From Local Service To Global Impact: Inside Modern Humanitarian Missions

Today, I sit down with Morgan DeNicola to discuss what modern humanitarian work truly looks like beyond social media narratives and surface-level aid. We explore how volunteering—both locally and internationally—builds real human connection, addresses mental health, and strengthens communities when done with humility, respect, and long-term commitment. Ms. DeNicola shares how her early exposure to service evolved into global philanthropic leadership through family-led foundations and international partnerships.

In this conversation, we break down common misconceptions about humanitarian missions, particularly in Africa and Eastern Europe. Ms. DeNicola explains how infrastructure, education, and cultural systems in many countries are far more complex than most people assume, and why listening to communities—not imposing solutions—is the foundation of ethical service. We also discuss trauma recovery in post-genocide regions, rehabilitation programs for former militia members, and how forgiveness-based reintegration models challenge Western ideas of justice and punishment.

We also cover how global suffering directly impacts local economies, mental health, and stability, even for those who believe international issues do not affect them. Ms. DeNicola outlines practical ways anyone can get involved—from local volunteering to vetted international organizations—without needing large financial resources. We close with an honest discussion on burnout, self-care for helpers, and the importance of sustaining service through prayer, reflection, physical health, and meaningful human connection.

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Transcript

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another episode of Couple of Nukes. As always, I'm your host, Mr. Whiskey, and on the show, we've talked so much about fostering human connection. We talk about how podcasting does that, how television, the entertainment industry, reading, art, But there's a way to foster human connection that we haven't really covered before on the show, even though it is a huge part of society, of community building, of mental health, and that's volunteering, giving back.

We've had a couple of nonprofits on the show, but today we're going to get into helping other countries. You know, we start with our own community. But we can branch out beyond that to around the world where there are a ton of people suffering, whether it's food, water, resources, education. And we are here today with a woman who is fighting very strongly to help other countries, to help those people who are in those circumstances.

So,  Mrs. Morgan DeNicola, so glad to have you here today.  Thank you for having me. I'm excited to, uh, have an in depth conversation on how to help others.  For sure. So let's start with who you are and some of the work you've done in the past and how you got. Onto this path to begin with. Okay. Um, I started with a small charity group that actually my parents are serial entrepreneurs and we all started to want to give back to the communities around us.

So we started small and local. Um, very important to keep. You know, your connection with your local community. So it started out as this little group called Cosmo Cares, and it gained so much traction, um, that we decided to create a family foundation because we've been very blessed, very lucky in all of our endeavors.

So we wanted to keep building and keep giving back, and we created our family foundation called the Denicola Family Foundation.  And through that, we've teamed up with different groups around the world that do things from, you know, planting trees, digging water wells, and a lot of cultural, um, we bridge gaps between, like, cultural misconceptions of that nation.

And our nation and we start to learn more about the real needs, not just what we hear on the Internet or on the news, but from the people themselves, the needs. So we've we've given food to different communities. We've done a lot with nature. We've helped build schools. We've done movies that actually promote different cultures that have kind of gone around the world.

So there's, there's a lot that we've been involved, very lucky to be involved in. Um, and we, we continue to keep, keep growing.  So would you say you were kind of born into a community that was already built on helping others?  Um, no, my parents started their business at Same way as a lot of people did from like garages, the ground up, um,  along and they were kind of still building what they were doing.

And I left and went off to college to figure out what I wanted to do. I actually went to school to be a teacher. Um, and then I came back and was helping them a little bit with marketing and didn't jump right into teaching. And through that, I was lucky enough to be invited to go overseas. Africa to see an orphanage.

And that was when I realized I came back home and I was like, we, we need to be doing more. We were all already doing some, some small things, but we, we knew how lucky we were. And, um, so as our businesses grew, we. Really wanted to get more into the philanthropic world. Um, so it was, it was a gradual build.

It wasn't just born into it. It became a side passion. Um, and we, we all just kind of got the bug, the fire to just keep wanting to help the people around us.  Right. I think it's interesting. I've seen a lot of times where people think that they're meant to be a teacher, but it's a broader, you know, role.

It's actually just those qualities of being a leader and an educator in ways outside of the classroom. And that's what you're doing now with the podcast casting and all your work. So you talked about cultural misconceptions, especially when it comes to these third world countries and other countries.

And you've mentioned working in Africa. So can we start there? Because a lot of us have a lot of preconceived, you know, concepts about the situation in Africa, you know, America's involvement when it comes to stuff like that. So can you kind of tell us from your personal experience, what it's actually like and what you're doing with that? 

