Christine: [00:00:00] Hey friends. Welcome back to the MilSpouse mastermind show. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you got to spend some time with family or good friends, and that you had a moment to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and reflect on the blessings that you’ve been given and that you had a chance to just practice gratitude.

So, so important for us to reflect on the blessings that we’ve been given, because I know that it can be tempting to look at life through the lens of what we don’t have, how far we are away from family, or that we don’t get to spend a holiday with our loved ones. And when we focus on the negative, that leads us down the spiral of comparison, frustration, and Discontentment with.

But we have the opportunity and the ability to [00:01:00] reframe our thoughts and to change our lives and to move towards who we are meant to be simply by starting with gratitude. Gratitude helps us embrace life. It allows us to become more resilient and to thrive as military spouse. So today I have a very special episode to share with you.

I was thinking about Thanksgiving and about gratitude and how we show our appreciation for what we have and how we can use our resources to make an impact. We talk often on the show about how we as military spouses have the power and ability to make the world a better place. Right where we’re at and today’s guest will show us just how this is possible.

Pursuing a life of purpose doesn’t [00:02:00] necessarily mean doing something spectacular. It doesn’t necessarily mean starting a business or a new organization. It means approaching each and every day with intentionality and the. To make today matter. And so when I was thinking about what we were going to talk about on the show this week, I wanted to highlight the inspire up foundation and giving Tuesday military.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with giving Tuesday, it is an event that takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, each year, building on the ideas of black Friday and small business Saturday. Giving Tuesday was focused on this idea of having a day that was not focused on getting or receiving or buying, but just on giving a day of generosity and giving Tuesday has become a global movement in [00:03:00] 2019 for military spouses decided to.

Giving Tuesday military is an initiative focused on the military community. Giving back by spreading intentional acts. So I sat down with Brittany Raines, who is the director of community engagement for the Inspira foundation and the director of giving Tuesday military. Britney holds a master’s in counseling and military resiliency from Liberty university.

She has served as a giving Tuesday military ambassador lead for two straight years and has coordinated over 50,000 acts of kindness in that time period in 2020, the association of the United States army selected her and her family as volunteer family of the year. She is also the 2017 AFI Fort drum, military spouse of the year.

And know you’re going to love this conversation. Dive into the show.[00:04:00]

Are you tired of putting your own dreams and plans on hold? Do you feel stuck waiting for some future season to chase your dreams? You, my friend were made for more. More than the managing of schedules, keeping up with kiddos and holding down the home front. Hi, I’m Christine, a military spouse of over 10 years, mom of littles and coffee connoisseur. I’m here to help you navigate life as a military spouse, get unstuck and craft a life with. You have something valuable to offer. And when you pursue the things that light your heart on fire, you trade frustration for fulfillment and isolation for a life of impact. It’s time to discover who you are meant to be because together we can change the world.

I’m so excited to be here today with Brittany Raines, to talk about giving Tuesday, military, welcome to the show Brittany.

Brittany: Thanks for having me on. [00:05:00]

Christine: I would love it if you would just introduce yourself, give us a brief background about who you are and what you do.

Brittany: Absolutely. I am the community engagement director for the inspire up foundation and the director for giving Tuesday military, under the Inspire Up Foundation.

And I have been with, Inspire Up just for about nine months now in my position, but have been an ambassador for the program since it started in 2019. I’m currently at Fort Leonard wood in Missouri.

Christine: Okay. Well, can you tell us a little bit about your story and about your life and how that has led up to what you do?

Brittany: Yeah, I, so I’m an army wife. I have my master’s in counseling and health and human services. UI have six [00:06:00] kids at my house, so I’m very, very busy and which makes it so that I working from home and volunteering has sort of become my lifestyle and my passion project. I have traveled the world and we’ve been, this is our fifth duty station. My husband’s been in for almost 15 years now. So, yeah, that’s where crazy lifestyle and lots of community outreach and community giving is my world. Awesome.

Christine: So how did you kind of get started in the community giving and volunteering?

Brittany: Well, the army life sort of gives you that hand, you know, and working with the units and getting more involved on the installation.

I have volunteered my entire life. That’s just sort of been my M O and sort of what my family has done. And so it was just kind [00:07:00] of a piece of the puzzle for us. And then I met, the inspire up foundation ladies through the military spouse of the year program with armed forces insurance, and really connected with them and loved the giving Tuesday military mission and mantra. How they function and what their purpose is, and just sort of fell into place and how they, how they live in their worlds.

