Illuminating Hope

Illuminating Hope welcomes former professional boxer Christy Martin! Martin founded Christy’s Champs.  Christy’s Champs is a growing movement of leaders who work to ensure those who suffer emotional and physical abuse in their families have an outlet to receive the education and support that they need to report, share and overcome violence and live a life free of threats, blackmail, shame and fear. Christy’s Book: Fighting for Survival: My Journey through Boxing Fame, Abuse, Murder, and Resurrection https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Survival-Journey-through-Resurrection/dp/1538153580If you were riveted by the Netflix documentary Untold: Deal with the Devil, find out Christy Martin’s whole story in this fascinating autobiography. Boxing legend Christy Martin was a trailblazer in the ring and continues to be an inspiration to female fighters across the globe. She is without a doubt the most important woman in the history of female combat sports. But behind the scenes Martin was in a losing battle, unable to express her true sexual identity and struggling to survive sexual and domestic abuse at the hands of her husband. In Fighting for Survival: My Journey through Boxing Fame, Abuse, Murder, and Resurrection, Christy Martin recounts her harrowing yet inspiring story. Growing up in a small town in West Virginia, Martin felt forced to keep her sexual orientation hidden to please her family and the sports world, eventually agreeing to a sham marriage with coach Jim Martin. While she rose to prominence in the world of boxing, Martin was secretly contending with substance abuse, domestic violence, and an attempted murder by her husband, who left her to die on their bedroom floor. Fighting for Survival reveals how Martin battled back to life from her near-death experience, how she overcame abuse, violence, addiction, and 40 years of living in the closet, and how she turned her pain into victory and debasement into triumph. Her story is one of hope and self-belief, an inspiration for anyone struggling to break the chain of abuse or who fears to be open about their sexual orientation. It is more than the story of a boxing champion; it is the story of a survivor.  Join Hope House, KC Golden Gloves and Christy’s Champs for the In Your Corner Event:  March 2, 2024, 7:00 PM The Uptown Theater KCMO Visit hopehouse.net for tickets and sponsorship opportunities. Hope House, KC Golden Gloves, and Christy's Champs all strive to empower individuals to rise above their circumstances, find their inner strength, and ultimately create a better future for themselves. 

Did you know this January is the 20th anniversary of National Stalking Awareness Month? Stalking is a type of abuse that consists of a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that could cause a reasonable person to feel fear and/or suffer substantial emotional distress.Host: MaryAnne Metheny, CEO, Tina Johnson, Manager of Community Partnership and Randa Hager, Director of Outreach Services.Trigger warning: sensitive information.If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and for information about domestic violence please visit hopehouse.net or call our 24-hour hotline at 816-461-hope or the national domestic violence hotline at 800-799-7233

Chris Walden, President As a certified USA Boxing official in the ring and President of the KC Gloves, Chris Walden stays involved with amateur boxing because of its unique ability to grow kids into outstanding men and women. He works as an Investment Advisor at Heartland Capital Advisors. Missy Fitzwater, Director of Marketing & Athlete Representative Missy is a boxer and coach at Turner Boxing Academy. As a two-time KC Golden Gloves Champion, she made history in 2018 when she became the first female boxer from KC to enter the ring at the National Golden Gloves. Missy serves as a Women’s Ambassador to USA Boxing. When she’s not in the gym, you can find her writing about boxing for several different websites and blogs, creating content and promotional materials, and managing our social media and website. In Your Corner for Hope Hope House, KC Golden Gloves, and Christy's Champs all strive to empower individuals to rise above their circumstances, find their inner strength, and ultimately create a better future for themselves. Join us for a powerful event, demonstrating that together, we can overcome any challenge. March 2, 2024, 7:00 PM The Uptown Theater 3700 Broadway Blvd Kansas City, MO KC Golden Gloves https://kcgoldengloves.com/get-involved/ KC Golden Gloves Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kcgloves/ Hope House https://www.hopehouse.net/events/calendar-of-events

