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When John and Cherie Arscott first set foot in Africa to provide hearing aids to children, they never anticipated the ripple effect it would have on their lives. Their story, rich with compassion and the pursuit of community betterment, takes center stage as they join us on Ambassadors of Hope. We traverse the Arscotts' philanthropic journey, from the profound impact of their mission trips to their unwavering dedication to Place of Hope. Cherie opens up about the serendipitous events that led to their involvement and how the narrative of Jimmy Wayne propelled them further down the path of giving. Their advice for the philanthropically inclined and Cherie's insights into her role as Angel Mom president underscore the personal growth that accompanies acts of charity.
We engage in candid discussions about seeking out organizations that resonate with our core values. We confront the reality of loss and how it fuels our passion to extend support to children in need, shedding light on the transformative nature of philanthropy. The Arscotts and Lisa Inman McDulin, Southern Palm Beach County Director of Advancement and Campaigns reveal the intricacies of our work with Place of Hope, focusing on how true generosity not only benefits the recipient but also enriches the giver's life. It's a narrative about the journey of personal development as much as it is about the impact of our actions within the community.
Lastly, we transition to the indelible imprint philanthropy leaves on successive generations, as illustrated by the profound experiences of John and Cherie's son, Tyler. His interactions with children in need and the joy it brought to both parties exemplify how the values of giving are nurtured from a young age. We encourage families to incorporate charity into their lives, emphasizing the importance of leading by example and evaluating a charity's efficacy. Join us as we celebrate the beauty of selflessness and the legacy of generosity that John, Cherie, and their family aspire to leave behind.
Takeaways
- Giving back to the community instills critical values and leads to sustained happiness.
- True giving should be devoid of conditions or expectations.
- Choosing a charity that uses its resources wisely and involves the whole family can create a meaningful impact.
- The power of a supportive group can inspire and uplift individuals.
- Legacy and long-term sustainability are important considerations in philanthropy.
Title Sponsor: Crypto Capital Venture | Follow Dan Gambardello's on Twitter (@cryptorecruitr)
Looking for assistance in south Florida? Visit VillagesOfHope.net
Link: Visit the Place of Hope Website, PlaceOfHope.com
Connect with Place of Hope on social media: Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn
Email the Show: POHPodcast@PlaceOfHope.com
Title Sponsor: Crypto Capital Venture | Follow Dan Gambardello's on Twitter (@cryptorecruitr)
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Producer: Maya Elias<
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Charles Bender (00:02):
Hello and thank you for tuning in to Ambassadors
of Hope.
I'm your host, Charles Bender.
We're so excited that you'vetuned in to hear from local
South Florida leaders who aremaking a difference in our
community and region through ourcharity Place of Hope.
Maya Elias (00:17):
Hello, I'm your producer, Maya Elias, and in
this conversation, John andCherie Arscott share their
journey in philanthropy andtheir involvement with Place of
Hope.
They discuss the power ofgiving and the lessons they
learn from attempting to provideassistance to family.
They highlight the importanceof selfless giving and the
impact of Place of Hope in theirlives.
(00:37):
They also discuss about theirinvolvement in other
philanthropic initiatives andthe influence of their
upbringing on the perspective.
They offer advice forindividuals and families looking
to get involved in philanthropyand express their aspirations
for the future.
Lastly, cherie discusses theimpact of being an angel mom.
Please continue listening onfor the rest of this episode.
Lisa McDulin (00:59):
Welcome to Ambassadors of Hope.
This is the podcast for Place ofHope, and this podcast is our
opportunity to feature some ofthe many people in the community
who have come alongside of usand who help us do what we do at
Place of Hope, and today is noexception.
We've got John and CherieArscott in the studio with us
(01:22):
today and we're excited to havethem here to share a little bit
about themselves, their family,their son, Tyler, who could not
be here with us today, andreally this is just an
opportunity for you all toinspire other people to engage
and get involved in making adifference in the community that
(01:43):
they live and work in.
And if that's with Place ofHope, great, or maybe with
another organization, that'salso great.
And we know that you all gotyour start in philanthropy a
long time ago, doing some workwith some other organizations,
and we would just love for youto kind of introduce yourselves
and Cherie I don't know if youwant to take the lead on that
and tell us more about how yougot started in the world of
(02:05):
philanthropy.
Cherie Arscott (02:06):
Okay, hi, I'm Cherie Arscott and I'm here with
my husband, John, and we gotinvolved when my son was in
fourth grade.
We left our comfortable home,our beautiful life, and embarked
on a philanthropic mission tripto provide hearing aids to
children in Africa.
On a philanthropic mission tripto provide hearing aids to
(02:27):
children in Africa, little didwe know that that would become
an extraordinary journey, onethat would change him and change
our lives forever.
So, as a parent, just watchingmy son immerse himself in the
mission was a source of justprofound joy.
He and his fellow workersworked long, hard hours,
overcoming obstacles, dedicatingtheir time, energy and love to
(02:51):
bring the gift of hearing tochildren who had been deprived
of this basic human need for solong.
And then I just remember themoments that were etched in our
hearts forever.
The joy that radiated fromthose young faces as they heard
their mother speak for the veryfirst time was nothing short of
(03:12):
miraculous, and it was atestament to the power of
compassion, the power of givingand the power of a yet profound,
simple device a hearing aid.
Then I started to wonder, youknow, if we really needed to
travel all the way to thirdworld countries and make an
impact in the world.
I imagine that there werechildren in our own community
(03:33):
that really needed our help andI was really searching for a
charity that I could make apositive impact.
My husband and I were invitedto a wedding and luckily Bonnie
Boroian was sitting right nextto me.
She told me all the wonderfulthings at Place of Hope.
She invited me to an eventsponsored by the Place of Hope
and there I heard thiscompelling story of a man named
(03:56):
Jimmy Wayne and how his sisterand he were in and out of foster
care, living on the streets,and he was invited by an elderly
couple to move into their homeafter mowing their yard.
It was the support of someonewho cared.
He was able to finish college,move to Nashville and pursue a
(04:20):
musical career there.
