The Life Challenges Podcast
The Life Challenges Podcast
Follow the Spark: Gen Z’s Testimony on Faith-Fueled Activism
Amanda Herman began her philanthropic journey at just eight years old, proving that age is no barrier to making a difference. Her inspiring narrative of grassroots activism and relentless volunteerism exemplifies how passion and family support can lead to significant community impact. Through heartwarming stories and personal anecdotes, Amanda illustrates how individuals can enact change without the need for a large platform or resources. Her experiences, from raising funds for global initiatives to her hands-on engagement with New Beginnings - A Home for Mothers, reveal the extraordinary potential within each person to contribute positively to the world around them. This episode invites listeners to embrace volunteerism and community service, encouraging them to take action and inspire change, one small gesture at a time.
The Balance of GrayGod, doubt, and proof walk into a podcast... it goes better than you’d expect!
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You can be just somebody that's just talking about it and that does make a difference, that does help the situation, that does spread awareness and that is some way that you can get involved and make a difference in something. But people don't, I guess, think when you're thinking about getting involved with something new that you haven't really done before, that doesn't exactly spring to mind. Because when you look at something you're like oh, I don't know what I can really do. I mean, what difference can I really make? You're thinking that you have to be this big, influential person, but being on that ground level really does actually make a difference.
Paul Snamiska:Welcome to the Life Challenges podcast from Christian Life Resources. Welcome to the Life Challenges podcast from Christian Life Resources. People today face many opportunities and struggles when it comes to issues of life and death, marriage and family, health and science. We're here to bring a fresh biblical perspective to these issues and more. Join us now for Life.
Christa Potratz:Challenges Well, hello and welcome back. Challenges Well, hello and welcome back. I'm Krista Potratz and I'm here with Bob Fleischman, and today we have a special guest with us, amanda Herman. Bob, I mean, I think I might let you introduce Amanda here.
Bob Fleischmann:Well, I've been working with CLR since its beginning in 1983. And over the years we get all sorts of people contacting us saying no, we'd like to start a counseling center, we'd like to start a home for mothers, we'd like to do this, we'd like to do that. Almost no one follows through. They're great on it but, you know, the moment it steps kind of outside of their imagination of it, they just kind of like lose interest. And so I get this inquiry from this high school girl saying you know, I'd like to do something.
Bob Fleischmann:And so I just I remember like it was yesterday. It was kind of like, okay, yeah, fine, all right, yeah, this is what we'd like to do. We'd like to be able to see what's going to happen and I could set up a. You know, and I was trying to outline a little bit the challenges with New Beginnings and challenges with the counseling center and everything. And the next thing I know I get an email saying, well, my mom and I are going to be in the area and we'd like to get a tour, and it's kind of the rest is history. We got to know Amanda and Amanda follows through. She's Amanda and Krista. The two people follow through on things and that's kind of how we met and that was it was during well, it was before the pandemic, because the pandemic kind of messed everything up for us. But it's been that long.
Amanda Herman:Yeah, I think things shut down. I want to say like two weeks after I got back from my visit with you.
Bob Fleischmann:It seems like forever ago and it seems like yesterday.
Amanda Herman:I mean originally I got connected with New Beginnings I want to say in like 2016-ish because I had a sewing business at the time that I started, when I was about eight years old, and I would raise money for different nonprofits by donating a portion of sales to these different organizations, and so I had helped build a church in Chernobyl, ukraine, and then I donated to a school by the Guatemala City dump that called Safe Passage.
Amanda Herman:And then, in 2016, I started donating to New Beginnings and then in my junior year of high school I had reached out to Bob and then, after my visit, obviously COVID hit and about a year and a half two years later I wrapped up my associate's degree and transferred to college in Milwaukee, and that spring semester I started volunteering again at New Beginnings semester. I started volunteering again at New Beginnings and for a while was considering the resident supervisor position, but because I had graduated early, I wasn't able to get cleared to live off of campus, so I wasn't able to do that, but in the fall I was able to join staff temporarily as an intern and then in the spring I couldn't get away from it. I came back and did a service project as part of my senior year final curriculum, to work with some of the mothers and teach a cooking class before I left to move back home, wow so it sounds like volunteering or getting in touch with organizations that you support or find interesting has been something you've been doing a while.
