Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to Life Reviewed, a podcast by Hope House Colorado, where we invite you into conversation with teenage moms and the people who champion them. These stories of struggle, overcoming and perspective shifts will challenge you to review life as you've known it. One story, one person, one conversation at a time.
[00:00:28] Speaker B: Welcome back, listeners, to Life Reviewed with Hope House Calling Colorado. My name is Chris. I am the volunteer coordinator with Hope House, and I have been here for almost a whole year Now. It's technically 11 months during the recording of this, but maybe when you hear it, it's been a year. And I am with Kim, one of our amazing boutique volunteers who has been with us for a while. She came before me and helped me even get my sea legs here. So take it away, Kim.
[00:00:54] Speaker A: Hi, Chris. Thanks for having me. Yeah, I volunteered at Hope House for.
It's probably been a little over five years now.
I started when my middle kiddo was starting preschool.
It was right as you guys had moved into your new building, so everything was pretty fresh and open to new systems. And I kind of just jumped in and helped out where you guys needed me. So.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: Nice. And have you done, like, the boutique like, the entire time?
[00:01:22] Speaker A: I have, yeah. That was kind of where I started, and I've just really liked it, so I've stuck there.
Yeah. When I first started, it was just that big closet downstairs with no shelves, just bags of things. And so, yeah, it was kind of fun to start fresh and see what was going to work best for making sure that we kept everything organized and could find things that the moms needed. And, yeah, I mean, it's still sort of a work in progress, right?
[00:01:51] Speaker B: Yeah. And I mean, I guess we need to paint, like, a visual for everyone who hasn't been to Hope House. In our resource center, we accept donations from the community up to two bags at a time if you guys want to donate, because we get overwhelmed with donations. You've seen that.
And then we sort through them and then put them in a nice little boutique. You could describe what you do there.
[00:02:11] Speaker A: Sure. Yeah. We maintain kind of a store for the moms upstairs where they can shop for essentials. Diapers, wipes, clothing, hygiene products, cleaning products.
You know, not only clothing for their kiddos, but clothing for the moms. Sometimes we get some, like, fun stuff donated. Like today we got some really great, like, bath bombs and kind of some fun, like, spa products that are always great for the moms to get as a little, you know, something extra when they're coming in for essentials. And so they're allowed to go in there and get whatever they need.
The inventory varies a lot because it is based just on donations. So, you know, we try to keep the essentials kind of consistent, diapers and wipes and whatnot. But everything else, it's kind of, you know, you show up one day and there's some new, new fun stuff that you hadn't seen before and. Yeah. So I love keeping it, keeping it stocked and finding things that I know that the moms or their kids would really love.
[00:03:09] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's just like a really empowering space for our moms because they can go in and they can get anything they need or want. And we don't really supervise the room. It's not like we, we have a checklist and saying you can only have three items or anything, or that we have bags and we're like, here, accept the items that are provided to you. But it's like, no, this space is just given from the community. You can come in here and feel empowered to grab what you need.
[00:03:32] Speaker A: Yeah. That's something that I really love about the boutique and something that I really, the vision that I have when I come in to do my shifts is to really create this space of abundance for the moms.
You know, a lot of them are coming from scarcity, coming from poverty, and to have a space where, you know, they can, they can take as much as they need without feeling like, you know, they're taking too much or that, you know, they're not deserving.
That's something that I really highly value coming in is making sure that, that there is that sense of abundance and that, you know, there's. That we're here to care for them.
[00:04:08] Speaker B: Yeah. And you do it so well because I can rely on you in a lot of ways. You help me out.
And I wanted to touch on this. What's really cool about Kim is that she brings in her kiddos to help with this volunteering. And so I wanted to touch on what you feel is the value of being able to volunteer with your kids.
[00:04:24] Speaker A: Sure. So a lot of times I'm here in the evenings volunteering. I've got three kiddos who are 11, 8 and 4. And so a lot of times I need to wait till my husband gets home to hang with the, with the four, four year old. But I rotate bringing in my eight year old and my 11 year old.
My eight year old is the one that had just started preschool when I started volunteering here. And now she gets to come volunteer. And yeah, they really love to be part of it. It Gives them a real sense of community.
My daughter especially has made some friends with some of the kiddos here that are around her same age. She'll help me for a while and then if there's a kiddo her age playing downstairs, she'll kind of sneak away and they'll go play for a while and then she'll come back and help me. And yeah, I really love that my kids are feeling like they're part of this community too. And my daughter gets really excited to arrange if we get cool new hair accessories or cute baby clothes. She really likes taking the time to lay those out and make them look really nice. And gets really excited when moms and their kids come and take the things that she put out. So.
[00:05:35] Speaker B: So, yeah. And that's like just so fulfilling for her to be like, I worked hard on this and then I see that it brings somebody joy. So that's really cool.
