Luminaries in the Dark
14 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago -We’re living in uncertain times, but a New World is emerging. Bruce Bracken, host of Luminaries in the Dark, explores the hopeful stories of people pivoting in their lives and in their work to rise above crisis and help those in need.
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Episodes
Labor of Love
August 14, 2020 02:46 - 53 minutes - 49.3 MB“COVID-19 gave me the opportunity to live out my beliefs. What a blessing it is to get a call from a hospital that says, ‘Our nurses and our doctors, they're taking risks that are just not okay’. Could a man ever have a better blessing in life than to know that he got to live out his belief, which is, ‘Hey, we're going to try to love our neighbors?’“ – Jeff Kaas It is not too often that we hear of a for-profit business putting their employee growth and community contribution as their missio...
Grass Stains, Flip Flops, and Therapy
August 07, 2020 05:35 - 36 minutes - 50.7 MB"Mental health has been an issue in our communities for a long, long time. If you look at any youth health survey results from communities around Snohomish County, depression, anxiety, kids vaping, drug use, all of that has been on the rise even before COVID." -Patsy Cudaback Children are our future. They will be responsible for building and leading our communities and helping us, as humans, progress to achieve a more just and caring world. It’s a fact that children are largely molded by th...
Your Mountain Is Waiting
July 23, 2020 07:10 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MB“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” – Henry David Thoreau For some, thinking of summer conjures up youthful memories of hiking with friends, canoeing down a river, fishing from a lakeshore, or late-night campfire stories. But this year, with travel and group gatherings curtailed, many of us face the challenge of finding ways to continue those summertime outdoor adventures. Luckily, this hasn’t stopped organizations from inventing unique ways for people to enjoy...
Message in a Bottle
July 16, 2020 21:30 - 55 minutes - 75.7 MB"I can't imagine being more fortunate than to have a business that blends passion for a product with giving back and with helping others." -Teresa Spellman Gamble Many businesses are struggling to stay financially afloat while successfully serving their customers amidst social distancing rules. But for other businesses the question they are struggling with is – what else more can we do to help our community? Tinte Cellars is one of those very special businesses, founded on a philanthropic ...
Family Ties
July 09, 2020 23:59 - 36 minutes - 50.6 MB"Whatever our New Normal will be, we will be there for our families." - Carrie Slavin Most of us have had to significantly readjust our lives due to stay-at-home and social distancing mandates, that has given many of us increased opportunities to spend time with our families - eating meals together, playing board games, and otherwise getting to know each other better. But for families that are struggling due to the economic downturn, buying food and household supplies is a major concern dur...
The Power of Gratitude
July 02, 2020 23:09 - 37 minutes - 52.2 MB"Loneliness, as a concept, is going to be the next epidemic." – Noah Friedman We have all seen the signs and heard the instructions - stay 6 feet away from each other. When followed, this rule has kept the COVID-19 infection count low in some areas and is vital to helping states re-open stores and public places. But when was the last time any of us gave another person a hug? Or even a handshake or a pat on the back? Chances are, for most of us, its been about 5 months since we have interact...
Community Spirits
June 26, 2020 00:00 - 45 minutes - 62.2 MB"There's just something about it when it's vodka and it's this luxury item. It's not that it's any less meaningful, but when you're doing something and you feel the personal connection of almost fear and the unknown, it's pretty darn meaningful!" - Ian Macneil, Glass Distillery Change is difficult. Ask any business owner and they will likely tell you that introducing change is one of the most exciting yet riskiest things you can do. Especially now that small businesses are struggling to kee...
We Only Have What We Give
June 19, 2020 01:04 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MBHeraclitus, a Greek philosopher, once said, “No man steps in the same river twice.” This quote, first spoken around 515 BC, rings true today as we evolve into our New Normal, and while we cannot go back to exactly how we lived before the global pandemic, people all around the world are influencing the evolution of the New Normal by stepping up to answer the needs of hospitals, front line personnel, and at-risk individuals in communities everywhere. In this episode, host Bruce Bracken learn...
Laughter Is the Best Medicine
June 12, 2020 06:44 - 38 minutes - 52.5 MB"I like to call it comic relief. Especially now when there is so much stress and so much anxiety in everyone's life. It is a moment of comic relief for people that they get to escape … when they just get to sit and watch a show for 45 minutes to an hour and let everything else go." - Chad Jacobs Many of us have had to reinvent ourselves and how we work to continue to provide services and maintain our livelihoods during this unique and challenging time. Entertainers and artists, who rely hea...
Special Delivery
June 04, 2020 19:11 - 25 minutes - 35.2 MBPerhaps no group has been more adversely affected by COVID-19 than the elderly community and immuno-compromised individuals. Already struggling with health issues, people in these groups are now struggling with being able to provide for their daily necessities such as groceries and prescriptions. Although many stores are offering special hours for shopping to accommodate those needing more distance from others, it is still a challenge for many people to travel and get supplies. In this epis...
When Hope Is Challenged - Part 2
May 27, 2020 00:19 - 31 minutes - 43.3 MB"The best we can do is just listen to the folks that we're serving and make sure that we're responding to what they are asking for… And you're right, don't have a crystal ball to see what's going to happen in the future, but what you do have is a huge outpouring of support from the community, from organizations, thousands of volunteers, and your staff." -Meghan Altimore In Part 1 of our interview with Meghan Altimore, host Bruce Bracken learns about the huge impact Hopelink has to its commu...
When Hope Is Challenged - Part 1
May 19, 2020 13:51 - 29 minutes - 40.8 MBAs millions file for unemployment, Americans are relying heavily on assistance from philanthropic organizations. One such organization is Hopelink, a not-for-profit in Washington State. Through its various programs including housing, adult education, transportation, and financial assistance, Hopelink aims to help people “gain the skills and knowledge they need to exit poverty for good." But how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected not-for-profits in their primary duty to serve people? In this...
Blueprint for Health
May 13, 2020 03:03 - 30 minutes - 42 MB"I think the main thing is to acknowledge the people that are truly putting themselves in harm's way … The medical professionals, the first responders, the frontline service people, and that what we are doing is to try to give them tools to keep safe, to keep their families safe, and to continue to serve the people that they serve, so that we feel like we're enabling the heroes on the front lines of this thing." -- Jonathan Roberts As people work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the dem...
The Uncommon Thread
May 05, 2020 07:31 - 26 minutes - 36.2 MBWhat difference can two people make in a global pandemic? To date, COVID-19 has infected more than 1 million people and claimed over 230,000 lives. The pandemic has disrupted economies, ordered people to stay indoors, and forced restaurants, gyms, hair salons, schools, and nonessential services to shutter their doors. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs and filed for unemployment. These uncertain times are asking us to define what the New Normal will be, and what we can do right now ...