Amanda Herman:Oh yeah, For a long time. It's something I've always been really passionate about.
Bob Fleischmann:Now, how did that happen? I've always been curious, you know, because you've had what I call sustainable enthusiasm. I mean even for those of us who've been at this for a while. Enthusiasm can sometimes ebb and flow, but you seem to be persistently persistent.
Amanda Herman:I mean, I've just been so blessed and I love to be able to share those blessings with others, and it's also.
Christa Potratz:it's just so wonderful to be able to see how much of an effect you can have on somebody else and how you can see others grow and others benefit by just the assistance you can give and how one small thing you can do can make such a difference for somebody else. So at eight years old yeah, I mean when I hear that and you know it's here to your mom driving you to go see Bob, and everything it makes me think, though I mean you must have really a strong family supporting you.
Amanda Herman:Oh, absolutely.
Christa Potratz:Especially like at eight years old. I mean. That to me is very indicative of parents and other role models in your life too.
Amanda Herman:Oh yeah, my parents have always been super supportive. They're really amazing. They've always encouraged me to help out those around me. I mean, my dad's been a baseball coach my whole life and my mom and my grandparents have always been really involved with the church and everything. So I've definitely been influenced pretty heavily from them and they've always been really supportive of really anything I've wanted to do in that aspect of really anything I've wanted to do in that aspect.
Christa Potratz:You know, one of the reasons too we really wanted to bring you on today too is when we do this podcast here with Bob and Jeff. I mean, I'm the young person at 40. And we're pretty transparent on the podcast. I don't mind revealing my age here, but we do realize, too, just the importance of having young people like yourself that are interested in life, in helping out, in volunteering too, and so we really wanted to bring you on in kind of why we're doing this episode, just as the voice really of the Gen Z generation too. So, yeah and anyway, I don't know if you have anything to kind of speak on that with your generation and just the different values that you see as a young person too.
Amanda Herman:I mean it's very I think it's very broad, and I mean I'm from a small town and then I transferred to Milwaukee, which is obviously a very big city to go to school in. So there's a lot of different viewpoints that I've been exposed to. And I mean I was only in Milwaukee for a short time, so I've been in a pretty conservative environment. So I try to see a lot of different viewpoints. But I wouldn't say that I could completely speak for my generation as a whole and everything. But I think that my generation is very outspoken and very decisive in belief systems. Influence is a very big thing, especially with social media and everything. But I would say that once people in my generation have made a decision on something, they're not likely to really change their opinion about that thing, unless there's been some very serious, I guess, discussion or consideration taken on those points.
Bob Fleischmann:What's the tickler? What's the thing that got you going? How does that become contagious? How do we pass it on to other eight-year-olds? And then going from there.
Amanda Herman:I've always cared very deeply about other people and I guess that's been a very big driver for me, always, I would say.
Amanda Herman:I mean, for example, when I got started with Safe Passage that was that's at school in Guatemala my Spanish teacher had showed us a video in our Spanish class and I don't remember how old I was at that point, but she had showed us a video in class of all of these kids who would run up to the garbage trucks when they would pull into the dump to get to them first, so they could get or be able to rifle through everything to find whatever they could that was valuable, that they could sell.
Amanda Herman:And I broke down in tears in the middle of class and I came home and I broke down in tears at the dinner table telling my family about that and I just took it so personally and it just really tugged at my heartstrings and so I would. I don't know what exactly it would be to like catch on for other people, but it just like that sort of thing is what it is for me. It's just so important to me and I'm so, I guess, sensitive to the needs of others and I don't like to see people with needs not being met, or people that are hurting and in need of assistance that aren't getting it.
Bob Fleischmann:How about, like classmates? How did they react to it? Or did they look at you like you were just kind of on the weird side?
Amanda Herman:Honestly, I don't even remember. I was so zoned in on what was happening on the screen that I don't. I mean, I vaguely remember my teacher talking to me, because she's the one that she had been connected with the local chapter of Safe Passage, and so she, I want to say, reached out to my parents afterwards after I had, because she had noticed me getting emotional in class about it. So I don't remember anything happening around me when we were watching this video and when I was getting emotional about it. I only remember this video happening and watching this whole thing and all these children. I don't even remember how my classmates were reacting to it at the time.
