December 16, 2025 • 33 mins
Much of the work Jake and Ashley do with One Tribe Foundation revolves around volunteering - but for each of them, serving others started much earlier in life. This episode producer Nick tags along for a day of volunteering to clean gravestones at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Along they he way he meets and interviews fellow volunteers and rediscovers the joy (and fun!) of volunteering.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the last episode of season two of The
Good Stuff. I'm Ashley Shick, and I'm joined by my
husband and co host, Jacob Shick, a third generation combat
marine and CEO of One Tribe Foundation.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Ashley also comes from a family rich in military history,
and we've dedicated our lives to One Tribe's mission serving veterans,
first responders, and their families. We're coming to you from Dallas,
so welcome to Texas.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
And joining us all season long from Los Angeles, California
is our West Coast long haired friend and producer of
the Good Stuff, Nick Cassolini.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I'm feeling so good about today's episode because we are
digging into what it means to be a volunteer, how
we help each other, and how we help ourselves.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Very excited, and.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Just a quick heads up, this show can explore some
heavy subject matter, including suicide, so listener discretion is advised.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
We're so glad you're joining us again.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Welcome to the Good Stuff, Ashley. Would you like to
tell us where we are and what we're up to?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Absolutely so. We are at Dallas National Cemetery in Dallas
Fort Worth. Today is September eleventh, and we decided not
only do we want to take some time to honor
and remember the individuals who lost their life twenty four
years ago. Today, the first responders who bravely went in
(01:26):
to help in those that perish, the three hundred and
forty three firefighters who lost their lives, and the countless
healthcare professionals that stepped up to several of those who
were greatly impacted by that horrific day. We wanted to
do something more to give back to our community. So
we are here. It's Patriot Day, and we are here
at Dallas National Cemetery with Carry the Load and a
(01:48):
bunch of other organizations, Adaptive Training Foundations out here, Home Depot,
the Daughters of the American Revolution, and we are carrying
our buckets and carrying our soft bristol brushes, and we
are going to do some cleaning. We're going to clean
the tombstones.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Jake, do you have any early memories of volunteering, like
an elementary school or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, even younger. Yeah, with my grandmother Mimi, we would
go to the better nursing homes and take them, you know,
pies and cakes that she would make, and we played bingo.
Lots of Bingo as a little little little kid, and
so really my service above self mentor was my grandmother.
(02:33):
And it really, I mean I loved doing it too
because you got to hear all these cold stories from
in my mind. We're all these like superheroes, and so yeah,
going with me me very early on, it was something that.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
I love to do.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
And so that that's really where I got my first
taste of volunteerism.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
What are we actually looking at? It's paint the picture
a little bit for our listeners.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Yeah, so there patriots and all of their group T
shirts collected together and like I said, carrying their buckets
in their brushes. It's a beautiful day. There's not a
cloud in the sky. The sun is shining. We've got
a beautiful lake at the center of the cemetery. It's
a massive cemetery. If you haven't been out here, it
really is sacred and hollowed grounds, a beautiful final resting
(03:22):
place that we actually have quite a few friends that
have selected this as their final resting place, and just
a lot of people that you can tell are here
to roll up their sleeves and do some beautifying of
this already beautiful place.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
So I think if you asked me to picture what
a national cemetery would look like, iconic images come to mind.
I've actually never been to one before. It really is striking,
all of the uniform gravestones lined up perfectly. It's really
a powerful, I want to say image, but it's more
than that. It's you know, I mean, it is a
memorial in and of itself. It is an act of
(03:58):
honoring and remembering just by its very existence. How would
you describe it?
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, it is as you said, it is a memorial.
There's rolling hills, green grass, and a lot of white
stones perfectly lined up with names of our fallen their
family members or sometimes on the back of their tombstones.
It's always They do a really great job of keeping
our national cemeteries in pristine conditions so that it is
(04:25):
just one of the most beautiful final resting places.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Is the act of cleaning a gravestone significant to you?
Like the literal act of what we're doing, Like, talk
to me a little bit about that.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Absolutely, it's very personal and meaningful to me. My grandfather
is buried at Presidio National in San Francisco, and I
remember the first time I visited his grave and brought
my tools to go clean his tombstone, just knowing that,
you know, throughout the years, people have taken care of
his final resting place for us, and now we get
(04:59):
to pay that forward and do it for them. It's
definitely a labor of love.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
So when you went with her to drop off these
spies and spend the time with these with these men,
were you invited to do that or were you told
to do that? Or how do you remember that going down?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Volun told yeah, right, like both. It was she wanted
me to see with my own eyes and my own
experiences why we're free and what role each one of
these individuals played. And I think that she also, albeit
she never even told me this, you know, looking back
(05:36):
on it as a grown man now I can connect
the dots. She wanted me in a way to feel
close to my grandfather because I never got to actually
meet my grandfather, And I think this was her way,
part of the reason that she would have me do
these things so I could have a closeness to him
because I never got to actually meet him. But I
(05:58):
was all in on it, and a lot of times
as I was I remember being like terrified to go
meet some of these older men that were you know,
because not all of them were.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Chipper, sure, yeah, yeah, but I respected all of them
so much because I followed her lead, you know, and
she she hammered home that.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
You know, we have what we have because of men
like this, and in some cases women and a lot
did serve WORL War two that we never even really
knew about, especially on the medical side of it. And
uh and then in that number obviously just gets greater
and greater and greater. And so she she's one of
a kind, man. I mean, if she loved you, you
(06:41):
knew it. And then if she didn't, you know it.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
So was going with her on those volunteer missions, I mean,
was that a particularly bonding experience between the two of you.
It sounds like it for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I mean, because it was you know, she would be
doing her things, passing only cutting cake and pies and
hand out cupcakes, and like I still have the visual
memory of going into these places and they had a
very particular smell, and I just remember being the bingo.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Was so huge.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
It was like such a big deal, and people did
not like it wasn't what you're thinking of fun bingo,
Like it was the most competitive bingo you could possibly
think of. Yeah, and like scared the shit out of
me sometimes because I was little, Like little.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Would you play?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Hell no, I would sit with Mimi. I would sit
right up next to Mimi, you know, and she would
have her like a little stamp thing or whatever, like
they had the full on bingo kits, and no, I
was I distinctly remember being scared to play on my own,
and so I would sit next to me, me and like
try and help her find numbers and stuff. Hell no,
(07:53):
I wouldn't play on well because some of those people
would bite your head off if you yelled bingo, God
help you if you didn't actually have been good.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Ashley, What about you? Do you have early memories of volunteering.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yes, so my mother has always stressed that this is
going to be a big part of your life. And
I think one of the earliest memories I have. My
mom is a phenomenal piano player, and my dad played guitar,
and my sister and I sang, actually all sang. So
we would go to the old folks home after church
on Sunday and we would play music for the old folks.
(08:33):
It's probably has a lot to do with why I
love old people so much. You know, they've lived so
much life, they have so many stories, and to just
sit and talk to them sometimes all they need is
a friend and someone to listen to them. Shut up, Jake,
he's laughing at me, because to this day, I get
emotional when I see the Visiting Angels commercials.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, and he's.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Always the commercial comes on and he'll just stare at
me waiting for me to tear up. It's like they
just friends.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
But because they're actors on a sound stage, it's not.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
It's not a documentary.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
They're not real lonely old people.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
But yeah, so that I mean, that was It's it's
a very fond memory.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah, I hold dear.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
My mom also worked at a boys home in Lancaster,
South Carolina, and so we would often have you know,
these young orphans at our house for they were older
than me at the time, but for Thanksgiving and Christmas,
and we would see just through church, through different organizations.
