May 19, 2025 • 38 mins
Norman Harris welcomes Michelle Hogan, Associate Director of Community Donations at Metropolitan Ministries, for a conversation about finding purpose through service and making an impact on homelessness.
• Michelle's childhood experiences with racism sparked her passion for advocacy and social justice
• Metropolitan Ministries serves the homeless through services that alleviate suffering, promote dignity, and instill self-sufficiency
• Coordinating a donation of 300 bed sets from Ashley Furniture provided essential comfort to children and elderly individuals who previously had nowhere to sleep
• Becoming homeless is often just one missed paycheck away, but helping those who've lived outside for years requires addressing deeper issues beyond just resources
• Metropolitan Ministries offers multiple ways to help, including volunteering at meal sites, sorting donations, participating in food drives, and hosting collection drives
• Michelle's personal journey from corporate life to homelessness to nonprofit leadership demonstrates resilience and the importance of following your purpose
• Finding your voice through platforms like podcasts and social media can create change by helping people understand issues from new perspectives
To learn more about Metropolitan Ministries or to get involved, visit metromin.org or follow Michelle Hogan on LinkedIn.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Welcome to another episode of the let's Get Comfort
podcast.
I'm your host, norman Harris,the sole proprietor and owner of
Comfort Managers Consultant.
Thank you for joining us.
Once again, I have anotherheavy hitter, the unstoppable
Michelle Hogan, and, as usual, Ialways let my guests introduce
themselves.
(00:32):
But, ms Michelle, I'm so happyto have you join the platform.
Give me this opportunity and Ialways say this on a Saturday
your weekend.
Be sharing what you love.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I appreciate it.
Thank you so much for having me.
My name is Michelle.
I serve as the AssociateDirector of Community Donations
at Metropolitan Ministries.
I am a UF Gator and a USF Bull.
I got my Master's in Family,youth and Community Science at
UF.
At USF, I got a Bachelor's inpsychology and sociology.
(01:06):
In my free time I serve as avolunteer for the Tampa Bay Fair
Housing Consortium, helping tospread fair housing education
awareness and, most importantly,I'm a mother to two beautiful
children, jayden and Amina.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Wow, that is awesome.
Again, thank you for joiningthe platform.
So you're passionate aboutdriving community impact and
social justice through empathy,social justice and dedicated
hard work.
Where did this passionoriginate?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You know, I really just feel like that's kind of
ingrained in the DNA of who I am.
My dad they used to call himthe Reverend, and not because he
was a part of the church oranything like that, but just
because he used to always preach.
And so I've kind of found thatI sort of tend to do the same
thing sometimes.
You know, I've always just feltvery comfortable with speaking
up against of whatever I thinkisn't right and sharing what I
(02:00):
think is, and so it's reallyjust a part of who I am.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Right, well, that takes bravery.
A lot of people sit back andtake the back seat and don't
want to be at the forefront, butso I commend you for that,
because that's something that Ihad to grow into over time.
Was there something from yourchildhood that sparked your
professional journey.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I don't really think there was any one thing in
particular that sparked thatmore so, just my experience of
life, just naturally within me.
I've always felt like I was anatural born advocate.
If there was something thatdidn't seem right to me, it felt
like my blood was just boiling.
I had to speak up against it, Ihad to do something about it.
I was always protecting peoplearound me, and so when you have
(02:45):
that type of energy, you have tochannel it somewhere, and so
when I think about my childhoodand how intense I felt those
emotions, I think to the firsttime that I can recall feeling
that, and that was when Ilearned about what racism was.
So, just for a bit of context,I'm a mixed race woman.
(03:07):
My mother's black, my father'swhite, but we didn't talk about
race in our household at all.
We were just existing differentcolors.
It meant nothing to us otherthan how we looked, and in the
nineties this was like the eraof, you know, the golden age of
black sitcoms.
So this time it was nothing tosee a bunch of black people on
(03:27):
TV, and all my cousins are mixedtoo, on both sides.
So everywhere I was looking,I'm seeing black and white
people coexisting.
No one taught me that there wassome sort of meaning to this,
until one of my best friends whowas white as a child.
Until one of my best friendswho was white as a child
(03:49):
explained to me that her parentstold her that when she's older
she could only bring home awhite man, that she could never
date someone of color.
And so, she told me, her planwas she was going to secretly
date people of color.
But when it came to bringingsomeone home, it was going to be
someone who's white, and Ithought that this was the most
bizarre thing I had ever heard.
(04:10):
It didn't make any sense to me.
What do you mean?
They don't like someone becauseof the color of the skin.
You know what I'm saying?
This is not something thatpeople are born thinking about.
This was taught and it hadnever been taught to me.
So, at nine years old, this isthe first time that I'm hearing
that.
You know, people form opinionsabout you based on the color of
your skin, and in such an unfairway.
(04:32):
Yeah, you know, and she saidthat one of the reasons they
gave her was that mixed kidsfeel confused about their
identities.
I had never felt confused aboutmy identity.
I thought I was unique.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yeah, a lot of it's taught for sure.
Right, it's taught in yourhousehold.
You can see me dropping kidsoff at daycare and through high
school Until their parents putand bent that in them.
Then that's when you reallylearn.
Yeah, it's all getting wrong.
But to be honest with you, forme, my mom, that wasn't taught
in my house, but I thinkprobably when I grew up without
(05:06):
older, it was like I don't knowabout that, you know that type
of field, but it was nevertaught to me to like not have a
particular race as a spouse, youknow.
But you know, you know what ablack woman, right, yeah, yeah,
but yeah, but that, so that thatreally changed your perspective
on life a lot.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It did.
I learned that people createdmeaning for the color of our
skin and that they will judgeyou without even knowing you,
but also that they can makeexceptions.
You can be racist and makeexceptions for certain people,
because obviously the parentsare racist if they felt that way
, but they welcomed me with openarms and even considered me
(05:48):
like a daughter.
So I knew that a part of racismis people not being exposed to
other people like them.
Before they were in themilitary they were from Idaho.
I may have been one of thefirst people that they met of
color and they thought they weremaking an exception for me, but
really we're not really allthat different and they would
(06:09):
not judge people based on thecolor of their skin if they met
more people like that.
So I hope it's changed sincethen, but I just remember that
so vividly as one of the firsttimes that I felt outraged by
something that was sociallyaccepted.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
That's beautiful that I felt outraged by something
that was socially accepted.
Gotcha, yeah, wow, better froma childhood, so that's a serious
one, michelle Hogan.
Now what about the playfulMichelle Hogan?
What do you enjoy doing?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I enjoy doing anything creative.
I like to be crafty.
I like to explore new things.
I love to eat.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah, and I really enjoy a good nap on the weekend.
I do, I don't sleep, I don'teven take naps.
Never can take a nap.
I remember as a kid like mywhole house would be sleep on
sunday.
Sunday like nap day, like goodgood old Sunday dinner on.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Mama.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Cook.
Everybody take a nap, but I'dbe up.
I'd be up the only one playinga game outside, playing
basketball, doing something likethat so what have you learned
about resilience, bothpersonally and professionally,
through families and individualsthat you serve today.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
I've learned that we all face adversity no one is
free from that but we allexperience it to different
degrees, where some are facedwith it more than others.
And really, the most, thestrongest skill that you can
develop is how can you pivot andadapt when you're faced with
adversity, adversity, and soreally the work that I do is
(07:48):
about how can we help peopleadapt to the new challenges that
they're facing, to help them,you know, persevere and get out
of that situation.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I know you touched on that in your intro.
Let's talk about where you arenow, what you currently do, your
company.
Give me the description, themission of your organization as
well.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
So I work for Metropolitan Ministries.
We are a nonprofit that servesthe homeless and those at risk
of becoming homeless in ourcommunity through services that
alleviate suffering, promotedignity and instill
self-sufficiency as anexpression of the ongoing
ministry of Jesus Christ, and somy particular role there is I
(08:33):
oversee our community donationsteam and we support our programs
that serve the community byensuring that we can get the
things that we use to serve.