Absolutely. Yeah, there is, you know, I think a lot of people, when they think Africa, they still think huts and tribes and there, there are those. Uh, around, but it's not so much that way. Like I was just in Rwanda and Rwanda is really kind of leading the way in their infrastructure, their internet cell phones work everywhere.

They have  cities that are equal to ours. Um, and I, I think that is always a surprise. You think going into Africa that, you know, dirt roads, but no, it's, it has the same bigger cities have the same infrastructure as us. They. Have the same cultural norms as we do going to work. It's just little differences.

And then once you go outside of the city, you know, that's when you see, um, a little like the way the structures are built are different, but it's still that community, that sense of helping one another, um, And their education system is a little different, but it's the same way as it is in the United States, you know, you go outside of the cities, you see the school structures starting to change, you see the way homes starting to change, and even our culture in our own country  changes from place to place.

So I. I'm always surprised depending on where I go in Africa, I like to try to do a little research, but kind of take everything with a grain of salt until I'm actually on the ground and with the people and not just going to those main Attractions, but really, you know, becoming friends with the people in the communities and they kind of show you I like to say behind the curtain of what the needs are and what's really going on.

But, um, I've noticed that in many places, even Poland, something, you know, you have those. Concepts of how poland would be but then you go there and it's it's very different once you Actually are engaging with the communities there. I think that's the big difference Than just seeing you know, somebody's instagram.

That's a tourist It's a lot  Right. He actually reminded me of, I had to think of it for a minute. My buddy in the military, he introduced this term to me a couple of years ago, which was urban expansion and the, uh, the way that cities develop layer by layer, branching out toward,  you know, the richer, the center of the city and then getting urbanization and urbanization.

Less and less as it goes outward and  there are you know theories on about how it can be very bad If not planned out properly so that kind of same thing where like you said we see that in the states where you know Like Atlanta Charleston, you can go to any of these major cities. You have the center of the city You've got the outskirts you've got beyond that so I completely agree with that and like you said the education system we've seen You know, just from north to south, east and west, how that is so different across America, and so in other countries as well.

And so,  do you have any trips planned back to Africa in the future?  Um, I'm hoping to get back out to Rwanda. Um, I was out there to learn a little bit more about they had, um, a tragedy of the Tootsie genocide in, I believe it was 93 and we were learning how over the years they've been still dealing with that and how they've been coming together communities to, to overcome those things. 

You know, in the United States, we've had a lot of conversations about the concept of, of genocide and what that really means and what that really entails. And it's very different when you go to a place that,  that's experienced it. Right. And to hear the stories and sit next to somebody who's lived through it.

Um, So I hope to get back to Rwanda. I have a good amount of friends there, and there's always a ton of cultural programs going on that are fascinating that we also as Americans benefit from learning from their experience, so I'm hoping to get to Africa. But I think the next one that I might be going on is, um, a congressional delegation to Uzbekistan.

So that's that's a little bit different. I also work with different members in government. Ben. Also kind of education that I bring them to different parts of the world and about what they're doing, how we can benefit, how we can help our American embassies in that country. So it's a lot of, again, those cultural conversations and how we can benefit one another and really learn from one another.

So that will be my next one. I've never been in that part of the world. So that will be a new one for me.  It's very interesting to me because we talked about preconceived, you know, conceptions about this kind of work before and when most people think of Africa, they think that you're building, you know, clean water systems, you know, education, all that, but you're talking about, you know, mental health and grief support and education through genocide, so I'd like to dive even more into that because a lot of people  Would, don't even know about that, you know, they wouldn't expect that, so I think that's something interesting, like you said, people are thinking you're going over there just to make clean water, but you're doing genocide grease support, so tell us a little bit more about that. 

Well, we, we do in, um, we have helped build schools and orphanages and things like that,  specific places, but yes, the, the learning about the griefs and bringing communities together, we don't normally think about that, but they, they still are overcoming a lot of issues because they still deal with, you know, the Congo and militia groups up there.

And so it's, There are these facilities that take people that have been in militias that have killed people and they try to,  they voluntarily left these militias. And what these communities are doing is they're kind of re assimilating  them, um, to the everyday life. Rather than just taking a person and being like, you've done something bad, we're gonna throw you in jail. 

