An Army of Normal Folks

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Our country’s problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits talking big words on CNN and Fox, but by An Army of Normal Folks just deciding “hey, I can help.” Hosted by Coach Bill Courtney from the Oscar-winning Undefeated, this podcast is building the Army and celebrating its extraordinary members. New episodes are released every Tuesday.

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Top 10 An Army of Normal Folks Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best An Army of Normal Folks episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to An Army of Normal Folks for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite An Army of Normal Folks episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Jon Ponder: Hope for Prisoners (Pt 2)

An Army of Normal Folks

06/20/23 • 30 min

After 26 years of crime, Jon ironically found hope in prison and committed his life to helping other returning citizens live at levels that they had never dreamed about. His Hope for Prisoners has had over 4,700 clients and boasts a recidivism rate of only 8%, which is over 8 times better than the national average. Most extraordinary is that they've recruited 135 Las Vegas law enforcement officers to mentor returning citizens, which has never been done at this scale before.

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Erin Smith: Advocating for Thomas (Pt 2)

An Army of Normal Folks

06/27/23 • 26 min

Thomas is a foster child who’s been physically and sexually abused. He never had an adult advocate until Erin Smith stepped in. Erin is the founder of the North Mississippi CASA program – a program which nationwide has 85,000 volunteers who advocate for 260,000 foster kids in the legal system and in life. But there are still 140,000 kids who need the Army's help.

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Will the Army Act?

An Army of Normal Folks

06/30/23 • 5 min

Our episode with Erin Smith and Thomas already inspired one listener to become a volunteer with CASA! But what if the Army could pay off Thomas’ college debt? After a childhood of physical and sexual abuse, this foster youth deserves to be free from a burden that the state forced upon him.

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Cheri Garcia: Hustling for Second Chances (And Cornbread) (Pt 1)

An Army of Normal Folks

07/11/23 • 42 min

Cheri used to be gripped by meth and alcohol. Even during her own struggles with addiction, she helped formerly incarcerated Americans get jobs. Today, Cheri’s been sober for 4.5 years and her second chance staffing agency Cornbread Hustle hired more than 1,000 returning citizens last year.

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Luke Mickelson: No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town! (Pt 1)

An Army of Normal Folks

07/18/23 • 55 min

In 2012 Luke was inspired to build and donate a bed after learning about a 6-year-old girl in his community who slept on the floor. Realizing how widespread the need was, Luke founded Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a volunteer-driven nonprofit whose 285 chapters have built around 140,000 beds for kids without them. But there’s many more areas that need chapters and there’s many more kids without beds.

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Arshay Cooper: Inner-City Rowing (Pt 1)

An Army of Normal Folks

07/25/23 • 31 min

Arshay grew up on the West Side of Chicago and his life was forever changed when he joined the first all-black high school rowing team in the nation (and became the captain). As an adult, Arshay found success as a chef before returning to his true passion by starting inner-city rowing teams. He’s the author of “A Most Beautiful Thing,” which was made into a critically-acclaimed documentary by Common, Dwayne Wade, and Grant Hill.

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Rodney Smith Jr: The 50 Yard Challenge (Pt 1)

An Army of Normal Folks

08/01/23 • 34 min

When he saw an elderly man struggling to mow his lawn, Rodney felt called to pull over and finish it for him. This single act of generosity transformed Rodney's life forever, inspiring him to challenge kids to cut 50 lawns for free for the elderly, single parents, veterans, and those with disabilities. And his "50 Yard Challenge" has been accepted by 4,948 kids from 8 countries!

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Rodney Smith Jr: The 50 Yard Challenge (Pt 2)

An Army of Normal Folks

08/01/23 • 43 min

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Mike Rowe: The Most Normal Abnormal Person (Pt 1)

An Army of Normal Folks

08/08/23 • 41 min

Mike kicks off our special series “Supporting Greatness” where we interview those who’ve achieved public greatness about the unsung heroes and normal folks who’ve supported them. He hilariously (and beautifully) pays tribute to his father, grandfather, scoutmaster, and high school music teacher.

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/premium

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