Hope on the Hard Road Special Needs Podcast Hope on the Hard Road

Steve Chatman: Dad Series                     
“Rising Above as a Dad Part 2” with Steve Chatman

We are so excited to have Steve Chatman back on to the podcast today.  Steve is the Vice President at Rising Above Ministries, a nonprofit in Tennessee that is dedicated to lifting up the special needs community.  As both a ministry leader and a dad with special needs children, Steve brings a wealth of insight and experience to share with us on the podcast today.  This is part two of a two part series focused on dads.  Let’s get started.
Steve is Vice President of Ministry Advancement & Pastoral Care at Rising Above Ministries.  Steve is married to Lori Ann and they have 5 Children and 3 Grandkids.  Steve has been ministering to families since 1993 and he loves to teach, counsel, encourage, entertain, and resource others.  Before joining the staff at Rising Above, Steve and his wife Lori were active participants and volunteers for many years.  As a dad with children with special needs (Steve and Lori have two daughters with Down Syndrome), he has a huge heart for the special needs community.  As VP for Ministry advancement and Pastoral Care, Steve oversees our ministry to families as well as connecting with the local church and community organizations to help them better engage and serve the special needs community.
In his spare time he enjoys taking naps, watching movies with his family, eating donuts at the beach (or anywhere), playing fantasy football, and he hopes to one day play the banjo.
 
Contact
Rising Above Ministries
 
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Steve Chatman: Dad Series                     
“Rising Above as a Dad Part 1” with Steve Chatman

We are so excited to have Steve Chatman on to the podcast today.  Steve is the Vice President at Rising Above Ministries, a nonprofit in Tennessee that is dedicated to lifting up the special needs community.  As both a ministry leader and a dad with special needs children, Steve brings a wealth of insight and experience to share with us on the podcast today.  This is the first part of a two part series focused on dads.  Let’s get started.
Steve is Vice President of Ministry Advancement & Pastoral Care at Rising Above Ministries.  Steve is married to Lori Ann and they have 5 Children and 3 Grandkids.  Steve has been ministering to families since 1993 and he loves to teach, counsel, encourage, entertain, and resource others.  Before joining the staff at Rising Above, Steve and his wife Lori were active participants and volunteers for many years.  As a dad with children with special needs (Steve and Lori have two daughters with Down Syndrome), he has a huge heart for the special needs community.  As VP for Ministry advancement and Pastoral Care, Steve oversees our ministry to families as well as connecting with the local church and community organizations to help them better engage and serve the special needs community.
In his spare time he enjoys taking naps, watching movies with his family, eating donuts at the beach (or anywhere), playing fantasy football, and he hopes to one day play the banjo.
 
Contact
Rising Above Ministries
 
Connect with Us:
If you enjoy this podcast please share us with others and be sure to follow us so won’t miss an episode.  We’d love to hear from you so please leave us a comment or rating and connect with us on social media or on our website. 
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Garett Wall: Dad Series
“Shining as a Dad” with Garett Wall

I’m so excited to have Garett Wall back with us today on the podcast.   Garett joins us as we are in our Dads Series today. Garett is the Dad of a son with Down Syndrome and Autism so he really understands the journey.  He serves as the Connections Minister with Shine Disabilities Ministry at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.  He faithfully shepherds kids, teens and adults with disabilities as well as supporting their families.
Garett is a graduate of Murray State University in Murray, KY, Garett worked for nearly 20 years in athletic media relations at both Murray State and the University of Louisville before God redirected his career path into disability ministry in 2019. A native of Dover, Tennessee, Garett is married to Becky and they have two children, Lily and Isaac.
Connect with Garett Wall
Shine Ministry
502.253.8129
gwall@secc.org
Shine Ministry Facebook Page
 
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Intro Angela O’Brien
Mom Series: “Reclaiming Hope”

Welcome back to our mom series. We’re excited to introduce you to Angel Obrien of the “Especially Organized Podcast”. Angela lives in Texas and is professional organizer who, as a mom of a daughter diagnosed with Down Syndrome, loves working with parents of children with special needs to create a calm and peaceful environment for themselves and their families. ladies you’re going to love this episode. So let’s get started.
 
