Hope Is My Middle Name

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 4-foot 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 in the spring 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.

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.orgConnect with Kate Tucker on instagram.com/katetuckermusicHosted 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!

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.comFind your local National Park at FindYourPark.comConnect 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!

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.

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.orgAnd Kevin Briggs at pivotal-points.comFind Kate on instagram.com/katetuckermusicHosted 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 swingsWhat 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

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/taprootfarmwvFollow Katehttps://www.instagram.com/katetuckerm...https://twitter.com/katetuckermusichttps://www.youtube.com/katetuckerHosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume.

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 @katetuckermusicHosted and produced by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume.

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.

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 truckstop 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, I talk with my dad, Kevin Tucker, because it was riding shotgun in his semi, that I learned to love the road and all its unpredictable adventure. Hosted by Kate Tucker, Hope Is My Middle Name is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media in collaboration with Reasonable Volume.  To join Shelli Conaway in delivering hope visit truckswithroomtospare.org Hope Is My Middle Name is more than a podcast; it’s a community. We want to know what’s giving you hope these days. Post #reasonstohope on your socials and tag @katetuckermusic for more hope.