I played a lot of tennis growing up. We were
very involved in the tennis community and there were clinics
(09:37):
that I would volunteer at and then later in life,
dance clinics to your clinics, you know that just help
out the younger kids and volunteer at that. And then
when I started volunteering for the USO, you know, in
my young adulthood life, that just lit a fire that
is still burning bright.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Let's take a quick commercial break, and when we come back,
well introduce you to some of our fellow volunteers we
met at the Dallas National Cemetery. Welcome back here. I
am at the Dallas National Cemetery helping clean the gravestones
(10:17):
and meeting new people. What is your name?
Speaker 5 (10:22):
My name is Kelly Castingway.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
And what are you up to today? Today?
Speaker 5 (10:26):
We are out at the Dallas National Cemeteries helping to
clean the graves of our fallen veterans.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
And you're here as a volunteer. Correct. Do you have
an early memory of volunteering? I do, Yeah, yeah, I
would love to hear it.
Speaker 5 (10:40):
So back when I was probably a ten years old,
my mom was a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and
during the summer she would take me and my brothers
with her to visit and deliver the meals to those recipients.
And it just the smile the time we spent with
them just made me appreciate giving back and how important
(11:01):
it is.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, I guess what I'm curious about is like looking
back at that. I mean, obviously it's a fond memory
and it's rewarding. When I think about myself at that
age volunteering, I just think of it like, oh, that
was fun. Yeah exactly.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
I still think like that, yeah, to this day.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
And you were saying earlier that you've been to a
few events today, so obviously volunteering is still a part
of your life. Absolutely. If you had to like describe
what volunteering means to you now, how.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
Would you It's my paycheck right here in my heart.
So I love to give back. I'm so appreciative for
how fortunate we are, and it makes a huge difference.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Do you have like a pretty wide net of things
you volunteer for? Is it kind of specific at this point?
Have you started of honed it down, like as a
veteran volunteer, you.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
Know, usually it has to do around veterans and military.
I am involved with our community with the Women's Club,
so we do that. I was out volunteering yesterday with them.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
So when was the last time that you did meals?
On wheels.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
It actually has been a couple of years. I have
volunteered and I wrote out with a friend that does it.
So I just need to figure out a day. And actually,
now that you said that, Mondays, I spend with my
dad and he's a veteran, and I think that might
be what we're going to start doing on Mondays.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Oh that's amazing you and your father will do it together. Yep, Yep,
that's amazing. So paycheck in your heart, right. I guess
I'm just exploring this idea of why this is beneficial,
you know, like and like, obviously I'm not being particularly
articulate about it, but if could you like do my
work for me and be like articulate about what the
(12:33):
benefit is if.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
I'm passionate about it, Yes, And that's what I do.
I volunteer about passionate things. I don't just go out
and volunteer just to volunteer to do.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
So my husband has joked with me for a long time.
He's like, oh, I see you're over there making your millions,
and I always say, yes, right here, baby, right here.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
So my name's Rich Clumb. Graduated Boot Camp, Paras Island,
nineteen eighty seven. I went in as a reserve marine,
you know, two weeks over the summer, you know, I
do my weekend drills and things like that. And then
senior year at college, our unit got activated during the
First Golf War, So we spent about eight months in Japan,
six months in Okinawa, two months in the mainland supporting
(13:11):
the artillery marines that went over to fight in the Gulf,
and then rotated back home. And I stayed in for
about another year and a half and you know, finished
my college degree, resume my life and you know, work
as a software sales recruiter.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Now, do you have an early memory in life of volunteering.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
Man, I'm trying to I'm old. I'm fifty six, so
I don't know if I can remember that, you know what.
It didn't seem like it was as big a deal
when I was growing up. I grew up in the
seventies and eighties, so I don't really specifically remember doing
stuff like that until I got involved with the Marines. Yeah,
like my desk, my daughter Olivia, I know we're not
on camera, but she's standing over there.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
We did a lot of stuff.
Speaker 6 (13:45):
She did one hundred hours of volunteer work at her
high school, Like we didn't do that when I was
a kid, and a lot of it we did with
animal rescues.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Do you remember some early memories of that experience and
what that felt like for you?
Speaker 6 (13:56):
Oh for us? Yeah, for you yeah, Oh it's amazing,
Like it's amazing. I'm so out of Olivia because she
wasn't even born when nine to eleven happened. But like
she's been down, she's been a parasyland with me, Like
I'm old enough where my marine buddies have kids that
are graduating from boot camp. Yeah, so she's seen the
drill instructors, she's seen the Marines and she also we
have a big event for carried to Load called Memorial March,
So Memorial Day weekend we do a big twenty two
(14:18):
hour event or twenty one hour event, and she'll come
down for that as well. Yeah, very very proud the
younger generations get getting involved.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Well for you now these days in the shoes you
currently fill, what does volunteering mean to you?
Speaker 6 (14:33):
Just doing something bigger than myself, like doing something like altruistic,
you know what I mean, Like something it doesn't benefit
me in any way to be out here and sweat
and get hot. But for all these people that died
serve the country. I mean, it's a nice gesture to
come out and remember them, clean the tombstones, tidy up,
do something for the betterment of you know, other people.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
I guess is there something specifically about cleaning tombstones that
that touches you?
Speaker 7 (14:57):
Well?
Speaker 6 (14:57):
Yeah, I mean I've lost so again, I wasn't a
combat but we had a high number of guys in
my unit. Again, I'm fifty six, probably twenty plus guys
that have already passed away from disease, accidents, als, cancer.
We're all gonna end up here someday. So, like, you know,
the way I think about it, like someday, if I
was here, it would be nice for somebody to, even
if they didn't know me, to care for my tomb
(15:18):
and you know, take care of my stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
It's just respectful. Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, Olivia, we can't
have anyone under eighteen on them. She's twenty one, she's
twenty one. Would you like to hop on? Mike? Sure? Okay,
Hil Hello, Hello, and what is your name?
Speaker 7 (15:33):
My name is Olivia Club.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Hi, Olivia? So okay, So I was just told by
your dad that you've done, Mike about one hundred hours
of volunteer work, right, Okay, cool. Do you remember like
an early memory of those first one hundred hours that
kind of stuck with you.
Speaker 7 (15:49):
I remember hearing about the one hundred hours for a
service Cord and I thought it was super interesting and
something that I would want to do. So I think
one of the first things that we did was the
carry the load. Yeah, I got Yeah. Well, the first
thing I did, I think was I was on the
kid's duty. Yeah, so that was for care of the load.
(16:09):
And then a lot of the stuff we did was
for like Good Shepherd Rescue, which is we have a
German shepherd at home, so a lot of stuff for dogs.
And then I go to college in Oklahoma, so every
week I'll go to the animal shelter and take out
the dogs. So that's what I really enjoy doing. Yeah.
You kind of just find something that you like and
make it about other people and how you can help it.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
If you had to articulate like what it is about
helping dogs specifically, like could you like why is it
important to you? What does it feel like?