[00:05:43] Speaker A: Yeah. She got, at one of the volunteer dinners got a Hope house hat and she always makes sure that she wears it when she comes in and does her shift like it's her little official 8 year old uniform.
[00:05:53] Speaker B: That's so fun.
I still have some more of those in my desk.
[00:05:56] Speaker A: Oh, nice.
[00:05:57] Speaker B: If you ever need a replacement, I've got a replacement.
[00:05:59] Speaker A: Yeah. Because she takes it very seriously.
[00:06:01] Speaker B: Yeah. Awesome.
And then I. Do you find that changes the way that you interact with the moms when you have like your kids present?
[00:06:09] Speaker A: Yeah, I think, you know, when they're present or even when they're not present, I feel like because I've got kiddos around the same ages, you know, I can relate to some of the things, you know, that the moms are talking about or that they need for their kids.
Since I'm kind of in the thick of, of the little kids. Stage 2 When we have donations come in, I know, you know, oh, this is. This would be really useful. I know someone would definitely use this.
And you know, I've talked to moms about, you know, just different stages that kids go through that I can really relate to. You know, when I'm downstairs in, you know, what we call the mama bear cave and the moms are just hanging out with each other and, you know, either working on homework or doing, you know, just watching a movie or just socializing.
Yeah. It's fun to get in there and hear what, hear what they're going through with their kids. And you know, there's a little boy this morning that his mom was working on something and he wanted help building this train track. And so I'M very familiar with train tracks, with having three kiddos. So I popped over and helped him get that together. And yeah, I feel like it's easy for me to jump in and.
And be part of that with them.
[00:07:23] Speaker B: Yeah. And I mean, I. So I also am a dad now. I have had a daughter for 16 weeks. She's 16 weeks old now.
And I have found that it changed the way that I interact with our moms. And also they interact with me, especially in relation to their kiddos. So the fun thing about Hope House is that you can bring up your infant up to your desk with you to work for the first six months. So I. Esther has been coming to work with me a lot. And it's really fun when the kiddos are in there and they walk up and they're just like talking to her and being like, what's she doing? And trying to ask her questions. But she's a baby.
She doesn't have words yet. She just kind of like looks at them and smiles and then they're like, oh, she's smiling at me. And I'm like, yeah, it's because she likes you. And then now I'm having this, like, just completely normal and natural conversation with the kiddos and then their moms in return. So it's just, I think when our moms get to see us as parents as well, it just like builds that credibility.
[00:08:23] Speaker A: I think so, too. And, you know, kind of breaks down that. That barrier of like.
Yeah. That it makes you more relatable and, you know, that, that, that you have that in common.
[00:08:34] Speaker B: Yeah. Because at the end of the day, we're just all parents and we all love our kids.
[00:08:38] Speaker A: Yeah. And we're all trying the best we can.
[00:08:40] Speaker B: Yeah. We're doing our best. Yeah.
And some of us, you know, have to bring our kids to work. And it's maybe not where I want to bring Esther.
[00:08:47] Speaker A: Right.
[00:08:47] Speaker B: But, you know, she has a great time sleeping in a box under my desk.
[00:08:51] Speaker A: Right.
And it's. I mean, it just makes for such a wonderful community. Right. Where we're all.
We're all doing, you know, playing certain parts and, you know, sometimes those, those roles overlap and you know that we are including kids in more of that work too. That it's not such a divided space of like, this is only a grown up thing. It's a whole community thing.
Yeah.
[00:09:22] Speaker B: And I think that's cool about our mission too. Like, our mission is not just for our teen moms, but also their kiddos. And we really want to help pour into Both in all areas we can. And I think it's also fun that, that it's volunteers who get to step in as well. And we don't often touch about this, especially in the podcast, which is why I wanted to invite you on to just be able to share, like, how cool it is to be able to volunteer and like, the value of volunteering. Like, what do you find is a value of volunteering?
[00:09:53] Speaker A: Oh, man. Coming to Hope House every week is such a highlight of my week. I, you know, I feel like I bring a lot of my own gifts with being able to create systems and be really efficient in getting a lot of work done in a short period of time because there's always, there's always plenty of work to do.
[00:10:15] Speaker B: And.
[00:10:18] Speaker A: Being able to do that every week and be part of this community has just been really valuable to me as a parent to see other ways that, that this can be done right, that parenting can be done, that there's, there's so many different ways to be a parent in this world. And, you know, I really love having the flexibility to come in and be able to do this work while also being like a full time stay at home parent with my kiddos. I do need the flexibility there because we don't have a lot of family.
We don't have any family in the area. And so childcare is just kind of on me and my husband at this point. And so I love, I love being able to have that, that ability to contribute to the community, but have the flexibility and to be able to come in and really connect with a lot of the moms and hear their stories. You know, there's one mom that I've known over the years. She was one of the first moms that I met when I first started volunteering her daughters about my daughter's age.
