MTN 13 - Scottsdale - Lessons from Camp Kilimanjaro

Move the Needle

What a fantastic show for you today! We recorded this episode from the Homesmart headquarters in Scottsdale, where the 100+ Women Who Care meeting occurred. Today, we welcome Jennifer Kiernan, Pam Stelzer, and the beneficiary of the 100 + Woman Who Cares award winner, Angie Ramirez. First things first, we sit down with Jennifer Kiernan from Saving Amy. Mathew leads a statistics-based conversation on the current homeless community to open your eyes to WHO is a part of this community. Jennifer Kiernan embarked on this journey while volunteering at a local shelter, where she observed the persistent struggles faced by families leaving shelters, trapped in the cycles of homelessness and poverty. It was during this time that Jennifer encountered Amy, a single mother grappling with homelessness, past incarceration, and addiction. Amy’s story became the catalyst for Jennifer’s determination to effect change. Saving Amy has a 100% success rate, and all Saving Amy families continue to live in their own homes and contribute to society. Next, we sit down with our local legend Pam Stelzer…NOT STELTZER, as Mathew said. She’s a CPA who works with Valleywise, but her work climbing Kilimanjaro piqued our interest. She didn’t climb it once, but twice! Her lessons are invaluable, and the story of how she brought burn survivors and visually impaired people together is incredible. Which climb was more brutal, the first or the second? Listen in to find out. Skip to about 19:00 to jump into that conversation. Here is a link to the film she mentioned a couple of times.

Finally, our surprise guest was Angie Ramirez, an advocate for the New Song Center for Grieving Children. She found them sadly after losing her husband ten years ago and needed a place for her young kids to process their grief. Tonight, that organization was the beneficiary of at least $10,000 courtesy of the 100+ Women Who Care.

Learn more and become a part of our Move the Needle Podcast HERE. Follow along on our YouTube channels and Instagram platforms. Learn more about Mathew Blades or Steve Petz. Video captured and edited by Max Muehlhausen.