So we try to get physicalthings donated, like food,
hygiene items, toys forChristmas, school supplies and
baby products and differentthings like that.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Wonderful mission, Wonderful organization as well.
So definitely proud to have arepresentative of Metropolitan
Ministries here on this platform.
It's truly an honor.
So thank you so much.
Thank you so.
You shared the mission ofMetropolitan Ministries, but
with the organization.
What's one of your proudestmoments you share with?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
us.
It's hard to think about theproudest moment because I'm so
honored to say that I get to beinvolved with so many amazing
things, so I really just kind ofhave to chunk it up into time.
My most favorite thing recentlywas I was able to coordinate a
donation from Ashley Furniture.
You may not know this, but theyhave a nonprofit, a part of
(09:30):
their organization called Hopeto Dream, and they were able to
give us 300 bed sets.
So it's a frame, it's amattress, it's everything that
goes on top of it, everythingthat someone needs.
And in my role it's kind oflike a baton race.
You know where maybe I'mcoordinating the donations but I
(09:52):
don't get to see them in thehands of those that receive them
.
But with this one, one of ourmy colleagues, chris Gates, who
works with our Mealsite partners, he was able to help, you know,
find those families that werein need and get those beds for
us, and they in return sent usphotos of these beds in
(10:14):
different spaces.
So I got to see children ontheir first bed that they ever
had.
Um, one of the ones that givesme goosebumps still thinking
about it is, uh, an elderlywoman who was in housing for and
I'm so sorry that I'm the nameis escaping me now, but she's in
(10:34):
one of those affordable housingunits specifically for the
elderly and she didn't have abed.
She had an apartment, thanks tothem, but she didn't have a bed
and they were able to show herspace and the picture of her
with her bed.
You know and you can imaginethe aches and the pains that she
must have felt.
You know sleeping on the floorand now she's got the comfort of
(10:58):
sleep.
You know things that you takefor granted that you may not
think about if you're blessed tohave a bed, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Yeah, that is real big Cause.
I was just last weekcomplaining about my server bed
Right here.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
What a privilege.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Yeah, what a privilege.
So the gratitude and beinggrateful you get a constant
reminder of those type of thingsFor the community out there.
They don't have thoseencounters.
How can a person, just a normal, regular-day person, get
involved with Metro PolicyMinistries or even improve some
(11:34):
of their actions just to helpout someone that's in need?
Speaker 2 (11:38):
There are so many ways that you can help out if
you want to, the most obviousbeing volunteering.
We rely on volunteers as anonprofit.
That's how we're able to keepgoing and being able to continue
to serve every day.
There's about a hundredvolunteer opportunities a day,
whether it's in our kitchenserving meals, whether it's in
(11:59):
our warehouse sorting donationsthat have come in, whether it's
holding babies.
You could even do that.
You can come hang out with ourkids, even keep the grounds
clean.
So there's always something.
Occasionally we have specialevents that you can come and
help with.
My team is hosting a driveevent soon in May.
Every May, the day beforeMother's Day, we do a drive at
(12:22):
the post office called Stamp OutHunger.
This is huge.
It's a national food drive andwhat happens is the post office
puts bags into differentmailboxes around the cities here
and we just ask the people tofill it up if you can.
You don't even have to goshopping.
You can go to your pantry, fillthe bag up with food and the
(12:43):
postal carrier will pick it upthat Saturday before Mother's
Day.
So this year that's May 10thand we have volunteers at each
of those post offices helping tocollect food.
It's a huge feat.
We're not talking small numbershere.
Last year, we got 77,000 poundsof food.
We wouldn't be able to do thaton our own.
(13:04):
We need volunteers for specialthings like that to help us such
generous donations that willkeep us covered through the
summer.
That being said, you couldalways donate, of course.
That's what I do.
My whole job is, you know,making sure that we have
everything that we need to beable to support the community,
so you can host a drive.
(13:24):
It's really easy.
I don't know how many othernonprofits do this, but we make
the giving process as easy aspossible.
All you need is a space andpeople that want to help.
We can deliver collectioncontainers.
You can put it in the corner ofyour office space, like here.
Your people bring the donationsand then we come back and pick
it up, and it's as easy as that,wow.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
That's really good.
That's really good, wonderfulway to give back.
Can you share a website wherepeople can actually go and sign
up and look at more information?
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yes, go to our website, metrominorg.
At the top you'll see a tabthat says ways to give, and
it'll give you a whole othermenu option of ways that you can
give.
Maybe there's something elsethat I didn't mention today.
If you want to host a drive,there's a drives tab.
If you want to volunteer,there's a volunteer tab, and
whatever you do, try to share it.
That's another way that you canhelp.
You never know who you mayinspire because you posted your
(14:22):
self-giving or the impact thatyou experienced by doing so.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
And just talking about donations and giving I'm
reviewing this You've helpedraise over $8 million in kind
donations.
What's your secret sauce torallying the community?
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I can't even begin to talk about that without first
thanking the community.
Everything that we do isbecause of the support from the
community to be able to make itall happen.
So I I almost feel strangesaying that I helped raise that
when it's really I just helpedfacilitate and hopefully make
the giving process easy.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Yes, and I appreciate you being so modest.
It's the term healthcare heroes, uh advocates like yourself,
which is celebrities, so we usOkay.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Alright.
Well, what I think I do, alittle bit differently than some
other people that work withdonors is I'm really big into
educating.
You know, there's definitely anapproach to just say yes.
Just say yes to whatever thedonor requests or whatever they
want to do.
But because I believe ineducation, because I believe in
(15:33):
us working together in harmony,I always want to have a
conversation about it.
Maybe you want to do a clothingdrive, but what we really need
is hygiene.
So I'm going to talk to youabout me.
I'm going to talk to you abouta need you know, and and I try
to educate as much as I can I,since I've taken this role, I
offer presentations.
So if you do a drive, you canopt in for a presentation.
(15:56):
I can come and speak in frontof your group and share all the
ways that we use your donations.
It always surprises people andthat's always fun.
You know, I love when peoplesay, instead of just calling me
and saying I want to give youthis, they say.
I love when people say, insteadof just calling me and saying I
want to give you this, they saywhat do?
Speaker 1 (16:13):
you need, can we set up a time to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Lights me up, lights me up.
That's when the $18 comes in.
I got you.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Okay, so you've worn so many hats, from case
management to communityengagement to operations.
Which role challenged you themost and how did you shape your
leadership style?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, I'm so fortunate to be able to say that
I've been able to do so manydifferent things in the space of
Metropolitan Ministries, thoughcertainly one sticks out the
most to me, and that was workingin our mobile outreach team.
It's called Brigade, and thisprogram started in 2018.
And when it began, it was justone lone woman.
(16:54):
Her name is Anne-Marie.
She had the insight and thecourage to say this is what
we're missing.
You know, we have thisbeautiful outreach center that
is so helpful to many, but noteveryone can get there.
She knew that we needed to goout and meet people where they
were, and she was doing that onher own, just going out to
(17:15):
places setting up a table,coming with plan fits, coming
with a computer to help people,and they, after a while of doing
that, they trusted her to leada team to do it, and so I was
that pilot person, and so for awhile, it was just me and her
and going to different placesand finding out, you know, who's
serving the homeless, how canwe partner together to serve
(17:37):
them better.
And that experience changed mylife forever.
When I started that job, Ithought great, there's people
that are outside and there's allthese resources that could help
them that they just don't knowabout.
That's it.
They just don't know about it.
I'm going to come there with myresources.
We're going to get people housed, but it's not that easy,
(17:59):
because anyone can becomehomeless.
It's very easy.
Many of us are living onepaycheck away from that.
You miss one paycheck forwhatever reason.
Maybe your car broke down,maybe you've encountered a
health issue.