And we both really care a lot about postpartum moms. And I'm looking into getting postpartum doula certification.
You know, she's, she and I have talked about, you know, interests in connecting with and working with postpartum moms. And it's, it's been really great to connect with these women who are, you know, a lot younger than me, but we're still in a similar stage of parenting and that there's still a lot of commonality there.
And I really love being able to bring my kiddos and have them see what being part of a community is about, that our family value is really a social responsibility to contribute and give back where we can.
And Hope House just feels like there's always somewhere that we can contribute. We can meet a need or, you know, even if it's just sitting out and chatting with a mom, taking a break from the work that I'm doing here. If. If they want to talk about something that they're going through or.
Or they're just excited to show me a project that they're working on or, you know, a new computer program they figured out and, you know, are doing some, like, drafting, and it's.
I don't know. There's so many layers to why I love volunteering here. It's hard to, like, nail one thing down.
[00:12:55] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's fair.
I did a quick Google search before we got on this podcast just to see how many, like, Americans. What's the average of, like, amount of volunteers? And so you can't quote me because it's Google AI, whatever that is.
[00:13:10] Speaker A: We won't hold you to it.
[00:13:11] Speaker B: Yeah. So. But it said something about, like, just over 25% of Americans volunteer in some place. So technically that's saying, like, three quarters of Americans aren't volunteering.
[00:13:22] Speaker A: Right.
[00:13:23] Speaker B: Which is just, like, interesting to me. But also, like, I volunteered, you know, my entire upbringing. I've gone through a bunch of different volunteer avenues, but I sometimes get, like, applications from new volunteers who are, like, just retired, and they're like, I've never volunteered before, and I'm really excited about it, and I love to welcome them in to just, like, see what it's like.
But it's just interesting to me, some community. Like, it's about community engagement. Right. And I guess sometimes we just are so focused on our internal things that we don't think about external of, like, helping people out.
[00:14:01] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:14:01] Speaker B: And so, like, what got you to the point where you weren't focusing on your internal? I'm sure you got a lot going on in life, and you're a mom and you got kiddos and everything, and yet you take the time to be able to step out of that and volunteer. Like, sure, Big deal.
[00:14:15] Speaker A: Yeah, that's a great question. I. You know, when I first started volunteering, I had started because we had donated a few things as we were kind of getting out of the baby stage with my daughter.
We ended up having another kiddo. But that's.
That's how that goes. Right.
And you're like, give it back.
[00:14:34] Speaker B: No, no, no.
[00:14:35] Speaker A: I was like, I think we're done. And I'm like, wait, no, I don't think we're done. Oh, well, it's fine.
And so that was how I initially found out about Hope Houses. I was looking for somewhere to donate some, you know, gently used baby items that we had. And it was when you guys were in your old building that I started donating. And then when my daughter was going to start preschool, she goes to. She went to preschool at a place just, you know, a few minutes down the road. And so it felt like it was meant to be that, you know, I could conveniently drop her off and put in a few hours at Hope House and then go get her, since it was just a, you know, morning program.
And I don't know, I've. I've always enjoyed volunteering. As a teenager, I volunteered at our local hospital where I grew up doing like, the, you know, traditional candy striping. I don't know if they call that. Call it that anymore. Volunteering.
[00:15:29] Speaker B: What is candy striping?
[00:15:30] Speaker A: I don't know if it was just like a regional thing. I grew up in Montana, but it was like you had your, like, little aprons, looked like candy striped aprons. They were like red and white aprons. And you would go. There were multiple areas in the hospital you could volunteer. You could, you know, go around and distribute waters and blankets. You could help in the cafeteria. You could help with more administrative things.
And I did that all through high school and just really enjoyed it.
And, you know, there were times in my life that I didn't have as much time to volunteer, but I would. I worked for nonprofits. And, you know, when you work for nonprofit, you kind of also end up.
[00:16:08] Speaker B: Being a little bit volunteer, too.
[00:16:10] Speaker A: And so I think maybe in the era where I wasn't formally volunteering, I was kind of in. In it anyway.
And, you know, my husband and I have been really privileged and giving of my time feels like.
Like a social responsibility. You know, not everyone has the time to be able to volunteer.
And so I. I really appreciate that we have that capacity that. That I'm able to. To spend that time volunteering. And I think, too, what's been really great about volunteering at Hope House is you guys are so flexible with volunteering. You know, there's some weeks that I'm like, I can't make it in. My kiddo's sick. Or, you know, we've got too many things going on and, you know, there's enough volunteers around that someone else can. Can step in. Right. That.
And, you know, whether you're volunteering weekly or monthly, or you just volunteer for, you know, a seasonal event or something like that, I think it's just a really wonderful way to be part of the community in a different way that Than you would be, you know, as an employee or just a neighbor. To really have everyone working toward a common cause I think is really valu.
