Air1 Radio News

By Richard Hunt After Robert Sherill’s mother and stepdad got a divorce, Robert found himself living in what was known locally as the “Dodge City” public housing project in Nashville. The nickname pretty much says it all, a real rough neighborhood. In time, Robert pursued money – he sold drugs. But that caught up with him and he did 5 years in prison. On the other side of confinement, Robert is a changed man, an entrepreneur, a man of faith, and dedicated to helping teens and those being released from prison to pick the right path to life and success.

Air1's Billie Branham talks with Sammie Vance about her Buddy Bench project and how she helped create more than 150 benches

By Richard Hunt It was 2003. Nearly 200,000 American troops were in Iraq. Among those was West Virginia soldier Mark Bland. He and other soldiers were so encouraged to get mail from students back home, kids they didn’t even know, who wished them well, and some promised to pray for them. 17 years later, Mark is making a concerted effort to connect with those who wrote him to thank them for thinking about him so many years ago. And those kids are grown-ups now. This is a vert heartwarming story!

By Richard Hunt People helping people: Artist-designed fridges are stocked with healthy food. It’s free. Just open the door! People in many geographic areas reside in what are termed food deserts. “Food deserts are areas throughout the country that have less access to a grocery store … or, if they do have a grocery store, supermarket next by, they're not providing fresh vegetation for the community,” explains Fania Celestin, the Director of Development for the Buddy System Community Fridge Initiative in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

By Richard Hunt Principal Brian Lile, Muhlenberg South Middle School in Kentucky, came up with the ‘Challenge’ to help teachers jump-start their day. And their positive attitude can be contagious to students at a time when that unwanted disease contagion has changed life so much. Teachers take part in a wide variety of games like Let’s Make a Deal, Deal or No Deal, and Press Your Luck. But Brian shares, “Not all of our prizes are good prizes…” (uh-oh)

Air1's Monika Kelly chats with Pastor Stephen Wilson, Prison Campuses Pastor for Gateway Church in Texas. Pastor Stephen and his wife started a prison ministry years ago and now, in partnership with Gateway Church, they've set up four behind-bars prison campus churches where the inmates serve one another and are discipled. These men are met with open arms by Gateway Church members when they're released and loved and supported.

Dogs who sign up with Canines for Christ take car rides with their families to visit sick people in cancer wards, lonely people in nursing homes, stressed people in police stations, forgotten people in prisons and anywhere else tails need to wag. “Our dogs have been able to break through depression to assure people that God really does love them and care for them,” says Chaplain Ron Leonard. “Most of us know, people that pet dogs, the dog provides comfort, they get happy when they do -- and so we wanna make people happy.”

The co-founders of Pittsburgh Aviation Animal Rescue Team (PAART) didn’t set out to use their 1974 Piper Warrior to relocate dogs from overcrowded shelters, but one phonecall back in 2009 changed the game. Plesset and Childs eventually adopted the motto, “No Dog Left Behind,” and combining their love of flying with their love of animals they created a non-profit network of shelters and pilots.

By Richard Hunt Operation Sing Again specializes in getting hymn-filled DVDs to nursing homes and care facilities free-of-charge, and the results can be wonderful! “I’ve talked to several people who are in the senior care line of work and they tell me that the part of the brain that houses music and rhyme is the last part of the brain to deteriorate from Alzheimer’s or dementia. So even when people can’t have a conversation with you, they will respond to music or singing,” shares Gerald Wolfe, who saw his own dad trying to sing. “And that’s the last memory I have of being with him, trying to sing, ‘Amazing Grace.’”