Christine: So why don’t you unpack for everyone what giving Tuesday Military is, how that falls under the inspire foundation, and then we’ll get into how this all began.

Brittany: Yeah. So those the founders, just Sam, Maria, and Stacy, came together as military spouse of the years as MSOYs and wanted to do something bigger than themselves. And [00:08:00] so they worked with Giving Tuesday and came up with Giving Tuesday Military in 2019 to just to give back to the communities that we all live in.

We, we get a lot of thank you as for our service as family members of military, but, um, we really wanted to. To shed some light on that. We wanted to give back to where we were living. And so they started this and they have the goal of 1 million acts of kindness in 2019. And I know we far surpassed that.

And then in 2020, uh, we, as many people struggled and had challenges in 2020 with COVID, that actually became a blessing for our organization because it was such a need kindness and looking out for each other. Became a necessity. And so we were able to show and sort of role model as ambassadors and volunteers, how to take care of each other in those challenging times.[00:09:00]

And a lot of people got a taste of what us military families go through. Right. And that 1% were traveling and are far away from families. And COVID sort of gave that to everyone. And so we finally had a leg up and got to show them that. So we’re going into our third year. And in all of that, the inspire up foundation was born after that first year of giving Tuesday because, they just, they wanted to continue to give back to the community and just a bigger way than Giving Tuesday Military could.

And they wanted giving Tuesday military to maintain the special effect that it had once a year. Giving always, it just is something that’s a special piece of their puzzle. And so they branched off and made their own non-profit, but maintained that special organization. So we’re going into third year and we’re, we’re in almost 40 [00:10:00] states.

We have an ambassador in almost 40 states. And then we have an ambassador in five different countries too. So. Kicking off and taking it worldwide.

Christine: That’s amazing. Okay. For those who may have not heard at all, can you just give a brief overview of giving Tuesday itself and then can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration for, Giving Thesday Miltary. What was the evolution of these million acts of kindness?

Brittany: So giving Tuesday Military, its mission is to spread intentional acts of kindness on that one day. So we give, we give always, but we really had that focus on one day to come together and give, give back and, and be intentional about your giving, whether it’s big or small, the military piece of the puzzle.

[00:11:00] Purely because that’s just our life, right? So it was born out of military spouses. And so why not highlight that? But, so we’re giving back to those military communities, but we really want this to be anybody who’s a patriotic supporter. Anybody who, um, lives near an installation or just wants to be kind, you know, we are, we just have that military piece just to make it special for, for us because we’re, that’s our world.

Christine: So in 2019, how did they go about getting it started on different installations?

Brittany: Um, really, they put a call out and just said, this is what we want to do, where we’ve got a goal of 1 million acts of kindness. Who’s on board. And it started with those networks, right. With the MSOY program. And all of us as spouses.

I mean, here we are, even on this podcast, we all have a kind of our own little [00:12:00] passion projects on the side and some of them are small and some of them are huge and that’s, they started there with those networks and just said, we’ve got this idea. We don’t know if it’s going to work or not. And I’ll tell you it’s they put that call out in like maybe the beginning of October.

Of 2019. And this was December 1st, no, December 3rd was, um, giving Tuesday that year and they got, I mean, we well surpassed that, that count of 1 million acts of kindness. And so just in a short amount of time, gosh, who doesn’t want to be kind, you can’t say no to that. So they put that call out. I’m just on social media and people hopped on their website and signed up.

And so. Pick me. And then basically you just sign up as a leader in your community. You either put a team together or you do something on your own and figure out what your community needs for you to, to put some time [00:13:00] into.

Christine: What were some of the biggest, lessons learned or some of the coolest stories that came out of that first year?

Brittany: I think connection and what we’re so capable of as this small military community. And it’s gone far beyond the military community now, but that first year that’s really what it was. How big we really can be and how big our voices can be, even being just 1% of the world population.

Most of us didn’t all do the same things. The first year they gave us zero guidance. They just said, go be kind. And all of us were like, and do what? It’s such a simple concept. It’s almost, you had to dial down the complexity.. It was literally just go take your neighbors some snacks. It [00:14:00] really doesn’t need to be that big to be impactful.