Josh Crumley https://www.instagram.com/hairjosh/ has two decades of experience working with hair, and he has worked with some of the best stylists in Kansas City. His favorite part of the job is being able to combine his love for creative adventures, storytelling, and personal relationships with numbers, organizational tasks, and leadership roles. Josh excels at being able to really understand, support, and fill the needs of his staff and clients. Over the years, there have been many role models — salon owners, Instagram moguls, celebrity stylists, and amazing educators — who have impacted his journey. Outside of the salon (and inside), Josh enjoys all things music; playing it, listening to it, watching it, traveling for it, and sharing it. If he could be anywhere in the world at this very moment, he would be by the water listening to Eddie Vedder play a live acoustic set.Josh has been a part of the Skyline family since 2008.Hope House Domestic Violence Hotline 816-461-HOPE

Safe In Harm's Way envision a world where survivors can recognize the feelings in their relationships as the hallmark red flags of abuse, effortlessly communicate, access resources, and embark on a journey of healing without financial or logistical barriers.Our vision is driven by the urgent necessity for accessible and free or low-cost trauma-informed solutions.By nurturing diverse online communities with embedded safety mechanisms, we provide a sanctuary where survivors can explore their healing process in privacy and security.Caroline Markel-Hammond:•CEO•AUTHOR•VICTOR• Top 20 Leaders of 2022 at Women Leaders Magazine DomesticShelters.org Purple Ribbon Award Winner, Survivor of the Year 2021 Boston Scientific's Global Volunteer of the Year 2020 Vera Bradley's Inspiring Women Award Winner of 2020 Keynote speaker positively impacting 51,000 lives by Q4 of 2022. #intentionallyfearlessDM me BELIEVE to get your FREE download of 25 Immediate & ACTIONABLE ways to help your loved one break free from abuse, so that they can have health, safety and healing for themselves, their children and pets. Launched my brand on Times Square billboards, and across the country, making over ONE BILLION impressions. Took over Instagram and 4.5 MILLION accounts to highlight violence against women and children. THREE time international best selling author of “#SheWins2”, “Dragon Slayers Wear Lipstick” and “The Dragon Slayers Handbook” THAT’s a dream come true.If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence please call the domestic violence hotline. 800-799-7233 or Hope House in the eastern Jackson County or Kansas City, Missouri area. 816-461-HOPE.

Dr. Traci Johnson was born and raised in rural Texas, and her skill as a left-fielder earned her a softball scholarship to Prairie View A&M University outside of Houston.She attended MCP Hahnemann College of Medicine in Philadelphia, now Drexel University College of Medicine, due to its rich history of paving the way for women in medicine and women of color. She entered residency at the vigorous Washington University in St. Louis, where she was honored to serve as Administrative Chief Resident.After repaying her service as a National Health Service Corps Scholar at a rural Federally-Qualified Health Center, she slowly migrated to the private practice sector of Kansas City but felt the pull of academics where she feels most impactful.At University Health, she oversaw a busy Labor and Delivery Unit as the Director for L&D while serving as Associate Program Director for the OBGYN residency program. Her passion, however, is her work in population health equity and special communities. She serves as a leader in Missouri’s Hospital Association's Perinatal Quality Review Board, overseeing efforts to decrease maternal and infant mortality in the state. She also was appointed as a member of the Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review Board in Jeff City, reviewing all pregnancy-related deaths in Missouri. She was recently elected Chair-Elect of this prestigious board and will focus the next two years on health equity.She recently completed a life-long dream of subspecialty training in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and will return to academics this summer.When she is not doing all this, you will see her and her husband cheering their two sons and daughter emphatically at soccer or gymnastics.https://www.hopehouse.net/

MaryAnne Metheny, CEO and Tina Johnson, Manager of Community Partnerships break down who is eligible for tax credits and why. Applying for tax credits is easy and very beneficial to our Hope House giving community who pay Missouri State Taxes. Tax Credit Application: https://www.hopehouse.net/get-involved/donate#Tax-Credit More Information on Missouri State Tax Credit: https://dss.mo.gov/dfas/taxcredit/dvtaxcredit.htm Thank you to all the businesses, organizations and individuals that partner with Hope House! Hope Houses' mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence by providing safe refuge and supportive services that educate and empower those impacted by domestic violence. Hope House will advocate social change that protects and engenders a person's right to live a life free of abuse.