You miss one paycheck forwhatever reason.
Maybe your car broke down,maybe you've encountered a
health issue.
You miss your rent one time.
You're on a time clock.
You've got a few weeks beforeyou face eviction.
So becoming homeless is veryeasy.
(18:20):
But those that are livingoutside and have lived there for
years, there's something somuch deeper going on beyond just
resources, and that was such ahuge wake up call that I'm not
that powerful that I could justcome with resources and your
homelessness will be resolved.
(18:41):
It's not that easy.
If someone is on the street foryears, there's something
incapacitating them.
Many times it can be somethingwith their mental health.
It can be something, some sortof struggle with addiction.
Whatever it is, it isn't goingto be resolved with a pamphlet
(19:01):
and a nice smiling face.
It's going to take time.
Do you have some resources toshare?
I do have some resources toshare, again that same website
that I shared where you can goto ways to give.
You can also go to a tab calledget help, and all the different
programs that we have are thereand we really have something
that can meet you wherever youare in that spectrum of needing
(19:23):
help.
For some people, you may justneed help with a meal or help
with groceries for that week andyou'll be fine.
With that help, you'll be ableto take care of your rent.
For some people, you may needmore than just a one-time
assistance.
Maybe you need someone that canwalk alongside you like a case
manager or a counselor, that canlisten to you, to hear what
(19:44):
your barriers are and you couldwork together to come up with a
plan to figure out how to giveup that situation.
Or maybe you've lost it all andyou need the most amount of
help ever, which is trustingsomeone with your life and your
children's lives by providingshelter.
And our website, I think, is soeasy to navigate and really
(20:06):
does a great job of all thedifferent ways that we can help
and you can find what works bestfor you.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
At Comfort Measures Consulting, we're here to help
you navigate the complexity ofhealth care.
If you're caring for a lovedone as a caregiver, you don't
have resources, you don't knowwhat questions to ask.
You need to have options right.
Give Comfort Measures a call.
Give us a chance.
First consultation is free.
Speak with me Comfort MeasuresConsultant 850-879-2182.
(20:40):
You can also visit our websiteat
wwwcomfortmeasuresconsultingcom.
Talk to you soon.
So this just came in my headright now.
So I just thought about, like,if you have a person, for
(21:02):
example, that's homeless, that'sbeen homeless for years and
while you were speaking I wasjust thinking at one point, like
near my neighborhood they hadthis property that was vacant
and it became like tent tentfield with homeless individuals
there.
If you was to take a personfrom there and meet with them on
(21:24):
a weekly basis, what would youdiscuss?
I'm just asking.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
First you have to build trust and rapport with
them to be able to really get tothe root of whatever is going
on.
That takes time, but you canstart with the basics, and that
is just helping people survive,and so there's so many things
that we can do initially to helppeople that are living
chronically.
Do you have regular access tofood?
(21:49):
We can help you do that bymaking sure that you've applied
for food stamps so that you cango and get food on your own.
Did you know that there's mealsites all around the county that
you can go and get meal?
We we happen to have over 40meal sites with different
organizations where we providethe meal, but they, you know,
they know the need by name andthey're able to serve the serve
(22:13):
those meals.
But Hillsborough, pasco andPinellas that's also on our
website under hot meal sites.
Maybe they don't know thatthere's somewhere they can go
get a hot meal.
So making sure that they knowwhere they can go for meals, for
showers, to get mail that'smaybe something you don't really
think about.
But if you apply for foodstamps, you have to be able to
receive that card somewhere.
(22:34):
You're not going to go toTallahassee to get it.
So there's even places wherethey allow you to use their
mailing address and you can gopick that up.
No like physical mailboxes whereyou can have your mail sent
there and go and get it.
Um, so, helping them with youknow the essentials to help them
(22:56):
survive and and if you do thatwell and you do that
consistently, over time theywill, they will begin to trust
you more to listen to, to whatyou have to say, and you hope
that once they've got all theirneeds needs met and they're not
distracted by trying to findthose needs, then that kind of
opens up some space for themmentally to think about.
(23:16):
Okay, I'm tired of this and I'mready to try a shelter again.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
That's great Good guidance too.
Definitely visit the websitebecause, as you can see, there's
a lot of options andopportunities.
You may not know someonedirectly but it's something
maybe you can share at yourchurch directly, but it's
something maybe you can share atyour church, at your place of
employment, with your familymembers as well, because someone
(23:42):
else is always in need out inwhich you can help, so helping
the homeless reclaim theirindependence.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
But I want to talk about donor engagement.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
So not only is that something consistently that
you're involved in, but how doyou make that exciting, like
people to be engaged and beinvolved?
Because, like with my platform,this is a healthcare resource
platform.
I only have right now currently194 subscribers.
Okay, so we do understand thathealthcare isn't like pretty and
(24:13):
entertaining.
How do you make it people wantto be engaged and want to?
How do you make it people wantto be engaged and want to get it
?
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Well, I love to collaborate with people.
I'm always open to ideas thatyou think may be, you know, more
interesting for you.
Sometimes people like to dowhat we call in-kind engagements
, where maybe, rather than justhosting a drive, you're putting
some kids together.
Hosting a drive, you're puttingsome kits together.
If you're into babies and youlike helping babies, you could
(24:40):
create an event with yourfriends, your family members,
your coworkers to build babybaskets.
Or, if you want to buildhygiene kits for those that are
living outside, there's fun waysthat you can get involved.
Another thing that we like to dois we like to overly thank and
reward people that have given tous.
So we started something acouple of years products, the
(25:01):
most toys for Christmas.
We track all of that and wehave this beautiful crystal
award that we go and handdeliver and, you know, maybe we
(25:24):
can make it fun.
We can have lunch, we can, youknow, make a presentation out of
it, but we like to be graciousfor everyone that helps us,
because this is all truly, youknow, a collaboration between
the community to serve.
We couldn't do anything on ourown.
So we're truly gracious foreveryone that helps make that
possible and we try to make themfeel as special as they are
(25:47):
with little things like that.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Do you all partner a lot with healthcare
organizations?
Speaker 2 (25:53):
We do.
We have a lot of healthcareorganizations that do drives for
us.
We also have a partnership withBayCare.
They come a few times a monthto our campuses providing free
medical services.
There's one for children andone for adults.
They also help us get freshproduce at our Pasco campus.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
BayCare.
Good job, we will add you inthis too.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Yeah, all your employees to watch.
Let's get a couple podcasts,all right, but a wonderful
initiative that you're doingbefore Metro Ministries.
What was your career path there?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Well, I took a little break and I went to
Hillsborough County and I workedin affordable housing, which is
not quite what it sounds like.
Everyone thought that we hadour own housing, but not that
department.
What we did was grantadministration.
So we helped make moreaffordable housing possible by
administering grants todevelopers that want to develop
(26:55):
affordable housing.
But we also had a subset ofgrants called the Community
Development Block Grant, whichjust helped any nonprofit.
So if you're watching this andyou have a nonprofit and you're
trying to expand what you'redoing, that could be an
opportunity for you to grow whatyou're doing by applying for
that grant which happens everyyear.
(27:16):
And before all that, I was incorporate.
I was in corporate not becauseI really wanted to, but I
thought it was safe and secure,until I got laid off and I
realized it's not really allthat safe and secure, and so you
might as well do what speaks toyou.
And you know, because I alwaysconsider myself a natural
advocate and really get a lot offulfillment from helping people
(27:37):
, I thought I need to get intothat.
I went back to school, I servedin AmeriCorps, which is like
the American Peace Corps, forabout a year and a half.
It wasn't easy.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
What did you want to do?
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Well, my first assignment was actually they're
both at Metropolitan Ministries.
That's how I got my start there.
Assignment was actually they'reboth at Metropolitan Ministries
.
That's how I got my start there.
I started with our CREATEprogram, which is an afterschool
program for the residents thatlive with us on campus.
