August 11, 2021

Episode 27 -- Team Rubicon

Art delaCruz, the CEO of Team Rubicon, joins Charity Talks.  Team Rubicon is an international disaster response nonprofit that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly provide relief to communities in need.  Team Rubicon’s over 130,000 volunteers deploy across the United States and the world wherever disasters strike.  And during the current pandemic, Team Rubicon has supported over 1.7 million vaccinations in 105 cities through mass, mobile and fixed vaccination sites, as well as distributing millions of pounds of food.  In total, Team Rubicon is making a big difference wherever vulnerable and at-risk populations need them the most.  (0:24)

Website:  https://teamrubiconusa.org/ 

Episode 26 -- National Downs Syndrome Society

Kandi Pickard, the President and CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society, is this episode’s guest.  As the leading human rights organization for individuals with Down Syndrome, NDSS’s goal is a world in which all those who live with this syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations and become valued members of welcoming communities.  NDSS accomplishes this through national advocacy, educational programs, an employment program that seeks to increase access to the workplace for those with Down Syndrome, and the National Buddy Walk program which raises awareness for the Down Syndrome Community.  Through these programs, NDSS has made a huge impact on so many people’s lives.  (0:24)

Website:  https://www.ndss.org/ 

Episode 25 -- Temple Grandin

Dr. Temple Grandin, professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, is this episode’s guest. Dr. Grandin is a trailblazing advocate for the humane treatment of livestock, an inventor, a best-selling author, and a widely-sought speaker on autism.  In 2010, Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, named her in its “Heroes” category, and that year she was the subject of the award-winning semi-biographical film Temple Grandin. During the podcast, Dr. Grandin discusses growing up with autism, how those with autism think about and process the world, and what led to her breakthroughs in the understanding of, and treatment of, animals.  (0:35)

To watch the interview on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/FUbTNOrb14c

Episode 24 -- Children Incorporated

Ronald Carter, the President and CEO of Children Incorporated, joins Charity Talks and discusses CI’s mission to help impoverished children in the United States and 22 countries around the world.  CI does this in two key ways: through child sponsorship and special funds.  Sponsorship ensures that children in poverty get the basic necessities, such as food, clothing and school supplies.  Special funds take one-time donations and use them to support feeding programs, skill training programs and housing improvements, among many needs that CI addresses.  Combined, these impactful programs are helping thousands of children each year.  (0:25)

Website:  https://childrenincorporated.org/

Episode 23 -- SCI Foundation

Dr. Wendy Harrison, the CEO of the SCI Foundation, is this episode’s guest.  SCI’s vision is a world free of preventable diseases.  One preventable disease that SCI is focusing on eradicating is caused by parasitic worm infections, which is not a problem those in developed countries hear about very often.  However, they affect over a billion people around the world, the largest group being school-age children in the poorest communities.  By working to prevent these infections and others, SCI is reducing impaired child development, increasing school attendance, and positively impacting the societies where these diseases are doing the most damage.  (0:31)

Website:  https://schistosomiasiscontrolinitiative.org/

Episode 22 -- Innovations for Poverty Action

Annie Duflo, the Executive Director of Innovations for Poverty Action, joins Charity Talks to discuss IPA’s mission to create high quality evidence for the best interventions to alleviate poverty.  IPA has programs that improve education in developing countries and reduce human trafficking in Africa.  It also has tested the effectiveness of direct payments to those living in poverty, to name just a few of its hundreds of programs.  By deeply studying these issues, and then working with governments to put in place the most impactful policies for the poor, IPA is making a huge difference in reducing suffering around the world. (0:28).

Website:  https://www.poverty-action.org/

Episode 21 -- Project Bantu Philippines

Jaime Benedicto, the Director of Project Bantu Philippines, is this episode’s guest.  Project Bantu Philippines uses the music and movements of Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art that combines the elements of dance, acrobatics and music, to help children and young people from the poorest neighborhoods in Manila.  Project Bantu’s support and classes provide these children, who are often living on the streets, with enjoyable yet structured activities that help reinforce in them important values such as perseverance, respect, compassion and responsibility.  This impactful program really is making a difference in their lives, particularly during the COVID-related lockdowns in Manila, which have made the day-to-day challenges that these children face even more difficult. (0:32). 

Website:  https://www.projectbantu.org.ph/