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Twenty years cycling between home-life struggles and military combat zones has taught Dr. Damon everything he needs to know about the importance of personal and interpersonal healing. After battling with PTSD and suicidal thoughts himself, his life purpose was revealed to him in the form of improving life for the men and women who sacrificed to keep their loved ones safe. On today's episode he takes us on a journey from juvenile jail cells to having his name honored in the Pentagon, and teaches us about all the physical, mental, and spiritual ways his organization (SOF Missions) is healing veterans in Florida and beyond. Follow @FeedingTampaBay to learn more about our incredible partners, and the ways you can get involved in the fight to improve life for every one of our neighbors around the country.

There is no better way to support our struggling neighbors than understanding what their struggles consist of, and how they can be helped. That is why Kareem Spratling is the perfect chairman for the board of Feeding Tampa Bay, and why we want to introduce you to him on today's episode! In his youth, Kareem lived the experience of food insecurity firsthand. And as his life journey led him to positions of prestige, he never stopped pouring his time and effort into helping others find stability and dignity, too. Listen to learn about his journey from the projects to becoming a public finance attorney, and why he thinks success stories are so important during Black History Month and beyond. Follow @FeedingTampaBay on social media to see our own success stories, and how you can get involved to help us create more of them!

Dr. Sharma has returned (previous episode link here) and is helping us kick off the New Year with a better understanding of Integrative Medicine! She shares her individualized approach to each patient’s over all well-being and a few incredible success stories that reflect positive, healthy outcomes that have changed lives. We discuss the lifelong affects of "food trauma" and how it’s up to us to make a difference along with updates on our partnership with Tampa General Hospital and the innovative health programs available, that just begin with good nutrition. For more information on Nutrition Education visit our website.   Follow @FeedingTampaBay to learn more about the work we're doing to improve health in Tampa Bay, and the phenomenal partners working right alongside us.

Did you know that Feeding Tampa Bay has programs for volunteers of all ages? On today's episode we talk about the Student Ambassador program, and meet two of the local college students using their knowledge and their voices to help fight food insecurity! Meet Gina and Adam, and learn how college students in Tampa Bay can get involved with their community, helping neighbors and making friends along the way. Then head over to FeedingTampaBay.org and learn about our other youth programs, Catalyst and Changemakers! Follow @FeedingTampaBay on social media to see more of the fun, fulfilling activities you and your family can participate in throughout the coming year.

Your favorite yearly episode is here! Meet the inspirational human beings who act as the heart, the arms, the legs, and the soul of our mighty little organization. We talk passion and purpose with Roanna, Jack, Omar, Robert, and Jocelyn on today's episode! It truly takes a village to do the work we do, and we hope you'll join us in building it! Learn more about our team and our programs on social media @FeedingTampaBay -- and visit our website, FeedingTampaBay.org, to see how you can get involved in the fight to end hunger.

Your favorite yearly episode is here! Meet the inspirational human beings who act as the heart, the arms, the legs, and the soul of our mighty little organization. We talk passion and purpose with Sarah, Chris, Lorena, and Scott on today's episode, and have FIVE MORE team members for you to meet next time! It truly takes a village to do the work we do, and we hope you'll join us in building it! Learn more about our team and our programs on social media @FeedingTampaBay -- and visit our website, FeedingTampaBay.org, to see how you can get involved in the fight to end hunger.

The ChappellRoberts marketing agency is the creative force behind so many of Feeding Tampa Bay's bright, inspiring campaigns each year. And on today's episode, we'd like to introduce you to their Chief Creative Officer, Matt Boswell. We talk about what it's like trying to keep a creative spirit alive in a world that doesn't always know how to nurture that kind of person, and how ChappellRoberts dreams up marketing projects like or current "Big Things Are Happening" campaign. Visit https://feedingtampabay.org/bigthings to experience our interactive art exhibition, travelling the Tampa Bay region to connect with the community and help them experience our mission first-hand! Follow @FeedingTampaBay on social media to see where our "Big Citrus" is going to be, and how you can support us by doing things like buying a specialty coffee drink from our partners at Blind Tiger!

Tampa Bay Bucs Linebacker Markees Watts says he is blessed to have always had support along his journey to the NFL. And he knows how much of a difference it makes to have people believe in you. That's why he was so intent on finding ways to support the community of Feeding Tampa Bay when he arrived here from Lancaster, SC. Listen to learn how Markees went from playing 8th grade football to being one of the tiny percentage of players who actually make it to the big leagues, and how complicated that process actually is when you aren't drafted right out of college. Follow @FeedingTampaBay to learn more about the programs we collaborate on with partners like the Bucs, and how you can get involved in ending hunger in our community as well!

We're all aware that life can be difficult for an active duty soldier, but extreme difficulties can also pile up in different ways for retired veterans. Many of them struggle to reintegrate into normal, everyday life, and may not have enough money to cover food and housing costs. And that's not even mentioning the challenges they face from physical or mental trauma they've endured. On today's episode we hear from Dr. Chad Radwan, a veteran-care researcher from the James A. Haley Veteran's Hospital, and his friend David Caras, a veteran who leads support groups and other programs to help men just like him lead healthy lives. Follow @FeedingTampaBay to learn how we work with community partners to support veterans in and around Tampa, and how you can get involved to do the same.

One surprising fact that has become clear in all our decades of food banking is this: food alone can't end hunger. That's why our colleagues like Matt and Kaity work so tirelessly to develop and improve programs that provide people with access to more than a just a meal. Tune in to learn how our work provides neighbors in need with healthcare, shelter, and financial self-sufficiency -- and how absolute human gems like Kaity find their way to working alongside us on our mission! Follow @FeedingTampaBay on social media to see our programs in action, and learn how you can get involved in providing our neighbors with what they really need to thrive.

Our President and CEO, Thomas Mantz, is running in the Chicago Marathon on Sunday 10/8! He personally runs for better health, but this time he is running to better the health of others. And running right alongside him will be his daughter, Jessica -- who joins us on today's show to talk about her love of running and the training she and Thomas have been doing over the years. You can join them in helping to create memories around the table for families served by both Feeding Tampa Bay and the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Go to https://donate.feedingtampabay.org/campaign/run-thomas-run/c522249 for more information, and thank you for supporting our mission to end hunger and build stability throughout our communities. You can also view the awesome fun-spirational video we recorded with Thomas about his training for the marathon on our YouTube! And see more of our creations and work in the community by following @FeedingTampaBay on social media.

Access to healthy food helps to prevent so many long-term medical issues, that's why BayCare works so closely with Feeding Tampa Bay to ensure that our neighbors can get that much-needed access. Whether they're funding school pantries, sending medical patients home with bags of food, or staffing an on-site clinic at the FTB warehouse, BayCare is in it for the long haul when it comes to ending hunger. Tune in to hear from Lisa Bell, BayCare's Director of Community Benefit -- as well as our show's own former host, Matt Spence! He and Lisa have been brainstorming together for years, and are excited to talk about the programs that have sprouted from all those conversations. Follow @FeedingTampaBay on your favorite social media to learn more about our many programs, and how you can get involved in the fight against hunger.