And, yeah, I also, you know, I mainly do the boutique, but I always make sure to get a spot volunteering at the Christmas shop every year because it's just so darn fun. And so there's just so many ways to get involved. And I think, you know, sometimes maybe it feels intimidating to get started volunteering somewhere or feel like it is just going to take, you know, more time out of your life than maybe you have to give.
And I think that's maybe why it's important to find an area to volunteer that you really care about to where not only are you giving back, but you're really getting filled up by it also, because that's very much the case. I mean, you guys are always so, you know, generous with your appreciation of, you know, my time and whatnot. And I'm so appreciative to be part of this community. Like, I. I love being part of this community. I don't feel like I'm just here to, you know, do chores and move on. That. It really does fill me up, too.
[00:18:25] Speaker B: Yeah. And I think that's a big key that I'm glad you touched on, is finding the right place to volunteer. Like, I wouldn't want everyone. Like, I'm not just advertising everyone come volunteer at Hope House. I really think you have to find your avenue, what you're passionate about.
And that's what I found in my own volunteer experience, too. Like, I started volunteering in middle school.
I think it was called the Ignite group at my church.
[00:18:53] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:18:54] Speaker B: But it was with individuals with mental disabilities or intellectual disabilities. I'm not sure how we say that, but it was just a class with adults, and I was a kid. But we just got to hang out and go through, like, Bible stories and everything.
Faith has always been a background of mine. So I grew up in a Christian faith home, and there's obviously a big expectation for volunteering in those kinds of communities. So I was volunteering at the church and then continued on to volunteer at a camp called Eagle Lake.
It's an awesome camp in Colorado as well. But I would spend, like, five weeks, at least five weeks of my summers in high school. But one year, I did all 10 weeks of going out to camp, living up there, building that community with other people, diving deeper into my faith, and then just volunteering where? In the kitchen or.
I loved the kitchen one. Cause then I would make breakfast for people. So then on the day we made pancakes, we would make, like, M and M's in our pancakes for the kitchen volunteers. Cause we had to eat breakfast way before everyone else at camp ate breakfast. So we made ourselves special pancakes and then continued it on. Like, I've just. Like, even technically, after I graduated high school, I joined youth with a mission and went to Germany and Thailand and everything. But technically, when you're a missionary, you're not getting paid for that. You're asking people for money. So I blew everything I had in my wallet and then came back home and went to college and took out loans.
Yeah. But I don't know, it's always been fun. And I just find, at least with my story, God has just pulled me in directions always. And he's always provided. Even when I've been, like, working for free and not getting any money or something. Somehow, like, he makes a way for me to be okay in my situation.
[00:20:54] Speaker A: So, yeah, Yeah, I think, you know, you kind of talked about, like, the. That there is just a small proportion of people that regularly volunteer and, you know, kind of going back to the idea of, like, abundance and scarcity in talking about, you know, how. How I like to. To view the boutique and making sure that the moms really have this idea of abundance. I think we can think about that in terms of, you know, our time as well, that we. We can make time for the things that are valuable for us. And. And it can just be, you know, a couple hours a week, and not everyone's in a season or in a capacity to be able to volunteer regularly or more than that, but that we all have a role to play in the world. Right. And to be able to find capacity where we have it. You know, I'm pretty protective of my time and my family's time.
You know, we don't do, you know, our kids aren't in a million activities. You know, they each get to pick one thing at a time. You know, my husband has, you know, good boundaries around work. We really are protective of our family's time.
And in that protection, that includes my time at Hope House. Like. Like, I protect that time because it's. It's important to me. It's important to my kiddos. It's important to the community.
And so, yeah, I think, maybe, you know, if people are on the fence about thinking about volunteering somewhere to really look at, you know, where. Where you could maybe find time or maybe you're spending time on something that is not bringing a lot of value to you or to your community. And maybe that's something that could go. Go by the wayside and fill it in with something that could really lift. Lift you up and lift up people in your.
In your neighborhood.
[00:22:49] Speaker B: Yeah, and that's a good, good point that you mentioned there, too, is just, like, encouraging.
I. I guess, like an American culture kind of viewpoint says we need to just do everything. Like, we're constantly told to just sign up, do things, and then completely book our weekends, completely book our weekdays until we have, like, nothing left, and then arrive home empty, and then what. What are we bringing home to our family at that point? So I like that you're protective of that time and even protective of your time at Hope House because it. It fills you up so that when you go back home, you can still be more present and active with your family and your kids and. And that we're not just stretching ourselves so thin that, you know, what do we have to give when we have nothing?
[00:23:34] Speaker A: It's true. Yeah. And I think that's something that's been great about the way that you guys structure volunteering, too, is, you know, if there are weeks, you know, there's been times that I've emailed you, I'm like, everything's just been crazy.