He released an album thatbecame country's number one
music hit, and those are thestories that really inspire you
to get involved.
Lisa McDulin (04:30):
That's a great story and I remember meeting you
at that event.
I remember that well, youchaired an event for Place of
Hope a couple of months ago inOctober really sweet fashion
show, and it was there thatactually Tyler got up and kind
of took the mic from his mom andyou know, said you know, let me
(04:52):
speak, let me let me share kindof my, my story and why this is
important.
Because that whole event wasnot only an opportunity to raise
support for place of hope butit was to set an example to
younger kids and because it wasa family friendly event.
(05:13):
Moms and dads were there withtheir children for a tea party
and a fashion show which youcompletely orchestrated from all
over creation last summer,which was pretty remarkable in
and of itself.
But I think that what was soinspiring to me, as somebody
that was there and as I watchedyour son get up there and take
the microphone, is just like wow, just the impact that you and
John have made on Tyler andthat's going to, that's going to
(05:37):
go on for the rest of his lifeand like he is going to make an
incredible difference in thisworld.
And that's because of theexample that you have set.
But then when you have an eventlike that and you stand up there
, you're inspiring other parentsto do the same thing.
That is one of the reasons whyI thought, gosh, this would be a
great thing for us to share onthe podcast, because you know
people step in and they're like,well, what can I do?
(05:58):
How can I get involved?
How can I make a difference?
And, sheree, you're one of themost creative people that I know
.
You're always coming up withgreat ideas and ways to bring
people together and buildcommunity and raise support and
make friendships and deepenfriendships.
You're really good at that, andwhen this recording comes out,
(06:18):
people will know that you're ournew Angel Mom president, so
we're pretty excited about that.
Cherie Arscott (06:23):
Well, it's just an honor to be chosen to that
position.
Lisa McDulin (06:28):
Well, we're thrilled Maybe you can address
this, as we're talking aboutfamily and how have you
instilled those values?
I've seen it in Tyler, just inwhat he has shared, but what are
some of the ways, beyond themissions trip, that you've
instilled values of philanthropy, service and caring for others
(06:49):
less fortunate in your home?
Cherie Arscott (06:51):
Well, as I reflect upon the hard-earned
money and the success John hadworked so hard to create and our
desire to make a positiveimpact on others, personal
experience comes to mind, onethat taught me a profound lesson
and involves my attempt tosupport my cousin.
She was a mother of five smallchildren and she was navigating
(07:15):
the challenges of a verydifficult family situation, and
her husband had abandoned herand, after several failed
attempts to secure a job, he wasphysically abusing the children
on his visitation schedule.
My husband really had no way tosupport herself or the girls.
She had no education or acareer.
(07:37):
She was living on welfare andshe didn't have any family close
to support her, and it justbroke our heart.
We just felt this heartfeltconcern for her and their
children's well-being and Ispoke to John and I asked him
his thoughts on relocating themto Florida where we might be
(07:59):
able to help them.
We aim to provide themopportunities.
They might otherwise elude themgiven their circumstances, but
our intention was to help mycousin secure a stable life,
insisting her to find a job, ahome, a new car, a career and
safe housing for the children.
Our efforts really seemed tobear fruit.
My cousin flourished in her newcareer and the family found
(08:23):
stability in their newsurroundings.
Career and the family foundstability in their new
surroundings.
However, over time it becameapparent that our good
intentions were unfortunatelymet with resentment.
The expectations we set weredesigned to create a supportive
environment became burdensome tomy cousin, leaving her to
breach the agreements weestablished.
(08:44):
This led us to really ponderthe nature of assistance and the
expectations that sometimesaccompany it.
We really had the desire andcompassion to help her.
It's critical also to realizethat true grieving should be
devoid of conditions orexpectations.
(09:05):
Realize that true giving shouldbe devoid of conditions or
expectations.
The challenge lies in ensuringthat our contributions whether
it's time, energy, money reallydo make a generally a positive
difference.
What comes to mind is, you know, a verse in the Bible Matthew
6:3-4, advises us to give insecret.
Emphasizing the left handshould never know what the right
(09:27):
hand is doing.
This profound insight is theessence of selfless giving,
where the act of giving itselfbecomes its own reward, and I
feel like at Place of Hope thatprinciple is put into practice.
At the Place of Hope, giving isdiscreet to the receiver and
it's an organization thatestablishes rules and boundaries
(09:48):
.
They establish the rules andboundaries that ensure the
assistant is directly directedto those who are genuinely
seeking positive change.
By adhering this approach, wecan be confident that our
contributions are not in vainand that our support goes to
those who truly desire andappreciate the help.
Lisa McDulin (10:06):
That's a great story.
I mean, you shared that with mea couple weeks ago.
You had sent me that and I waslike, wow, that's profound.
We're dealing with kids atPlace of Hope For whatever
reason.
They're down on their luck.
They may have come through thefoster care system.
They may be otherwise homelessfor some other unknown reason.
Whatever the reason is, youknow we're there to give them a
(10:29):
hand up and not a handout, andto teach them how to become
successful, independent youngadults with clear expectations
and boundaries that are set inplace.
That's part of the program.
That's part of what we do.
You're giving without theexpectation of really anything
in return and you're you'retrusting us and there's a level
of trust there which we are sograteful for.
(10:51):
You look like you want to saysomething.
John Arscott (10:54):
You know, I think there's kind of an evolution of
of this work as, as a donor, youknow, as you started in life,
you need to take care of yourfamily, you need to have enough
income, you need to have thatbuffer, and then, as you start
to give, anybody can give to theguy or girl standing at the
(11:16):
traffic light, but we all knowthat really doesn't change much.
You know that's their next hitand people, I think, want to get
involved and they want to findthe vehicle to make a difference
and it's really hard to kind ofunderstand that and sometimes
it's helping relatives, asCherie and I have done.
(11:37):
That didn't prove to be asfruitful as we wanted it to be
it to be.
So finding this vehicle thatyou can give freely to and feel
comfortable that it's not ahandout on the other end and
that we're actually liftingpeople up and helping them
evolve their lives and getsomewhere, is the real value
(11:59):
that we receive.
