163: Providing At-Risk Kids With Positive Alternatives to Gangs, Drugs, Truancy, Violence, and Incarceration

New season, new episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast!

On this episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, 1 Girl Revolution founder, Kate Milligan, takes the mic solo and spends this episode celebrating the 5th anniversary of 1 Girl Revolution and takes us on an inspiring journey through the inspiring and empowering stories, profound experiences, and impactful moments that have defined 1 Girl Revolution.

Tune in as Kate reminisces on the pivotal moments of her journey, from the inception of 1 Girl Revolution to its transformative evolution over the years. With unwavering passion and dedication, she shares insights into the extraordinary women and girls who have graced our platform, illuminating their resilience, strength, and unwavering spirit.

But the celebration doesn't stop there! Kate offers an exclusive glimpse into the exciting developments and initiatives on the horizon for 1 Girl Revolution in 2024 and beyond. Get ready to be inspired, uplifted, and empowered as we embark on this next chapter together. And Kate shares ways that you can get involved in our work and be a part of the revolution!

Join us as we raise our voices, celebrate our achievements, and reaffirm our commitment to empowering women and girls everywhere. This is more than a podcast; it's more than a multimedia enterprise -- it's a movement. This is 1 Girl Revolution.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on 1 GIrl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com 

On this week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Becca Stevens, founder of Thistle Farms - a social enterprise that helps women survivors overcome and heal from systems of exploitation, prostitution, addiction, and abuse. 

Thistle Farms is a social enterprise that for over 25 years - has lit a pathway of healing and hope for women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction. Becca's hope for a global movement for women’s freedom began with Thistle Farms’ first residential home and now has grown and evolved into a multifaceted social enterprise that is empowering women and helping them find healing and freedom. 

After experiencing the death of her father and subsequent child abuse when she was 5, Becca longed to open a sanctuary for survivors offering a loving community. 

In 1997, five women who had experienced trafficking, violence, and addiction were welcomed home. Thistle Farms’ first house was just the beginning and now they do so much more - including providing housing, financial independence, and by creating meaningful employment for women survivors. 

Becca is a nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, an Episcopal priest, and she has founded 13 nonprofits and justice enterprises, mentored another 60, and has raised over $75 million to support them. Becca has authored 12 books, including - Snake Oil: The Art of Healing and Truth-Telling. She has been featured on PBS NewsHour, The Today Show, CNN, ABC World News, named a CNN Hero, and White House Champion of Change, and holds five honorary doctorates. Drawn from 25 years of leadership in mission-driven work, Becca leads important conversations across the country with an inspiring message that love is the strongest force for change in the world. 

We are so honored to have Becca on the podcast to share her incredible story and to talk about the amazing work that Thistle Farms is doing to transform the lives of women. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Becca’s inspiring life story;

• The story of losing her dad at a young age and surviving childhood abuse;

• How she found healing and all about her incredible life journey – becoming an Episcopal priest and how she got into the work she’s doing now helping other survivors;

• How Thistle Farms started and how Thistle Farms is offering freedom and support to survivors of human trafficking, prostitution, and addiction; 

• And so much more.

For more information about Becca and Thistle Farms, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/BeccaStevens

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on 1 GIrl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com 

On this week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Kimba Langas, co-founder of Free the Girls - a nonprofit organization that provides economic empowerment and reintegration services to survivors of sex trafficking.

Kimba is an Emmy-award winning producer and 20+ year veteran of the television and video production industry, and she has always had a passion for storytelling. In 2010, as a new mother and freelancer, the story of modern-day slavery and sex trafficking wasn’t even on her radar.  But when her friend Dave asked Kimba to partner with him on a new organization he wanted to start to empower survivors of sex trafficking, she said “yes!” and jumped all in. Little did she know how the issue of sex trafficking and her work with Free the Girls would change her life. 

Free The Girls is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering sustainable economic opportunities among other integral reintegrative services to survivors of sex trafficking. Free the Girls exists to help women escaping sex trafficking reintegrate into their communities and reclaim their lives. They do that through micro-entrepreneurship and helping these survivors build their own businesses. While it may not intuitively seem to be the first step for women to begin their healing from the trauma of exploitation, economic empowerment is vital for that healing process. If a woman is unable to meet her basic needs of food and shelter it is very likely she will go back into a life of survival sex work.

