SHIM: The Nonprofit Fighting to End a Hidden Suburban Hunger Epidemic
Release Date: 02/20/2025
The goodness game
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Episode 3: Food insecurity in the suburbs can be very difficult to spot. Luckily, there’s a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit working hard to address this issue and support its community. Meet the South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM), an organization whose sole mission is to fight the unprecedented new levels of suburban poverty. I’m joined today by their development and communications manager, Rachel White. Rachel, a former professional violinist, discovered her passion for this work after her first volunteering experience and decided to dedicate her life to it. Now, she...
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Episode 2: Sometimes, all it takes to change someone’s life is showing up. When Jennifer and Jack Zebo first volunteered to serve the homeless years ago, they never imagined it would change their lives. Now, they run a grassroots movement helping over 100 people in need every week in Pittsburgh. If you’re a local, you probably already heard about the Harvest Street Mission. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds bring meals, donate clothes, and even offer services like haircuts. But they don’t just help out with materialistic things. One of the most important things they do...
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Episode 1: One small act of kindness can change your life forever. I learned that from personal experience… At 18, I ran away from home with nothing but $200 to my name. One day, after my money ran out, I ended up at the Greyhound station, planning to crash there until I figured something out. That’s when a woman picked me up off the street, gave me food, a place to sleep, and a chance to get back on my feet. Though I never got the chance to repay her directly, I was inspired to pay it forward. And that’s how the goodness game was born—a game that turns acts of kindness into a...
info_outlineEpisode 3: Food insecurity in the suburbs can be very difficult to spot.
Luckily, there’s a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit working hard to address this issue and support its community. Meet the South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM), an organization whose sole mission is to fight the unprecedented new levels of suburban poverty.
I’m joined today by their development and communications manager, Rachel White. Rachel, a former professional violinist, discovered her passion for this work after her first volunteering experience and decided to dedicate her life to it. Now, she works full-time at SHIM.
Tune in as we explore the hidden issues in suburban areas, the incredible power of community, and how neighbors can help neighbors!
Key Takeaways:
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00:00 Intro
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00:57 Rachel’s background and her work for SHIM
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06:37 Rachel’s helping style
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07:19 SHIM’s programs and services
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13:06 How SHIM got into helping immigrants
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14:59 Utilizing different helping styles
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18:24 Why people choose to volunteer
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26:56 How to make the most of donations
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29:30 Empty shelf season
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31:39 How to get involved
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32:52 Being seen
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37:19 Outro
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Learn more about SHIM’s mission and get involved:
👉 Website: https://shimcares.org/
👉 Fighting hunger: https://shimcares.org/hunger/
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Go to https://goodnessgame.com/ and:
🫶 Discover your helping style
🫶 Create your kindness budget
🫶 Track your impact
🫶 Celebrate the ripple effects of small acts of kindness
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At the goodness game, we believe that kindness isn’t complicated—it’s contagious. Through simple, actionable steps, we empower individuals, families, and organizations to create positive ripple effects in their communities and beyond.
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