So the gift of giving iscertainly to me, I feel, more of
a reward than actually therecipient by watching somebody
rise up.
So but it takes that evolutionof going through the process and
understanding what kind ofgiving works for you and what
(12:20):
you want to do.
Lisa McDulin (12:22):
That's, that's an interesting concept.
And I remember the day I met you, you brought John to campus and
we were having a enrichmentactivity for the kids and you
were standing there in the hotsun flipping hamburgers at that
grill and if you remember thatwe were having a conversation,
smokes blown everywhere and youwere with Tyler inside doing
something in the kitchen and andI remember John, you said to me
(12:45):
you know, I know that's whenyou were really involved with
the hearing aids and you said,you know, I, really it's
important to find a place whereCherie can serve and kind of
find her own place.
And I remember you sharing thatwith me.
And then you told me kind ofabout your background and kind
of where you came from and andyou know I didn't know anything
(13:07):
about you that day, like not athing, and you know other than
you were standing there in thehot sun.
You know I didn't know anythingabout you that day, like not a
thing, and you know other thanyou were standing there in the
hot sun flipping burgers and Ifelt really bad that there was
no umbrella or tent over yourhead.
But maybe you want to share alittle bit about kind of tacking
onto this evolution, as you saykind of like well, where that
(13:29):
came from in you as you say kindof like where that came from in
you?
John Arscott (13:36):
Well, you know.
So both Sheree and I had.
You know, Cherie's fatherpassed away at a very young age.
My father left when I was threeyears old and never saw him
again.
So we have appreciation for thenetwork that a child needs, and
so most of our work is kind offocused in that because of our
experience.
Now, fortunately, the otherparent in our life was strong
enough to sustain us and and wehad good nieces or uncles and
(14:03):
aunts and grandparents around usto help us to get to the other
side, so that that kind ofresonates with us in the place
of hope.
But to go to that, is it really?
I didn't come from anything inorder to trade, you know.
So we, we both evolved and andcreated our, our net worth.
(14:23):
But once you get to a point yourealize that more money in your
bank accounts is pretty hollowand, uh, there's another meaning
to life and, and part of thatis spending time lifting other
people up and helping wherepossible.
But it can be discouraging if,if, if it it gets taken
(14:45):
advantage of and and we, that'swhy we, we feel so the, the
place of hope, is such apowerful vehicle to make sure
that doesn't happen, and sogreat.
Lisa McDulin (14:55):
And we appreciate that and that kind of answers
ahead of you know the otherquestion I had about you know
why place of hope and why you'reinvolved and why you're
committed.
You guys are part of ourcampaign that we announced this
past year and I know maybeyou're prepared with answers so
(15:18):
you can tell us, Cherie, alittle bit about why Place of
Hope, why you guys have chosento continue to be involved and
are committed to what we do.
Cherie Arscott (15:29):
Well, I think what resonated with me with A
Place of Hope was theirwillingness to listen and being
open to suggestions.
They seemed eager and, Lisa,you were very open to my ideas
and you seemed genuinelyinterested in my input and,
being a wife, a mother andhaving a full-time career, I
(15:51):
wondered how much time I reallyhad to invest, but I found the
place of hope.
They were supportive of my lifeoutside of the charity and
respectful of my time.
But you always seem to findways to challenge me to grow
personally.
You're kind of like that too.
John Arscott (16:11):
You guys keep turning each other's treadmill
up.
Lisa McDulin (16:15):
Yeah, she's rooted to her mind up real high.
I love it.
So, beyond Place of Hope, haveyou been involved in other
service projects or initiativesthat are aimed at helping those
that are less fortunate?
I know you briefly touched onsome of the work that you did
and, if so, could you share someof the details about those?
Cherie Arscott (16:34):
experiences.
I was involved in the BigBrother, big Sister program in
Maryland, also the StarkeyHearing Foundation, the
Cambodia's Children's Fund andImpact 100.
So the Starkey HearingFoundation just to give you a
little background information onthat, that you know they
(16:55):
provide the Kifta hearing tochildren in third world
countries.
Like I said before, we wereable to participate with my son,
tyler, and several of themission trips and I can just
recall one instance when my sonwas about 10 years old, you know
we were doing the fittings andI looked over at him and he
(17:17):
brought out his soccer ball andstarted playing soccer with the
kids and I'm like, what is hedoing?
And then it dawned on me whathe was really doing is all of
those kids that were waiting inline to get their hearing aids
Not all the hearing aids fit andthey work and all those kids
were sitting there anxiouslywaiting their turn and were
(17:39):
scared that they would be theone that the hearing aid would
not work and they would never beable to hear.
And Tyler had the foresight at10 to grab that ball and just
start playing soccer with thekids and, you know, put the kids
at ease and that was just areally proud moment to watch him
.
You know just thatinstinctively came out of him.
(18:02):
You know like, hey, I'm goingto, I can do my part here, I can
help these kids and put them atease and just with a common
soccer ball and playing andhaving fun.
And it was.
Lisa McDulin (18:13):
It was especially down on their level for sure
that's so neat.
Let's talk about your son.
How do you think that himgrowing up in the environment
that he has in your householdand with both of you as his
parents, as far as your focus onphilanthropy and giving back,
(18:33):
how do you think that shaped hisperspective as a young man?
I know he's getting ready tograduate from college and go
into the business world and howdo you think that that's
impacted his aspirations, if youwill, to kind of continue with
that legacy of giving back inthe future of continue with that
legacy of giving back in thefuture.
Cherie Arscott (18:58):
Well, although Tyler can't be here today, he
did want to add this little noteand tell you his experience.
Okay, he said you know, beinginvolved and giving back into
community at a young ageinstills the critical values
that ultimately lead to theindescribable and sustained
happiness.
There is a deep satisfactionthat cannot be found anywhere
(19:19):
but in the aid of others.
The purest form of love isgiving your time and help.
There's no shame or judgment inasking for it.