Speaker 7 (16:38):
Well, I kind of had like my soul dog when
I was I got her when I was in middle school,
and we got her from a kill shelter. She's a rescue,
and I just think about all the other dogs that
are just like her that don't get the chance to
get out. So I mean, because she's like probably not
a dog I would have like picked unless like she
was brought to us. So every time I go in there,
(16:59):
I think about, like I see her and like all
the other dogs, and yeah, I just know she would
be happy.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
So you're you're out here with your family, Yes, you're volunteering.
It's a family gathering. And then I assume sometimes when
you're helping these dogs it's like a solo activity, right.
Could you just speak a little bit about what it
means to like sort of be in solitude in service
to something and also what it means to sort of
be with your family in service to something.
Speaker 7 (17:25):
Yeah, uh, yeah, definitely. So I think. I mean, I
come out here for my dad because I have a
lot of respect for him for serving the Marines, and
I'm very proud of him. So I mean, I drove
down from Oklahoma to be here today, and I really
love like helping out and spending time with my dad,
so that's more of like almost like a father daughter thing.
And then also just respect for our country and those
(17:46):
who fought for our country. So I feel more like
proud in that aspect. And then as far as like
doing stuff on my own, it's kind of just honestly
my own interest. Yeah, and it makes me feel good,
like knowing like I'm in my senior year, so I
don't really have much to do, so it feels good
like I did something, like I helped someone today. Yeah,
(18:07):
you know, whether that's like feeding dogs that need food
or taking them out, like you know, some of them
don't even get to see sunlight in the day, so
the fact that I got to go take them out
to see the sun today. Just simple things like that.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Okay, And if you had to do the impossible and
see into the future, how do you feel like volunteering
will fit into that future for you?
Speaker 7 (18:26):
I mean, I definitely will be here next year and
the years after that, so I love being out here
and then just finding things that I like am passionate about.
I had an internship this summer and we did a
lot of We did packaging, making sandwiches for people who
for like the hungry yeah. Well so just little things
like that. You can find them all over the place.
(18:49):
And I think I'll incorporate volunteering into my life, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Forever, because like it seems like maybe an inappropriate word,
but I just I remember volunteering, and when I volunteer,
it's I find it to be fun.
Speaker 7 (19:02):
It is fun. Yeah, yeah, I feel No, it's better
than saying it's not fun. Yeah yeah, but I have
fun here. I mean, I mean it's I mean kind
of like obviously a sad place, but it's makes you
feel good about, you know, doing your part.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Awesome. Thank you so much. Yeah that was great.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
How are you want? You want to hop on the
bike too? Perfect? Okay?
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Hi?
Speaker 3 (19:27):
What is your name?
Speaker 8 (19:28):
My name is Schirry Owen.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Hi Share Owen. How are you? I'm wonderful. Thank you
for being on microphone with me. What breinges you out today?
Speaker 8 (19:36):
So our company SAP America and with Rich that you
were just talking with. He kind of inspired us through this,
you know, through coming out for Patriot Day, uh huh.
And so my schedule allowed me to do that today.
So I was excited because I do like volunteering. This
is a new area here for me to come in
the veterans. But I do have a nephew or niece
(19:59):
and her husband that are served in the army, in
the U. S. Army, and he was in special Forces.
So you know, it's it's important to me, you know,
with our military. And I had, you know, a grandparent
that served in World War Two and he was actually
on Normandy Beach and the bulldozer that was one in
the front line.
Speaker 7 (20:17):
Wow.
Speaker 8 (20:17):
He never would talk about that day. And after seeing
saving Private Ryan, you kind of understand why.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Right totally. So you got involved through your workplace. Yes,
that's sort of an interesting angle. I mean, I guess
on some level, I know that that happens because you
see maybe people wearing shirts that have their business on
it or whatever corporation they work for or whatever. How
did that work? Like what was the process of, Okay,
I'm at my job one day and now, oh here's
(20:44):
I'm going to go volunteer. Now, Like, walk me through
that a little bit.
Speaker 8 (20:47):
So it was an email that was sent out, you know,
from the carry of the load and from Rich and
he had sent it out to a large group of
us and I happened to be one of those recipients
and I looked at my schedule and I was like, wow,
for once I get to go do in service day,
right yeacause I always enjoyed doing workday with corporate functions
and a lot of times your schedule just doesn't allow.
(21:08):
So it was an honor to be able to do
that today.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Do you have an early memory of volunteering? I do.
I wouldn't.
Speaker 8 (21:16):
Maybe it doesn't go back as what maybe doesn't go
back as early as she spoke about. But for me
it was animals as well. And when I was once
I graduate college, I was probably actually in my late
twenties early thirties, I had a dog that got certified
so I could go into assisted living and memory care
and kind of a type of a therapy dog. Right wow,
(21:39):
So they had to be certified to go in there.
And I had some great memories, especially you don't see
very many men when you go to assisted living or
in this case, and there was one particular gentleman who
was in World War Two and he had some very
interesting stories with what he did, and I found that
very fascinating. So just to sit down and take time
with them and talk to them. And of course you
(22:01):
know that some love dogs some we're just happy that
you were there talking to them, And so it meant
a lot to me because you know, one day we're
all going to get older, right.
Speaker 7 (22:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
One of my earliest memories of volunteering is going into
a similar housing situation and just being with the people there,
and it's it's I'm I think about it to this day.
We exchanged Christmas ornaments that we made for each other,
and I still have that Christmas ornament. You know, it's
such a rewarding experience. What would you say to someone
(22:30):
who's like bored and maybe has some time on their hands, Like,
would you recommend getting involved in either something like this
or something else that's still in the volunteer realm?
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Sure?
Speaker 8 (22:41):
I mean, I think the volunteering is very therapeutic. You know,
having too much time on your hand can actually work
against you. Yeah, and going out and doing something that
you are passionate about. You know, you may not be
wanting to come out in a ninety degree day, but
you know there's shade trees, right So yeah, but you know,
and that's why I found the passion with animals and
with talking with the elderly, right, So you got to
(23:04):
find your passion, and once you find something that you
love doing, you'll find it's not work. Yeah, it's actually you.
I think sometimes I benefited just as much, if not more,
for just being present with somebody and learning about their
life and their experiences and they're valuable.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
Right.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Well, I feel like I'm having that experience right in
this very moment. So yes, I absolutely agree, and thank
you so much for joining us.
Speaker 8 (23:28):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
All right, folks, we're going to take our last commercial
break of the episode and we'll be back in just
a few moments. Welcome back, everybody. Here we go, let's
get into the good stuff. I mean, it's sort of
amazing to me when I think back on early memories
(23:56):
of volunteering, I just remember being so fun, you know,
And to this day, if I when I volunteer, like
when we went to the Dallas Memorial Cemetery, it's always
like a good time, yeah, you know, And like I'm
trying to find it within myself, like trying to answer
the question, then why don't I do it more? You
know what I mean? Because this sort of direct endorphin
(24:19):
rush there's there selfishly, there's like this direct payoff, and
yet I find myself struggling with it or realizing, oh,
it's been a while. And Muriel talks about that a
lot too, you know, volunteering was just like a huge
part of her life for so long, and everyone we'll
just look at other like, why don't we do that more?
