Educating dogs to change the world, that’s the work of Canine Assistants founded in 1991 by Jennifer Arnold, in the wake of her father’s unexpected death and her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis at age 16. Fueled by legacy and limitation, Jennifer funded her scrappy startup with wide-ranging odd jobs and a donation bucket at the local Walmart. To date, the non-profit has placed over 3,000 service dogs with people who have mobility difficulties, Type 1 Diabetes, epilepsy/seizure disorders, and other special needs. Their Community Service Dogs provide therapy in Children's Hospitals for patients, families, and staff, and their Community Facilitators are helping scale their work across America.

Join us for poignant and heartwarming stories of superhero dogs who love us enough to save our lives, and learn a bit about the science behind their impressive capabilities. And if you’re looking for tips and tricks for your own pup, Jennifer Arnold shares her Bond-Based Approach to teaching dogs, which forgoes traditional training methods, focusing instead on the powerful bond between humans and our canine companions.

Visit HopeIsMyMiddleName.com for episode transcript, videos, and links to Jennifer Arnold and Canine Assistants.

If you liked this episode, listen next to Hope and Healing for Kids and Families Living with Autism: Dr. Theresa Hamlin, Hope Is My Middle Name season 4, episode 9.

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

If you like the show, please follow us on your favorite podcast platform, and leave us a 5-star rating and review. It makes a big difference in helping us reach more people with more HOPE.

Thanks so much for listening!

“What happens here matters everywhere” is the motto for The Center for Discovery, tucked away in the hills of upstate New York, where for the past forty years Dr. Theresa Hamlin has been hard at work revolutionizing care for people with autism and other complex needs. With a robust team of researchers, Dr. Hamlin developed the HealthE6 model, a holistic approach to calibrating brain, body, and environment through diet, movement, and stress management. In autism, stress is a major factor and the HealthE6 model offers tangible ways to find equilibrium. We have a long way to go in understanding autism, but at The Center for Discovery there is real healing and hope.

Join us for a powerful conversation with Dr. Theresa Hamlin as she shares stories of breakthroughs, and innovative approaches that can help kids and families living with autism, and all of us, manage stress, build confidence, and find joy in the process.

Visit HopeIsMyMiddleName.com for episode transcript, videos, and links to Dr. Theresa Hamlin and The Center for Discovery.

If you liked this episode, listen next to Veterans Turning PTSD into Posttraumatic Growth with Boulder Crest’s Ken Falke, Hope Is My Middle Name season 4, episode 6.

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

If you like the show, please follow us on your favorite podcast platform, and leave us a 5-star rating and review. It makes a big difference in helping us reach more people with more HOPE.

Thanks so much for listening!

What if art could build a bridge from incarceration to liberation? For Rahsaan “New York” Thomas the road was long, but he turned a 55 to life prison sentence into an opportunity. Through art, he would empower fellow incarcerated artists to transcend the limits of their sentences, and maybe even one day walk free, like Rahsaan did in 2023.

Today Rahsaan directs Empowerment Avenue, a non-profit he founded while inside San Quentin and now runs on the outside, along with a myriad of creative endeavors including the San Quentin Film Festival, and his work on the Pulitzer-prize winning podcast, Ear Hustle.

Rahsaan takes us through his life like the skilled storyteller he is, from growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, to landing in prison in California, to finding his voice as an artist inside San Quentin, and running the New York Marathon as a free man, with a dream to empower art that fosters inclusivity, which he believes could ultimately heal the root causes of crime.

Join us for a transformative conversation on art as a lifeline to hope and lifelong community.

Find episode transcript and links for Rahsaan “New York” Thomas and Empowerment Avenue at HopeIsMyMiddleName.com

Photo of Rahsaan "New York" Thomas by Nigel Poor

If you liked this episode, listen next to Landing a Life-Changing Job Out of Prison and Addiction with Kyle Wedge, Hope Is My Middle Name season 3, episode 4.

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

If you like the show, please follow us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and leave us a 5-star rating and review. It makes a big difference in helping us reach more people with more HOPE.

Thanks for listening!