I did that for about six monthsand then I did the rest of my
time in the mobile brigade.
I did that as a volunteer, yeah, and that was a huge sacrifice
(28:14):
because I had just gotten laidoff.
I had lost everything myselfand, you know, was sleeping in
in my mother's living room atthat time and I was serving
others as I was needing servicemyself.
But I knew that I was safewhere I was at and it was worth
the time.
Um helping others but alsogetting my foot into the door of
(28:35):
the nonprofit world, and I'vebeen doing that ever since.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
So you're still giving, making a way, following
your purpose and your passion.
But was it that very toughmoment for you at that time,
just being back at home in myhouse?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
It was.
It was incredibly humbling.
I'd always consider myself tobe independent and I never
thought that I would be in asituation where I needed help,
but it happens, um, you know,especially as a single parent,
it's a lot to juggle on your own, especially in an economy
that's constantly changing.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Everything increasing and inflation is rising, uh,
Except for with your salary.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Right, yes.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Except for your salaries Years ago.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
I thought, if I can make what I'm making now, I'll
be set, and then I get there.
And then you know, the economyis like psych.
That's not enough anymore.
So that's, you know, ongoing,yeah, anymore.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
So that's you know.
Ongoing.
Yeah, thank you for sharingthat too.
And that time in your lifewhere you overcame as well, I
mean it sort of shows as wellthe connection you have.
But finding your purpose andpassion.
Dr Bosmore will always say findyour purpose in life right, do
(29:59):
something every single day, thenyour life, it's no longer work,
you enjoy doing it.
So thank you for sharing that.
So, speaking of your life, ifyou could divide your life up
into chapters, what would youtitle your next chapter in life
and why?
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I couldn't think of a fancy word for this, but I
really just want to share more.
Couldn't think of a fancy wordfor this, but I really just want
to share more.
So, opportunities like this,where I can share the ideas that
I have, the experiences youknow, and what I've been able to
learn from those experiences,sharing ways that other people
can help too, you know, I reallyjust want to do more of that,
to find more people that sharethe same interests as me, more
(30:34):
like-minded individuals thatwant to make an impact, and just
continue doing more of thatRight right.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
So my friend recently .
He told me he felt like I havegreat intuition.
So really, how I select guestson the show is and one of my
mentors said I need to improvemy show and audiences, try to be
more strategic with selectingmy guests, people, that has the
audience there.
But that's not my approach.
My approach is like, if I feela certain way about someone that
(31:04):
I see and I go down this rabbithole of research, if you would
treat me to do that, then I wantyou on the show.
That's really how I selectguests.
Honestly, many people I don'tknow I just saw you for the
first time today but really sothat really means a lot you
sharing your story, but I alwaysgo back to how does the thing
(31:28):
make you feel and I reallybelieve to go with my feelings
to be honest and I believe thisright here.
What I'm doing today ispassionate.
It's purpose, passion andpurpose.
I didn't do this platformcreated for popularity or
notoriety.
It started and originated fromheaven.
(31:48):
Awesome and that way, and allfor a different platform.
Other than you know musicvideos, you know TikTok videos
that we laugh at.
You know because I watch themtoo.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Yeah, it's so important.
You know, for so long, I thinka lot of change was sparked by
protesting, right, you know,people physically going out,
using their bodies to share animage, and we've come away from
that a little bit, and I thinkthere's some people that kind of
criticize that we don't protestanymore, but we don't have to
protest anymore because we canshare those same sentiments in
(32:22):
other ways, and social media isa great way to do that.
Podcast is another great, greatway to do that.
All you have to do to enactchange is to get people to
change the way that they thinkabout something, to help them
understand something a littlebit better, and the change will
come.
So what you're doing isincredibly important.
And when he reached out to meno, we didn't know each other
(32:45):
and you know, I didn't know whatI should do, but instinctively
I felt like this is anopportunity to share.
Why would I pass it up?
So I'm glad that you reachedout to me and I'm happy to be
here, thank you.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Thank you for that.
Well, I feel good, good Me too.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
I feel real good.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
So wrapping up the show now, what would you say is
your ultimate careeraccomplishment?
It's an ultimate careeraccomplishment If you hit the
top of your mountain, you climb,you toast you're almost there.
But in your mind, what's yourultimate career accomplishment?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I don't have a specific career accomplishment,
but I will feel accomplishedwhen I find myself with a seat
at the table where I'm makingdecisions.
I want to have a seat at thetable.
I want to be able to use what Ihave learned, what I've studied
, what I've experienced, whatI've seen, to be able to help
inform decisions.
(33:46):
I think sometimes there's notalways the right people at the
table and I want to be therebecause I think that I should be
at the table, so I will feelaccomplished when I get to do
that.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
Michelle Hogan for me .
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Michelle Hogan for.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Maritown.
That's what we do, michelleHogan.
Michelle Holman from Maritown.
That's what we do, michelleHolman.
I know the mayor's havesecurity too do they?
Speaker 2 (34:07):
they must be in plain clothes and kind of
non-detectable they havesecurity, so I love that.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
That's a big goal too .
Speaker 2 (34:17):
We'll get there thank you, I hope so and sharing.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
I really think this is my way of sharing, but you're
more hands-on and actionableabout it and I really admire
that.
A lot of my role now in mycareer in evolutionary
healthcare.
I work as business development.
And so it's really spreadingknowledge still in a form right
in the healthcare space.
(34:41):
I'm not hands-on with the youknow, families and in the
families and the patients andclients, like I was when I
worked for hospice and as anursing home administrator, you
know.
So it's a little different forme.
I do enjoy what I do right.
I think it is my, my purpose andmy passion, right but it is
different when you actually cansee the smiles of people who
(35:04):
makes it really feel that change, you know.
So I really admire that it'sall important, though.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
So don't try to discredit yourself by saying
that you're not, you know, onthe front lines, because it all
makes it happen.
You know, right now I'm not,you know, very hands-on.
I'm behind the scenes making ithappen, and sometimes you know
me and the other people thatwork in development as well.
We don't really get thatrecognition, but we're helping
(35:29):
make that service continue to bepossible.
So if there weren't peoplebehind the scenes making sure
that we continue to get thatsupport, those frontline people
wouldn't even be able to bethere to do it.
So it's all important.
Everybody has a place, you know, in this world with what we do.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
So so, as I sign off for today, thank you for joining
us here and I hope you reallyenjoyed having the special guest
Michelle Hogan with us today toshare her purpose and passion.
Provide knowledge and resources.
That's always the goal here atLesson Comfort Podcast, but also
(36:07):
with Metropolitan Ministries aswell.
Please use the resources thatare available.
I always say knowledge andresources.
People don't know where to getthose things.
I built a platform to providethat and, ms Michelle Holdenogan
, you said everything I don'tknow.
I need to really go, uh, tosome like speaking classes or
(36:27):
something you know can I plug insomething?
about that okay.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Have you ever heard of toastmasters?
Yes, I have.
If you have never heard oftoastmasters, it's a public
speaking club.
Metropolitan ministries has one.
It's open to the public.
We meet every Friday.
I'm a part of it.
I'm actually the VP ofmembership there.
So if you want to hear moreabout it, you can find me on
LinkedIn and I'd be happy toshare the meeting information
(36:55):
with you and have you come as aguest.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
What's your last name ?
Speaker 2 (37:00):
H-O-G-A-N.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Any other social sites you would like to share at
all, no, LinkedIn.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
You can find me there leave me alone.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
Thank you for joining us.
Please visit the websitewwwalphamagicalsoultoncom.
You've had an upgrade.
Visit the website atwwwcomfortmanagersconsultingcom.
We've had an upgrade to thewebsite and we also have added
services.
So we're now doing businessdevelopment services to support
the professional and businessgrowth for independent
healthcare organizations.
(37:37):
So if you're a small assistedliving facility out there, a
mobile physician practice,Comfort Measures Consulting is
here to help you grow.