Being involved in charityorganizations also display a
clear marker for how fortunatemy life situation was.
Being grateful for God foreverything, no matter how
(19:41):
insignificant, is a key to beingfulfilled.
Without my experience, givenaround the world, my view of
life would be radicallydifferent.
It is this way by giving toothers, you receive so much more
.
What a great kid.
I'm a huge Tyler Arscott fan.
We didn't think so, Arscott fan.
(20:01):
We didn't think so.
John Arscott (20:04):
So when Tyler was very young, so he would be
fitting children with hearingaids, with lice growing through
their hair or crawling throughtheir hair, and they would.
Their flip-flops were actuallya tire that was cut and strapped
to the bottom of their foot,and the sweaters that they would
(20:25):
wear were were so old that they75 of them were shreds.
Um.
So he, he learned that therereally is a difference.
Um, and he, he watched thosechildren have fun and play.
Um.
So you know when, when he wouldsay, hey, dad, I need, I'd look
(20:47):
at him and he'd go, okay, Idon't need, I want.
And so he.
There was that differentialthere that that knowing that
children that needed were stillhaving fun, we're still playing,
we're still laughing, and youknow he, he saw that, but it
gave him that that basis thatwhat we need as human beings
(21:09):
versus what we have as humanbeings um is is a completely
different thing what a valuablelesson yeah and that personal
connection to their friends andlaughing and and doing when they
were all, uh, coming out of a,a school of the deaf that had
been abandoned by all theirparents.
Lisa McDulin (21:28):
And he'll take that with him the rest of his
life and he'll pass that down tohis kids.
That's the legacy you hope thathe will continue to leave for
his children.
John Arscott (21:38):
He gets it now.
Lisa McDulin (21:39):
Yeah, no, he's exceptional.
I'm a huge fan.
I love Tyler, he's great.
I'm a huge fan.
I love Tyler, he's great, youknow, and I think too it's it.
Hopefully this inspires otherparents to recognize the
importance of letting your kidssee you do things for others and
and whether that's volunteeringin soup kitchen or flipping
(22:01):
burgers or serving on committeeand putting together a
fundraiser or doing whatever itis doing something for other
people who are less fortunate Ithink it's such a huge lesson
for other families.
I always tell ladies I have theopportunity to talk to a lot of
women and the ones with littlekids and I say to them listen,
(22:23):
your children are watching you,they listen to what you say,
they're watching what you do andthey will never, ever stop
doing that and the lessons thatyou teach them they're going to
take with them the rest of theirlife.
They will always remember youdoing for others, and that's
certainly something that I know.
John Arscott (22:39):
Right and it's hard.
It's hard to weave it in as aparent because you know you've
got the swim team, the soccer,the gymnastics and you're
chasing all those things.
So it is and it's hard to weaveit in because you don't really
know where the vehicle is toshow your children how to be
charitable, how to give of theirtime.
(23:00):
But it's worth the effort.
It's definitely worth theeffort.
Lisa McDulin (23:07):
You know it's and it's tough to like, at least
with the age group that we serveat the Boca campus are over 18.
Most of them are over 18.
And so there's not as manyhands-on opportunities for
people to actually volunteer.
Um, it's hard to dictate to ayoung adult Well, you're going
to have a mentor and this isgoing to be that person.
(23:28):
It's better to have more of anorganic type situation kind of
develop over time.
But it's been really neat to seeare some of the creative ways,
like you, sheree, that women arecoming up with, ways that their
small children can be involved.
We had a group not long ago taketheir kids shopping for items
(23:50):
to put a meal together in apaper bag that they would
decorate and put a recipe onthere with a little public gift
card so that they could go buythe fresh ingredients and the
all the non perishables were inthe grocery bag and that was a
gift that they there was anactivity they could do with
their moms on the campus andthey were able to give that to a
young adult who you know thesekids, you know their idea of a
(24:13):
meal is, you know, getting onthe door, dash and and ordering
a pizza or you know they didn'tgrow up in a home where there
was a mom or a dad.
Maybe you know going to thegrocery store and planning the
meals and cooking on a regularbasis.
So there always is a creativeway to serve and we're thankful
(24:34):
for families who look for waysto to be able to serve and to
volunteer.
But what advice would you havefor families or individuals that
are looking to get involved inphilanthropy in general and make
a positive impact in theircommunity?
Cherie Arscott (24:51):
I would ask yourself what legacy we really
want to leave this world.
Do you want to be a consumer ordo you want to do something
that's really impactful andmeaningful?
And if you're looking to getinvolved in a charity, I would
say how do their charities usetheir money wisely?
So you can utilize CharityNavigator to kind of do a little
(25:14):
investigative work.
Will your gifts and yourtalents be appreciated?
And does the charity leavesomething that nourishes your
soul?
And is it a charity that youknow really engages the family
and involving the members ofyour family and your children,
because that really gives them asense of responsibility and
(25:37):
educates them on the futuregenerations about the importance
of giving back?
Lisa McDulin (25:42):
So, as you reflect on your journey with Place of
Hope, what would you say?
Your aspirations for the future, both for your family's
continued involvement and thebroader impact on the causes
that you support, would be.
Cherie Arscott (25:54):
Well, we believe that giving to that annual fund
commitment creates long-termsustainability for the Place of
Hope.
So they continue growing andmeet the demands of the
community and we appreciate it.
Lisa McDulin (26:06):
We cannot do it without your support.
We're so grateful for that.
I'm going to ask you onequestion how has being an angel
mom changed your life, Cherie?
Cherie Arscott (26:22):
Witnessing the other angel moms spread their
wings, build confidence, andjust seeing them thrive really
is encouraging and gives you theconfidence to explore different
possibilities in your own life.
You know, I just believe thatthe power of the group of the
women that we bond together andthat the type of women that you
know you can count on if you'rehaving a bad day or things
(26:44):
aren't going quite right, orthey can also be happy for your
successes and be there tocelebrate that, and that has
been just a beautiful blessingand I'm so happy and thrilled to
be a part of this group.