My kids have a million things. Someone's been sick. I'm not gonna make it in this week. And then I come in, you know, the following week, and it's fine. The world didn't fall apart. Right. Like that. That if there's enough people doing a little bit that we all can relax a little bit more. Right. That we don't all feel like we have to hold up everything by ourselves all the time.
[00:24:08] Speaker B: And that's community.
[00:24:09] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:24:10] Speaker B: All right, well, I guess we're at that breaking point, so we'll come back after the advertisement or the quick. The quick break.
[00:24:19] Speaker A: Hi, everyone. It's Celeste, development corner coordinator at Hope House Colorado. We have an awesome group of 233 champions called our Bedrock Builders, who donate monthly gifts and we would love for you to join. This group is super special to our moms because it provides them stable support through an income stream that they know they can always count on. If you'd like to become a monthly donor, please visit hopehousecolorado.org donate now and make your recurring donation today. Thank you so much for impending empowering our teen moms.
[00:24:50] Speaker B: Kim, we were talking over the break a little bit about something more that you wanted to share.
[00:24:55] Speaker A: Yeah, I. I think, you know, something that has been really valuable in this experience has, you know, kind of going back to this idea of being part of this bigger community is really getting to know the moms and their kiddos more personally, you know, getting to know what their kids are into, if they really like Spider man or Paw Patrol or, you know, Moana, and seeing donations come through that have those. Those characters or knowing their kids sizes and, you know, being able to, you know, kind of pull those aside for the moms or if they're. If they happen to be there when I'm there, you know, grabbing them and saying, hey, there's some stuff up in the boutique that I think, you know, your kiddo would really love and. And getting to, you know, find those special things for them and their kids and help them really feel seen. Help. Help the moms feel seen and their kids feel seen. I think that's what, you know, all people really want at the end of the day is to have people, you know, know that they. That they're there and that they matter and that they're allowed to have, you know, preferences and, you know, not just having to settle with for, you know, whatever comes their way that they, you know, that they're entitled to, you know, some special things, too. And so that's something I've really enjoyed getting to do in the boutique is getting to. Getting to know the moms and their kiddos a little bit more and. And selecting things that I know those specific moms or kiddos would really enjoy.
[00:26:28] Speaker B: Yeah. And you're really just seeing their value and just taking the moment to recognize that. I think that's really great about just intentional relationship building, which I feel is a cornerstone of Hope House. Like, it's all about recognizing that each mom is unique, just as everyone else in the world is unique, and that we all come with that individual story.
And you can't. You know, one shoe does not fit all kiddos, and one shoe does not fit all moms. And so when we do have something and we know. Oh, yeah, I know your shoe size. Yeah, I think it really is. Yeah. An impactful moment, especially, you know, maybe.
Maybe that's never happened. You know, maybe they never have felt that somebody has seen that.
[00:27:11] Speaker A: Right.
[00:27:11] Speaker B: And that really cared about their kiddo enough to be like, hey, I know your kid's four, Right. You know, like, I have something I just put in the boutique, and it's got paw patrol on it. Yeah, your kiddo loves that.
[00:27:25] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah, I love that. And, you know, and I can see, you know, you know, some of the moms kind of lighten a little bit when they. When you could tell that they feel seen. You know, we. We got some really nice donations of different bath products and stuff recently, and I went down to grab, you know, grab the moms that were in the mama bear cave and say, hey, there's some really good stuff up there. And you can just kind of see, like, a little bit of, you know, lightness in their step of, like, I've been really, like, wanting something like that, but it's not really in the budget. And.
And I see it in their kiddos, too. You know, they'll be kind of shy when they come into the boutique and I'm restock things, and then, you know, I'll find something that I think they might like, and I'll ask their mom if they might like it. And you can see them just brighten. And then they start chatting at me like, you know, like, now we're friends because this lady saw me. Yeah. And.
Yeah, I just. That that relationship building, I think, is really important.
[00:28:22] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. When I'm not working and doing volunteer coordinating stuff, sometimes you can find me on the playground with the kiddos, just hanging out with them because they're so great and it's so much fun to play with, and it's fun when they run up to your desk and just give you a hug for the day. And it's like, I don't deserve this. You know, like, what have I done to, like, really earn this trust? But I think I love that about kids is they just, like, love so freely and they feel safe here. Yeah.
[00:28:51] Speaker A: Yeah, they feel safe here. So I think that, you know, I always come in and, you know, talking to my kids, too, when they come in to volunteer. I, you know, I say this is. This is their space. And, you know, let's. Let's make sure to, you know, make things. Make things great for them. So. Yeah.
[00:29:10] Speaker B: And then also on the break, we talked a little bit more about your background that you kind of wanted to share about.
[00:29:16] Speaker A: Yeah, I.
I have a master's degree in public health, and so I've always been interested in how.