We specialize in that area.
You can join us here on theplatform as well, but follow us
on YouTube.
You can also be found onSpotify.
For those who would like toride in the car and listen, Hit
(37:57):
the like button.
Subscribe notification bell tosupport.
Thank you, See you next time,Please visit
comfortmeasuresconsultingcom.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
We are here to support you and your loved ones.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Thank you, thank you.
Welcome to another episode of the let's Get Comfort
podcast.
I'm your host, norman Harris,the sole proprietor and owner of
Comfort Managers Consultant.
Thank you for joining us.
Once again, I have anotherheavy hitter, the unstoppable
Michelle Hogan, and, as usual, Ialways let my guests introduce
themselves.
(00:32):
But, ms Michelle, I'm so happyto have you join the platform.
Give me this opportunity and Ialways say this on a Saturday
your weekend.
Be sharing what you love.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
I appreciate it.
Thank you so much for having me.
My name is Michelle.
I serve as the AssociateDirector of Community Donations
at Metropolitan Ministries.
I am a UF Gator and a USF Bull.
I got my Master's in Family,youth and Community Science at
UF.
At USF, I got a Bachelor's inpsychology and sociology.
(01:06):
In my free time I serve as avolunteer for the Tampa Bay Fair
Housing Consortium, helping tospread fair housing education
awareness and, most importantly,I'm a mother to two beautiful
children, jayden and Amina.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Wow, that is awesome.
Again, thank you for joiningthe platform.
So you're passionate aboutdriving community impact and
social justice through empathy,social justice and dedicated
hard work.
Where did this passionoriginate?
Speaker 2 (01:37):
You know, I really just feel like that's kind of
ingrained in the DNA of who I am.
My dad they used to call himthe Reverend, and not because he
was a part of the church oranything like that, but just
because he used to always preach.
And so I've kind of found thatI sort of tend to do the same
thing sometimes.
You know, I've always just feltvery comfortable with speaking
up against of whatever I thinkisn't right and sharing what I
(02:00):
think is, and so it's reallyjust a part of who I am.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Right, well, that takes bravery.
A lot of people sit back andtake the back seat and don't
want to be at the forefront, butso I commend you for that,
because that's something that Ihad to grow into over time.
Was there something from yourchildhood that sparked your
professional journey.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
I don't really think there was any one thing in
particular that sparked thatmore so, just my experience of
life, just naturally within me.
I've always felt like I was anatural born advocate.
If there was something thatdidn't seem right to me, it felt
like my blood was just boiling.
I had to speak up against it, Ihad to do something about it.
I was always protecting peoplearound me, and so when you have
(02:45):
that type of energy, you have tochannel it somewhere, and so
when I think about my childhoodand how intense I felt those
emotions, I think to the firsttime that I can recall feeling
that, and that was when Ilearned about what racism was.
So, just for a bit of context,I'm a mixed race woman.
(03:07):
My mother's black, my father'swhite, but we didn't talk about
race in our household at all.
We were just existing differentcolors.
It meant nothing to us otherthan how we looked, and in the
nineties this was like the eraof, you know, the golden age of
black sitcoms.
So this time it was nothing tosee a bunch of black people on
(03:27):
TV, and all my cousins are mixedtoo, on both sides.
So everywhere I was looking,I'm seeing black and white
people coexisting.
No one taught me that there wassome sort of meaning to this,
until one of my best friends whowas white as a child.
Until one of my best friendswho was white as a child
(03:49):
explained to me that her parentstold her that when she's older
she could only bring home awhite man, that she could never
date someone of color.
And so, she told me, her planwas she was going to secretly
date people of color.
But when it came to bringingsomeone home, it was going to be
someone who's white, and Ithought that this was the most
bizarre thing I had ever heard.
(04:10):
It didn't make any sense to me.
What do you mean?
They don't like someone becauseof the color of the skin.
You know what I'm saying?
This is not something thatpeople are born thinking about.
This was taught and it hadnever been taught to me.
So, at nine years old, this isthe first time that I'm hearing
that.
You know, people form opinionsabout you based on the color of
your skin, and in such an unfairway.
(04:32):
Yeah, you know, and she saidthat one of the reasons they
gave her was that mixed kidsfeel confused about their
identities.
I had never felt confused aboutmy identity.
I thought I was unique.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yeah, a lot of it's taught for sure.
Right, it's taught in yourhousehold.
You can see me dropping kidsoff at daycare and through high
school Until their parents putand bent that in them.
Then that's when you reallylearn.
Yeah, it's all getting wrong.
But to be honest with you, forme, my mom, that wasn't taught
in my house, but I thinkprobably when I grew up without
(05:06):
older, it was like I don't knowabout that, you know that type
of field, but it was nevertaught to me to like not have a
particular race as a spouse, youknow.
But you know, you know what ablack woman, right, yeah, yeah,
but yeah, but that, so that thatreally changed your perspective
on life a lot.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It did.
I learned that people createdmeaning for the color of our
skin and that they will judgeyou without even knowing you,
but also that they can makeexceptions.
You can be racist and makeexceptions for certain people,
because obviously the parentsare racist if they felt that way
, but they welcomed me with openarms and even considered me
(05:48):
like a daughter.
So I knew that a part of racismis people not being exposed to
other people like them.
Before they were in themilitary they were from Idaho.
I may have been one of thefirst people that they met of
color and they thought they weremaking an exception for me, but
really we're not really allthat different and they would
(06:09):
not judge people based on thecolor of their skin if they met
more people like that.
So I hope it's changed sincethen, but I just remember that
so vividly as one of the firsttimes that I felt outraged by
something that was sociallyaccepted.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
That's beautiful that I felt outraged by something
that was socially accepted.
Gotcha, yeah, wow, better froma childhood, so that's a serious
one, michelle Hogan.
Now what about the playfulMichelle Hogan?
What do you enjoy doing?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I enjoy doing anything creative.
I like to be crafty.
I like to explore new things.
I love to eat.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
Yeah, and I really enjoy a good nap on the weekend.
I do, I don't sleep, I don'teven take naps.
Never can take a nap.
I remember as a kid like mywhole house would be sleep on
sunday.
Sunday like nap day, like goodgood old Sunday dinner on.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Mama.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Cook.
Everybody take a nap, but I'dbe up.
I'd be up the only one playinga game outside, playing
basketball, doing something likethat so what have you learned
about resilience, bothpersonally and professionally,
through families and individualsthat you serve today.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
I've learned that we all face adversity no one is
free from that but we allexperience it to different
degrees, where some are facedwith it more than others.
And really, the most, thestrongest skill that you can
develop is how can you pivot andadapt when you're faced with
adversity, adversity, and soreally the work that I do is
(07:48):
about how can we help peopleadapt to the new challenges that
they're facing, to help them,you know, persevere and get out
of that situation.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
I know you touched on that in your intro.
Let's talk about where you arenow, what you currently do, your
company.
Give me the description, themission of your organization as
well.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
So I work for Metropolitan Ministries.
We are a nonprofit that servesthe homeless and those at risk
of becoming homeless in ourcommunity through services that
alleviate suffering, promotedignity and instill
self-sufficiency as anexpression of the ongoing
ministry of Jesus Christ, and somy particular role there is I
(08:33):
oversee our community donationsteam and we support our programs
that serve the community byensuring that we can get the
things that we use to serve.
So we try to get physicalthings donated, like food,
hygiene items, toys forChristmas, school supplies and
baby products and differentthings like that.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Wonderful mission, Wonderful organization as well.
So definitely proud to have arepresentative of Metropolitan
Ministries here on this platform.
It's truly an honor.
So thank you so much.
Thank you so.
You shared the mission ofMetropolitan Ministries, but
with the organization.
What's one of your proudestmoments you share with?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
us.
It's hard to think about theproudest moment because I'm so
honored to say that I get to beinvolved with so many amazing
things, so I really just kind ofhave to chunk it up into time.