Lisa McDulin (26:58):
We're thrilled to have you as a part of that group
, and your wish came true, whenyou were flipping hamburgers,
that your wife found a place toserve and use her talents.
John Arscott (27:08):
Yeah, and I've watched it.
She has really enjoyed theconnection with the other women
in the Angel Moms and it'slifted her up, you know.
So the sum of the pieces is farbigger than just Cherie and
she's really enjoyed it andshe's been inspired by it and
(27:29):
it's been fulfilling for her.
So it's been really rewardingto watch that happen as well.
Lisa McDulin (27:33):
That's great.
Well, I love to hear thatsupport from your husband,
that's so super.
We appreciate you guys,everything that you do.
We love you and we're soexcited to continue to work
together and see the impact thatwe can make on these kids for
years to come.
Cherie Arscott (27:49):
Thanks, Lisa.
Lisa McDulin (27:50):
Thank you.
Charles Bender (27:56):
Thank you for listening.
Please be sure to subscribe andshare with your friends so you
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For details and show notesabout today's podcast and how
you can connect with and supportour guests, please go to
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(28:20):
follow us on social media.
Ambassadors of Hope placinghope in a child's future.
Hello and thank you for tuning in to Ambassadors
of Hope.
I'm your host, Charles Bender.
We're so excited that you'vetuned in to hear from local
South Florida leaders who aremaking a difference in our
community and region through ourcharity Place of Hope.
Maya Elias (00:17):
Hello, I'm your producer, Maya Elias, and in
this conversation, John andCherie Arscott share their
journey in philanthropy andtheir involvement with Place of
Hope.
They discuss the power ofgiving and the lessons they
learn from attempting to provideassistance to family.
They highlight the importanceof selfless giving and the
impact of Place of Hope in theirlives.
(00:37):
They also discuss about theirinvolvement in other
philanthropic initiatives andthe influence of their
upbringing on the perspective.
They offer advice forindividuals and families looking
to get involved in philanthropyand express their aspirations
for the future.
Lastly, cherie discusses theimpact of being an angel mom.
Please continue listening onfor the rest of this episode.
Lisa McDulin (00:59):
Welcome to Ambassadors of Hope.
This is the podcast for Place ofHope, and this podcast is our
opportunity to feature some ofthe many people in the community
who have come alongside of usand who help us do what we do at
Place of Hope, and today is noexception.
We've got John and CherieArscott in the studio with us
(01:22):
today and we're excited to havethem here to share a little bit
about themselves, their family,their son, Tyler, who could not
be here with us today, andreally this is just an
opportunity for you all toinspire other people to engage
and get involved in making adifference in the community that
(01:43):
they live and work in.
And if that's with Place ofHope, great, or maybe with
another organization, that'salso great.
And we know that you all gotyour start in philanthropy a
long time ago, doing some workwith some other organizations,
and we would just love for youto kind of introduce yourselves
and Cherie I don't know if youwant to take the lead on that
and tell us more about how yougot started in the world of
(02:05):
philanthropy.
Cherie Arscott (02:06):
Okay, hi, I'm Cherie Arscott and I'm here with
my husband, John, and we gotinvolved when my son was in
fourth grade.
We left our comfortable home,our beautiful life, and embarked
on a philanthropic mission tripto provide hearing aids to
children in Africa.
On a philanthropic mission tripto provide hearing aids to
(02:27):
children in Africa, little didwe know that that would become
an extraordinary journey, onethat would change him and change
our lives forever.
So, as a parent, just watchingmy son immerse himself in the
mission was a source of justprofound joy.
He and his fellow workersworked long, hard hours,
overcoming obstacles, dedicatingtheir time, energy and love to
(02:51):
bring the gift of hearing tochildren who had been deprived
of this basic human need for solong.
And then I just remember themoments that were etched in our
hearts forever.
The joy that radiated fromthose young faces as they heard
their mother speak for the veryfirst time was nothing short of
(03:12):
miraculous, and it was atestament to the power of
compassion, the power of givingand the power of a yet profound,
simple device a hearing aid.
Then I started to wonder, youknow, if we really needed to
travel all the way to thirdworld countries and make an
impact in the world.
I imagine that there werechildren in our own community
(03:33):
that really needed our help andI was really searching for a
charity that I could make apositive impact.
My husband and I were invitedto a wedding and luckily Bonnie
Boroian was sitting right nextto me.
She told me all the wonderfulthings at Place of Hope.
She invited me to an eventsponsored by the Place of Hope
and there I heard thiscompelling story of a man named
(03:56):
Jimmy Wayne and how his sisterand he were in and out of foster
care, living on the streets,and he was invited by an elderly
couple to move into their homeafter mowing their yard.
It was the support of someonewho cared.
He was able to finish college,move to Nashville and pursue a
(04:20):
musical career there.
He released an album thatbecame country's number one
music hit, and those are thestories that really inspire you
to get involved.
Lisa McDulin (04:30):
That's a great story and I remember meeting you
at that event.
I remember that well, youchaired an event for Place of
Hope a couple of months ago inOctober really sweet fashion
show, and it was there thatactually Tyler got up and kind
of took the mic from his mom andyou know, said you know, let me
(04:52):
speak, let me let me share kindof my, my story and why this is
important.
Because that whole event wasnot only an opportunity to raise
support for place of hope butit was to set an example to
younger kids and because it wasa family friendly event.
(05:13):
Moms and dads were there withtheir children for a tea party
and a fashion show which youcompletely orchestrated from all
over creation last summer,which was pretty remarkable in
and of itself.
But I think that what was soinspiring to me, as somebody
that was there and as I watchedyour son get up there and take
the microphone, is just like wow, just the impact that you and
John have made on Tyler andthat's going to, that's going to
(05:37):
go on for the rest of his lifeand like he is going to make an
incredible difference in thisworld.
And that's because of theexample that you have set.
But then when you have an eventlike that and you stand up there
, you're inspiring other parentsto do the same thing.
That is one of the reasons whyI thought, gosh, this would be a
great thing for us to share onthe podcast, because you know
people step in and they're like,well, what can I do?
(05:58):
How can I get involved?
