A mail carrier trusted her gut, made one call, and saved a life. In this Shop Talk, we unpack why paying attention to the people around us is one of the simplest—and most powerful—ways normal folks can make a real difference.

A mail carrier trusted her gut, made one call, and saved a life. In this Shop Talk, we unpack why paying attention to the people around us is one of the simplest&mdash;and most powerful&mdash;ways normal folks can make a real difference.

Our country’s problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits talking big words on CNN and Fox, but by An Army of Normal Folks just deciding “hey, I can help.” Hosted by Coach Bill Courtney from the Oscar-winning Undefeated, this podcast is building the Army and celebrating its extraordinary members. New episodes are released every Tuesday and Friday.  

Our country&rsquo;s&nbsp;problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits talking big words on CNN and Fox, but by&nbsp;An Army of Normal Folks just deciding &ldquo;hey, I can help.&rdquo; Hosted by Coach Bill Courtney from the Oscar-winning Undefeated, this podcast is building the Army and celebrating its extraordinary members. New episodes are released every Tuesday and Friday.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Army of Normal Folks

How Paying Attention Could Help You Save a Life

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ba7a1cab-4755-483c-828b-b3e200439ddd/transcript

Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Chris Campbell, Executive Director of Oklahoma's 111 Project, to unpack how Oklahoma has cut the number of children in foster care nearly in half—from 11,500 to 6,000—and what communities across America can learn from their success.

Rather than pointing fingers at government, Chris shares how churches, nonprofits, everyday citizens, and public agencies began working together to build practical pathways for people to help. From recruiting foster families to preventing children from entering foster care in the first place, this conversation is full of ideas that any community can adopt.

Chris also shares the deeply personal moment that changed the course of his life: holding a two-day-old baby with nowhere to go.

In this episode:
Why America has a foster parent shortage—and the consequences for children.
How Oklahoma dramatically reduced the number of kids in foster care.
Why prevention is just as important as recruiting foster families.
The story behind CarePortal and how a simple app is helping keep families together.
Why supporting struggling families often matters more than removing children.
The surprising role churches can play in solving one of America's biggest challenges.

If An Army of Normal Folks each did what we can, this is one problem we really can solve.

Check out the resources below!

RESOURCES

Learn more about 111 Project at 111Project.org | One Church, One Family, One Purpose

Follow 111 Project on socials @111projectok

Interested in fostering? Search for foster parent classes in your community and join them. No commitment required. Exploration is the first step. 

Want to help prevent kids from unnecessarily entering foster care? Sign up for CarePortal at https://www.careportal.org/



ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Chris Campbell, Executive Director of Oklahoma's 111 Project, to unpack how Oklahoma has cut the number of children in foster care nearly in half&mdash;from 11,500 to 6,000&mdash;and what communities across America can learn from their success.
Rather than pointing fingers at government, Chris shares how churches, nonprofits, everyday citizens, and public agencies began working together to build practical pathways for people to help. From recruiting foster families to preventing children from entering foster care in the first place, this conversation is full of ideas that any community can adopt.
Chris also shares the deeply personal moment that changed the course of his life: holding a two-day-old baby with nowhere to go.
In this episode:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>Why America has a foster parent shortage&mdash;and the consequences for children.</li>
<li>How Oklahoma dramatically reduced the number of kids in foster care.</li>
<li>Why prevention is just as important as recruiting foster families.</li>
<li>The story behind CarePortal and how a simple app is helping keep families together.</li>
<li>Why supporting struggling families often matters more than removing children.</li>
<li>The surprising role churches can play in solving one of America's biggest challenges.</li>
</ul>
If An Army of Normal Folks each did what we can, this is one problem we really can solve.
Check out the resources below!
RESOURCES
Learn more about 111 Project at <a href="https://www.111project.org/" aria-label="Link 111Project.org | One Church, One Family, One Purpose">111Project.org | One Church, One Family, One Purpose</a>
Follow 111 Project on socials @111projectok
Interested in fostering? Search for foster parent classes in your community and join them. No commitment required. Exploration is the first step.&nbsp;
Want to help prevent kids from unnecessarily entering foster care? Sign up for CarePortal at <a href="https://www.careportal.org/" aria-label="Link https://www.careportal.org/">https://www.careportal.org/</a> 
ARMY ACTIONS
Subscribe to the podcast and rate &amp; review us!
Signup to join the Army, visit <a href="https://normalfolks.org/#newsletter-cta" aria-label="Link NormalFolks.org">NormalFolks.org</a>
Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks
Join or start an ANF local service club at <a href="https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/" aria-label="Link https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/">https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/</a>
Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at <a href="https://normalfolks.org/10-level-challenge/" aria-label="Link 10LevelChallenge.org">10LevelChallenge.org</a>

This State Is Solving The Foster Care Crisis (Here's How)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a13380bc-fd80-4100-baa6-b49500265c1b/transcript

The number of Americans with no close friends has increased fivefold since 1990. But this isn't just a loneliness crisis. It's a community crisis. And the data suggests we may be further from fixing it than we think.