My most favorite thing recentlywas I was able to coordinate a
donation from Ashley Furniture.
You may not know this, but theyhave a nonprofit, a part of
(09:30):
their organization called Hopeto Dream, and they were able to
give us 300 bed sets.
So it's a frame, it's amattress, it's everything that
goes on top of it, everythingthat someone needs.
And in my role it's kind oflike a baton race.
You know where maybe I'mcoordinating the donations but I
(09:52):
don't get to see them in thehands of those that receive them
.
But with this one, one of ourmy colleagues, chris Gates, who
works with our Mealsite partners, he was able to help, you know,
find those families that werein need and get those beds for
us, and they in return sent usphotos of these beds in
(10:14):
different spaces.
So I got to see children ontheir first bed that they ever
had.
Um, one of the ones that givesme goosebumps still thinking
about it is, uh, an elderlywoman who was in housing for and
I'm so sorry that I'm the nameis escaping me now, but she's in
(10:34):
one of those affordable housingunits specifically for the
elderly and she didn't have abed.
She had an apartment, thanks tothem, but she didn't have a bed
and they were able to show herspace and the picture of her
with her bed.
You know and you can imaginethe aches and the pains that she
must have felt.
You know sleeping on the floorand now she's got the comfort of
(10:58):
sleep.
You know things that you takefor granted that you may not
think about if you're blessed tohave a bed, yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Yeah, that is real big Cause.
I was just last weekcomplaining about my server bed
Right here.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
What a privilege.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Yeah, what a privilege.
So the gratitude and beinggrateful you get a constant
reminder of those type of thingsFor the community out there.
They don't have thoseencounters.
How can a person, just a normal, regular-day person, get
involved with Metro PolicyMinistries or even improve some
(11:34):
of their actions just to helpout someone that's in need?
Speaker 2 (11:38):
There are so many ways that you can help out if
you want to, the most obviousbeing volunteering.
We rely on volunteers as anonprofit.
That's how we're able to keepgoing and being able to continue
to serve every day.
There's about a hundredvolunteer opportunities a day,
whether it's in our kitchenserving meals, whether it's in
(11:59):
our warehouse sorting donationsthat have come in, whether it's
holding babies.
You could even do that.
You can come hang out with ourkids, even keep the grounds
clean.
So there's always something.
Occasionally we have specialevents that you can come and
help with.
My team is hosting a driveevent soon in May.
Every May, the day beforeMother's Day, we do a drive at
(12:22):
the post office called Stamp OutHunger.
This is huge.
It's a national food drive andwhat happens is the post office
puts bags into differentmailboxes around the cities here
and we just ask the people tofill it up if you can.
You don't even have to goshopping.
You can go to your pantry, fillthe bag up with food and the
(12:43):
postal carrier will pick it upthat Saturday before Mother's
Day.
So this year that's May 10thand we have volunteers at each
of those post offices helping tocollect food.
It's a huge feat.
We're not talking small numbershere.
Last year, we got 77,000 poundsof food.
We wouldn't be able to do thaton our own.
(13:04):
We need volunteers for specialthings like that to help us such
generous donations that willkeep us covered through the
summer.
That being said, you couldalways donate, of course.
That's what I do.
My whole job is, you know,making sure that we have
everything that we need to beable to support the community,
so you can host a drive.
(13:24):
It's really easy.
I don't know how many othernonprofits do this, but we make
the giving process as easy aspossible.
All you need is a space andpeople that want to help.
We can deliver collectioncontainers.
You can put it in the corner ofyour office space, like here.
Your people bring the donationsand then we come back and pick
it up, and it's as easy as that,wow.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
That's really good.
That's really good, wonderfulway to give back.
Can you share a website wherepeople can actually go and sign
up and look at more information?
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yes, go to our website, metrominorg.
At the top you'll see a tabthat says ways to give, and
it'll give you a whole othermenu option of ways that you can
give.
Maybe there's something elsethat I didn't mention today.
If you want to host a drive,there's a drives tab.
If you want to volunteer,there's a volunteer tab, and
whatever you do, try to share it.
That's another way that you canhelp.
You never know who you mayinspire because you posted your
(14:22):
self-giving or the impact thatyou experienced by doing so.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
And just talking about donations and giving I'm
reviewing this You've helpedraise over $8 million in kind
donations.
What's your secret sauce torallying the community?
Speaker 2 (14:38):
I can't even begin to talk about that without first
thanking the community.
Everything that we do isbecause of the support from the
community to be able to make itall happen.
So I I almost feel strangesaying that I helped raise that
when it's really I just helpedfacilitate and hopefully make
the giving process easy.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Yes, and I appreciate you being so modest.
It's the term healthcare heroes, uh advocates like yourself,
which is celebrities, so we usOkay.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Alright.
Well, what I think I do, alittle bit differently than some
other people that work withdonors is I'm really big into
educating.
You know, there's definitely anapproach to just say yes.
Just say yes to whatever thedonor requests or whatever they
want to do.
But because I believe ineducation, because I believe in
(15:33):
us working together in harmony,I always want to have a
conversation about it.
Maybe you want to do a clothingdrive, but what we really need
is hygiene.
So I'm going to talk to youabout me.
I'm going to talk to you abouta need you know, and and I try
to educate as much as I can I,since I've taken this role, I
offer presentations.
So if you do a drive, you canopt in for a presentation.
(15:56):
I can come and speak in frontof your group and share all the
ways that we use your donations.
It always surprises people andthat's always fun.
You know, I love when peoplesay, instead of just calling me
and saying I want to give youthis, they say.
I love when people say, insteadof just calling me and saying I
want to give you this, they saywhat do?
Speaker 1 (16:13):
you need, can we set up a time to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Lights me up, lights me up.
That's when the $18 comes in.
I got you.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Okay, so you've worn so many hats, from case
management to communityengagement to operations.
Which role challenged you themost and how did you shape your
leadership style?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, I'm so fortunate to be able to say that
I've been able to do so manydifferent things in the space of
Metropolitan Ministries, thoughcertainly one sticks out the
most to me, and that was workingin our mobile outreach team.
It's called Brigade, and thisprogram started in 2018.
And when it began, it was justone lone woman.
(16:54):
Her name is Anne-Marie.
She had the insight and thecourage to say this is what
we're missing.
You know, we have thisbeautiful outreach center that
is so helpful to many, but noteveryone can get there.
She knew that we needed to goout and meet people where they
were, and she was doing that onher own, just going out to
(17:15):
places setting up a table,coming with plan fits, coming
with a computer to help people,and they, after a while of doing
that, they trusted her to leada team to do it, and so I was
that pilot person, and so for awhile, it was just me and her
and going to different placesand finding out, you know, who's
serving the homeless, how canwe partner together to serve
(17:37):
them better.
And that experience changed mylife forever.
When I started that job, Ithought great, there's people
that are outside and there's allthese resources that could help
them that they just don't knowabout.
That's it.
They just don't know about it.
I'm going to come there with myresources.
We're going to get people housed, but it's not that easy,
(17:59):
because anyone can becomehomeless.
It's very easy.
Many of us are living onepaycheck away from that.
You miss one paycheck forwhatever reason.
Maybe your car broke down,maybe you've encountered a
health issue.
You miss one paycheck forwhatever reason.
Maybe your car broke down,maybe you've encountered a
health issue.
You miss your rent one time.
You're on a time clock.
You've got a few weeks beforeyou face eviction.
So becoming homeless is veryeasy.
(18:20):
But those that are livingoutside and have lived there for
years, there's something somuch deeper going on beyond just
resources, and that was such ahuge wake up call that I'm not
that powerful that I could justcome with resources and your
homelessness will be resolved.
(18:41):
It's not that easy.
If someone is on the street foryears, there's something
incapacitating them.
Many times it can be somethingwith their mental health.