You know, it's just I guess it just gets lost
in the wash these days. It's hard. It's not. It's
(24:40):
not easy exactly for that. Even though it is easy
to just like go do something for free and you
can google something and kind of sign up whatever it
is about, you know, today's world, it doesn't come supernaturally
for people like me who do love it, you know,
and I and I talk to other people, I know
they feel the same way.
Speaker 7 (24:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
It's I don't know, I'm just like grappling with that.
On a personal level.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Well, I think it can be intimidating, right, like if
you're going to sign up for something with a bunch
of people you don't know and then go. But to me,
it really is community and it's connection, and I think
if the world had more of that we would be
in a lot better place. It's the same reason we
love football, right It brings a community together and whether
that's rolling your sleeves up, cleaning gravestones, or going and
(25:28):
cheering on your favorite team on Friday night. You know,
it is about community. And again, when it's something that
we can do to give back to that community, especially
to those who are hurting in the community, it's extremely important.
But it's something we certainly have to prioritize.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
We've lost connection so much because of what I think
is technology. Yeah, you know, through being able to carry
films that are really computers around in our pockets and
we can get our whatever gratification dopamine hits, Yeah, from
doom scrolling. It's like, man, we've just lost connection. We've
(26:06):
got to get back to connection. And I think that
volunteerism provides a great opportunity for that, because, yeah, is it.
You know, it's scary or uncomfortable to go be around
a big group that you don't know. Yeah, but guess what,
you're also helping fight for the greater good. Regardless of
what it is, whether you go to you know, a
(26:27):
homeless shelter for teens or adults, or you go to
Dallas National Cemetery and clean headstones, or you go whatever
it may be. There's tons and tons and tons of
opportunity out there. You know, be willing to do it.
You just have to be willing to do it well.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
And for you guys, I mean, you guys run One
Tribe Foundation, right, and you guys put on events all
the time. I mean you literally offer opportunities for volunteers.
You guys have a huge network of volunteers. Can you
think of like a recent memory of maybe a first
time volunteer and just what you observed of them getting
involved with One Tribe.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
I think for me, one of the most impactful things
that we do every year is our Christmas campaign, which
is coming up and we adopt all thanks to Jamison.
One year, Jamison, our youngest, was kind of doing the
give me, give me, give me, I want this, I
want that for Christmas, and Jake looked at me and said,
we've got to adopt a family for Christmas. Like we've
got to teach him that Christmas is about giving.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Ourselves, not one tribe.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I mean, yeah, yeah, and make him go wrap the
presents and just.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Get the presidents, go find them down the aisle. I'll
like help wrap them all those things.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
So we kind of put the word out to look
for a family that was in need, and one became
two and two became five, and we decided we needed
to do it through one tribe because they were veteran
or first responder families, because we.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Couldn't afford to do Christmas for twenty different exactly.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
So we now this will be our fifth year doing
the Season of Giving as we we've and we create
an Amazon wish list and then we actually have a
rap party at Coppell High School, Jake's alma mater, where
the high school students, the student athletes predominantly are welcome
to come wrap the gifts, and we have got in
(28:15):
recent years especially, we've had so much interest in it.
And so we're there at one of the rap parties
about a year ago and one of the coaches told Jake,
he said, you know what's crazy is that half of
these kids don't even celebrate Christmas, but here they were
spending two hours on their Wednesday night. Yes, they're getting
volunteer hours for it because it's required in Texas high schools,
(28:38):
but they're here wrapping Christmas gifts for kids in need
when they don't even celebrate this. So to me, that's
a fond memory.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Yeah, that's a beautiful part about.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Volunteering too, right. I mean, regardless of what it is
or what your beliefs are, you're going to get soul
food from it because you're helping somebody you're probably never
going to meet, right, And that's the one thing that
I think we all need more of, because it's that
it's okay to feel good about yourself for doing something
(29:10):
for somebody else that you're never gonna meet. That's okay,
that's there's not like this like, oh I shouldn't feel
good about it because it's something I'm supposed to know.
Celebrate you and doing the thing that you didn't have
to do in order to help somebody else. That's what
life is all about, right. I mean, we need a
hell of a lot more of that. And you need
(29:32):
to find somebody in need you don't have to look
for as everybody's fighting something.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
I have a question and I'll answer first for myself.
Please be honest with your answer, Like, was there ever
anything that you volunteered for that you ended up regretting?
For me, the answer is no, Like I can't think
of a single thing that I went out there and
signed up and did the thing, and then I was
(29:57):
like oh wish I hadn't done that.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
No, because Jake and I talk about this a lot,
especially because he gets asked all the time, I mean
all the time to do speaking engagements or interviews or
you know, we talk about it all the time. Even
if it just touches one Yeah, it's worth it. Even
if you walk into the room there's only twelve people there,
someone in there needs to hear, you know, And obviously
(30:23):
bandwidth is a thing, so it's not like he's always
able to say yes. But for the times that we've
shown up and maybe it hasn't been you know, someone
else might say that wasn't worth your time, like there
was someone there that needed to hear that. I firmly
believe that. So I feel the same way about v
volunteerism in that even if we made a difference in
(30:45):
one life, or you know, planted one tree, or you know,
whatever it might be, I don't think it's a waste
of time.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Yeah, being completely honest with my answer, there were there's
been a couple of times where I've bitched and complained,
either you know, internally or to Ashley, where I'm like,
what the what am I doing? But after the fact,
it's it's always like like God flicking you in the forehead,
(31:13):
like see dumb, dumb. There's always every single time a
person or persons that are like, man, I really appreciate that,
like something that you're like, ah, got it, yeah, and
got it.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
Well.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
I don't want to end this episode on a preaching
note or anything like that or being sanctimonious or self righteous,
but I hope some of our listeners go out and volunteer,
you know, because because it because uh, because I want
the world to be good for you, our listener, And
I think if I think volunteering is is one of
the ways to help yourself.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
And help others. And tell us if there are opportunities
you know about that we can spread the word about.
Let us know if there are opportunities that you took
that you did. We'd love to hear that as well.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
I think that's the end of the episode. Yeah, thank
you so.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Much for listening some Good Stuff.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
As Season two of The Good Stuff comes to a close,
we want to say a huge thank you to a
few people. We want to thank our parents, Jim and
Beth Pickens and Woody and Diane Schick. We are so
grateful for the love, support and guidance you've shown us
in our marriage and raising our boys and in our lives.
We love you so much.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
We want to say thank you to the tribe, the
employees at One Trap Foundation. Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for putting in the work and doing it
every single day with joy your heart. Thank you for
joining us on the Good Stuff, for being vulnerable, and
for all the love it's palpable.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
We want to say a huge thank you to our
amazingly dedicated producer and very dear friend, Nick Cassolini, who
has poured his everything into this podcast this season. Jake
and I have said from day one, no Nick, no
good stuff period. He is truly the heart and soul
of this project. We love you Cassolini so much.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
You guys are amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Thank you, and most importantly, we want to say thank
you to you, our listeners. We hope and praise something
in this show has resonated with you and that your
day and life is better.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
Because of it.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
We truly appreciate you and thank you for enriching ours.
We give all the glory to God again, thank you
for listening to the Good Stuff.