Jessica Lynn McCallop-McClellan is an inspirational speaker, (Jessica Lynn Speaks Life), She’s been an impactful keynote speaker at many women’s events and inspirational movements. She is also the Founder and President of 501c3, nonprofit organization, Giving Hope & Help Inc, founded in 2013. One of her purposes is to speak for the voiceless and inspire others to find their voice and use it for change. She is a “Voice for the Voiceless”, survivor and advocate for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, education and cancer support advocate, humanitarian, philanthropist, voice for equality and justice/Founder and Administrator of the Black, Brown and White UNITE for CHANGE Facebook Group, as well as the radio/internet talk show host of Jessica Lynn Speaks Life, on KUAW Radio Station and Co-host for radio talk show: Sister Circle Prayer Warriors on Gospel 1590 AM. Jessica has been featured in media, podcasts, magazines, and television many times for the difference and impact she and the organization are making in the community and across the globe. https://givinghopeandhelp.org/ OUR MISSION Giving Hope & Help is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports domestic violence survivors, provides essential resources to end period poverty, empowers college bound and non-traditional students and inspires cancer patients, lifting all those we serve to live their best life. OUR VISION Giving Hope & Help values and acts upon the opportunity to provide hope and help for every person to pursue happiness, health, wealth and education via the avenues, fundraisers and support offered by the organization. OUR WORK Advocate for domestic violence awareness to encourage all to stand up, speak up and STOP domestic violence. Support DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS & the shelters in which live with year round collections and annual drives of sanitary napkins, tampons and new children and women’s packaged underwear. The feminine products also support natural disaster survivors and benefit those in need of feminine care across the globe. GH&H has shipped feminine care to Cambodia, Nairobi-Kenya, Haiti, Mexico and are currently supporting 131 girls in Limiru Kenya for one year with funding for feminine care and underwear for girls. LOVE Bags 4 Cancer Donation & Delivery Events to uplift hospitalized MALE & FEMALE cancer patients in honor of Valentine’s Day & Mother’s Day. The LOVE Bags are hand delivered to the patients at their hospital bedside. A portion of the proceeds benefits the American Cancer Society-Kansas City. Over four hundred hospitalized cancer patients have been inspired and uplifted with the hand delivered LOVE Bags 4 Cancer since Feb. 2015. Education Is Your Passport Program and Annual Scholarship to benefit low income, College bound high school seniors. To date GH&H has awarded 35 scholarships since the 2015 program launch. The program will expand in 2019 to award low income current year high school graduates and single parents full ride scholarships to the Metropolitan Community Colleges: Penn Valley and Maple Woods.

Courtney Stoddard Laufketter is Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Budget Blinds of Lee's Summit and Overland Park. She has been involved with Hope House for 10 years. She co-created "12-ish Bars of Christmas" in downtown Lee's Summit and this year will be its 10th event! Courtney is also President of Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street Board, Social chair for Lee's Summit Rotary and involved in many aspects of the community. She is married to her wonderful husband Josh, has a beautiful daughter born in May and is a dog mom to Burt Macklin.The 12ish Bars of Christmas - 10th Anniversary Ticket Info:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/12ish-bars-of-christmas-10th-anniversary-tickets-741042356637?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurlFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LS12barsofchristmas/Join us for the 10th anniversary of the 12ish Bars of Christmas event! Get ready to spread some holiday cheer as we embark on a festive bar crawl benefiting Hope House through the heart of Lee's Summit, Missouri.Date: Saturday, December 9, 2023Time: 2:00 PM onwardsLocation: 302 SW Main St, Lee's Summit, MO 64063Grab your friends, don your most outrageous holiday attire, and get ready for an unforgettable afternoon of merriment and indulgence. This year, we're celebrating a decade of jolly memories!Experience the joy of the season as you visit some of the finest bars in town, each offering their own unique holiday-themed drink specials. Sip on delicious cocktails, craft beers, and festive concoctions while enjoying the lively atmosphere and camaraderie of fellow revelers.Don't forget to wear your ugliest Christmas sweater or your most dazzling elf costume! So, dust off your Santa hats, jingle all the way, and let's make this year's 12ish Bars of Christmas the most memorable one yet!Hope House Calendar of Events:https://www.hopehouse.net/events/calendar-of-events