It can be something, some sortof struggle with addiction.
Whatever it is, it isn't goingto be resolved with a pamphlet
(19:01):
and a nice smiling face.
It's going to take time.
Do you have some resources toshare?
I do have some resources toshare, again that same website
that I shared where you can goto ways to give.
You can also go to a tab calledget help, and all the different
programs that we have are thereand we really have something
that can meet you wherever youare in that spectrum of needing
(19:23):
help.
For some people, you may justneed help with a meal or help
with groceries for that week andyou'll be fine.
With that help, you'll be ableto take care of your rent.
For some people, you may needmore than just a one-time
assistance.
Maybe you need someone that canwalk alongside you like a case
manager or a counselor, that canlisten to you, to hear what
(19:44):
your barriers are and you couldwork together to come up with a
plan to figure out how to giveup that situation.
Or maybe you've lost it all andyou need the most amount of
help ever, which is trustingsomeone with your life and your
children's lives by providingshelter.
And our website, I think, is soeasy to navigate and really
(20:06):
does a great job of all thedifferent ways that we can help
and you can find what works bestfor you.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
At Comfort Measures Consulting, we're here to help
you navigate the complexity ofhealth care.
If you're caring for a lovedone as a caregiver, you don't
have resources, you don't knowwhat questions to ask.
You need to have options right.
Give Comfort Measures a call.
Give us a chance.
First consultation is free.
Speak with me Comfort MeasuresConsultant 850-879-2182.
(20:40):
You can also visit our websiteat
wwwcomfortmeasuresconsultingcom.
Talk to you soon.
So this just came in my headright now.
So I just thought about, like,if you have a person, for
(21:02):
example, that's homeless, that'sbeen homeless for years and
while you were speaking I wasjust thinking at one point, like
near my neighborhood they hadthis property that was vacant
and it became like tent tentfield with homeless individuals
there.
If you was to take a personfrom there and meet with them on
(21:24):
a weekly basis, what would youdiscuss?
I'm just asking.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
First you have to build trust and rapport with
them to be able to really get tothe root of whatever is going
on.
That takes time, but you canstart with the basics, and that
is just helping people survive,and so there's so many things
that we can do initially to helppeople that are living
chronically.
Do you have regular access tofood?
(21:49):
We can help you do that bymaking sure that you've applied
for food stamps so that you cango and get food on your own.
Did you know that there's mealsites all around the county that
you can go and get meal?
We we happen to have over 40meal sites with different
organizations where we providethe meal, but they, you know,
they know the need by name andthey're able to serve the serve
(22:13):
those meals.
But Hillsborough, pasco andPinellas that's also on our
website under hot meal sites.
Maybe they don't know thatthere's somewhere they can go
get a hot meal.
So making sure that they knowwhere they can go for meals, for
showers, to get mail that'smaybe something you don't really
think about.
But if you apply for foodstamps, you have to be able to
receive that card somewhere.
(22:34):
You're not going to go toTallahassee to get it.
So there's even places wherethey allow you to use their
mailing address and you can gopick that up.
No like physical mailboxes whereyou can have your mail sent
there and go and get it.
Um, so, helping them with youknow the essentials to help them
(22:56):
survive and and if you do thatwell and you do that
consistently, over time theywill, they will begin to trust
you more to listen to, to whatyou have to say, and you hope
that once they've got all theirneeds needs met and they're not
distracted by trying to findthose needs, then that kind of
opens up some space for themmentally to think about.
(23:16):
Okay, I'm tired of this and I'mready to try a shelter again.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
That's great Good guidance too.
Definitely visit the websitebecause, as you can see, there's
a lot of options andopportunities.
You may not know someonedirectly but it's something
maybe you can share at yourchurch directly, but it's
something maybe you can share atyour church, at your place of
employment, with your familymembers as well, because someone
(23:42):
else is always in need out inwhich you can help, so helping
the homeless reclaim theirindependence.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
But I want to talk about donor engagement.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
So not only is that something consistently that
you're involved in, but how doyou make that exciting, like
people to be engaged and beinvolved?
Because, like with my platform,this is a healthcare resource
platform.
I only have right now currently194 subscribers.
Okay, so we do understand thathealthcare isn't like pretty and
(24:13):
entertaining.
How do you make it people wantto be engaged and want to?
How do you make it people wantto be engaged and want to get it
?
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Well, I love to collaborate with people.
I'm always open to ideas thatyou think may be, you know, more
interesting for you.
Sometimes people like to dowhat we call in-kind engagements
, where maybe, rather than justhosting a drive, you're putting
some kids together.
Hosting a drive, you're puttingsome kits together.
If you're into babies and youlike helping babies, you could
(24:40):
create an event with yourfriends, your family members,
your coworkers to build babybaskets.
Or, if you want to buildhygiene kits for those that are
living outside, there's fun waysthat you can get involved.
Another thing that we like to dois we like to overly thank and
reward people that have given tous.
So we started something acouple of years products, the
(25:01):
most toys for Christmas.
We track all of that and wehave this beautiful crystal
award that we go and handdeliver and, you know, maybe we
(25:24):
can make it fun.
We can have lunch, we can, youknow, make a presentation out of
it, but we like to be graciousfor everyone that helps us,
because this is all truly, youknow, a collaboration between
the community to serve.
We couldn't do anything on ourown.
So we're truly gracious foreveryone that helps make that
possible and we try to make themfeel as special as they are
(25:47):
with little things like that.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
Do you all partner a lot with healthcare
organizations?
Speaker 2 (25:53):
We do.
We have a lot of healthcareorganizations that do drives for
us.
We also have a partnership withBayCare.
They come a few times a monthto our campuses providing free
medical services.
There's one for children andone for adults.
They also help us get freshproduce at our Pasco campus.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
BayCare.
Good job, we will add you inthis too.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Yeah, all your employees to watch.
Let's get a couple podcasts,all right, but a wonderful
initiative that you're doingbefore Metro Ministries.
What was your career path there?
Speaker 2 (26:32):
Well, I took a little break and I went to
Hillsborough County and I workedin affordable housing, which is
not quite what it sounds like.
Everyone thought that we hadour own housing, but not that
department.
What we did was grantadministration.
So we helped make moreaffordable housing possible by
administering grants todevelopers that want to develop
(26:55):
affordable housing.
But we also had a subset ofgrants called the Community
Development Block Grant, whichjust helped any nonprofit.
So if you're watching this andyou have a nonprofit and you're
trying to expand what you'redoing, that could be an
opportunity for you to grow whatyou're doing by applying for
that grant which happens everyyear.
(27:16):
And before all that, I was incorporate.
I was in corporate not becauseI really wanted to, but I
thought it was safe and secure,until I got laid off and I
realized it's not really allthat safe and secure, and so you
might as well do what speaks toyou.
And you know, because I alwaysconsider myself a natural
advocate and really get a lot offulfillment from helping people
(27:37):
, I thought I need to get intothat.
I went back to school, I servedin AmeriCorps, which is like
the American Peace Corps, forabout a year and a half.
It wasn't easy.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
What did you want to do?
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Well, my first assignment was actually they're
both at Metropolitan Ministries.
That's how I got my start there.
Assignment was actually they'reboth at Metropolitan Ministries
.
That's how I got my start there.
I started with our CREATEprogram, which is an afterschool
program for the residents thatlive with us on campus.
I did that for about six monthsand then I did the rest of my
time in the mobile brigade.
I did that as a volunteer, yeah, and that was a huge sacrifice
(28:14):
because I had just gotten laidoff.
I had lost everything myselfand, you know, was sleeping in
in my mother's living room atthat time and I was serving
others as I was needing servicemyself.
But I knew that I was safewhere I was at and it was worth
the time.
Um helping others but alsogetting my foot into the door of
(28:35):
the nonprofit world, and I'vebeen doing that ever since.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
So you're still giving, making a way, following
your purpose and your passion.