How can I make a difference?
And, sheree, you're one of themost creative people that I know
.
You're always coming up withgreat ideas and ways to bring
people together and buildcommunity and raise support and
make friendships and deepenfriendships.
You're really good at that, andwhen this recording comes out,
(06:18):
people will know that you're ournew Angel Mom president, so
we're pretty excited about that.
Cherie Arscott (06:23):
Well, it's just an honor to be chosen to that
position.
Lisa McDulin (06:28):
Well, we're thrilled Maybe you can address
this, as we're talking aboutfamily and how have you
instilled those values?
I've seen it in Tyler, just inwhat he has shared, but what are
some of the ways, beyond themissions trip, that you've
instilled values of philanthropy, service and caring for others
(06:49):
less fortunate in your home?
Cherie Arscott (06:51):
Well, as I reflect upon the hard-earned
money and the success John hadworked so hard to create and our
desire to make a positiveimpact on others, personal
experience comes to mind, onethat taught me a profound lesson
and involves my attempt tosupport my cousin.
She was a mother of five smallchildren and she was navigating
(07:15):
the challenges of a verydifficult family situation, and
her husband had abandoned herand, after several failed
attempts to secure a job, he wasphysically abusing the children
on his visitation schedule.
My husband really had no way tosupport herself or the girls.
She had no education or acareer.
(07:37):
She was living on welfare andshe didn't have any family close
to support her, and it justbroke our heart.
We just felt this heartfeltconcern for her and their
children's well-being and Ispoke to John and I asked him
his thoughts on relocating themto Florida where we might be
(07:59):
able to help them.
We aim to provide themopportunities.
They might otherwise elude themgiven their circumstances, but
our intention was to help mycousin secure a stable life,
insisting her to find a job, ahome, a new car, a career and
safe housing for the children.
Our efforts really seemed tobear fruit.
My cousin flourished in her newcareer and the family found
(08:23):
stability in their newsurroundings.
Career and the family foundstability in their new
surroundings.
However, over time it becameapparent that our good
intentions were unfortunatelymet with resentment.
The expectations we set weredesigned to create a supportive
environment became burdensome tomy cousin, leaving her to
breach the agreements weestablished.
(08:44):
This led us to really ponderthe nature of assistance and the
expectations that sometimesaccompany it.
We really had the desire andcompassion to help her.
It's critical also to realizethat true grieving should be
devoid of conditions orexpectations.
(09:05):
Realize that true giving shouldbe devoid of conditions or
expectations.
The challenge lies in ensuringthat our contributions whether
it's time, energy, money reallydo make a generally a positive
difference.
What comes to mind is, you know, a verse in the Bible Matthew
6:3-4, advises us to give insecret.
Emphasizing the left handshould never know what the right
(09:27):
hand is doing.
This profound insight is theessence of selfless giving,
where the act of giving itselfbecomes its own reward, and I
feel like at Place of Hope thatprinciple is put into practice.
At the Place of Hope, giving isdiscreet to the receiver and
it's an organization thatestablishes rules and boundaries
(09:48):
.
They establish the rules andboundaries that ensure the
assistant is directly directedto those who are genuinely
seeking positive change.
By adhering this approach, wecan be confident that our
contributions are not in vainand that our support goes to
those who truly desire andappreciate the help.
Lisa McDulin (10:06):
That's a great story.
I mean, you shared that with mea couple weeks ago.
You had sent me that and I waslike, wow, that's profound.
We're dealing with kids atPlace of Hope For whatever
reason.
They're down on their luck.
They may have come through thefoster care system.
They may be otherwise homelessfor some other unknown reason.
Whatever the reason is, youknow we're there to give them a
(10:29):
hand up and not a handout, andto teach them how to become
successful, independent youngadults with clear expectations
and boundaries that are set inplace.
That's part of the program.
That's part of what we do.
You're giving without theexpectation of really anything
in return and you're you'retrusting us and there's a level
of trust there which we are sograteful for.
(10:51):
You look like you want to saysomething.
John Arscott (10:54):
You know, I think there's kind of an evolution of
of this work as, as a donor, youknow, as you started in life,
you need to take care of yourfamily, you need to have enough
income, you need to have thatbuffer, and then, as you start
to give, anybody can give to theguy or girl standing at the
(11:16):
traffic light, but we all knowthat really doesn't change much.
You know that's their next hitand people, I think, want to get
involved and they want to findthe vehicle to make a difference
and it's really hard to kind ofunderstand that and sometimes
it's helping relatives, asCherie and I have done.
(11:37):
That didn't prove to be asfruitful as we wanted it to be
it to be.
So finding this vehicle thatyou can give freely to and feel
comfortable that it's not ahandout on the other end and
that we're actually liftingpeople up and helping them
evolve their lives and getsomewhere, is the real value
(11:59):
that we receive.
So the gift of giving iscertainly to me, I feel, more of
a reward than actually therecipient by watching somebody
rise up.
So but it takes that evolutionof going through the process and
understanding what kind ofgiving works for you and what
(12:20):
you want to do.
Lisa McDulin (12:22):
That's, that's an interesting concept.
And I remember the day I met you, you brought John to campus and
we were having a enrichmentactivity for the kids and you
were standing there in the hotsun flipping hamburgers at that
grill and if you remember thatwe were having a conversation,
smokes blown everywhere and youwere with Tyler inside doing
something in the kitchen and andI remember John, you said to me
(12:45):
you know, I know that's whenyou were really involved with
the hearing aids and you said,you know, I, really it's
important to find a place whereCherie can serve and kind of
find her own place.
And I remember you sharing thatwith me.
And then you told me kind ofabout your background and kind
of where you came from and andyou know I didn't know anything
(13:07):
about you that day, like not athing, and you know other than
you were standing there in thehot sun.
You know I didn't know anythingabout you that day, like not a
thing, and you know other thanyou were standing there in the
hot sun flipping burgers and Ifelt really bad that there was
no umbrella or tent over yourhead.
But maybe you want to share alittle bit about kind of tacking
onto this evolution, as you saykind of like well, where that
(13:29):
came from in you as you say kindof like where that came from in
you?