What they do is they, they give them counseling, they teach them how to go back to being productive members of society and overcoming the things that they've seen and they've done, but how they can now spend the rest of their life helping build these communities and giving back to these other communities.

And it's very interesting because you will see. A neighbor who had a family member killed living next to the person who actually killed one of their family members. And they do this side by side because there needs to be like this forgiveness process. Yeah, yeah. And then how can we now work together to keep building?

And they, they actually weave these, these beautiful baskets and it's a symbolism of  coming together, weaving together. Right, right. Uh,  the, we, we can learn so much about that because I think as Americans, we focus on punishment and not really where these people have come from, but also on top of it, how they can still give, how there are different ways that people who are really remorseful, who really just got swept up in a movement or  misconceptions and false up.

You know, narratives and they believed that they really did. And then they realize, no, I was lied to. I, I was  really kind of  swept up in a movement or in fear to not become a part of it, but they want to give back and they are remorseful. So we have a lot that we can learn about, you know, it's not always a success. 

Obviously, they're not always a success, but  most of the time it is, and you see these, these people living side by side and building their communities, helping build homes, helping build schools, helping, you know, continue to expand their cities and their, their towns.  Beautiful. It is hard. It's it's still hard for the family members that that lost their loved ones.

It's a difficult thing for them, but they are also building this strength and this resilience and creating something beautiful so that it's a very fascinating thing to witness that they're continuing to do and even continuing to take the, you know, some kids who leave the Congo and allowing them into Malawi or Rwanda. 

And becoming part of Rwanda and accepting them and it's, it's fascinating to really watch.  You actually struck upon a conversation that I had a couple months ago with Noah Asher, former inmate, and he wrote a book about faith and prison and he's actually working with people in charge of the states and in America in general to work on reforming the prison system.

And what we talked about in the episode, which you've talked about here, is that What he saw was so many people ended up right back in jail, right back in prison because they got out, they had no money, no friends, they didn't know how to fit back into the community, and they just went back to what they knew.

He said he's working with, you know, the people in charge of Georgia right now and in other states as well, to make a, a program where the last few weeks of your sentence, or the last few months, you can go out and work a job or have, you know, these, Covered therapy sessions about like you said assimilating back into society like working on that right now All we have is that certain places of employment I think they get a benefit monetarily if they hire a former inmate or they're not allowed to discriminate But it's like is that really doing?

What we needed to do and it's not, it's not working because we have, I don't know, I don't have the numbers, but if you look at the percentage of how many people in prison end up back in prison, there's a high percentage of that. And again, it goes back to that. They got out and they're just an outcast. You know, they, and these are good people to some of them  You know, have thought about what they did or like you said, got swept up in something and they want to go back in.

I remember Noah Asher was talking about how he got out  and he didn't even want to leave the house because of, of who he  had been and he remembered. He shared that like the first day he went to the grocery store, someone spat on him, you know, like, and, and, and that getting back into society was tough. And you talk about  doing that now with people who were, who were killers.

You talk about genocide, you talk about family members and. If they can do that, how can we not do that with people who committed crimes far, far smaller, whether it was just robbing a store, or petty crimes. And again, all crime is bad, but how can we not try to have that level of forgiveness and welcoming back people into society?

I completely agree.  I would have never expected to, to think of that when I think of going to Africa on these humanitarian missions or even thinking about genocide in other countries, thinking about how are they Dealing with the forgiveness and moving past that. Absolutely, and you know, you kind of hit the nail on the head.

Um, a lot of times, if you're leaving doing something really awful. If you're leaving a situation where you messed up.  Not having anything to work towards to have a sense of pride or a sense of community. Why would you  try your hardest if you're not a part of it? If you're, you're, you know, kind of pushed away and shunned and towards anything that you can actually be proud of, or that's tangible?

Why? Then the question becomes, why wouldn't I just go back to my old behaviors? Why would I want to contribute to a society that doesn't accept me? And again, it's, you know, not everybody in the communities are right off accepting. You have to earn that, but they at least give you the opportunity to earn that back and to have a sense of pride and a sense of community.

If you give anybody an opportunity for that, people will try a lot harder and strive to really make their community the best because they're proud of it.  Yeah, it's like, you know, even first responders and military veterans, like we've seen that transition to the civilian world is there's a, you know, a loss of purpose of identity, how much more for former inmates who, you know, there's not like an American Legion of former prisoners, you know, as far as I know, you know, there's not a lot of publicly available and promoted groups to, to help support that, you know, a lot of people, you Unless they move and start life over, it's difficult for them.