Welcome to the last episode of season two of The
Good Stuff. I'm Ashley Shick, and I'm joined by my
husband and co host, Jacob Shick, a third generation combat
marine and CEO of One Tribe Foundation.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Ashley also comes from a family rich in military history,
and we've dedicated our lives to One Tribe's mission serving veterans,
first responders, and their families. We're coming to you from Dallas,
so welcome to Texas.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
And joining us all season long from Los Angeles, California
is our West Coast long haired friend and producer of
the Good Stuff, Nick Cassolini.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
I'm feeling so good about today's episode because we are
digging into what it means to be a volunteer, how
we help each other, and how we help ourselves.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Very excited, and.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Just a quick heads up, this show can explore some
heavy subject matter, including suicide, so listener discretion is advised.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
We're so glad you're joining us again.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Welcome to the Good Stuff, Ashley. Would you like to
tell us where we are and what we're up to?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Absolutely so. We are at Dallas National Cemetery in Dallas
Fort Worth. Today is September eleventh, and we decided not
only do we want to take some time to honor
and remember the individuals who lost their life twenty four
years ago. Today, the first responders who bravely went in
(01:26):
to help in those that perish, the three hundred and
forty three firefighters who lost their lives, and the countless
healthcare professionals that stepped up to several of those who
were greatly impacted by that horrific day. We wanted to
do something more to give back to our community. So
we are here. It's Patriot Day, and we are here
at Dallas National Cemetery with Carry the Load and a
(01:48):
bunch of other organizations, Adaptive Training Foundations out here, Home Depot,
the Daughters of the American Revolution, and we are carrying
our buckets and carrying our soft bristol brushes, and we
are going to do some cleaning. We're going to clean
the tombstones.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Jake, do you have any early memories of volunteering, like
an elementary school or anything like that.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
Yeah, even younger. Yeah, with my grandmother Mimi, we would
go to the better nursing homes and take them, you know,
pies and cakes that she would make, and we played bingo.
Lots of Bingo as a little little little kid, and
so really my service above self mentor was my grandmother.
(02:33):
And it really, I mean I loved doing it too
because you got to hear all these cold stories from
in my mind. We're all these like superheroes, and so yeah,
going with me me very early on, it was something that.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
I love to do.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
And so that that's really where I got my first
taste of volunteerism.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
What are we actually looking at? It's paint the picture
a little bit for our listeners.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Yeah, so there patriots and all of their group T
shirts collected together and like I said, carrying their buckets
in their brushes. It's a beautiful day. There's not a
cloud in the sky. The sun is shining. We've got
a beautiful lake at the center of the cemetery. It's
a massive cemetery. If you haven't been out here, it
really is sacred and hollowed grounds, a beautiful final resting
(03:22):
place that we actually have quite a few friends that
have selected this as their final resting place, and just
a lot of people that you can tell are here
to roll up their sleeves and do some beautifying of
this already beautiful place.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
So I think if you asked me to picture what
a national cemetery would look like, iconic images come to mind.
I've actually never been to one before. It really is striking,
all of the uniform gravestones lined up perfectly. It's really
a powerful, I want to say image, but it's more
than that. It's you know, I mean, it is a
memorial in and of itself. It is an act of
(03:58):
honoring and remembering just by its very existence. How would
you describe it?
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, it is as you said, it is a memorial.
There's rolling hills, green grass, and a lot of white
stones perfectly lined up with names of our fallen their
family members or sometimes on the back of their tombstones.
It's always They do a really great job of keeping
our national cemeteries in pristine conditions so that it is
(04:25):
just one of the most beautiful final resting places.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Is the act of cleaning a gravestone significant to you?
Like the literal act of what we're doing, Like, talk
to me a little bit about that.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Absolutely, it's very personal and meaningful to me. My grandfather
is buried at Presidio National in San Francisco, and I
remember the first time I visited his grave and brought
my tools to go clean his tombstone, just knowing that,
you know, throughout the years, people have taken care of
his final resting place for us, and now we get
(04:59):
to pay that forward and do it for them. It's
definitely a labor of love.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
So when you went with her to drop off these
spies and spend the time with these with these men,
were you invited to do that or were you told
to do that? Or how do you remember that going down?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Volun told yeah, right, like both. It was she wanted
me to see with my own eyes and my own
experiences why we're free and what role each one of
these individuals played. And I think that she also, albeit
she never even told me this, you know, looking back
(05:36):
on it as a grown man now I can connect
the dots. She wanted me in a way to feel
close to my grandfather because I never got to actually
meet my grandfather, And I think this was her way,
part of the reason that she would have me do
these things so I could have a closeness to him
because I never got to actually meet him. But I
(05:58):
was all in on it, and a lot of times
as I was I remember being like terrified to go
meet some of these older men that were you know,
because not all of them were.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Chipper, sure, yeah, yeah, but I respected all of them
so much because I followed her lead, you know, and
she she hammered home that.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
You know, we have what we have because of men
like this, and in some cases women and a lot
did serve WORL War two that we never even really
knew about, especially on the medical side of it. And
uh and then in that number obviously just gets greater
and greater and greater. And so she she's one of
a kind, man. I mean, if she loved you, you
(06:41):
knew it. And then if she didn't, you know it.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
So was going with her on those volunteer missions, I mean,
was that a particularly bonding experience between the two of you.
It sounds like it for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I mean, because it was you know, she would be
doing her things, passing only cutting cake and pies and
hand out cupcakes, and like I still have the visual
memory of going into these places and they had a
very particular smell, and I just remember being the bingo.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Was so huge.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
It was like such a big deal, and people did
not like it wasn't what you're thinking of fun bingo,
Like it was the most competitive bingo you could possibly
think of. Yeah, and like scared the shit out of
me sometimes because I was little, Like little.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Would you play?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Hell no, I would sit with Mimi. I would sit
right up next to Mimi, you know, and she would
have her like a little stamp thing or whatever, like
they had the full on bingo kits, and no, I
was I distinctly remember being scared to play on my own,
and so I would sit next to me, me and like
try and help her find numbers and stuff. Hell no,
(07:53):
I wouldn't play on well because some of those people
would bite your head off if you yelled bingo, God
help you if you didn't actually have been good.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Ashley, What about you? Do you have early memories of volunteering.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Yes, so my mother has always stressed that this is
going to be a big part of your life. And
I think one of the earliest memories I have. My
mom is a phenomenal piano player, and my dad played guitar,
and my sister and I sang, actually all sang. So
we would go to the old folks home after church
on Sunday and we would play music for the old folks.
(08:33):
It's probably has a lot to do with why I
love old people so much. You know, they've lived so
much life, they have so many stories, and to just
sit and talk to them sometimes all they need is
a friend and someone to listen to them. Shut up, Jake,
he's laughing at me, because to this day, I get
emotional when I see the Visiting Angels commercials.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, and he's.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Always the commercial comes on and he'll just stare at
me waiting for me to tear up. It's like they
just friends.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
But because they're actors on a sound stage, it's not.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
It's not a documentary.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
They're not real lonely old people.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
But yeah, so that I mean, that was It's it's
a very fond memory.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Yeah, I hold dear.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
My mom also worked at a boys home in Lancaster,
South Carolina, and so we would often have you know,
these young orphans at our house for they were older
than me at the time, but for Thanksgiving and Christmas,
and we would see just through church, through different organizations.