But was it that very toughmoment for you at that time,
just being back at home in myhouse?
Speaker 2 (28:51):
It was.
It was incredibly humbling.
I'd always consider myself tobe independent and I never
thought that I would be in asituation where I needed help,
but it happens, um, you know,especially as a single parent,
it's a lot to juggle on your own, especially in an economy
that's constantly changing.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
Everything increasing and inflation is rising, uh,
Except for with your salary.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Right, yes.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Except for your salaries Years ago.
Speaker 2 (29:22):
I thought, if I can make what I'm making now, I'll
be set, and then I get there.
And then you know, the economyis like psych.
That's not enough anymore.
So that's, you know, ongoing,yeah, anymore.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
So that's you know.
Ongoing.
Yeah, thank you for sharingthat too.
And that time in your lifewhere you overcame as well, I
mean it sort of shows as wellthe connection you have.
But finding your purpose andpassion.
Dr Bosmore will always say findyour purpose in life right, do
(29:59):
something every single day, thenyour life, it's no longer work,
you enjoy doing it.
So thank you for sharing that.
So, speaking of your life, ifyou could divide your life up
into chapters, what would youtitle your next chapter in life
and why?
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I couldn't think of a fancy word for this, but I
really just want to share more.
Couldn't think of a fancy wordfor this, but I really just want
to share more.
So, opportunities like this,where I can share the ideas that
I have, the experiences youknow, and what I've been able to
learn from those experiences,sharing ways that other people
can help too, you know, I reallyjust want to do more of that,
to find more people that sharethe same interests as me, more
(30:34):
like-minded individuals thatwant to make an impact, and just
continue doing more of thatRight right.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
So my friend recently .
He told me he felt like I havegreat intuition.
So really, how I select guestson the show is and one of my
mentors said I need to improvemy show and audiences, try to be
more strategic with selectingmy guests, people, that has the
audience there.
But that's not my approach.
My approach is like, if I feela certain way about someone that
(31:04):
I see and I go down this rabbithole of research, if you would
treat me to do that, then I wantyou on the show.
That's really how I selectguests.
Honestly, many people I don'tknow I just saw you for the
first time today but really sothat really means a lot you
sharing your story, but I alwaysgo back to how does the thing
(31:28):
make you feel and I reallybelieve to go with my feelings
to be honest and I believe thisright here.
What I'm doing today ispassionate.
It's purpose, passion andpurpose.
I didn't do this platformcreated for popularity or
notoriety.
It started and originated fromheaven.
(31:48):
Awesome and that way, and allfor a different platform.
Other than you know musicvideos, you know TikTok videos
that we laugh at.
You know because I watch themtoo.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Yeah, it's so important.
You know, for so long, I thinka lot of change was sparked by
protesting, right, you know,people physically going out,
using their bodies to share animage, and we've come away from
that a little bit, and I thinkthere's some people that kind of
criticize that we don't protestanymore, but we don't have to
protest anymore because we canshare those same sentiments in
(32:22):
other ways, and social media isa great way to do that.
Podcast is another great, greatway to do that.
All you have to do to enactchange is to get people to
change the way that they thinkabout something, to help them
understand something a littlebit better, and the change will
come.
So what you're doing isincredibly important.
And when he reached out to meno, we didn't know each other
(32:45):
and you know, I didn't know whatI should do, but instinctively
I felt like this is anopportunity to share.
Why would I pass it up?
So I'm glad that you reachedout to me and I'm happy to be
here, thank you.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Thank you for that.
Well, I feel good, good Me too.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
I feel real good.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
So wrapping up the show now, what would you say is
your ultimate careeraccomplishment?
It's an ultimate careeraccomplishment If you hit the
top of your mountain, you climb,you toast you're almost there.
But in your mind, what's yourultimate career accomplishment?
Speaker 2 (33:26):
I don't have a specific career accomplishment,
but I will feel accomplishedwhen I find myself with a seat
at the table where I'm makingdecisions.
I want to have a seat at thetable.
I want to be able to use what Ihave learned, what I've studied
, what I've experienced, whatI've seen, to be able to help
inform decisions.
(33:46):
I think sometimes there's notalways the right people at the
table and I want to be therebecause I think that I should be
at the table, so I will feelaccomplished when I get to do
that.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
Michelle Hogan for me .
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Michelle Hogan for.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
Maritown.
That's what we do, michelleHogan.
Michelle Holman from Maritown.
That's what we do, michelleHolman.
I know the mayor's havesecurity too do they?
Speaker 2 (34:07):
they must be in plain clothes and kind of
non-detectable they havesecurity, so I love that.
Speaker 1 (34:15):
That's a big goal too .
Speaker 2 (34:17):
We'll get there thank you, I hope so and sharing.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
I really think this is my way of sharing, but you're
more hands-on and actionableabout it and I really admire
that.
A lot of my role now in mycareer in evolutionary
healthcare.
I work as business development.
And so it's really spreadingknowledge still in a form right
in the healthcare space.
(34:41):
I'm not hands-on with the youknow, families and in the
families and the patients andclients, like I was when I
worked for hospice and as anursing home administrator, you
know.
So it's a little different forme.
I do enjoy what I do right.
I think it is my, my purpose andmy passion, right but it is
different when you actually cansee the smiles of people who
(35:04):
makes it really feel that change, you know.
So I really admire that it'sall important, though.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
So don't try to discredit yourself by saying
that you're not, you know, onthe front lines, because it all
makes it happen.
You know, right now I'm not,you know, very hands-on.
I'm behind the scenes making ithappen, and sometimes you know
me and the other people thatwork in development as well.
We don't really get thatrecognition, but we're helping
(35:29):
make that service continue to bepossible.
So if there weren't peoplebehind the scenes making sure
that we continue to get thatsupport, those frontline people
wouldn't even be able to bethere to do it.
So it's all important.
Everybody has a place, you know, in this world with what we do.
Speaker 1 (35:46):
So so, as I sign off for today, thank you for joining
us here and I hope you reallyenjoyed having the special guest
Michelle Hogan with us today toshare her purpose and passion.
Provide knowledge and resources.
That's always the goal here atLesson Comfort Podcast, but also
(36:07):
with Metropolitan Ministries aswell.
Please use the resources thatare available.
I always say knowledge andresources.
People don't know where to getthose things.
I built a platform to providethat and, ms Michelle Holdenogan
, you said everything I don'tknow.
I need to really go, uh, tosome like speaking classes or
(36:27):
something you know can I plug insomething?
about that okay.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Have you ever heard of toastmasters?
Yes, I have.
If you have never heard oftoastmasters, it's a public
speaking club.
Metropolitan ministries has one.
It's open to the public.
We meet every Friday.
I'm a part of it.
I'm actually the VP ofmembership there.
So if you want to hear moreabout it, you can find me on
LinkedIn and I'd be happy toshare the meeting information
(36:55):
with you and have you come as aguest.
Speaker 1 (36:57):
What's your last name ?
Speaker 2 (37:00):
H-O-G-A-N.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Any other social sites you would like to share at
all, no, LinkedIn.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
You can find me there leave me alone.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
Thank you for joining us.
Please visit the websitewwwalphamagicalsoultoncom.
You've had an upgrade.
Visit the website atwwwcomfortmanagersconsultingcom.
We've had an upgrade to thewebsite and we also have added
services.
So we're now doing businessdevelopment services to support
the professional and businessgrowth for independent
healthcare organizations.
(37:37):
So if you're a small assistedliving facility out there, a
mobile physician practice,Comfort Measures Consulting is
here to help you grow.
We specialize in that area.
You can join us here on theplatform as well, but follow us
on YouTube.
You can also be found onSpotify.
For those who would like toride in the car and listen, Hit
(37:57):
the like button.
Subscribe notification bell tosupport.
Thank you, See you next time,Please visit
comfortmeasuresconsultingcom.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
We are here to support you and your loved ones.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Thank you, thank you.
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