And I, and like you said, a lot of them lose their family in the process. So that's a very interesting side of that human, humanitarian work. And aside from this, what I wanted to ask earlier, and this all ties into it, about what can America learn from this. But I did want to play a little devil's advocate.

And for those people who are listening, like, Why should I care about these other countries? Why do I care if they have genocide or they don't have water or food? I know there's plenty of people in America and in any country who have that kind of mindset about others and the idea of. Well, we should just be good human beings, just doesn't really register with them.

So, so what is your pitch to people who are kind of like doubtful or hesitant to be involved and care about all of this?  I love to say zoom out because we,  you know, with video games and the internet and I like to say we're, we're constantly playing this first player perspective. Yeah. Yeah. You can zoom out.

Zoom out. You, you have this.  Realization that everything impacts your community, even from a global, if these people don't have water or don't have food that is going to impact our community, whether it's we're sending food over there, which is a business.  Right. That's true. Global trade. And then there's global economics.

If there's a war, some people are going to profit from it. And some people are really going to hurt from it. And you're going to see that happen in our own country. Our prices of living, again, the things we're sending there, things we're costing. It is all so interconnected that when there is a place in the world that is suffering dramatically, we will either be pulled into it eventually. 

Because that's how we work, whether or not it's to benefit our own country, our own trade, our own economics, or from a sense of morality, like genocide, or something that will trickle down to us. Everything is interconnected, it's like weather, you know, it's weather, water, we are all so in touch with one another, we just don't realize it.

Because we're focused on the first person player, we're focused on what our struggles are, but sometimes our struggles are very connected to the struggles of another place.  So I, I like to say that, um,  if you don't have the opportunity or you want to be focused on your community, that's great, then do that, then focus on your community, but don't hinder the individuals that are trying to help multiple communities because  it's like a domino effect.

They're also trying to help you in the long run, so it's okay for you not to want to be a part of it, but don't hinder the people that are out there that are trying to do it on more of a global platform. Because my hope is to help you in your kitchen or, you know, at work or whatever it is or your kids that that is the ultimate goal,  right?

And I think, you know, one of the things I always talk about is especially, we know right now in America, politics are very dramatic and very, you know, engaged right now. And I hear so many people saying that, you know, what does our opinion matter? Because we're not the president and we're not a congress member, this and that.

And I always like to encourage that. If you can't have that impact on that huge level, then start where you can have power, which is in your local community, or online communities, or those smaller communities, and work your way up toward that. You know, you have to start somewhere if you don't have immediate access to those higher levels.

And I say, sometimes all we can do is focus on our community. You know what? Empathy and resources we can provide within that in that people are like, well, that's such a small change. But if everyone in their community is contributing to their local community. And then they're all working together, like you said, it's such a chain reaction, it's so interconnected, so I think it's so important to always remember that we always have some form and level of power, and it may not be that global scale like we want, but it is something that can start a whole reaction, so I think that's so important, and I want to address another issue that comes up when it comes to overseas humanitarian missions in these other countries, which is, some people feel like we're kind of forcing our ways on them.

We're not respecting their tradition and their culture. They don't want our help. We're kind of pushing it onto them. So how have you been received, you know, by these other countries? How have you seen other people being received? And can you talk a little bit about those stigmas?  Absolutely. When you first go into any place, you know, they, they'll see this blonde hair, blue eyed, white woman, you know, coming in.

And I think the first step is respect. Whatever culture it is, even if it's a culture that you do not agree with, even if it's something that you're like, this is the opposite of how I feel. Respect it. You're in somebody else's world. You're in somebody else's. Community and respect comes first. It's not I will respect them if they respect me.

No, it's you respect first. And once you do that and people are able to see that you are respectful and you're listening, I think that's a big thing is everybody wants to be heard. And when you're maintaining eye contact and not just talking, but really listening to what is your need  and being empathetic and compassionate, but also you're doing the work in your head, you're connecting dots, you're figuring out strategy, how can I help this person, you're, you know, you're going to work, but you're listening,  you people over time, open up their arms because they realize you're not trying to listen.

Profit from our tragedy. You're not trying to get attention from whatever it is that we're, we're doing. You genuinely care and you genuinely respect us. People will let you know what the real issues are. People will let you know what's really going on. Again, I like to say peeking behind that curtain.  You have to earn that right to look behind that curtain.