I played a lot of tennis growing up. We were
very involved in the tennis community and there were clinics
(09:37):
that I would volunteer at and then later in life,
dance clinics to your clinics, you know that just help
out the younger kids and volunteer at that. And then
when I started volunteering for the USO, you know, in
my young adulthood life, that just lit a fire that
is still burning bright.
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Let's take a quick commercial break, and when we come back,
well introduce you to some of our fellow volunteers we
met at the Dallas National Cemetery. Welcome back here. I
am at the Dallas National Cemetery helping clean the gravestones
(10:17):
and meeting new people. What is your name?
Speaker 5 (10:22):
My name is Kelly Castingway.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
And what are you up to today? Today?
Speaker 5 (10:26):
We are out at the Dallas National Cemeteries helping to
clean the graves of our fallen veterans.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
And you're here as a volunteer. Correct. Do you have
an early memory of volunteering? I do, Yeah, yeah, I
would love to hear it.
Speaker 5 (10:40):
So back when I was probably a ten years old,
my mom was a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and
during the summer she would take me and my brothers
with her to visit and deliver the meals to those recipients.
And it just the smile the time we spent with
them just made me appreciate giving back and how important
(11:01):
it is.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, I guess what I'm curious about is like looking
back at that. I mean, obviously it's a fond memory
and it's rewarding. When I think about myself at that
age volunteering, I just think of it like, oh, that
was fun. Yeah exactly.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
I still think like that, yeah, to this day.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
And you were saying earlier that you've been to a
few events today, so obviously volunteering is still a part
of your life. Absolutely. If you had to like describe
what volunteering means to you now, how.
Speaker 5 (11:25):
Would you It's my paycheck right here in my heart.
So I love to give back. I'm so appreciative for
how fortunate we are, and it makes a huge difference.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Do you have like a pretty wide net of things
you volunteer for? Is it kind of specific at this point?
Have you started of honed it down, like as a
veteran volunteer, you.
Speaker 5 (11:44):
Know, usually it has to do around veterans and military.
I am involved with our community with the Women's Club,
so we do that. I was out volunteering yesterday with them.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
So when was the last time that you did meals?
On wheels.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
It actually has been a couple of years. I have
volunteered and I wrote out with a friend that does it.
So I just need to figure out a day. And actually,
now that you said that, Mondays, I spend with my
dad and he's a veteran, and I think that might
be what we're going to start doing on Mondays.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
Oh that's amazing you and your father will do it together. Yep, Yep,
that's amazing. So paycheck in your heart, right. I guess
I'm just exploring this idea of why this is beneficial,
you know, like and like, obviously I'm not being particularly
articulate about it, but if could you like do my
work for me and be like articulate about what the
(12:33):
benefit is if.
Speaker 5 (12:34):
I'm passionate about it, Yes, And that's what I do.
I volunteer about passionate things. I don't just go out
and volunteer just to volunteer to do.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
Huh.
Speaker 5 (12:41):
So my husband has joked with me for a long time.
He's like, oh, I see you're over there making your millions,
and I always say, yes, right here, baby, right here.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
So my name's Rich Clumb. Graduated Boot Camp, Paras Island,
nineteen eighty seven. I went in as a reserve marine,
you know, two weeks over the summer, you know, I
do my weekend drills and things like that. And then
senior year at college, our unit got activated during the
First Golf War, So we spent about eight months in Japan,
six months in Okinawa, two months in the mainland supporting
(13:11):
the artillery marines that went over to fight in the Gulf,
and then rotated back home. And I stayed in for
about another year and a half and you know, finished
my college degree, resume my life and you know, work
as a software sales recruiter.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Now, do you have an early memory in life of volunteering.
Speaker 6 (13:27):
Man, I'm trying to I'm old. I'm fifty six, so
I don't know if I can remember that, you know what.
It didn't seem like it was as big a deal
when I was growing up. I grew up in the
seventies and eighties, so I don't really specifically remember doing
stuff like that until I got involved with the Marines. Yeah,
like my desk, my daughter Olivia, I know we're not
on camera, but she's standing over there.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
We did a lot of stuff.
Speaker 6 (13:45):
She did one hundred hours of volunteer work at her
high school, Like we didn't do that when I was
a kid, and a lot of it we did with
animal rescues.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Do you remember some early memories of that experience and
what that felt like for you?
Speaker 6 (13:56):
Oh for us? Yeah, for you yeah, Oh it's amazing,
Like it's amazing. I'm so out of Olivia because she
wasn't even born when nine to eleven happened. But like
she's been down, she's been a parasyland with me, Like
I'm old enough where my marine buddies have kids that
are graduating from boot camp. Yeah, so she's seen the
drill instructors, she's seen the Marines and she also we
have a big event for carried to Load called Memorial March,
So Memorial Day weekend we do a big twenty two
(14:18):
hour event or twenty one hour event, and she'll come
down for that as well. Yeah, very very proud the
younger generations get getting involved.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Well for you now these days in the shoes you
currently fill, what does volunteering mean to you?
Speaker 6 (14:33):
Just doing something bigger than myself, like doing something like altruistic,
you know what I mean, Like something it doesn't benefit
me in any way to be out here and sweat
and get hot. But for all these people that died
serve the country. I mean, it's a nice gesture to
come out and remember them, clean the tombstones, tidy up,
do something for the betterment of you know, other people.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
I guess is there something specifically about cleaning tombstones that
that touches you?
Speaker 7 (14:57):
Well?
Speaker 6 (14:57):
Yeah, I mean I've lost so again, I wasn't a
combat but we had a high number of guys in
my unit. Again, I'm fifty six, probably twenty plus guys
that have already passed away from disease, accidents, als, cancer.
We're all gonna end up here someday. So, like, you know,
the way I think about it, like someday, if I
was here, it would be nice for somebody to, even
if they didn't know me, to care for my tomb
(15:18):
and you know, take care of my stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
It's just respectful. Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, Olivia, we can't
have anyone under eighteen on them. She's twenty one, she's
twenty one. Would you like to hop on? Mike? Sure? Okay,
Hil Hello, Hello, and what is your name?
Speaker 7 (15:33):
My name is Olivia Club.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
Hi, Olivia? So okay, So I was just told by
your dad that you've done, Mike about one hundred hours
of volunteer work, right, Okay, cool. Do you remember like
an early memory of those first one hundred hours that
kind of stuck with you.
Speaker 7 (15:49):
I remember hearing about the one hundred hours for a
service Cord and I thought it was super interesting and
something that I would want to do. So I think
one of the first things that we did was the
carry the load. Yeah, I got Yeah. Well, the first
thing I did, I think was I was on the
kid's duty. Yeah, so that was for care of the load.
(16:09):
And then a lot of the stuff we did was
for like Good Shepherd Rescue, which is we have a
German shepherd at home, so a lot of stuff for dogs.
And then I go to college in Oklahoma, so every
week I'll go to the animal shelter and take out
the dogs. So that's what I really enjoy doing. Yeah.
You kind of just find something that you like and
make it about other people and how you can help it.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
If you had to articulate like what it is about
helping dogs specifically, like could you like why is it
important to you? What does it feel like?