Christa Potratz:Yeah Well, it sounds like, know, there's that piece there of seeing something and having it move you and do think, oh yeah, I mean, that sounds that's terrible, and then they don't maybe think about it or internalize it as much to realize that there's something that they can do and help in some way.
Bob Fleischmann:Thea, how's the fire now? I mean your. Your fire was obviously sparked at eight years old, do you feel? Do you feel as passionate about doing stuff, or have has reality tempered that in any way?
Amanda Herman:Amanda, something in the news a few weeks ago about some legislation that could possibly be passing. I don't even remember what country it was in now Things just kind of blend together at this point, but I had seen some legislation that might be passing in some country over in the Middle East that would be absolutely devastating to. It had to do with lowering the legal age for marriage and I was so upset about it and, like ruined my whole evening, went to talk to my mom about it and I was like, all right, we need to do something about this. Right now I don't know what we're doing. Something's got to happen about this. So no, I would say the fire is still right there. I wouldn't say it's gone anywhere.
Bob Fleischmann:So if you were placed before a high school class of students to talk about anything you can talk about, what would you tell them?
Amanda Herman:I mean. One thing that I have a bit of a hard time with looking around especially when you know I'm on social media and I'm looking in the comment section of things is I feel like when we're living in this environment where we're behind a screen, our levels of empathy have just continued to decrease, because when we can hide behind a screen and we're not looking at each other face to face, it's a whole lot easier to say things that we wouldn't say if we were looking somebody in the eye. I guess it hurts my heart sometimes when I see the things that people are saying to each other, like online, and then even when I see some people saying to each other in person, and so I guess I would just try and stress, I guess, having empathy for one another, especially in the world we're living in today.
Bob Fleischmann:The problem that we're going to have this is my prediction is that, because of social media and because of us building this ever-enforcing wall between us and actually doing reality, that more and more people aren't going to know what to do, and I would think people are going to be listening to this podcast and say, oh then, Amanda, what a nice girl, she's really out there. Wow, that's really great and everything, but they wouldn't have the foggiest idea. In other words, all they're going to form is an opinion. How do you translate that from just an opinion to action? Even the thing you're talking about, the lowering of the marriage age?
Bob Fleischmann:I actually have that statistic that you're talking about dropping down to the age of nine years old. I thought I read yes to the age of nine years old. I thought I read yes, yep, that's it the nine-year-old girls who are now eligible to marry grown men in Iraq. That's what you're talking about nine years old. Okay, so you, a citizen of the United States, you see this. It upsets you, it makes you concerned. So I'm sitting in a class, you're sharing that information. What are you going to tell me to do about it? I know that's a hard question.
Amanda Herman:That is a hard question, you know. I think sometimes the answer is easy and sometimes it's a lot more difficult, because I mean there are things like New Beginnings and Safe Passage, where we have these organizations that are already existing, where we can get involved and donate our time, donate funds, this, that and the other thing to be able to get involved and volunteer and make a difference. And then we have a situation like this where it's bothersome and it's upsetting, but there's not really an easy answer on what we can do to fix it, because, I mean, we're not diplomats, we're not in government. It's not like we can just march over there into their form of government and be like, hey, absolutely not, you can't do this. For a situation like this, I mean, there's not really an easy answer on how we can fix it, and I think that's what makes that situation even harder, both to accept that it's happening and also to, I guess, try and come up with a solution for it as well.
Christa Potratz:And I think too I mean, you know, when I hear something like that too one thing that I think people can do is just talk about it and raise awareness too, because I mean, how you said, like you saw the news and it was on there, I mean a lot of people too maybe aren't watching the news or don't know that that's on there or being said or, you know, unless it comes through in a TikTok or something, they may not even really know that that's there. And so sometimes I mean I think it can be as small as just talking about it. Raising awareness is maybe where something starts too.
Amanda Herman:I mean, I think everybody, when they're looking at something and I think this is the part that can be really intimidating for people getting started is that they look at a situation and they expect that they have to solve the problem on their own and they expect that this they have to be like.
Amanda Herman:They think that they have to be somebody that's, I guess, like they're quote unquote important, like they have to be famous, they have to be in government, they have to be this big, influential person. They don't see like that you can be just somebody that's just talking about it and that does make a difference. That does help the situation, that does spread awareness and that is some way that you can get involved and make a difference in something. But people don't, I guess, think when you're thinking about getting involved with something new that you haven't really done before, that doesn't exactly spring to mind. Because when you look at something you're like, oh, I don't know what I can really do. I mean, what difference can I really make? You're thinking that you know you have to be this big, influential person. But being on that ground level really does actually make a difference.
