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Veterans Resource & Hiring Fair – March 13 | Elk Grove

In this NewsPod, I’m joined by Tim Swaney, President of the Veteran Entrepreneur Tribe of Sacramento — VETS — to talk about an important event happening March 13 at District 56 in Elk Grove.

VETS was created so no veteran has to figure out civilian life alone. Tim shares his own difficult transition out of the Navy and how that struggle led him to build a community where veterans can access mentorship, education, entrepreneurship support, and real opportunity.

On March 13, they’re bringing it all together in one place.

This Veterans Resource & Hiring Fair will feature:

• 50+ resource providers
• 40+ employers actively hiring veterans
• Support in employment, entrepreneurship, healthcare, housing, legal services, education, and benefits
• Free food and open networking
• Real conversations — not just pamphlets

This event is about closing the gap. It’s about making sure veterans don’t get lost in transition. And it’s about creating a space where employers can truly connect with veteran talent.

If you are a veteran, know a veteran, employ veterans, or support veteran families — this is for you.

Event Details

📍 District 56 – Elk Grove
📅 March 13
⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
🎟 Free to attend
🔗 veteranentrepreneurtribe.org

As always, thank you for listening, subscribing, and sharing these stories that matter.

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text...

What happens once the flames are out?

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Joe Pick, Executive Director of the Firefighters Burn Institute and a 30-year veteran of the fire service, to explore what recovery really looks like for burn survivors and their families.

Born from tragedy following a devastating 1972 plane crash in Sacramento, the Firefighters Burn Institute was created to ensure our region would never again be without specialized burn care . What began as an effort to establish a local burn unit has grown into a comprehensive, lifelong support system for burn survivors — from emergency response to emotional recovery.

Joe shares how the Institute now serves hundreds of individuals and families each year through:

• Little Firefighters Kids Camp (ages 6–17)
• Little Heroes Family Retreat (for children under six and their families)
• Mental health support and trauma-informed counseling
• Survivor peer groups and virtual BurnNet gatherings
• Community-building events that help reduce isolation
• Partnerships with burn centers and survivor organizations across the country

This conversation goes beyond the medical side of burn injuries. We talk about grief, guilt, psychological safety, and the importance of sacred spaces where families can process trauma together. Joe speaks candidly about what it means to move from the fireground — where firefighters often hand patients off at the hospital — to walking alongside survivors for years in their healing journey.

One of the most moving themes of this episode is simple but profound: no one heals alone. The Institute’s work ensures that survivors don’t just survive — they rebuild confidence, connection, and community.

We also discuss one of their greatest current needs: expanded access to trauma-informed mental health care for burn survivors and caregivers — a critical but often underfunded piece of long-term recovery.

If you’ve ever dropped a dollar in a firefighter’s boot during a Fill the Boot drive, this episode shows you exactly where that impact goes.

To learn more or get involved, visit: ffburn.org

🎙️ Episode Chapters

00:00 – The 1972 Tragedy That Sparked a Movement
03:00 – From Burn Unit to Lifelong Survivor Care
07:00 – Little Firefighters Kids Camp & Little Heroes Retreat
12:00 – National Partnerships & Survivor Support Networks
16:00 – Why Mental Health Access Is the Greatest Need
19:00 – Building Community Through Events & Outreach
23:00 – How Survivors Discover the Institute
27:00 – A Firefighter’s Perspective on Trauma & Healing
30:00 – “Bad Things Happen. Good Things Can Too.”
33:00 – How to Support the Firefighters Burn Institute

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text...

What does it take to build something that lasts 30 years?

In this episode, I sit down with Donald Kendrick, founder and artistic force behind the Sacramento Choral Society, to reflect on three decades of music, leadership, and cultural impact in our region.

Founded in 1996, the Sacramento Choral Society has presented more than 180 performances, toured internationally, recorded professionally mastered albums, and — in a model almost unheard of nationally — built a chorus that owns and sustains its own professional symphony orchestra.

Let that sink in.

In most cities, orchestras run the chorus. In Sacramento, it’s the other way around.

This conversation is about far more than music. It’s about passion. Volunteerism. Culture. Succession. And what it means to build something that belongs to a community.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

🎶 How a volunteer chorus became a nationally recognized cultural force
🎶 Why the Sacramento Choral Society owns its professional union orchestra
🎶 International tours — from Carnegie Hall to China
🎶 Raising over $3 million to sustain world-class performances
🎶 The culture of love and passion that defines the organization
🎶 What succession planning looks like after 30 years of visionary leadership
🎶 What the next conductor must bring to carry the legacy forward

A Unique Model of Excellence

Under Donald Kendrick and Executive Director James McCormick, the organization has:

• Presented 180+ classical performances
• Performed in Carnegie Hall multiple times
• Toured Germany, France, Slovenia, China, Canada, and more
• Built a $550,000 annual operating budget
• Created a growing endowment through the Sacramento Region Community Foundation
• Engaged hundreds of volunteers and nearly 900 alumni

And perhaps most importantly — they’ve created a culture.

A culture of music.
A culture of healing.
A culture driven not by obligation, but by love.

Why This Moment Matters

As the organization approaches its 30th anniversary, it is also entering a thoughtful succession planning process.

For the first time, the question is being asked:
What happens when the founders step away?

This episode is both a celebration and a call to awareness.

The Sacramento Choral Society is a cultural gem — one that deserves long-term sustainability and visionary leadership for the next generation.

Learn More

Visit: https://sacramentochoral.org

Chapter Summaries

00:00 Welcome & 30-Year Milestone
03:00 What Makes the Choral Society Unique
07:45 Owning a Professional Symphony Orchestra
13:30 International Tours & Carnegie Hall
19:00 Community Collaborations
24:00 Funding & Sustainability
29:00 Succession Planning & The Future
33:30 The Next Conductor’s Vision
39:00 Passion, Purpose & Personal Renewal
44:00 Protecting the Legacy

Thank you so much for listening to this nonprofit story! We appreciate you. Please visit the website to sign up for our email updates and newsletter. https://www.nonprofpod.com/ And if you like, leave me a voicemail to comment on the program, leave a question for us to ask in the future or a message for me, Jeff Holden. I may even use your voice mail message in a future episode of one of our incredible local nonprofit organizations. https://www.nonprofpod.com/voicemail. Thanks again for your support in listening, commenting and sharing the great work our local nonprofits are accomplishing.