Speaker 7 (16:38):
Well, I kind of had like my soul dog when
I was I got her when I was in middle school,
and we got her from a kill shelter. She's a rescue,
and I just think about all the other dogs that
are just like her that don't get the chance to
get out. So I mean, because she's like probably not
a dog I would have like picked unless like she
was brought to us. So every time I go in there,
(16:59):
I think about, like I see her and like all
the other dogs, and yeah, I just know she would
be happy.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
So you're you're out here with your family, Yes, you're volunteering.
It's a family gathering. And then I assume sometimes when
you're helping these dogs it's like a solo activity, right.
Could you just speak a little bit about what it
means to like sort of be in solitude in service
to something and also what it means to sort of
be with your family in service to something.
Speaker 7 (17:25):
Yeah, uh, yeah, definitely. So I think. I mean, I
come out here for my dad because I have a
lot of respect for him for serving the Marines, and
I'm very proud of him. So I mean, I drove
down from Oklahoma to be here today, and I really
love like helping out and spending time with my dad,
so that's more of like almost like a father daughter thing.
And then also just respect for our country and those
(17:46):
who fought for our country. So I feel more like
proud in that aspect. And then as far as like
doing stuff on my own, it's kind of just honestly
my own interest. Yeah, and it makes me feel good,
like knowing like I'm in my senior year, so I
don't really have much to do, so it feels good
like I did something, like I helped someone today. Yeah,
(18:07):
you know, whether that's like feeding dogs that need food
or taking them out, like you know, some of them
don't even get to see sunlight in the day, so
the fact that I got to go take them out
to see the sun today. Just simple things like that.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Okay, And if you had to do the impossible and
see into the future, how do you feel like volunteering
will fit into that future for you?
Speaker 7 (18:26):
I mean, I definitely will be here next year and
the years after that, so I love being out here
and then just finding things that I like am passionate about.
I had an internship this summer and we did a
lot of We did packaging, making sandwiches for people who
for like the hungry yeah. Well so just little things
like that. You can find them all over the place.
(18:49):
And I think I'll incorporate volunteering into my life, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
Forever, because like it seems like maybe an inappropriate word,
but I just I remember volunteering, and when I volunteer,
it's I find it to be fun.
Speaker 7 (19:02):
It is fun. Yeah, yeah, I feel No, it's better
than saying it's not fun. Yeah yeah, but I have
fun here. I mean, I mean it's I mean kind
of like obviously a sad place, but it's makes you
feel good about, you know, doing your part.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Awesome. Thank you so much. Yeah that was great.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Hi.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
How are you want? You want to hop on the
bike too? Perfect? Okay?
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Hi?
Speaker 3 (19:27):
What is your name?
Speaker 8 (19:28):
My name is Schirry Owen.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Hi Share Owen. How are you? I'm wonderful. Thank you
for being on microphone with me. What breinges you out today?
Speaker 8 (19:36):
So our company SAP America and with Rich that you
were just talking with. He kind of inspired us through this,
you know, through coming out for Patriot Day, uh huh.
And so my schedule allowed me to do that today.
So I was excited because I do like volunteering. This
is a new area here for me to come in
the veterans. But I do have a nephew or niece
(19:59):
and her husband that are served in the army, in
the U. S. Army, and he was in special Forces.
So you know, it's it's important to me, you know,
with our military. And I had, you know, a grandparent
that served in World War Two and he was actually
on Normandy Beach and the bulldozer that was one in
the front line.
Speaker 7 (20:17):
Wow.
Speaker 8 (20:17):
He never would talk about that day. And after seeing
saving Private Ryan, you kind of understand why.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Right totally. So you got involved through your workplace. Yes,
that's sort of an interesting angle. I mean, I guess
on some level, I know that that happens because you
see maybe people wearing shirts that have their business on
it or whatever corporation they work for or whatever. How
did that work? Like what was the process of, Okay,
I'm at my job one day and now, oh here's
(20:44):
I'm going to go volunteer. Now, Like, walk me through
that a little bit.
Speaker 8 (20:47):
So it was an email that was sent out, you know,
from the carry of the load and from Rich and
he had sent it out to a large group of
us and I happened to be one of those recipients
and I looked at my schedule and I was like, wow,
for once I get to go do in service day,
right yeacause I always enjoyed doing workday with corporate functions
and a lot of times your schedule just doesn't allow.
(21:08):
So it was an honor to be able to do
that today.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Do you have an early memory of volunteering? I do.
I wouldn't.
Speaker 8 (21:16):
Maybe it doesn't go back as what maybe doesn't go
back as early as she spoke about. But for me
it was animals as well. And when I was once
I graduate college, I was probably actually in my late
twenties early thirties, I had a dog that got certified
so I could go into assisted living and memory care
and kind of a type of a therapy dog. Right wow,
(21:39):
So they had to be certified to go in there.
And I had some great memories, especially you don't see
very many men when you go to assisted living or
in this case, and there was one particular gentleman who
was in World War Two and he had some very
interesting stories with what he did, and I found that
very fascinating. So just to sit down and take time
with them and talk to them. And of course you
(22:01):
know that some love dogs some we're just happy that
you were there talking to them, And so it meant
a lot to me because you know, one day we're
all going to get older, right.
Speaker 7 (22:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
One of my earliest memories of volunteering is going into
a similar housing situation and just being with the people there,
and it's it's I'm I think about it to this day.
We exchanged Christmas ornaments that we made for each other,
and I still have that Christmas ornament. You know, it's
such a rewarding experience. What would you say to someone
(22:30):
who's like bored and maybe has some time on their hands, Like,
would you recommend getting involved in either something like this
or something else that's still in the volunteer realm?
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Sure?
Speaker 8 (22:41):
I mean, I think the volunteering is very therapeutic. You know,
having too much time on your hand can actually work
against you. Yeah, and going out and doing something that
you are passionate about. You know, you may not be
wanting to come out in a ninety degree day, but
you know there's shade trees, right So yeah, but you know,
and that's why I found the passion with animals and
with talking with the elderly, right, So you got to
(23:04):
find your passion, and once you find something that you
love doing, you'll find it's not work. Yeah, it's actually you.
I think sometimes I benefited just as much, if not more,
for just being present with somebody and learning about their
life and their experiences and they're valuable.
Speaker 6 (23:21):
Right.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Well, I feel like I'm having that experience right in
this very moment. So yes, I absolutely agree, and thank
you so much for joining us.
Speaker 8 (23:28):
Well, thank you.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
All right, folks, we're going to take our last commercial
break of the episode and we'll be back in just
a few moments. Welcome back, everybody. Here we go, let's
get into the good stuff. I mean, it's sort of
amazing to me when I think back on early memories
(23:56):
of volunteering, I just remember being so fun, you know,
And to this day, if I when I volunteer, like
when we went to the Dallas Memorial Cemetery, it's always
like a good time, yeah, you know, And like I'm
trying to find it within myself, like trying to answer
the question, then why don't I do it more? You
know what I mean? Because this sort of direct endorphin
(24:19):
rush there's there selfishly, there's like this direct payoff, and
yet I find myself struggling with it or realizing, oh,
it's been a while. And Muriel talks about that a
lot too, you know, volunteering was just like a huge
part of her life for so long, and everyone we'll
just look at other like, why don't we do that more?