Christa Potratz:Yeah Well, and I mean, I think too you know so, even just taking something like New Beginnings too, when you started volunteering there, was there something that struck you or a reason why you started there. And then, from that, what did you actually do there?
Amanda Herman:Yeah. So I mean, I've always loved kids, I've always been really passionate about kids and it's very upsetting to me when you see all of those statistics of how many kids we lose every year to abortion, and I just wanted to participate in something that was providing a solution and actually be working towards supporting people and giving them and helping them to be able to raise their child and work through that and offer that support system to them when they choose to give their child life, as opposed to going through with an abortion and moving on that way. Raise money for them, obviously. But when I started volunteering there, it was just as simple as organizing stuff in the baby pantry and helping moms in the community shop for diapers and clothes and whatever they needed.
Amanda Herman:And then when I started interning there, it was initially the Change for Life program. So a couple days a week I would be on the phone making calls to different churches for the Change for Life program and then I still would, every once in a while, be able to go down to the baby pantry and help mom shop. And I got to play with the kids sometimes to keep them occupied while their moms are shopping, and it was so wonderful because these kids are so happy and it's so nice to just see the joy on their faces, and their moms too, to be able to just see what a difference this is making for them and working at New Beginnings and working with the moms in the program and supporting them as they're hitting their milestones and seeing, like all these accomplishments that they're reaching to really make that new beginning and to see them successfully raising their child and making a life for themselves and getting an education and supporting themselves. It's just something really incredible to be a part of.
Bob Fleischmann:I think part of the reason where I've always been fascinating with Amanda and the whole issue of getting active when you're young is sometimes it involves a kind of a recalibration of expectations, going back to the nine-year-olds, getting married. And sometimes you're right. You know you're not a politician, you're not a policymaker, it isn't like you know you can work with the Secretary of State's office and so forth. But you know, so often, you know, I remember when we got CLR going and I was called as the first and so far only National Director, as the first and so far only national director, there were pastors you know, peers of mine who would call me and say don't go, it's not going to come to anything. And a lot of times I found that people you would think would be on your team were the ones who were kind of calibrating you down to their level. Just because they can't envision it going somewhere doesn't mean it can't.
Bob Fleischmann:If I've learned anything after all of this time, and that is that in the end we're really talking about what you can do. Like for Amanda when she said, yeah, sometimes it was making phone calls to the churches on Change for Life, but sometimes, quite honestly, she just went down and played with the children? Why? Because she could do that. Maybe at that moment in her life she couldn't start a home for mothers. Maybe at that moment in her life she could not take a family under her roof. In other words, there's a gazillion things you can't do at that moment in your life, but there's always something you can do. And maybe the thing you can do is you make it known that nine-year-olds can get married in Iraq, and there's something wrong with that. Maybe the thing you can do is play with a child in a pantry area. You've got to be so minded towards others ahead of yourself that it actually forces you to think about it more. So what are you doing now?
Amanda Herman:Right now. I've moved back home and there's a food pantry near here where I was a pretty regular volunteer Right now. I haven't been in a while because of my work schedule they're only open on Mondays during the workday so it's been a while since I've been back. But one thing I love about my job is I get to work.
Amanda Herman:Part of what I do is I am making I guessabilia and I get to design these things for people and then ship them out to them and you get to see these things come back and how happy it's making everyone and what a big deal it is to them. And one thing I made was a memorial for somebody's, I want to say it was their grandmother, who had passed away and they came back and wrote a review for the business where I work and they wrote this huge long paragraph about how wonderful their experience was working with us and what a big deal it meant to them and how much care we took and how personable we were working with them and how they felt like we really cared. And so that's just something where I mean I'm not working at a nonprofit right now, but I still feel like people are really. I still feel like people really value what I'm doing and I'm still making people happy, even though I'm not actively able to work at a nonprofit full time at the moment.
Bob Fleischmann:So if somebody in high school wrote you an email and said Amanda, you know I identify with your heart, I feel for the plates of others, and so forth, what should I do? Tell me what I should do. What would you say?