John Arscott (13:36):
Well, you know.
So both Sheree and I had.
You know, Cherie's fatherpassed away at a very young age.
My father left when I was threeyears old and never saw him
again.
So we have appreciation for thenetwork that a child needs, and
so most of our work is kind offocused in that because of our
experience.
Now, fortunately, the otherparent in our life was strong
enough to sustain us and and wehad good nieces or uncles and
(14:03):
aunts and grandparents around usto help us to get to the other
side, so that that kind ofresonates with us in the place
of hope.
But to go to that, is it really?
I didn't come from anything inorder to trade, you know.
So we, we both evolved and andcreated our, our net worth.
(14:23):
But once you get to a point yourealize that more money in your
bank accounts is pretty hollowand, uh, there's another meaning
to life and, and part of thatis spending time lifting other
people up and helping wherepossible.
But it can be discouraging if,if, if it it gets taken
(14:45):
advantage of and and we, that'swhy we, we feel so the, the
place of hope, is such apowerful vehicle to make sure
that doesn't happen, and sogreat.
Lisa McDulin (14:55):
And we appreciate that and that kind of answers
ahead of you know the otherquestion I had about you know
why place of hope and why you'reinvolved and why you're
committed.
You guys are part of ourcampaign that we announced this
past year and I know maybeyou're prepared with answers so
(15:18):
you can tell us, Cherie, alittle bit about why Place of
Hope, why you guys have chosento continue to be involved and
are committed to what we do.
Cherie Arscott (15:29):
Well, I think what resonated with me with A
Place of Hope was theirwillingness to listen and being
open to suggestions.
They seemed eager and, Lisa,you were very open to my ideas
and you seemed genuinelyinterested in my input and,
being a wife, a mother andhaving a full-time career, I
(15:51):
wondered how much time I reallyhad to invest, but I found the
place of hope.
They were supportive of my lifeoutside of the charity and
respectful of my time.
But you always seem to findways to challenge me to grow
personally.
You're kind of like that too.
John Arscott (16:11):
You guys keep turning each other's treadmill
up.
Lisa McDulin (16:15):
Yeah, she's rooted to her mind up real high.
I love it.
So, beyond Place of Hope, haveyou been involved in other
service projects or initiativesthat are aimed at helping those
that are less fortunate?
I know you briefly touched onsome of the work that you did
and, if so, could you share someof the details about those?
Cherie Arscott (16:34):
experiences.
I was involved in the BigBrother, big Sister program in
Maryland, also the StarkeyHearing Foundation, the
Cambodia's Children's Fund andImpact 100.
So the Starkey HearingFoundation just to give you a
little background information onthat, that you know they
(16:55):
provide the Kifta hearing tochildren in third world
countries.
Like I said before, we wereable to participate with my son,
tyler, and several of themission trips and I can just
recall one instance when my sonwas about 10 years old, you know
we were doing the fittings andI looked over at him and he
(17:17):
brought out his soccer ball andstarted playing soccer with the
kids and I'm like, what is hedoing?
And then it dawned on me whathe was really doing is all of
those kids that were waiting inline to get their hearing aids
Not all the hearing aids fit andthey work and all those kids
were sitting there anxiouslywaiting their turn and were
(17:39):
scared that they would be theone that the hearing aid would
not work and they would never beable to hear.
And Tyler had the foresight at10 to grab that ball and just
start playing soccer with thekids and, you know, put the kids
at ease and that was just areally proud moment to watch him
.
You know just thatinstinctively came out of him.
(18:02):
You know like, hey, I'm goingto, I can do my part here, I can
help these kids and put them atease and just with a common
soccer ball and playing andhaving fun.
And it was.
Lisa McDulin (18:13):
It was especially down on their level for sure
that's so neat.
Let's talk about your son.
How do you think that himgrowing up in the environment
that he has in your householdand with both of you as his
parents, as far as your focus onphilanthropy and giving back,
(18:33):
how do you think that shaped hisperspective as a young man?
I know he's getting ready tograduate from college and go
into the business world and howdo you think that that's
impacted his aspirations, if youwill, to kind of continue with
that legacy of giving back inthe future of continue with that
legacy of giving back in thefuture.
Cherie Arscott (18:58):
Well, although Tyler can't be here today, he
did want to add this little noteand tell you his experience.
Okay, he said you know, beinginvolved and giving back into
community at a young ageinstills the critical values
that ultimately lead to theindescribable and sustained
happiness.
There is a deep satisfactionthat cannot be found anywhere
(19:19):
but in the aid of others.
The purest form of love isgiving your time and help.
There's no shame or judgment inasking for it.
Being involved in charityorganizations also display a
clear marker for how fortunatemy life situation was.
Being grateful for God foreverything, no matter how
(19:41):
insignificant, is a key to beingfulfilled.
Without my experience, givenaround the world, my view of
life would be radicallydifferent.
It is this way by giving toothers, you receive so much more
.
What a great kid.
I'm a huge Tyler Arscott fan.
We didn't think so, Arscott fan.
(20:01):
We didn't think so.
John Arscott (20:04):
So when Tyler was very young, so he would be
fitting children with hearingaids, with lice growing through
their hair or crawling throughtheir hair, and they would.
Their flip-flops were actuallya tire that was cut and strapped
to the bottom of their foot,and the sweaters that they would
(20:25):
wear were were so old that they75 of them were shreds.
Um.
So he, he learned that therereally is a difference.
Um, and he, he watched thosechildren have fun and play.
Um.
So you know when, when he wouldsay, hey, dad, I need, I'd look
(20:47):
at him and he'd go, okay, Idon't need, I want.
And so he.
There was that differentialthere that that knowing that
children that needed were stillhaving fun, we're still playing,
we're still laughing, and youknow he, he saw that, but it
gave him that that basis thatwhat we need as human beings
(21:09):
versus what we have as humanbeings um is is a completely
different thing what a valuablelesson yeah and that personal
connection to their friends andlaughing and and doing when they
were all, uh, coming out of a,a school of the deaf that had
been abandoned by all theirparents.
