Motivation, MLK Service & Teachers Who Changed Us

Motivational Monday on The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett & Best Friends is all about turning gratitude into action. We start by celebrating Elementary School Teacher Day, inviting listeners to share stories about the teachers who shaped their confidence, curiosity, and kindness — and rewarding those shoutouts with family four-packs to the Arizona Renaissance Festival, opening January 31st.

That spirit of appreciation carries into a check-in with Jineane Ford as we spotlight the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service happening today. We talk about why showing up matters, what to wear, and how even a couple of hours of volunteering can ripple through a community.

From there, we lean into a powerful set of motivational quotes on service and purpose, inspired by Dr. King and voices like Mother Teresa, Gandhi, and Helen Keller. Listeners join in with their own favorite lines, and we turn those words into practical encouragement for taking the first step instead of waiting for the “perfect” moment.

We close the show with a timely community update from Joe Barrios with Tucson Electric Power, sharing details on the upcoming Springerville Generating Station open house and how residents can learn more about the proposed shift from coal to natural gas. For more info visit https://www.tep.com/sgs-repower/.

It’s a morning built on gratitude, service, and small actions that lead to big impact — plus a little Renaissance Festival fun along the way.

Transcript

Ticket Giveaway: Honor A Teacher

SPEAKER_02 0:00

From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett and the Morning Brew. Good morning. It's the Morning Brew with Chris. Who's this? It's Daniel. Daniel! Heck yes! Calling to win tickets to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. All you have to do, Daniel, today is uh National Elementary School Teacher Day, and uh just uh talk good about an elementary school teacher, and you and your elementary school uh teacher will win tickets to the Arizona Renaissance Festival.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Alright.

SPEAKER_02 0:32

Alright, who's your elementary school teacher?

SPEAKER_01 0:34

Um, I would say my kindergarten teacher, Miss Marsh.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Oh, where'd uh where'd you go to school at? Where was Miss Marsh?

SPEAKER_01 0:42

In Sholo. Sholo, how long ago was this? Um, well, I'm 33, so it would have been um 25 years ago, 26 years ago.

SPEAKER_02 0:53

And uh what's your best memory about uh Miss Marsh, your kindergarten teacher?

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Well, you know, I was just starting out in school pretty much. I went to Head Start before that, but Miss Marsh was just a really nice teacher. I haven't seen her in years, but I just she's one that, you know, definitely stuck with me with being extra nice and you know, caring about the kids in her class.

SPEAKER_02 1:14

Absolutely, that's awesome. Teachers are amazing. We're so grateful for all you teachers out there. Uh the one of my elementary school teachers that sticks out in my head was uh Miss Manley. She was my third grade teacher. I loved her so much. And then probably my favorite elementary school teacher was my grandma, who was uh taught me how to read. She was a first grade teacher for over 50 years. So happy elementary school teacher day to all our elementary school teachers out there. And uh Daniel, you just won tickets to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. What station hooked you up? Two Country 925. You know it. Janine, you there?

MLK Day Of Service Expo Details

SPEAKER_03 1:54

Yes, I am. How are you, Chris?

SPEAKER_02 1:55

I'm doing great on this Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. morning.

SPEAKER_03 1:59

I know, it's nice.

SPEAKER_02 2:01

Yes, it's also National Day of Service.

SPEAKER_03 2:04

Yes, very nice National Day of Service, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and the expo is today, and they also have a service project to go along with this. And you can go out and get to know your local volunteer service organizations. They have all sorts of exhibitors. It's this morning at 9 o'clock, about an hour and 15 minutes from now, okay? At the City Campus Gym. That's at 760 East McNeil Street, 9 to 11 30 a.m. this morning, everyone. So show up. They're gonna have Meals on Wheels, Salvation Army, Family Connect, Accord Hospice by Talent, the ones that with the blood drive, you know, pet allies, you name it. There's gonna be a ton of people out there. And they have a service project. Oh, nice! Yes, so very cool. This is all about at part of just serve.org, who I adore. They are such a good organization. Yes.

Motivational Monday: Quotes On Service

SPEAKER_02 2:52

Sounds like a great thing to do today. Be of service for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Day of Service Day. Uh, that's awesome. Janine, uh, it's also just a regular Monday, which means it's time to get motivated. Let's do it. On this motivational Monday. Uh, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.'s uh day of service, I picked a motivational quotes of service and purpose.