Kimba served as Executive Director of Free The Girls for five years, on the Board of Directors for three years, and continues to act as an advisor and mentor to the organization’s leadership. She recently re-joined the Free The Girls leadership as interim president of the Board of Directors, and is a member two service organizations: Dry Creek Sertoma Club, and GFWC’s Southwest Region Woman’s Club.

Kimba hopes her experience serves as an example that global change requires people from all types of backgrounds to step up and offer what they can where they are. Her non-profit experience drives her passion for helping other non-profits as a volunteer, particularly those focused on women, social justice, and addressing the root causes of exploitation in vulnerable populations.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Kimba’s inspiring life story;

• About Kimba’s life and career before Free the Girls’

• How Kimba first learned about sex trafficking and how the idea for Free the Girls sparked;

• The story of how Kimba and a friend founded Free the Girls to empower women and girls who are exiting sex trafficking;

• The inspiring stories of women and girls who have been empowered by the work of Free the Girls;;

• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Kimba and Free the Girls, please visit: www.1GirlRevlution.com/freethegirls 

For more information about 1 GIrl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com 

This week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast features Rachelle Vartanian, founder of the Living and Learning Center – a nonprofit organization that works to enhance the lives of people with disabilities through therapeutic, social, work-based, and community engagement.

Rachelle graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in teaching for the emotionally impaired and right out of college, she worked at a center for adjudicated youth. Rachelle was so passionate about that work, that she ended up working in that field for over 10 years. At the same time, Rachelle went back to school and obtained a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Personality and Development because she wanted to better understand why so many of her students chose to behave in self-destructive manners. It was during this same time that Rachelle began seeing signs of autism in her youngest son. When he was officially diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, she made the decision to go back to school to get a second Master’s Degree in Autism Spectrum Disorders and she simultaneously began teaching high school special education.

Rachelle had been looking for resources and social skills groups that would benefit her son and through her own experience and seeing the lack of support and resources – she decided to start her own local family group. Every Sunday, Rachelle facilitated a group of like-minded individuals that they called “Weamara” (the initials of the original social skills group members) and that went on for almost two years.

After those two years, Rachelle recognized there was a greater need and she had a vision for what she could do to be the change she wanted to see in the world. Rachelle  took a leap of faith and quit her job after being a special education teacher for 20 years, she sold her family home, drew money from her retirement, and downsized her life – and that’s what started the Living and Learning Center.  

The Living and Learning Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, whose mission is to enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. Through therapeutic, social, work-based, and community engagement, the Living and Learning Center seeks to support, enrich, inspire, and embolden their participants and their families so they can achieve their goals and thrive. The Living and Learning Center’s vision is to become the nation’s model in supporting the highest quality of life for people with disabilities and their families.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Rachelle’s inspiring life story;

• About Rachelle’s journey with her son who has Asperger’s Syndrome;

• How Rachelle got the idea to start the Living and Learning Center and how it has grown and evolved throughout the years;

• The story of how Rachelle took a leap of faith, quit her job, sold her house, and started the Living and Learning Center;

• About the incredible work that the Living and Learning Center does to support individuals with disabilities and differences and their families;

• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Rachelle and the Living and Learning Center, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/RachelleVartanian

For more information about 1 Girl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com 

On this week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Zainab Salbi, founder of Women for Women International and co-founder of Daughters for Earth. 

Zainab is a celebrated humanitarian, author, and journalist. Oprah Winfrey identified her as one of the 25 women changing the world to People Magazine and Foreign Policy Magazine called Zainab one of “100 Top Global Thinkers”.

Zainab is the co-founder for Daughters for Earth, Chief Awareness Officer at FindCenter.com, and host of Redefined podcast. Zainab is also the author of a few books, including the national bestseller Between Two Worlds and her latest Freedom Is an Inside Job. She is also the creator and host of several shows, including #MeToo, Now What? on PBS, and Through Her Eyes with Zainab Salbi at Yahoo News.

Zainab started her career when she was 23 years old as the founder and former CEO of Women for Women International, an organization to help women survivors of conflicts. She built the group from helping 30 women to reaching nearly half a million women and raising 146 million dollars in aid and microloans to help them and their families rebuild their lives.