Angela O’Brien is a wife, mother of two, professional organizer, certified Enneagram coach, and host of the podcast Especially Organized: Sensible Solutions for Special Needs Moms.After graduate school, Angela spent time at several Fortune 500 companies in various sales, marketing, and brand management roles. When her daughter was born with Down Syndrome, she made the switch to stay-at-home mom to focus on her daughter’s extra needs.In 2021, Angela started Your Space Reclaimed, a professional organizing business where she coaches busy women through their clutter so that they can reclaim the space, freedom, and energy to do the things they love to do.In early 2023, Angela presented to a group of moms raising kids with Down Syndrome. She was so inspired by the conversation and the organizing needs of this community that she started a podcast to help special needs moms get organized and has shifted her business focus toward helping caregivers of kids with special needs get more organized in their daily life.Angela lives in Dallas, TX with her husband of 26 years. She has volunteered in various roles at the Down Syndrome Guild of Dallas since 2005, including as a member of their Board of Directors. Currently, she loves to hold precious babies when she meets with new parents at the Down Syndrome Clinic at Children’s Medical Center Dallas and serves on the Board of Directors at her daughter’s beloved school, the Notre Dame School of Dallas.Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (@yourspacereclaimed)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(Your Space Reclaimed)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Your Space Reclaimed Professional Organizing
 
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Moms Series:
“Moms Retreat Panel” with our panel of speakers: Stacy Shradar, Andreina Carillo, Cheri Monis, Sandi Anderson , and Teri Stashak (pictured left to right)

We’re so excited you joined us today. We are beginning our series for moms. With our Moms Day Out Retreat coming up in May, we wanted to share with you a little bit of last year‘s event. So sit back with your favorite drink in hand or plug in your headset as you run or drive to your next stop. Wherever you are we’re glad you’re listening in and we hope you enjoy as our moms panel shares from their experiences and their hearts.
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Family Series
"Stories from Siblings"with Joey and Stephanie Alarcon and Lynette Fuson
We’re excited that you are joining us today. We are continuing on in our family series with “Stories from Siblings”. Siblings each have their own journeys and their own stories to share. When special needs enters into the picture for a family each member of the family is effected. Siblings face a lifelong journey along side their brother or sister. One that often begins with their earliest memories and lasts long after their parents passing. The road they walk down can be filled with lots of hard choices and sacrifice but it can also be filled with lots of joy and beautiful blessings as well. Listen in as we share this 2020 recording from our sibling panel with Joey and Stephanie Alarcon and Lynette Fuson.
Sibling Panel:

Joey Alarcon is the youngest brother to Chris, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome. He and and his wife Stephanie have been married for 10 years and have a young son and daughter and baby on the way. Both Stephanie and Joey are Special Education teachers with 4 combined credentials and a Masters degree in Education. Joey teaches Adapted PE in San Diego Unified School District and Stephanie is taking a break from teaching Special Education to focus on raising their little ones.

Lynette Fuson is married to Jaisen, a Navy Chaplain, and they are blessed with four sons and 2 beautiful daughter-in-laws. She is also the older sister to Missy, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
Lynette has a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish from Wheaton College as well as a Certificate in Spiritual Direction. After teaching school for 10 years and serving alongside her husband in various churches, Lynette joined the Emmanuel Faith Community Church staff in 2013 where she is the Care & Counseling Director. She is passionate about helping people grow in their relationship with Jesus and live out of the fullness of who God made them to be.
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If you enjoy this podcast please share us with others and be sure to follow us so won’t miss an episode.  We’d love to hear from you so please leave us a comment or rating and connect with us on social media or on our website. 
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