Air1 Radio News

Soldiers For Faith launched ‘call-in’ bible studies back in 2012, but stay-at-home orders in 2020 crystalized the ministry purpose and mission. They deliberately avoid video. “There’s something about just picking up the telephone, not having that judgement,” explains ministry founder Kelly McAndrew. “It’s just absolutely pure to be on the phone, to hear people’s voices, to hear their hearts.” Air1's Rafael Sierra reports.

By Richard Hunt What’s it like treating very sick COVID-19 patients day-after-day? “We can only speak about it. Our eyes can’t even show you what we see, but the pain that health care workers are feeling today…I’ve seen so many healthcare workers suffer from compassion fatigue and secondary trauma because of what they’ve experienced having to be the gap-to-close between the family and the patient, when they’re dying, holding their hand when they die - and to experience that over-and-over-and-over again is exhausting.”

Partnership between deputies and mental health professionals changing the way policing is done. Listen to Air1's Rafael Sierra's report.

By Richard Hunt Matthew is a successful Christian music artist who lends his talent and support to select ministries and projects that help others. “What separates Christian music from the rest of the world is God at work through the lyrics and the melodies, shooting straight to the hearts of people.” And when a song he has written and performed can be of benefit to an outreach helping others, Matthew is often willing to come alongside and lend his name and talent to their project. That’s the case with a ministry called Cancer Companions.

By Richard Hunt When the pandemic closed school, Jonathan Chambers encouraged students who were learning from home. He built them kid-size desks… for free! “I felt God kind of led me, you know, on the whole thing.” Inspired by God and driven by compassion, Chambers, owner of Gateway Construction & Development, wanted to “give these kids something that they can create their own space to do some learning.” He had heard of young students curling into closets and other areas to try and find a quiet and productive place to do their schoolwork. And he realized an appropriate size desk could make a big difference.

By Richard Hunt When the pandemic closed school, Jonathan Chambers encouraged students who were learning from home. He built them kid-size desks… for free! “I felt God kind of led me, you know, on the whole thing.” Inspired by God and driven by compassion, Chambers, owner of Gateway Construction & Development, wanted to “give these kids something that they can create their own space to do some learning.” He had heard of young students curling into closets and other areas to try and find a quiet and productive place to do their schoolwork. And he realized an appropriate size desk could make a big difference.

By Richard Hunt After Robert Sherill’s mother and stepdad got a divorce, Robert found himself living in what was known locally as the “Dodge City” public housing project in Nashville. The nickname pretty much says it all, a real rough neighborhood. In time, Robert pursued money – he sold drugs. But that caught up with him and he did 5 years in prison. On the other side of confinement, Robert is a changed man, an entrepreneur, a man of faith, and dedicated to helping teens and those being released from prison to pick the right path to life and success.

Air1's Billie Branham talks with Sammie Vance about her Buddy Bench project and how she helped create more than 150 benches

By Richard Hunt It was 2003. Nearly 200,000 American troops were in Iraq. Among those was West Virginia soldier Mark Bland. He and other soldiers were so encouraged to get mail from students back home, kids they didn’t even know, who wished them well, and some promised to pray for them. 17 years later, Mark is making a concerted effort to connect with those who wrote him to thank them for thinking about him so many years ago. And those kids are grown-ups now. This is a vert heartwarming story!

By Richard Hunt People helping people: Artist-designed fridges are stocked with healthy food. It’s free. Just open the door! People in many geographic areas reside in what are termed food deserts. “Food deserts are areas throughout the country that have less access to a grocery store … or, if they do have a grocery store, supermarket next by, they're not providing fresh vegetation for the community,” explains Fania Celestin, the Director of Development for the Buddy System Community Fridge Initiative in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

By Richard Hunt Principal Brian Lile, Muhlenberg South Middle School in Kentucky, came up with the ‘Challenge’ to help teachers jump-start their day. And their positive attitude can be contagious to students at a time when that unwanted disease contagion has changed life so much. Teachers take part in a wide variety of games like Let’s Make a Deal, Deal or No Deal, and Press Your Luck. But Brian shares, “Not all of our prizes are good prizes…” (uh-oh)

Air1's Monika Kelly chats with Pastor Stephen Wilson, Prison Campuses Pastor for Gateway Church in Texas. Pastor Stephen and his wife started a prison ministry years ago and now, in partnership with Gateway Church, they've set up four behind-bars prison campus churches where the inmates serve one another and are discipled. These men are met with open arms by Gateway Church members when they're released and loved and supported.

Dogs who sign up with Canines for Christ take car rides with their families to visit sick people in cancer wards, lonely people in nursing homes, stressed people in police stations, forgotten people in prisons and anywhere else tails need to wag. “Our dogs have been able to break through depression to assure people that God really does love them and care for them,” says Chaplain Ron Leonard. “Most of us know, people that pet dogs, the dog provides comfort, they get happy when they do -- and so we wanna make people happy.”

The co-founders of Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team (PAART) didn’t set out to use their 1974 Piper Warrior to relocate dogs from overcrowded shelters, but one phonecall back in 2009 changed the game. Plesset and Childs eventually adopted the motto, “No Dog Left Behind,” and combining their love of flying with their love of animals they created a non-profit network of shelters and pilots.

By Richard Hunt Operation Sing Again specializes in getting hymn-filled DVDs to nursing homes and care facilities free-of-charge, and the results can be wonderful! “I’ve talked to several people who are in the senior care line of work and they tell me that the part of the brain that houses music and rhyme is the last part of the brain to deteriorate from Alzheimer’s or dementia. So even when people can’t have a conversation with you, they will respond to music or singing,” shares Gerald Wolfe, who saw his own dad trying to sing. “And that’s the last memory I have of being with him, trying to sing, ‘Amazing Grace.’”