How the broader community is impacted by various forces. I used to, you know, how I used to volunteer with an organization that taught cooking classes to families with lower income, teaching them how to kind of maximize their snap benefits and being able to use those ingredients in meals that, you know, were culturally appropriate and that their families enjoyed, that their kids would eat, that they could get their kids involved in the cooking. That was something that I did during grad school that I really enjoyed.
Me and another volunteer actually did a short stint at Hope House doing some cooking classes for a bit, which was really fun.
And yeah, I think, you know, I still, even though I don't formally work in that, in the public health field anymore, that my work at Hope House kind of fits in that same realm, that if we're taking care of the well being of moms and kids, that that has a tremendous impact on lifelong health and well being for both of them and for the community more broadly. When moms are more resourced, they're able to take better care of themselves and better care of their kids. They're able to make healthier decisions.
And Hope House is really great about getting moms connected to programs like WIC and food stamps to make sure that their families are getting what they need. And we've got food at Hope House too. And I just really care about people feeling cared for because I think when you feel cared for, you, you show up better for other people too, that you can't, you can't show that, that care and connection to your community if you have never felt that.
And I think that's something that Hope House does really well, is really making moms feel like, like their community is behind them.
And there's so many moms that will jump in downstairs when I'm doing stuff, you know, if they're not busy with something and say, hey, can I help you sort through some bags? Or hey, do you need help with these boxes? And that they know that they're, that they're being cared for and that they want to jump in and help too?
[00:31:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
And then do you know where that like, came from? Like you said it, you. It's just always been something that you're passionate about. But like, was there a moment that you're like, this is my calling or not necessarily.
[00:32:00] Speaker A: I don't know. I can't really explain it.
It's just always something I've really enjoyed doing.
You know, prior to having kids, I worked for a dog rescue up in Fort Collins for several years. And I just think I've always been drawn to service type work.
And I think too, when you're like, good at something that helps, you know, I.
Nonprofits need a lot of, of hands to keep going. Right. And something that I feel like I bring to the table is I can just jump in and see what needs to get done and, and do it.
And so I think that that's something that has continued to show up, you know, as I've worked in various kind of social service or nonprofit sectors is just that ability to, like, see a need and jump in and, and help.
[00:33:03] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. And I, I, I agree with that. Like, it, the.
It's really fun when we have a volunteer who's just like, I can do everything. You know, they're just excited to help because then you can plug them in in a lot of different places. It's also okay when you have, like, this is the thing that I can do, and I want to stay in my strength. I just find I'm that, like, Jack of all traits, too.
[00:33:24] Speaker A: Yeah. I think, you know, especially in a lot of nonprofits, the work changes a lot. Right. Like, sometimes, you know, you'll be going along, doing your normal stuff, and then we get, you know, a big donation of something that needs to go somewhere or, you know, there's a project that came up that no one's really, you know, delegated to do that, but everyone just pitches in. And so I think that's something that's always felt comfortable to me is, you know, even if I don't really know what I'm doing, just jump in and try anyway, and it probably will work out fine, so.
[00:34:01] Speaker B: Yep. Yep.
[00:34:01] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:34:02] Speaker B: Yeah. Cause, like, I've always done that. That's like, my mentality. My undergrad, actually, I studied film. Oh, cool. So I got my bachelor's in digital cinema, and then a minor's in English and psychology. Because I like school and I just take all the classes. I don't know. I'm weird.
And then I did a little bit. I worked on True Detective, the third season of that with hbo, and, and, and did some other, like, indie kind of work.
And then a short film that I made myself, but then realized that, like, film wasn't really where I wanted to go. So came back to Colorado Springs.
That's where my girlfriend was, who I wanted to be my wife. So I wanted to focus on that relationship. Worked in the Springs Rescue Mission, the homeless shelter there for a little bit, and got a little burnt out. So once we got married, we said, okay, what are we doing? Let's just move to Florida. Right. All the way away, and then figure out our journey there. So then when we were in Florida, I worked for Disney World. They paid for my master's in arts and culture management.
So that's their nonprofit kind of management where I came in from. And then once I did our time there, five years working for Disney World with the characters and, well, in a lot of different ways, but I ended with the characters in Epcot. I was like, I just need to a get back to, like, being more focused on the community where, I mean, there were great people at Disney and everything, but I find I was isolating myself from the relationships that are really healthy for me.
And then our family, all of our family is here. So we were like, okay, let's look for nonprofits in the area. And it happened to be Mother's Day that I was applying, and my mom had flown out. Oh, cool. And so she was helping me pack all the bags and everything.
And I was sitting there applying for jobs while she was helping us pack to get ready to move back to Colorado. And I was like, man, moms are super cool. Like, they just do everything.
[00:36:00] Speaker A: Moms are super cool.