Zainab joins The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast to share her incredible story and to talk about all of her amazing efforts to support women around the world through Women for Women International and Daughters for Earth.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Zainab’s inspiring life story;

• How Zainab decided to start Women for Women International and all about their incredible work around the world to empower women;

• About Zainab’s decision to step back from Women for Women International and co-found Daughters for Earth;

• About the incredible impact that Women for Women International and Daughters for Earth has had - and continues to have through their work everyday;

• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Zainab, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/ZainabSalbi

For more information about 1 Girl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com

This week on The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast we welcome Maggie Hartman, founder of Maggie’s Flowers – a flower business that raises money for Christmas gifts for children in need. 

When Maggie was 5 years old, in the spring of 2012, she wanted to go hang gliding while on a family vacation in North Carolina. Her parents, not wanting to say no but also not having the money to give her to go, encouraged Maggie to be creative and find a way to raise the $100 to go hang gliding. That’s when Maggie’s Flowers was born. Maggie sold flowers that Spring/Summer to raise the money to go hang gliding and she loved it so much - she decided to do it again the following summer. But instead of spending the money on another adventure for herself - she decided to start using the funds to buy Christmas gifts in need. Maggie’s Flowers has continued ever since – every Summer Maggie sells flowers and buys Christmas gifts for children/families in need during the holidays. 

Maggie has given away tens of thousands of toys and she’s still going strong. Maggie is in college now, but continues to run Maggie’s Flowers - selling flowers in the Spring/Summer, curating flowers for weddings and events, and more. She also has opportunities to give flowers away to those who may need a little extra love. For instance, she has a place on her website where people can purchase a bouquet from Maggie’s Flowers and have it delivered to an area nursing home. 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Maggie’s inspiring life story;

• The story of how Maggie started Maggie’s Flowers when she was 5 years old;

• How Maggie’s Flowers became the incredible social enterprise that it is today, buying Christmas presents for children/families in need;

• Stories of children and families who have been blessed by the work of Maggie’s Flowers;

• How Maggie continues this great initiative from her college dorm room;

• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Maggie and Maggie's Flowers, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/MaggiesFlowers 

For more information about 1 Girl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com 

On this week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast, we welcome Lisa Simpson, founder of Crossroads for Women - a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive, integrated services to empower women emerging from incarceration to achieve safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives in the community, for themselves and their children.

Crossroads for Women was founded in 1997, after Lisa began to recognize that women emerging from incarceration (jail or prison) needed a place to live and comprehensive, integrated services in order to stop recidivism (women ending up back in jail and prison) and for them to find safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives again. 

Crossroads for Women provides housing and trauma-informed therapeutic services with a gender-responsive approach for women across seven domains: legal, independent living, medical, substance abuse, mental health, vocational, and family. Their specialized model is based on acknowledging the primary importance of relationships in the lives of women, and addressing the challenges of their pasts, presents, and futures.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Lisa’s inspiring life story;

• How she decided to become an attorney and how she got involved in the case that would change her life;

• The story of how Lisa recognized the need for Crossroads for Women and how the organization started;

• About the incredible work that Crossroads for Women is doing to support and empower women and their children;

• The inspiring stories of women who have been served through the work of Crossroads for Women;

• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Lisa and Crossroads for Women, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/CrossroadsforWomen 

For more information about 1 Girl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com

This week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast features Shaney Jo Darden, founder of Keep A Breast Foundation - a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing breast cancer risk and its impact globally through art, education, prevention, and action. 

In 1999, Shaney Jo Darden discovered a close friend had been diagnosed with breast cancer and she wanted to do something to help and she realized that she could make a difference in a way that honored her friend's passion: art. As a result, Keep A Breast was born as a unique art concept that was developed to showcase the physical and emotional challenges of breast cancer. The result was a series of customized breast casts.

In 2000, the first breast casts were officially showcased in an exhibition called “Keep A Breast.” It featured casts of pro-female snowboarders, painted by artists like Shepard Fairey and Ed Templeton. This signaled a shift toward an arts-oriented breast cancer awareness organization with a new mantra: Art. Education. Prevention. Action.

