What’s Your Story, Sepi Ackerman? Creating holiday magic by letting kids become the givers
In this heartfelt and joy-filled holiday episode, Jaime and Stan sit down with Sepi Ackerman, nonprofit founder and community champion behind Holiday House SRQ — an organization transforming how children in Title I schools experience the holidays. What began as a simple school PTO project quickly became a powerful movement rooted in dignity, choice, and generosity. Sepi shares how Holiday House empowers children — many living at or below the poverty line — to shop for their own loved ones, free of charge, and experience the pride of being the giver. From sneaker drives and paid-off lunch debt to winter wonderlands built inside classrooms, this episode is a reminder that the most meaningful gifts aren’t things — they’re moments of being seen, valued, and believed in.
What's Your Story with Jaime & Stan · Sepi Ackerman, Jaime Marco, Stan Brown
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Show Notes
In this heartfelt and joy-filled holiday episode, Jaime and Stan sit down with Sepi Ackerman, nonprofit founder and community champion behind Holiday House SRQ — an organization transforming how children in Title I schools experience the holidays.
What began as a simple school PTO project quickly became a powerful movement rooted in dignity, choice, and generosity. Sepi shares how Holiday House empowers children — many living at or below the poverty line — to shop for their own loved ones, free of charge, and experience the pride of being the giver.
From sneaker drives and paid-off lunch debt to winter wonderlands built inside classrooms, this episode is a reminder that the most meaningful gifts aren’t things — they’re moments of being seen, valued, and believed in.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
- Growing up with a family mantra of giving back
- Moving from Atlanta to Sarasota and building roots through schools
- The origin story of Holiday House — from PTO project to nonprofit
- Serving Title I schools and understanding unmet student needs
- Empowering children to shop for loved ones at no cost
- Why Holiday House focuses on experience over material value
- The logistics behind serving 2,500+ students across five schools
- Volunteer engagement and one-to-one student pairing
- Sneaker drives, uniform closets, and paying off school lunch debt
- Community partnerships with police, faith groups, and teens
- The emotional impact of making children feel seen and valued
- Scaling responsibly while keeping overhead low
- Redefining holiday giving through dignity, choice, and care
MEMORABLE QUOTES
- “It’s not about the presents. It’s about investing time into the student.”
- “Holiday House is really the front door — behind it are deeper unmet needs.”
- “If we can make one child feel seen and valued, then it’s worth it.”
- “They get to be the giver — and that’s incredibly empowering.”
- “That smile when they walk into the room? That’s the fuel for next year.”
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Where to listen & watch:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/6aj0LamBVSA
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-your-story/id1768048076
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0aFWnedfyylxVs5vJrD8tY
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/3c4c493e-e2f2-4b4b-bfd3-52174caeaf7c/whats-your-story-with-jaime-stan
Connect with Sepi Ackerman:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sepi-ackerman
Website: https://www.holidayhousesrq.org
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