[00:36:01] Speaker B: Yeah. And so it's Mother's Day. I'm sitting here on my butt applying to jobs, and my mom's, like, working, and I'm like, man, they don't get appreciated enough. And this. This cool job. Volunteer coordinator at a place called Hope House that empowers teen moms. Like, maybe I'll. I'll send an application in. And they interviewed me on the road. I was in a Wendy's parking lot, pulled over to make sure that I can make my interview.
And then when I got in, they were like, yeah, we'd love to bring you in. And then completely understanding that I had a trip coming up to California in June, they were like, yeah, just start after that.
So it was just like, really? Again, just a God story of. It doesn't make sense how we got here, but this is the exact place that my wife and I need to be to raise our kid.
That we've just enjoyed interacting with the community so much, and we've just been able to jump in to this role, and I've loved just getting to experience all of that.
Where. Where do you see yourself going? Like, you know, your kids are growing up and everything.
You're still volunteering here, of course, at the moment, but, like, do you know where you're going, or are you just completely in the moment of, like, this is where I'm meant to be here and now, and I'm not really focused on that.
[00:37:17] Speaker A: Yeah, that's a great question. I think it's probably a little both.
My youngest has one more year of preschool next year before he goes into kindergarten.
And this summer, I'm actually going to be starting certification for becoming a postpartum doula.
I feel really passionate about supporting postpartum moms. Our culture more broadly does a. Not a great job with supporting moms right after having babies.
We're just really separated from a lot of those traditions that I think are more ingrained in other cultures. And so. So that's something that I'm going to be pursuing. And I'm not really sure where I'll take that. I'm not sure, you know, how.
How big of a business I'll make out of it or if it'll be more of, like, a community offering.
But that's something that I'm working toward.
I.
Yeah, I think I'm just really trying to embrace the season that I'm in with my kiddos right now. My oldest is getting ready to go to middle school.
You know, we don't really know what that transition is going to look like as far as our, you know, what parenting is going to look like as we enter this new stage. So I'm kind of. I'm open.
Volunteering will always be something that I'm going to prioritize because I think it's important for the community and it's important for me.
And, yeah, I definitely want to stay in this area of working with moms in some capacity.
And, yeah, I'm open to seeing where that goes. But I'm going to start with the postpartum doula thing because I feel called to it. And that was a period in my life that was really challenging with all three of my kiddos. And it's something that.
Because I had a challenging experience there, I feel like I can bring a lot of empathy to other mom's experiences and would really love to be the support that I didn't have.
[00:39:30] Speaker B: Yeah. And I guess, I mean, you don't have to answer this, but I would be remiss if I didn't ask it if you were comfortable sharing about your personal experience with that, like.
[00:39:39] Speaker A: Sure, yeah. I think, you know, with each of my kiddos, I'm a very independent person.
I feel very confident to take on most things by myself, and. And that can kind of come back and bite you when you're a new mom, because you can't do everything yourself.
I mean, you can, but you're not going to. You won't be well.
You won't be well. So, yeah, I definitely struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety, various levels, with. With each of my kids, you know, for various reasons, but it was something I struggled with. And I know a lot of it was because I have, you know, I have this fierce independence about me and, you know, thinking I have everything under control until I very much did not. So, you know, having.
Having the capacity now to be able to be a support to other moms who maybe need help with meals or help with childcare for older kiddos or, you know, house cleaning or just taking care of them. Like, could they use, like, a neck massage from hunching over all day, breastfeeding, or, you know, they didn't sleep well last night and their whole body hurts? You know, I. I have thought about, you know, maybe getting, like, a massage therapy certification to go along with it, because I. I've really found a lot of value in bodywork and just really having that. That nurturing in that way and being open to whatever specific moms need. Because I think a lot of that was something that was challenging for me, too, was I felt like, you know, some of the people I did have in my.
In my village maybe didn't know what I needed, and I didn't really know what I needed. And to be able to tune in to what specific moms really need, because we all struggle with different things. Right. Some things are gonna be harder for us than others, and some things will come really easily. And.
And you also don't really know from kid to kid, like, what. What that's gonna look like and how resourced you're gonna be and, you know, the challenges of, you know, if you have older kids, bringing another baby into the mix and the logistics of all of that. And so, yeah, I think I am still in this kind of discovery stage of trying to figure out where I want to take the postpartum work to really get a really broad lens of other people's experiences.
I've kind of gotten to know some of the moms here and working with Kati, our parenting educator, and. And seeing how, you know, the needs with teen moms are maybe different. The woman I'm actually taking my training from has a background working with teen moms, and so I'm really excited to take the train. The doula. Training with her, with her, having that experience, because it is. It's a population I would love to serve in a. In a broader capacity.
[00:42:53] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's super awesome. And do you think you would be in the same spot, like, thinking about pursuing supporting teen moms in postpartum without Hope House or has, like, your experience at Hope House kind of directed your attention towards teen moms specifically?
[00:43:10] Speaker A: Yeah, I think my experience at Hope House has definitely directed that. I think my personal experience with postpartum struggles has. Has drawn me toward wanting to work with postpartum moms more broadly. But. But I.