By Richard Hunt 9,000 professionally planned church-cooked meals (so far!) have blessed townspeople, schools, and frontline workers in the Olathe, Kansas area. Realizing Journey Bible Church possessed a commercial grade kitchen, professional Chef Greg Reynolds teamed with church staff to launch what would become "The Kindness Kitchen.” To date, thousands of healthy free meals have been provided to single moms, those in need, and frontline workers, but also those who just needed some encouragement. In one case, they were able to bless a single mom and her 12 children! There’s a constant stream of reliable volunteers to keep the food blessing rolling. “Even people who are maybe a little more skeptical towards religion, towards a church, when they see the light shining, they want to get in on it. We have people daily, calling us or just showing up to serve, and they say ‘I saw something about this’ or ‘My neighbor got a meal from you. I just want to see what’s going on here’ - and you know what, they’re doing

People who are strugging with mental health recieve support through the Betty Hardwick Center. Air1's Felipe Aguilar talks with Betty Hardwick Center Crisis Counseling Coordinator Nikki Parkhill and Mental Health First Aid Outreach Coordinator Sandra Lang KAGT Abilene, TX (All Rights Reserved – Educational Media Foundation 2020)

By Richard Hunt It’s not unusual to use props to illustrate a lesson from Scripture. But a horse? At his horse stable business near rural Grove, Oklahoma, former Pastor Steven Dyer is very active on YouTube. Video topics include “Wild Mustang Challenge” and “Teaching a Pony to Not be Afraid.” With deep experience and plenty of patience, Steve demonstrates various ways to befriend and train a horse. But as he works with horses, he is constantly reminded of God. “The more I’m around horses, I see the beauty of how they are created and how we interact with them.” There’s a definite backstory to that video teaching. “I guess I got the idea for that from when I was a teenager and people would say, ‘God says don’t do this…and God says don’t do that.’ And I remember thinking, ‘God must not want me to have any fun’ (he laughs)…"

Their mission says it all, "To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens." Air1's Becky Hansen talks with Boys and Girls Clubs of Dundee Township CEO Drew Glassford

By Richard Hunt 2020 was a hard year. And it’s encouraging that many found hope and comfort in the Bible. Pastor Bobby Gruenewald, with Life.Church, founded the YouVersion Bible App, which has been downloaded by 450-million people worldwide and remains free-of-charge. Learn why people picked this particular verse, Isaiah 41:10.

By Richard Hunt Pastor Luke Barnett was on an 800-mile hike along the Arizona Trail with his daughter, Annalee. They were on the long trek to raise awareness and funding for a Dream Center project in Colorado City, once home to an infamous polygamous leader. Just past 500 miles into the hike, Luke and Annalee climbed down at a tricky point on the trail and saw a boulder start to move! Luke immediately went into dad mode and pushed his daughter out of the way, “thinking I could get out of the way as well, but it caught me.” There’s a very happy ending and an incredible sign of God’s provision that links directly to a Bible verse promise.

The official mission of 4-H is to, "provide meaningful opportunities for all youth and adults to work together to create sustainable community change. Air1's Becky Hansen talks with Brittney Ivey, Harris County 4-H Coordinator and County Extension Agent with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service​ KHJK Houston, TX (All Rights Reserved – Educational Media Foundation 2020)

Air1's Joel Reagan spoke with Genea Stoops, President and Director of Hooves & Paws Rescue of the Heartland. KIMI Malvern, IA (All Rights Reserved – Educational Media Foundation 2020)

By Richard Hunt “If God made us…who made God?” That’s one example of the many questions Dr. Kevin Jones has been tasked with answering. The questions come from kids and the response needs to be appropriate for children in the elementary school age bracket. The kids’ curiosity about faith is part of a three-year video mission for LifeWay’s “The Gospel Project,” a curriculum used by many churches and Christian schools. If you’d like to hear how Dr. Jones might respond to the question: “If God made us…who made God?,” click on our podcast for that and much more about this encouraging project to help kids come closer to Jesus.

The digital age exposes modern kids to bad news and bitter opinions their parents never knew. The pandemic made a dire situation even worse. The barrage of mystifying information crowds their minds along with the other pressures of growing up. This can drive kids to anxiety, depression or even suicide. Air1's Monika Kelly gets advice from child mental health experts.

By Richard Hunt ‘We teach that—no matter how scary or hard it is to be in a new place or separated from a parent—God will be there to help.’ To come alongside the millions of children whose parent (or parents) serve, the American Bible Society’s specialized branch, Armed Services Ministry, has launched “Hero Squad.”