and forthcoming documentary, visit SignMyNameToFreedom.com Find your local National Park at FindYourPark.com Connect with Kate Tucker on instagram.com/katetuckermusic Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Please follow, rate, and review this podcast, it makes a BIG difference. Thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the age of TikTok and Instagram, it seems there’s no place we haven’t seen, but if you’ve ever been to Alaska, you know there’s a whole lotta world left to discover—a world on the forefront of climate change, the energy transition, advocacy for Native rights, and... regenerative tourism. Because in the midst of all that Alaskans are navigating, including challenges with transportation, supply chain, and food security, they’re seeing unprecedented numbers of tourists. The islanded town of Sitka swells from under 9,000 to nearly half a million in the summertime, coming in on cruise ships. These ships bring opportunities, and they also bring complications for the people who live there, and for the environment. In her role as regenerative tourism catalyst, Mary Goddard relies on Alaska Native values of sustainability and hospitality to build a healthy relationship between her community and the tourists who visit, inviting us to join in stewarding the land, the sea, and the culture. Mary Goddard's food blog is ForestFreshAlaska, and you can find her artwork at AlaskaMary.com. If you want to visit Sitka, she recommends you stay at CampStarlightAlaska. And if you’re a veteran or first responder, Mary and her husband invite you to reconnect with nature at Waypoint for Veterans. Mary's references in the episode include: AIANTA (American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association), Spruce Root; Sustainable Southeast Partnership, and Sealaska. Connect with Kate Tucker on instagram.com/katetuckermusic Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Berthia and Kevin Briggs are an unlikely pair. But their friendship saves lives. And it was hard won, founded on what matters – mutual respect, trust, and listening. They met when Sergeant Briggs was in the state highway patrol and Kevin Berthia was jumping off a bridge. Today they stand side by side as suicide prevention advocates, helping people know they’re not alone, that there is hope and a future. It’s been many years now since they met and we are honored to be part of their ongoing conversation. Learn more about Kevin Berthia and his work at kevinberthiafoundation.org And Kevin Briggs at pivotal-points.com Find Kate on instagram.com/katetuckermusic Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call or text 988. Or you can talk online at 988lifeline.org Warning Signs of Suicide • Talking about wanting to die • Looking for a way to kill oneself • Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose • Talking about feeling trapped or unbearable pain • Talking about being a burden to others • Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs • Acting anxious, agitated or recklessly • Sleeping too little or too much • Withdrawing or feeling isolated • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge • Displaying extreme mood swings What to Do • Do not leave the person alone • Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs, or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt • Call or text 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline • Take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional emergency room, or seek help from a medical or mental health professional Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are America’s small towns in decline? Not if you ask Beth and Tim Reese. They’re part of a powerful revitalization effort in Capon Bridge, West Virginia, a town of 400 nestled on the Cacapon River, at the “Gateway to the Mountains” of Appalachia. The community of Capon Bridge believes that restoring old buildings, rather than tearing them down, attracts young people and new businesses, like the Farmer’s Daughter Market & Butcher serving up “West Virginia’s Finest Finest” including one of America’s best burgers. A son of West Virginia, Tim’s heritage is in coal, but he sees a future “mining West Virginia sun,” and his early investment in solar power is catching on throughout Hampshire County. Though they’ve lived in Capon Bridge for over twenty years, the Reeses still see themselves as newcomers, and they take a community-directed approach to building resilience. More about Tim & Beth Reese at https://www.facebook.com/taprootfarmwv Follow Kate https://www.instagram.com/katetuckerm... https://twitter.com/katetuckermusic https://www.youtube.com/katetucker Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ron Pringle believes in a hunger-free America. And he’s determined to help build it. But with more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, experiencing food insecurity in the United States, it could take a lifetime. Ron's powerful personal story energizes his work as CEO of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, a massive force for good in North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham area, growing and serving millions of pounds of food per year with innovative programs that address the root causes of hunger. Because, as Ron says, “If you want to break a pattern, it starts in the mind. And if food is present, a child can hope, a child can dream, a child can grow up to give back.” Like Ron did. See Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in action on Farms Across America now streaming on YouTube. For more about Ron’s work, visit FoodShuttle.org and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @foodshuttle Follow Kate Tucker on Twitter and Instagram at @katetuckermusic Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Christian Phifer’s life revolves around death. He performed his first burial at the age of six, wrapping a grasshopper in a shroud of leaves, and today he digs bigger graves on a sweeping nature preserve in the hills of Tennessee. With each funeral, the land is restored and loved ones have wide open space to grieve and to celebrate the life we all are so lucky to live. Hear how John Christian went from mortician to man with a life-giving mission in this first episode of HOPE season 2. To find out more about Larkspur, visit LarkspurConservation.org and follow John Christian on Instagram. Hosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Truckers make the world go round, especially these days with serious supply chain disruptions, the ongoing crisis of the pandemic, and the ever-increasing importance of front-line workers. We talk with two truckers out there delivering hope and crucial supplies on rough roads, in bad weather, in the face of loneliness, isolation and invisibility. They’re risking their lives for us every day, and they have some great stories to tell. From a truck stop in Kentucky, we hear from Shelli Conaway who started Trucks with Room to Spare to bring life-giving supplies to victims of natural disaster; and in a forest in Ohio, Kate talks with her dad, Kevin Tucker, because it was riding shotgun in his semi, that she learned to love the road and all its unpredictable adventure. Connect with Kate Tucker on instagram.com/katetuckermusic Hosted by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Please follow, rate, and review this podcast, it makes a BIG difference. Thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty-six year-old farmer George Patterson expands on his family’s coal-mining heritage with a new enterprise—reclaiming abandoned mine land to grow food and restore the land for generations to come. When George’s dad told him he could go to business school or go into business, he set up shop in a shipping container on a mine site, with air mattress and shotgun in tow. George worked by day and binged YouTube by night to teach himself the art and science of agriculture as an economic driver. Now he’s got a full-fledged farm in not one, but seven shipping containers, with four full-time employees and zero air mattresses. And he’s sleeping in a real bed, bought and paid for with his hard-earned profits. Today, business is booming, but it’s not about profit for George, it’s about helping a community find hope in good hard work and fantastically delicious food, food that is truly wild and wonderful like its West Virginia home. Hosted by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hope Is My Middle Name is more than a podcast; it’s a community. We want to know who’s giving you hope today. Post #reasonstohope on your socials and tag @katetuckermusic for more hope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iraq War veteran Jon Turner takes us from an ambush in Ramadi to a homestead in Vermont, where he’s found a way to heal a traumatic brain injury through farming. Hands in the dirt, boots on the ground, Jon Turner is on a mission to build community and serve our country as a farmer, father, teacher and always, as a veteran. Hosted by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Read about Jon Turner and Wild Roots Farm Vermont at garden-and-health.com. Hope Is My Middle Name is more than a podcast; it’s a community. We want to know who’s giving you hope today. Post #reasonstohope on your socials and tag @katetuckermusic for more hope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grief can make us do the wildest things, and sometimes it takes getting lost in the middle of nowhere to find where we belong. For our debut episode, we follow long-distance hiker Brittany Comins on a 2,000 mile journey through loss, gratitude, and the great outdoors. Hosted by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume. Hope Is My Middle Name is more than a podcast; it’s a community. We want to know who’s giving you hope today. Post #reasonstohope on your socials and tag @katetuckermusic for more hope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re striking out across the country in search of hope, bringing you voices of people doing big daring things to make the world better, even in the most challenging of times. These people give me hope, and I think they'll give you hope too. I’m Kate Tucker, and Hope is My Middle Name. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.