And so knowing that just simple things could really make a difference and watching us all come together.

Christine: So what were some of the things that people did?

Brittany: That first year was pretty, like I said, small and simple. Lots of donation drives.I was up in Northern New York. And so, we did a winter coat drive. Even just chalk messages on the sidewalks.

Like I said, taking your neighbor a meal. My kids go and do post-it notes on lockers at school. So it really can just be as simple as opening the door for somebody or paying for the person behind you’s coffee. It’s pretty simple acts. It has sure grown from there, but that’s where our roots are at is those little things.[00:15:00]

Christine: So then talk to me about 2020. How did that throw a wrench in your plans and how did 2020 turn out?

Brittany: 2020 was actually amazing. I think we all panicked a minute, but then realized how simple it is. We were actually leading the way. Because we have the military background and are sort of used to…we weren’t recovering from 2020, like others might have been because those challenges were.

We’re already something that we’re used to, so it wasn’t as impactful, but we got to then switch gears and make it impactful for other people. We just had to pivot a little, right? So it was, making sure that we were social distancing, making sure everyone had masks, but the need was so strong that just being out and [00:16:00] talking about being kind to people, you could see it brighten people’s day.

Last year we did a lot of blood drives. Because that was a need. And so it was cool watching our ambassadors dial in to what was a necessary thing in their communities and a necessary piece of the puzzle for our world and, and really tap into those resources and give back.

Christine: So how has the organization evolved? Does it have more structure now? How, how has it changed in the last couple of years?

Brittany: It for sure has more structure because there’s so many volunteers that it needed. I mean, for example, there’s now a director of giving Tuesday military that really those, those girls took that on themselves and they pushed it out and they’re that inspire that foundation has grown and giving to the military has grown.

And so [00:17:00] there’s. There’s more structure, even in just being able to provide templates, because we know now we’ve gone through it a couple of years, we know the need and I have taken on that role because I’ve been in all their shoes. And so, you know, even the boots on the ground struggles of, you know, you move every couple of years and so you have to restart your network again.

And that’s really hard when you’re trying to do donation drives or you’re trying to get into the PX for something, and you need to find those people to talk to. So, that piece has for sure evolved, but I will say they have maintained that simplicity. We’ve, we’ve kept the simple acts of kindness and we’ve kept the, that our mission is purely, we’re just giving back and it doesn’t matter how big or something.

Christine: That’s really exciting to hear what you’ve been able to do. What do you think some of the [00:18:00] biggest lessons or tips that you’ve learned along the way are?

Brittany: From an ambassador standpoint? Cause I still do both. So from an ambassador standpoint, I think our biggest lesson learned is that a networking is huge and trying to build that network ahead of time, instead of waiting until right before Giving Tuesday. And it sort of depends on how big you want your campaign to be, but it really getting to know your community stakeholders is beneficial so that you get some buy-in from the community from. The organization standpoint, now that I’m on this side is how difficult it is to, to talk to people about those little acts of kindness being okay.

That it’s, that, that that’s enough. And you as you’re by yourself, you’re enough and you don’t have to have a big team and, and making [00:19:00] sure people understand that this isn’t about making it a glow, you yourself you’re not going to make this a global movement. Our organization can make it a global movement, but your little act as a piece of that puzzle and, and keeping that in the forefront for them, because sometimes they really want to hit it out of the park.

And your community might not support that or you’re, you know, there’s, there’s lots of challenges and that’s okay. You’re enough to make a worthwhile impact in your community.

Christine: And that’s such an important message. How can people find if there is an ambassador in their local area?

Brittany: So we don’t have a map on our website anymore, but they can join our giving Tuesday military group on Facebook and could seriously just ask and somebody will raise their hands.

They can also reach one of us on our [00:20:00] website, giving uesdaymilitary.com. You can do the contact us, and we have a running list of where everyone is at and can, can connect you. Or there can be more than one ambassador or one leader in the community. So if you’re really inclined, you could just sign up to be an ambassador or a participant, and you can just take on a project of your own.

Um, there’s not a limit to how many people can do. A leader in your community.

Christine: And if you’re driving right now, I will have all of those links, linked in the show notes so that you can go access those when you have a chance. Is there a list of different ideas of things that people have done before, or that if you’re considering doing something this year, do you have some suggestions or a list of ideas

Brittany: somewhere?