Amanda Herman:Lutheran boarding school downstate, and so before I left, I had started this project where every Valentine's Day I cut out a heart and wrote an individualized quote on it for every single person in the middle school, including all the staff members, and then I didn't end up transferring, so I continued that on to the entire secondary, so middle school, high school, all of that, all of those staff members. And then the year after I left, I had a student reach out to me and ask if they could keep doing it, and so then they sent me a photo of what they had done the year after, and it was. I honestly, I cried, I'll be honest, but it was so beautiful, I honestly, I cried, I'll be honest, but it was so beautiful. And it's just something that's so simple, like that where it doesn't seem like actively making a difference in the community, but it's still just this, this nice beautiful thing that you can do for somebody else.
Amanda Herman:And so I would say I mean you can get involved. If there's a cause that you're passionate about, find a way to get involved with it. Find if there's an organization nearby, like, get involved with that organization. But if there's not, like, if there's not an organization you can get involved with. Just find like a nice little way that you can like make it a I guess I would say make it a goal to make I don't know five people smile that day or give you know five people a compliment that day. Start small and then work your way up to something bigger.
Christa Potratz:Yeah, I mean, I think one of the things you know that you're really touching on too is just this personal connection. I mean, whether it's making five people smile or doing something little or playing with children when you're volunteering our society craves that really nowadays too. With that personal connection, I mean, we're connected with everybody and no one at the same time. With social media and different things, and when you really reach out to somebody, what I've noticed too, is people love it first of all. They really do want that personal connection, but you also get something in return for that too, and it's more than just like a warm feeling of like doing something nice or someone. It is, I mean, sometimes too, like the people or organizations or things where I've reached out. It's come back to me to be almost, you know, as beneficial, if not more, in my own life too, and so I just see that a lot in the things that you're saying too.
Amanda Herman:Absolutely. And I would say like I mean, donating is great and if you can donate, that's fantastic, because that does make a great difference. But if you're in a place where you can't do that, I saw this quote in part of the project that I did. I don't remember who said it, but I saw a quote that said that the best gift you can ever give someone is your time, because it's something you can never get back. And so I would say that if you're not in a place where you can donate some, or if you can donate funds or anything like that, donate your time, volunteer somewhere, because that does make a big difference and that is something your time is not something you can get back and people will really appreciate any time you can give to volunteer somewhere and it will make a difference.
Christa Potratz:I guess just closing too, maybe just to know what the role of being a Christian has played in your decisions and doing things, or just you know, maybe, if there's a favorite Bible passage or something that really sticks with you in the line of wanting to volunteer.
Amanda Herman:I mean, like I said, I've just been so, so blessed and like, just looking, I'm growing up in the church and all of these verses, you look at all of these things. Is you look at all of these things like we were always, I guess, kind of taught to try and live like Jesus lived and to walk with the Lord? And when you look at all of these things that Jesus did and everything he would, you know, walk and talk and sit and eat with all of these people that society had kind of shunned and he would spend time with all of these people that nobody else really cared about and that nobody else really thought to spend time with or thought to reach out to and assist. And so I think that just really plays a big part in, I guess, kind of influencing me is always to reach out to those people that aren't being reached out to, that need that assistance, and to share those blessings that the Lord has given me with others.
Christa Potratz:Well, thank you so much for joining us, amanda, and you have very much inspired us here, and we just wish you the best on all of your future endeavors as well. Well, thank you very much.
Bob Fleischmann:I'm certain our paths will continue to cross.
Christa Potratz:Absolutely, and we thank all of our listeners for joining us and we'll see you back next time.
Paul Snamiska:Thanks a lot. Bye. Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Life Challenges podcast from Christian Life Resources. Please consider subscribing to this podcast, giving us a review wherever you access it and sharing it with friends. We're sure you have questions on today's topic or other life issues. Our goal is to help you through these tough topics and we want you to know we're here to help. You can submit your questions, as well as comments or suggestions for future episodes, at lifechallengesus or email us at podcast at ChristianLifeResourcescom. In addition to the podcasts, we include other valuable information at LifeChallengesus, so be sure to check it out. For more about our parent organization, please visit ChristianLifeResourcescom. May God give you wisdom, love, strength and peace in Christ for every life challenge.