In this Shop Talk, Bill dives into a striking report on the collapse of American friendship and reflects on what it reveals about the way we live today. Fewer close friends, shrinking social circles, and young men who are more likely to call their parents than a friend when life gets hard. The numbers are sobering, but the solution might be closer than you think.

This one isn't just about what's broken. It's a reminder that community doesn't build itself. But, the good news is that we have the power to start building community today, right where we are.

ARMY ACTIONS

Subscribe to the podcast and rate & review us!

Signup to join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org

Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks

Join or start an ANF local service club at https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/

Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at 10LevelChallenge.org

The number of Americans with no close friends has increased fivefold since 1990. But this isn't just a loneliness crisis. It's a community crisis. And the data suggests we may be further from fixing it than we think.
In this Shop Talk, Bill dives into a striking report on the collapse of American friendship and reflects on what it reveals about the way we live today. Fewer close friends, shrinking social circles, and young men who are more likely to call their parents than a friend when life gets hard. The numbers are sobering, but the solution might be closer than you think.
This one isn't just about what's broken. It's a reminder that community doesn't build itself. But, the good news is that we have the power to start building community today, right where we are.
ARMY ACTIONS
Subscribe to the podcast and rate &amp; review us!
Signup to join the Army, visit <a href="https://normalfolks.org/#newsletter-cta">NormalFolks.org</a>
Follow us on social media @ArmyofNormalFolks
Join or start an ANF local service club at <a href="https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/">https://normalfolks.org/service-clubs/</a>
Take The 10 Level Challenge, "the hero's journey for service" at <a href="https://normalfolks.org/10-level-challenge/">10LevelChallenge.org</a>

America Is Running Out of Friends 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5ba292aa-8dbd-4408-adb1-b4900131c3df/transcript

More than half of Americans are socially disconnected. But what if the problem isn't so much that we've forgotten how to connect—it's that we've stopped building the kinds of communities where connection naturally happens?

In this thought-provoking conversation, Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Aaron Hurst, founder of the U.S. Chamber of Connection, to explore one of the largest challenges facing America today: the collapse of real human connection.

After spending his career helping others build community, Aaron had a startling realization at age 50—he had very few close friends himself. That personal wake-up call launched a nationwide mission to understand why so many Americans feel disconnected and what ordinary people can do to rebuild community.

Together, Bill and Aaron discuss:
The six simple ingredients every thriving community needs
Why serving together is one of the fastest ways to build lasting friendships
Practical ways you can strengthen your community such as joining the "Welcome Committee" or starting a local Chamber of Connection 

This isn't just a conversation about what's broken—it's a blueprint for rebuilding the relationships and communities we all need. If you've ever wished you felt more connected or wondered how to make a real difference where you live, this episode is for you.

Learn more and take action: ChamberofConnection.org 

More than half of Americans are socially disconnected. But what if the problem isn't so much that we've forgotten&nbsp;how to connect&mdash;it's that we've stopped building the kinds of communities where connection naturally happens?
In this thought-provoking conversation, Coach Bill Courtney sits down with Aaron Hurst, founder of the U.S. Chamber of Connection, to explore one of the largest challenges facing America today: the collapse of real human connection.
After spending his career helping others build community, Aaron had a startling realization at age 50&mdash;he had very few close friends himself. That personal wake-up call launched a nationwide mission to understand why so many Americans feel disconnected and what ordinary people can do to rebuild community.
Together, Bill and Aaron discuss:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>The six simple ingredients every thriving community needs</li>
<li>Why serving together is one of the fastest ways to build lasting friendships</li>
<li>Practical ways you can strengthen your community such as joining the "Welcome Committee" or starting a local Chamber of Connection&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
This isn't just a conversation about what's broken&mdash;it's a blueprint for rebuilding the relationships and communities we all need. If you've ever wished you felt more connected or wondered how to make a real difference where you live, this episode is for you. Learn more and take action: <a href="https://www.chamberofconnection.org/">ChamberofConnection.org</a>&nbsp;

Why Half of America Is Socially Disconnected—and What You Can Do About It (Pt 1)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/488ec8c7-c531-48e3-86fc-b48e003e9cfa/transcript

How Paying Attention Could Help You Save a Life

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