SPEAKER_03 3:15

Perfect.

SPEAKER_02 3:16

All right, first one is from Martin Luther King Jr. His quote, life's most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?

SPEAKER_03 3:24

Ooh, I love it.

SPEAKER_02 3:25

Good one, okay. Uh, Mother Tree says our next one, not all of us can do great things, but we can all do uh small things with great love.

SPEAKER_03 3:33

No, I love that too.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

Ooh, I'm on fire. Uh Mahatma Gandhi says the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Mohammed Ali said, service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. And last quote, Helen Keller, alone we can do so little. Together, we can do so much.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

Oh, you know what? We gotta take all of them today. Oh, really? I'm sorry. They're all so good, Chris. Holy How can you choose between those? Oh my god. We've never had Mother Teresa, MLK, I don't know.

Safety Tips And Event Reminders

SPEAKER_02 4:09

Yeah, yeah, we can't. So all of these are our quote of the day. I'll we'll I'll just uh repeat our first one uh in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Life's most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others? Don't forget about the uh uh day of service project happening uh from a 9 to 11, right, Janine?

SPEAKER_03 4:33

Yes, exactly. And remember, you gotta get dressed right now. And you know what? If you want to do the service project too, remember wear closed-toed shoes, pair jeans, take some gloves. They're gonna be doing some cleanup work along some roadways. So there you go. 9 to 11:30 this morning, but it's the expo. If you want to meet all these charities, it's gonna be great at the City Campus Gym. Yes, sweet. About an hour and a half. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 4:53

Thank you so much, Janine. We love you.

SPEAKER_03 4:55

Love you too. Have a good day, Chris. You too, bye.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

Good morning. It's the morning brew with Chris. Who's this? Tia. Tia, where are you from, Tia? Uh, Taylor. Tia from Taylor. Calling a win some tickets to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. All you have to do, Tia, is on this motivational Monday. Give me one of your favorite motivational quotes to get us pumped for the week.

SPEAKER_04 5:18

Okay. Um, well, my favorite motivational quote is it always seems impossible until it's done.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

Oh, I love that one. It always seems impossible until it's done. The key is just get going on it. Start working on it.

SPEAKER_04 5:33

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 5:34

Awesome. Well, Tia, congratulations. Have you ever been to the Arizona Renaissance Festival?

SPEAKER_04 5:39

I have, like, when I was younger in school.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

Oh, nice. Well, uh, get ready for some amazing people watching, some amazing food, and some amazing shows. And my favorite that I recommend you check out is the jousting.

SPEAKER_04 5:54

Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

Awesome. Well, sweet Tia, you just won a family four-pack to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. What station hooked you up?

SPEAKER_04 6:01

Q Country 925. You know it.

SPEAKER_02 6:05

On the phone, we have a best friend. It's Joe Barrios with the Tucson Electric Power. Uh, calling in to tell us about an open house you guys have going on in Eager tomorrow. Uh, tell us a little bit about uh what's going on with the Springerville Repower open house.

unknown 6:22

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Thank thanks so much for the time. We really appreciate it. So uh tomorrow uh uh on Tuesday beginning at 5 p.m. in the Round Valley High School Auditorium, we're hosting an open house. If members of the community want to learn more about our plans at the Springerville Generating Station. Uh so it in short, right now it operates uh using coal as a fuel source. Last year we announced plans uh to convert that so it will operate on natural gas. We have been looking at shutting the plant down. Instead, we are working to uh convert those um those those uh two or our two units to run on natural gas by 2030. So uh we're hosting uh open house where folks can stop by, ask us about our our plans, and uh we'll be you know more than happy to share share some details with them.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

All right, and that is going to be uh tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Round Valley High School Auditorium at 550 North Butler Street.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

That is that is correct.

SPEAKER_02 7:24

All right, perfect. And uh if you want more information, you could find it on their uh website, www.tep.com slash sgs hyphen repower. Uh go ahead and check that out or go ahead and and uh visit them in person for the open house tomorrow from five to seven at Round Valley High School. Joe, thanks so much for sharing your information with us today.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

We do appreciate it. Hope to see everyone there.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

All right, sounds good.