I just really love the teen moms here. I love seeing how many of them are. Are just working so hard to change generational patterns and. And are just so, you know, playful with their kids and, you know, that they really are supporting each other so well and, you know, holding each other's babies while the other one goes to get a snack or goes to the bathroom. And just that they've really been a great model for me to see them in community, because being in community when I was a new mom was not something that came easily to me. I really thought I had to do it all myself. And so it's been really beautiful to watch them in their mothering and to see how easily they are in community with each other. It's something that. That doesn't come naturally to me and that I want to foster.
[00:44:24] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's super cool. And I find myself in a similar situation to you, too, being like, I am a fully capable dad. I can do it all on my own. I can feed my daughter when she's at work with me, and I can hold her, and I can put her to sleep and all of that. And it has been fun taking her to work and everything and having moments where either staff members are like, hey, can I just hold your baby for a little bit? And I'm like, okay, I can accept that. Or, like, even our moms, they'll hold Esther sometimes. And I'm like, I can accept that. Like, it's okay to accept help, and it's okay to ask for help, too. Sometimes I'm like, I just got to go to the bathroom.
Like, can you just hold this baby? And then I go. And then I'm like, okay, actually, this is kind of nice. Maybe I'm gonna go get myself some tea and then do some other things. Okay, now I'm gonna get back. I'll take the baby back.
[00:45:11] Speaker A: Right, because you can do it yourself. Right. But you don't have to. And I think that's something that I continue to struggle with in other.
Because I am really capable as a person, and I have to remind myself, like, just because I can do this myself doesn't mean I have to do it myself. And. Yeah.
[00:45:30] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's so enjoyable being able to do it in a community.
[00:45:34] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:45:34] Speaker B: Like.
Like I mentioned at the very beginning, the bonds that I've been able to form since having my daughter and bringing her into work are just different and more filled here than it was before. I was just kind of like, one of the few guys on staff Just like in the building, right?
It's like, okay, there's. There's a couple guys here. That's cool.
But obviously the moms are going to relate more with the other female staff members. But now like, again, with just like Esther being around, it's like, okay, there's a dad on the staff and I'm not the only one. There are others. But it's like, okay, you know, that's, you know, that adds another layer to it.
[00:46:11] Speaker A: But yeah, when you have a baby strapped to your chest, it's like, you know, they. Oh, yeah, that's. He is a dad. He's in the thick, thick of it. Yeah.
[00:46:19] Speaker B: Yeah. The strap I use says mom cozy still. So like it says mom on it and everything.
So it. Yeah. I have had some comments from people here, or not not as much here, but I have had comments from people in like the world when I'm out at a grocery store or something or it's. It's weird, you know, we've had dads taking care of kids for a while too, and sometimes being like stay at home dads and all that. But there's still like some stigma to it.
[00:46:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:46:50] Speaker B: And that's the same every time it happens to me where someone makes a weird comment to me like, oh, why is the baby not with her mom?
[00:46:57] Speaker A: Right?
[00:46:57] Speaker B: Like, why is she with you?
[00:46:59] Speaker A: Right?
[00:46:59] Speaker B: It's like, well, she's my baby too.
[00:47:00] Speaker A: She's my baby. Yeah.
[00:47:02] Speaker B: And then, and then it just, it reminds me that the stigma I'm facing, which is so small, honestly, compared to some of the stigma that our two moms experience, like all the time. And so I'm like, okay, like, in the context, I recognize you probably didn't mean it in that way. I'm reading more out of this comment than I should have, but it's like, man, I understand a little bit more about like our two moms of like going and getting this all the time outside. So it makes it even more valuable. Valuable to create that judgment. Free space when we can in here is like, no. Like, we're all just doing what we're doing the best we all can do everything. We're fully capable, just like you said, and we can accept help. That's totally okay. And we're all here and that's a perfect place to be.
[00:47:50] Speaker A: Right.
[00:47:51] Speaker B: Okay, well, I guess I will just offer any final comments before we wrap things up.
[00:47:57] Speaker A: I don't think I have anything else other than I.
I'm just always so grateful to be here and be part of, of this larger mission you guys have and get to play a small role in it.
[00:48:11] Speaker B: Yeah. Awesome. And we are so grateful to have you in the larger scheme that you offer us here at Hope House and also on this podcast today.
[00:48:19] Speaker A: Yeah. Thanks for having me.
[00:48:20] Speaker B: Yeah. So it's been fun, and I guess we'll wrap up. And this has been Life reviewed with Chris and Kim.
Tune in next time.
Same bat time, same bat channel.
Sorry, that's a joke that probably no one gets. But, yeah, tune in next time. Bye. Bye.
[00:48:53] Speaker A: Oh, precious. So the things I didn't know? The things I didn't know about you?
About you?