You know, it's just I guess it just gets lost
in the wash these days. It's hard. It's not. It's
(24:40):
not easy exactly for that. Even though it is easy
to just like go do something for free and you
can google something and kind of sign up whatever it
is about, you know, today's world, it doesn't come supernaturally
for people like me who do love it, you know,
and I and I talk to other people, I know
they feel the same way.
Speaker 7 (24:59):
You know.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
It's I don't know, I'm just like grappling with that.
On a personal level.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Well, I think it can be intimidating, right, like if
you're going to sign up for something with a bunch
of people you don't know and then go. But to me,
it really is community and it's connection, and I think
if the world had more of that we would be
in a lot better place. It's the same reason we
love football, right It brings a community together and whether
that's rolling your sleeves up, cleaning gravestones, or going and
(25:28):
cheering on your favorite team on Friday night. You know,
it is about community. And again, when it's something that
we can do to give back to that community, especially
to those who are hurting in the community, it's extremely important.
But it's something we certainly have to prioritize.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
We've lost connection so much because of what I think
is technology. Yeah, you know, through being able to carry
films that are really computers around in our pockets and
we can get our whatever gratification dopamine hits, Yeah, from
doom scrolling. It's like, man, we've just lost connection. We've
(26:06):
got to get back to connection. And I think that
volunteerism provides a great opportunity for that, because, yeah, is it.
You know, it's scary or uncomfortable to go be around
a big group that you don't know. Yeah, but guess what,
you're also helping fight for the greater good. Regardless of
what it is, whether you go to you know, a
(26:27):
homeless shelter for teens or adults, or you go to
Dallas National Cemetery and clean headstones, or you go whatever
it may be. There's tons and tons and tons of
opportunity out there. You know, be willing to do it.
You just have to be willing to do it well.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
And for you guys, I mean, you guys run One
Tribe Foundation, right, and you guys put on events all
the time. I mean you literally offer opportunities for volunteers.
You guys have a huge network of volunteers. Can you
think of like a recent memory of maybe a first
time volunteer and just what you observed of them getting
involved with One Tribe.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
I think for me, one of the most impactful things
that we do every year is our Christmas campaign, which
is coming up and we adopt all thanks to Jamison.
One year, Jamison, our youngest, was kind of doing the
give me, give me, give me, I want this, I
want that for Christmas, and Jake looked at me and said,
we've got to adopt a family for Christmas. Like we've
got to teach him that Christmas is about giving.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Ourselves, not one tribe.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
I mean, yeah, yeah, and make him go wrap the
presents and just.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Get the presidents, go find them down the aisle. I'll
like help wrap them all those things.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
So we kind of put the word out to look
for a family that was in need, and one became
two and two became five, and we decided we needed
to do it through one tribe because they were veteran
or first responder families, because we.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Couldn't afford to do Christmas for twenty different exactly.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
So we now this will be our fifth year doing
the Season of Giving as we we've and we create
an Amazon wish list and then we actually have a
rap party at Coppell High School, Jake's alma mater, where
the high school students, the student athletes predominantly are welcome
to come wrap the gifts, and we have got in
(28:15):
recent years especially, we've had so much interest in it.
And so we're there at one of the rap parties
about a year ago and one of the coaches told Jake,
he said, you know what's crazy is that half of
these kids don't even celebrate Christmas, but here they were
spending two hours on their Wednesday night. Yes, they're getting
volunteer hours for it because it's required in Texas high schools,
(28:38):
but they're here wrapping Christmas gifts for kids in need
when they don't even celebrate this. So to me, that's
a fond memory.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Yeah, that's a beautiful part about.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
Volunteering too, right. I mean, regardless of what it is
or what your beliefs are, you're going to get soul
food from it because you're helping somebody you're probably never
going to meet, right, And that's the one thing that
I think we all need more of, because it's that
it's okay to feel good about yourself for doing something
(29:10):
for somebody else that you're never gonna meet. That's okay,
that's there's not like this like, oh I shouldn't feel
good about it because it's something I'm supposed to know.
Celebrate you and doing the thing that you didn't have
to do in order to help somebody else. That's what
life is all about, right. I mean, we need a
hell of a lot more of that. And you need
(29:32):
to find somebody in need you don't have to look
for as everybody's fighting something.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
I have a question and I'll answer first for myself.
Please be honest with your answer, Like, was there ever
anything that you volunteered for that you ended up regretting?
For me, the answer is no, Like I can't think
of a single thing that I went out there and
signed up and did the thing, and then I was
(29:57):
like oh wish I hadn't done that.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
No, because Jake and I talk about this a lot,
especially because he gets asked all the time, I mean
all the time to do speaking engagements or interviews or
you know, we talk about it all the time. Even
if it just touches one Yeah, it's worth it. Even
if you walk into the room there's only twelve people there,
someone in there needs to hear, you know, And obviously
(30:23):
bandwidth is a thing, so it's not like he's always
able to say yes. But for the times that we've
shown up and maybe it hasn't been you know, someone
else might say that wasn't worth your time, like there
was someone there that needed to hear that. I firmly
believe that. So I feel the same way about v
volunteerism in that even if we made a difference in
(30:45):
one life, or you know, planted one tree, or you know,
whatever it might be, I don't think it's a waste
of time.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Yeah, being completely honest with my answer, there were there's
been a couple of times where I've bitched and complained,
either you know, internally or to Ashley, where I'm like,
what the what am I doing? But after the fact,
it's it's always like like God flicking you in the forehead,
(31:13):
like see dumb, dumb. There's always every single time a
person or persons that are like, man, I really appreciate that,
like something that you're like, ah, got it, yeah, and
got it.
Speaker 7 (31:29):
Well.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
I don't want to end this episode on a preaching
note or anything like that or being sanctimonious or self righteous,
but I hope some of our listeners go out and volunteer,
you know, because because it because uh, because I want
the world to be good for you, our listener, And
I think if I think volunteering is is one of
the ways to help yourself.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
And help others. And tell us if there are opportunities
you know about that we can spread the word about.
Let us know if there are opportunities that you took
that you did. We'd love to hear that as well.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
I think that's the end of the episode. Yeah, thank
you so.
Speaker 2 (32:04):
Much for listening some Good Stuff.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
As Season two of The Good Stuff comes to a close,
we want to say a huge thank you to a
few people. We want to thank our parents, Jim and
Beth Pickens and Woody and Diane Schick. We are so
grateful for the love, support and guidance you've shown us
in our marriage and raising our boys and in our lives.
We love you so much.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
We want to say thank you to the tribe, the
employees at One Trap Foundation. Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for putting in the work and doing it
every single day with joy your heart. Thank you for
joining us on the Good Stuff, for being vulnerable, and
for all the love it's palpable.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
We want to say a huge thank you to our
amazingly dedicated producer and very dear friend, Nick Cassolini, who
has poured his everything into this podcast this season. Jake
and I have said from day one, no Nick, no
good stuff period. He is truly the heart and soul
of this project. We love you Cassolini so much.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
You guys are amazing.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Thank you, and most importantly, we want to say thank
you to you, our listeners. We hope and praise something
in this show has resonated with you and that your
day and life is better.
Speaker 4 (33:10):
Because of it.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
We truly appreciate you and thank you for enriching ours.
We give all the glory to God again, thank you
for listening to the Good Stuff.
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