Lisa McDulin (21:28):
And he'll take that with him the rest of his
life and he'll pass that down tohis kids.
That's the legacy you hope thathe will continue to leave for
his children.
John Arscott (21:38):
He gets it now.
Lisa McDulin (21:39):
Yeah, no, he's exceptional.
I'm a huge fan.
I love Tyler, he's great.
I'm a huge fan.
I love Tyler, he's great, youknow, and I think too it's it.
Hopefully this inspires otherparents to recognize the
importance of letting your kidssee you do things for others and
and whether that's volunteeringin soup kitchen or flipping
(22:01):
burgers or serving on committeeand putting together a
fundraiser or doing whatever itis doing something for other
people who are less fortunate Ithink it's such a huge lesson
for other families.
I always tell ladies I have theopportunity to talk to a lot of
women and the ones with littlekids and I say to them listen,
(22:23):
your children are watching you,they listen to what you say,
they're watching what you do andthey will never, ever stop
doing that and the lessons thatyou teach them they're going to
take with them the rest of theirlife.
They will always remember youdoing for others, and that's
certainly something that I know.
John Arscott (22:39):
Right and it's hard.
It's hard to weave it in as aparent because you know you've
got the swim team, the soccer,the gymnastics and you're
chasing all those things.
So it is and it's hard to weaveit in because you don't really
know where the vehicle is toshow your children how to be
charitable, how to give of theirtime.
(23:00):
But it's worth the effort.
It's definitely worth theeffort.
Lisa McDulin (23:07):
You know it's and it's tough to like, at least
with the age group that we serveat the Boca campus are over 18.
Most of them are over 18.
And so there's not as manyhands-on opportunities for
people to actually volunteer.
Um, it's hard to dictate to ayoung adult Well, you're going
to have a mentor and this isgoing to be that person.
(23:28):
It's better to have more of anorganic type situation kind of
develop over time.
But it's been really neat to seeare some of the creative ways,
like you, sheree, that women arecoming up with, ways that their
small children can be involved.
We had a group not long ago taketheir kids shopping for items
(23:50):
to put a meal together in apaper bag that they would
decorate and put a recipe onthere with a little public gift
card so that they could go buythe fresh ingredients and the
all the non perishables were inthe grocery bag and that was a
gift that they there was anactivity they could do with
their moms on the campus andthey were able to give that to a
young adult who you know thesekids, you know their idea of a
(24:13):
meal is, you know, getting onthe door, dash and and ordering
a pizza or you know they didn'tgrow up in a home where there
was a mom or a dad.
Maybe you know going to thegrocery store and planning the
meals and cooking on a regularbasis.
So there always is a creativeway to serve and we're thankful
(24:34):
for families who look for waysto to be able to serve and to
volunteer.
But what advice would you havefor families or individuals that
are looking to get involved inphilanthropy in general and make
a positive impact in theircommunity?
Cherie Arscott (24:51):
I would ask yourself what legacy we really
want to leave this world.
Do you want to be a consumer ordo you want to do something
that's really impactful andmeaningful?
And if you're looking to getinvolved in a charity, I would
say how do their charities usetheir money wisely?
So you can utilize CharityNavigator to kind of do a little
(25:14):
investigative work.
Will your gifts and yourtalents be appreciated?
And does the charity leavesomething that nourishes your
soul?
And is it a charity that youknow really engages the family
and involving the members ofyour family and your children,
because that really gives them asense of responsibility and
(25:37):
educates them on the futuregenerations about the importance
of giving back?
Lisa McDulin (25:42):
So, as you reflect on your journey with Place of
Hope, what would you say?
Your aspirations for the future, both for your family's
continued involvement and thebroader impact on the causes
that you support, would be.
Cherie Arscott (25:54):
Well, we believe that giving to that annual fund
commitment creates long-termsustainability for the Place of
Hope.
So they continue growing andmeet the demands of the
community and we appreciate it.
Lisa McDulin (26:06):
We cannot do it without your support.
We're so grateful for that.
I'm going to ask you onequestion how has being an angel
mom changed your life, Cherie?
Cherie Arscott (26:22):
Witnessing the other angel moms spread their
wings, build confidence, andjust seeing them thrive really
is encouraging and gives you theconfidence to explore different
possibilities in your own life.
You know, I just believe thatthe power of the group of the
women that we bond together andthat the type of women that you
know you can count on if you'rehaving a bad day or things
(26:44):
aren't going quite right, orthey can also be happy for your
successes and be there tocelebrate that, and that has
been just a beautiful blessingand I'm so happy and thrilled to
be a part of this group.
Lisa McDulin (26:58):
We're thrilled to have you as a part of that group
, and your wish came true, whenyou were flipping hamburgers,
that your wife found a place toserve and use her talents.
John Arscott (27:08):
Yeah, and I've watched it.
She has really enjoyed theconnection with the other women
in the Angel Moms and it'slifted her up, you know.
So the sum of the pieces is farbigger than just Cherie and
she's really enjoyed it andshe's been inspired by it and
(27:29):
it's been fulfilling for her.
So it's been really rewardingto watch that happen as well.
Lisa McDulin (27:33):
That's great.
Well, I love to hear thatsupport from your husband,
that's so super.
We appreciate you guys,everything that you do.
We love you and we're soexcited to continue to work
together and see the impact thatwe can make on these kids for
years to come.
Cherie Arscott (27:49):
Thanks, Lisa.
Lisa McDulin (27:50):
Thank you.
Charles Bender (27:56):
Thank you for listening.
Please be sure to subscribe andshare with your friends so you
don't even miss a thing, and ifyou really gained value today,
please be sure to give us afive-star review so, of course,
we can be put in front of morelisteners.
For details and show notesabout today's podcast and how
you can connect with and supportour guests, please go to
placeofhopecom, forward slashpodcast and please don't forget
to email us at pohpodcast, atplaceofhopecom, and, for sure,
(28:20):
follow us on social media.
Ambassadors of Hope placinghope in a child's future.
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