Since then, Keep A Breast has grown and evolved and now has many programs within the organization. Their programs include Check Yourself (Digestible breast health education through printed materials, blogs and our KAB app.); the Keep A Breast App (A free, breast self-check app helps guide you through your monthly check and can connect you with health professionals.); Fit 4 Prevention (A national movement to educate about breast cancer prevention through fitness and wellness.); Keep A Breast Give Back Grant (Directly supporting BIPOC women who are breast cancer survivors or who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.); Treasured Chest Program (Where artistry meets therapy. TCP is designed to create a safe space that allows our castees to confront both physical and emotional changes that a breast cancer diagnosis brings.); Non Toxic Revolution (Informing, educating and inspiring young people to avoid toxic chemicals in their environment and food supply—especially those linked to the initiation of breast cancer.); and their most recent program, which Shaney Jo talked about for the first time (EXCLUSIVE!!!) Keep A Breast Valley (Boutique Wellness Center is being designed as a desert community that will provide the space and tools for visitors to explore and nurture individual and collective wellness.)

Shaney Jo’s story is so inspiring and the work that Keep A Breast does to empower women and support our sisters through their cancer journey is incredible. You don’t want to miss this episode.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Shaney Jo’s inspiring life story;

• How she got into art, fashion, and design;

• The story of how Keep A Breast came to be and her personal connection to breast cancer (through a friend’s cancer journey);

• How Keep A Breast has grown and evolved and stories of women they have helped through the years;

• AN EXCLUSIVE: Shaney shares about a new facet of their work - a wellness center for those going through cancer and cancer survivors; 

• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Shaney Jo and Keep A Breast Foundation, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com/keepabreast

For more information about 1 Girl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com

This week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast features Kat Wehunt, co-founder of The Formation Project – a survivor-led nonprofit organization that provides specialized services to those who have experienced human trafficking and/or sexual exploitation.

The Formation Project has built a community of support led by survivors for survivors. The Formation Project believes that a positive and permanent impact in the lives of survivors is possible by ensuring access to sustainable services. Their services include outreach, intervention, case management, an emergency shelter, and a vibrant, consistent survivor community.

Kat is a survivor of familial human trafficking and she co-founded The Formation Project to help other survivors. Kat is one of the leading voices in the movement to bring an end to human trafficking in our world. 

You do not want to miss this inspiring and powerful episode! 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Kat’s inspiring life story;

• Kat’s story of surviving familial human trafficking and how she’s found healing;

• How Kat’s own experiences led her to starting The Formation Project;

• About the work of The Formation Project and stories of some of the survivors they have supported;

• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Kat and The Formation Project, please visit: www.1girlrevolution.com/theformationproject 

For more information about 1 Girl Revolution, please visit: www.1GirlRevolution.com 

This week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast features Celeste Mergens, founder of Days for Girls – a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to increasing access to menstrual care and education that shatter stigma and limitations for women and girls around the world.

Days for Girls increases access to menstrual care and education by developing global partnerships, cultivating Social Enterprises, mobilizing volunteers and innovating sustainable solutions that shatter stigma and limitations for women and girls worldwide. Days for Girls is dedicated to increasing access to menstrual supplies around the world, shattering stigma through education, elevating menstrual health and hygiene, and advocating for global policy change to empower women and girls. Days for Girls is turning periods into pathways.

Celeste founded Days for Girls in 2008 after a life-changing experience while she was working with a foundation in Kenya. Since it’s founding, Days for Girls has impacted the lives of more than 300 million women and girls in 145 countries - and counting. 

Celeste is an innovator, a speaker, the founder of several successful organizations, and she’s also now an author! Celeste’s new book The Power of Days: A Story of Resilience, Dignity, and the Fight for Women’s Equity is available now. 

You do not want to miss this inspiring episode! 

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Celeste’s inspiring life story;

• How Celeste ended up doing work in Kenya and how she learned about the menstrual poverty that many women and girls face daily;

• The story of how Celeste decided to start Days for Girls and about the incredible world-changing work they do;

• Stories about the impact that Days for Girls is making;

• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Celeste and Days for Girls, please visit: https://1girlrevolution.com/daysforgirls