lesnorman.comRadio/Podcast Host, Inspirational Keynote Speaker, Cable TV MLB Analyst, Life/Executive Coach, Former MLB Player, Husband, and Father Les Norman has a passion for people. He finds human beings utterly fascinating, loves sharing their stories-the REAL ones-with the world on his radio show and podcast, "Breakin' the Norm". He is also driven to help create passionate servant leaders in business, assist others to establish their own personal brand, and lead men to be the best they can be through life and executive coaching. One of his greatest rewards is to see others live joyfully and be successful! Les grew up without much in life. An abusive childhood could have left him broken, but he used the wrong road map to find the right places. He often heard phrases like "You'll never make it." or "You're not good enough.", but instead of believing the negative voices, it pushed him to become driven to achieve the success he wanted to. He learned what true joy is through faith and family. And most importantly, he used his gift of encouragement to help others in life. He's had a remarkable ride. Earning a Jr. Olympic Gold Medal. Playing Major League Baseball. Cliff jumping into the wild ocean in Venezuela. Sitting in a volcanic hot tub in Costa Rica. And even winning on the hit game show, "Wheel of Fortune"!! But with all those cool experiences, the best one of all...being husband to his bride and best friend of 26 years, Kristin, and being baseball coach and dad to amazing sons Mack (22) and Tayt (18)! ***Thank you for listening to Illuminating Hope: A Podcast of Hope House. We would like to introduce a new segment and thank those who support Hope House every month. A special thank you to our newest recurring donor, Jason. Learn how you can support Hope House and domestic violence survivors by visiting hopehouse.net

https://bestybnb.com/About BestyBnB: BestyBnB helps Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Animal Welfare, and other Social Service Agencies secure safe, temporary homes for clients’ pets during their time of crisis so they can & will seek help. Our Agency partners have called BestyBnB an innovative, confidential Airbnb for Pets. Growth & Momentum: BestyBnB officially launched in the summer of 2022. For six months prior to BestyBnB's official launch, our team worked with 7 prominent Domestic Violence Agencies in the Kansas City metropolitan area to beta-test and improve upon the software. Our momentum and growth since Q4 of 2022 is impressive. In just over 6 months, we have nearly tripled the amount of non-profit Agency partners using the BestyBnB platform, and in the past few months we have enabled our partners to provide 2,000+ SAFE NIGHTS for Clients' Pets with a 100% reunification rate. The opportunity has grown well beyond helping only Domestic Violence Agencies and we have identified over 10,000 Social Services & Animal Welfare Agencies that are desperately looking for the solution we have created. Andy Bond: Trained as an attorney and an entrepreneur by nature, Andy left a legal career in private practice at a top-ranked, national law firm to help co-found a technology startup, building enterprise software for the entertainment industry. There, he served as Vice President and General Manager, responsible for finance, operations, intellectual property, and product development, while also serving in multiple executive roles in various company-owned subsidiaries. Andy appreciates the value of a team and knows the most important component of any successful venture is its people. Using his problem-solving skills honed as a practicing attorney paired with a practical approach, Andy is driven by BestyBnB's mission to help Pets and People stay safe, connected, and together, and he enjoys the creativity required to face and solve challenges large and small. Together with his wife, Clare, three wonderful kids, Jake, Nora Jayne, & Luke, and two mischievous pups, Maude & Mabel, Andy proudly calls Kansas City home. He enjoys supporting his kids’ academic and athletic pursuits and looks for any available opportunity to spend time in the Colorado mountains. Matt Krentz: Creativity has always been at the heart of Matt's business affairs. Matt's artistic and creative endeavors laid the foundation for his recent entrepreneurial endeavors and success. Matt's latest startup, BestyBnB, helps Mental Health Organizations, Domestic Violence Agencies, and Animal Welfare Organizations secure safe, temporary foster homes for clients’ pets during their time of crisis so they can and will seek life-saving services - while maintaining that vital and powerful human-animal bond. BestyBnB is changing the culture of how Social Service Organizations think about Animal Welfare and the importance of keeping Pets with their People. The platform has been launched to help millions of Children, Abuse Survivors, Mental Health Patients and their Pets .After 8 years working seasonally for Robert Redford's Sundance Filmmakers Labs, Matt wrote, produced, and directed his first feature film, American Streetballers. It premiered in over 14 cities, winning numerous festival awards, before Warner Brothers picked up the rights to the film and distributed it in the U.S and abroad. Matt's experience as an entrepreneur and creator brought him back to Kansas City in 2013.