Absolutely. So on that same website, there is a tab that’s called radical kindness, and that has a [00:21:00] whole list of different ideas that have worked for other ambassadors in the past. And, it has groups that we have linked up with. So it’s got be the match. There’s pay it with a post-it is on there there’s different ideas.

And then you can also find on our, our group page. Constantly ideas being thrown out of those small acts that you could do every day that, um, could give you an idea of just what to go do on that, on that day.

Christine: Perfect. Okay. So let’s say this episode is going to air on November 29th. So I know it’s going to be a little last minute, but if you are just hearing about it for the first time, go out there, just do something kind in the world, in your local area.

If someone is interested in getting more involved in being more intentional with this next year, how can they [00:22:00] begin preparing now? What is a good timeline for starting to plan for really getting involved in this for next year?

Brittany: They can certainly reach out any time to me. Sort of maybe direct as far as a timeline goes, but just start thinking about what your, where your heart is. And maybe some, somewhere that a need is at in your community is that, you know, foster care, do you need to do a pajama drive? Is that, you know, is food.

Is that a necessity? Do you need to do a canned food drive within the schools? I just start looking for those where you’re, you can be a change maker. And I will say that even if you’re listening to this the day before, there are so many small acts that you can do, you can go put popcorn on a Netflix or a Redbox, not Netflix, Redbox.

Um, Just surprise somebody with a bag of popcorn with their movie that they’re they’re renting, or, [00:23:00] um, if you have an Aldi near you go put quarters in the shopping carts. Cause I always forget my quarter when I go try to get a shopping cart and they’re locked and that would be an amazing gesture for me.

Um, it can be so simple and, or just leave a kind note for your mail carrier that day. I mean, there are lots of little, little things that can be done that could be. Make somebodies entire day.

So those are such great, tangible ways that just a small little act of intention can make such a huge difference in someone else’s life.

I’m curious to know what has been the biggest blessing or, what has meant the most to you personally, being involved in this organization.

 I think the biggest blessing is watching my team grow so, and watching people’s eyes light [00:24:00]up when they get involved. Once they get a taste of it they, they want to keep coming back because it’s just as simple as it sounds, because it’s just as genuine and transparent as it sounds.

And I think that’s one of the challenges that we face as leaders is trying to just say it. This is really all it is like, it really is just giving back and, and being nice to people and being kind on purpose. Right. We’re in kind on purpose and once people realize that that’s the reality that you can watch a person just change because they then want to be a part of your team.

And so watching all my volunteers come in and, and really give of themselves on those days and with my projects has been the, the biggest blessing, I think.

Christine: Well, thank you so much for coming to share with us today about giving Tuesday military and letting people know [00:25:00] how they can get involved. If somebody wants to connect with you, what is the best way for them to find you?

Brittany: They can email me. It’s braines@inspireupfoundation.org.

Christine: Perfect. Well, thank you again for joining us. I hope that this is inspiring to so many people and that they will take the opportunity tomorrow to go do something. That’s going to make a difference and light up somebody’s life. Just by that simple act of intentional.

Okay, friends. I hope you were blessed by this conversation for a couple of reasons. Number one, I just want to showcase what is possible when you have a heart and a passion for making a difference, just ordinary military spouses, choosing to use their voice for good and make an impact far beyond. Second.

I want to highlight how easy it is for all of us to get involved in how simple, intentional [00:26:00] acts of kindness can be a huge blessing to others. And finally, I just want to offer the encouragement to you that you are enough. You are doing enough, right where you are and that your voice and your story and how you live your life.

Whether you listened to this episode prior to giving Tuesday or not, I would encourage all of us to make an effort to do one small act of kindness this week to do one small thing that can make a difference in the life of someone else. I’d love to hear what you ended up doing. Head over to the middle spouse, mastermind community on Facebook and share your story.

Let us know what you did. Spread love and kindness all around us until next week, may you live filled field and joy.

Hey friends, before you go, [00:27:00] the MilSpouse mastermind community is here to help you thrive as a military spouse, figure out what lights your heart on fire and equip you to create a life of impact. You can have an incredible. Simply by heading over to iTunes to subscribe and leave a review. And if today’s episode was meaningful to you, I know it will be for others to spread the word by taking a screenshot of this episode and share it to your stories so we can continue to reach more people change more lives and shift the way that military spouses look at life because we are better together and together we can change the world.