Monkey Brain Art was founded by Gary & Trish Walker in 2021. Founders, Gary and Trish Walker, have experienced the benefits of the healing practice of art, meditation, and mindfulness to combat the trauma of PTSD. Both having traveled the journey of the unsettled mind, continue to use these techniques to treat their own trauma. Gary, a Disabled United States Air Force Veteran and artist, practices art to quiet his crushing anxiety and depression. Trish Walker, a licensed Yoga Instructor, and recent Breast Cancer Survivor, provides her experience and expertise to provide help and care for others in crisis. Together, Gary and Trish, bring a blend of art and meditation techniques that will assist in unlocking new ways to cope with restless minds and spirits associated with PTSD. Triggers: Suicidal Ideation & Domestic ViolenceIf you or someone you know suffers from thoughts of suicide please call or text 988Domestic Violence Hotline 816-461-HOPE

As we kick off Domestic Violence Awareness Month enjoy Artist Brooke WangWe's survivor story! Booke is a domestic violence survivor, works and trains in healthcare and is a self taught artist. She's worked on art therapy journaling for years in her own healing journey. She also teaches others to use the different healing tools she learned through Hope House survivors programs. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence call the hotline at 816-461-HOPE (4673).

Detective Carolina Yeager. Detective Yeager was the 2019 recipient of Hope House "Everyday Hero Recognition Award." Detective Yeager has been a Blue Springs Police Officer since 2007 and became the Domestic Violence Detective in October 2016. As the domestic violence detective, she works closely with Hope House Advocates providing them with the necessary reports. She revisits high-danger homes, supports Hope House in coordinating community meetings, and works closely with the Court Advocates and program management. She has always been and continues to be easily accessible and ready to assist victims and Hope House staff at all times. Detective Yeager is a strong-willed and confident advocate of survivors of domestic violence and constantly exhibits that in the work she does every day.

Kris Ketz From the South-Central riots in Los Angeles to Hurricane Andrew in Louisiana to national political conventions, when it comes to big stories, KMBC 9 News anchor-reporter Kris Ketz has always found himself in the right place at the right time. Kris is also an Emmy-award winning anchor and investigative reporter, having captured a Midwest Emmy for best anchor in 2008. He also won in 1991 for an in-depth report on the influence of the Ku Klux Klan in the Kansas City area. He was nominated for a 2003 Emmy for best anchor. Kris was also nominated for a 2011 Regional Emmy award for “general assignment reporting” for a heartwarming story about a first-time meeting between a heart transplant recipient and the donor’s family. Kris was also one of 4 local television news anchors chosen to interview President Obama one-on-one in February 2015. Kris was also the 2004 recipient of the prestigious Barbara Potts award from Hope House for raising community awareness about domestic violence in Kansas City. Hope House is now the largest domestic violence shelter in Missouri with centers in Independence and Lee's Summit. Kris is married to Dana Wright, co-host of "Dana and Parks" weekday afternoons on98.1 FM KMBZ. https://www.kmbc.com/news-team/606f5428-f0af-4097-8310-42c36f674dde

Dana Wright is a native Kansan who has dedicated her life to telling stories. As a career television journalist and talk radio host, Dana has conducted a variety of interesting interviews from Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, to Barry Manilow, Michelle Obama, influential policymakers, notable news makers, award winning authors, and hard-working Americans from every corner of life. Dana is half of the #1 afternoon talk radio program “Dana and Parks” on KMBZ-FM in Kansas City. She began her radio career in 2011 after a 17-year tenure as a television news anchor and investigative reporter. Throughout her broadcasting career, Dana has covered thousands of stories important to the community, winning numerous awards including two Regional Edward R. Murrow awards, three Mid-America Regional Emmy awards, and a National Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. She is most proud of her team’s National America’s Promise Alliance Award in Washington, D.C., which recognizes exemplary reporting across the country on issues surrounding children and families in the U.S. In 2020, Dana launched RadioDanaKC.com to promote ideas and dialogue among women, minorities, and anyone out there who feels like they’ve never had a voice. Her popular ‘legacy recordings’ have preserved the history of countless families who want their OWN stories secured for generations to come. Dana lives by the motto that “no one’s story is more important than your own.” She is married to veteran KMBC-9 TV news anchor Kris Ketz. Together they have seven children. Dana is a proud graduate of the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. In her spare time, Dana is an avid golfer who just carded her third hole in one.