And people have to feel safe and comfortable with you. And that can take days, weeks, months. Years. Um, so you always have to be  ready for the long haul with relationships. It's like dating somebody, you know, you, you have to be able to build that trust and that connection. It's the same thing going overseas, but there have been times that I have not been well received and you know what, I still walked away respectful and I still walked away with a sense of there's something I can learn from this situation.

Here are things that I can do different.  And I know it's not an offensive  thing. It's not, um,  The intention isn't to hurt. The intention is to protect themselves. And I get that. You know, don't we all protect the things we love? Um,  so it's, it takes a lot of effort, a lot of listening. And eventually people will accept you.

And that's when you understand the cultural norms. That's when you understand, okay, this community, This community,  The women like being in the kitchen, or this community, they like this, it's not the way it is over here, and they're totally okay with that, great, how can I help you in another way? And you shifting gears, and not imposing whatever it is, but we all around the world have the same needs, you know, we wanna Yeah.

Drinking water, we want to eat, we want to have an education, we want to be able to be the best versions of ourselves. So you can take the cultural norms out of that  and know like people need food, people need schooling, people need homes.  And just go kind of at the ground level of making sure people can have clean drinking water and plumbing and an education system where they might have a better understanding of the fact that mosquitoes can give you diseases, you know, because that's not something that's commonly taught, but not changing any type of cultural.

Right, I totally  agree with all that, I like what you really said, like shifting gears and adjusting so that you can still best serve them without, you know, changing them and yeah, you got to keep in mind that you're competing with a lot of, they have preconceived conceptions about us as Americans, you know, about some of the worst of us and some of the best of us.

So, again, it goes, it's both ways that that goes, so building, like you said, that trust and then understanding why they're not receptive. So, for people who, Are ready to take that step to do more global humanitarian missions. How would you advise them to start? You know, should they just hop online and find missions?

You know, where should they go to kind of figure out how to do all of this?  Online is a great tool if you dig, you know, you can see what different organizations are doing but then make sure they're reputable, you know, you got to go go deep in it.  They're not imposing  wills or taking a very high percentage of donations and kind of, you know,  Distributing distribution of wealth a little.

Yeah, of course. It I think the internet is a great tool If you want to go on a global level because there are a lot of really great even smaller groups  that are doing incredible things and it can be aligned with whatever it is you like to do. So,  you know, if you're a Catholic, there's the Papal Foundation that's going around and doing some great things.

You know, there are different religious groups that align with your mission and how you feel about things, but also are doing great things. So you can go online. Do your due diligence. What do you feel a connection with? Is it water? Is it animals? Is it farming? Is it schooling? Is it religious? What is it to you? 

And then do your research on the the smaller go with the smaller groups. They're fun even though you feel like you're not changing the world I like to say that the You don't have to change the world. You just have to change the world for one person  and that's really where it's at.  Think about the time you're having the worst day of your life and a stranger smiles at you and you're like, Huh,  faith in humanity restored, you know, those little things  mean the world to people.

So I think that it's about not losing that sight of small acts of kindness change people's worlds.  So, find that little group that you, you know, feel, you feel like you did your research, they seem like they're, they're doing great things and could use a hand like yours. And find out how, how can I help this person?

Sometimes it's just writing letters.  Sometimes it's getting a bunch of socks, some, you know, it's all very tangible. If you're not trusting sending money, find groups that collect items.  That's a big thing. That's what our family foundation does. We don't write a whole lot of checks. We get procure items or connect you with other groups that are on the ground that can help you personally.

So, um, it's really kind of talk to yourself, see what you're passionate about, and there are plenty of groups out there that are doing it, that you can align with and find your own little community.  I completely love that, that, you know, you can find something that's aligned more with what you want to do.

And then I, like, like you said. Basically  You know, busting down all the basic excuses that we hear, which is, you know, I don't have the money to do it, or I don't trust, you know, sending money, I don't trust these organizations, or I don't want to build an orphanage, I'd rather do this. And like you said, We live in a day and age where there is a greater variety than ever before of opportunities to do something.

Like you said, whether religious or not, I know a lot of people think of the faith based ones where it's a mission and they're like, I don't want to convert people. Like you said, there are plenty of humanitarian missions that are Have nothing to do at all with religion. So like you said, finding that alignment and then most importantly, like you said, making sure that they're reputable, that they are a trustworthy organization that is doing what they're doing.

We also live in a day and age where there are more scammers than ever before. So Ladies and gentlemen, always be careful. We've had a great conversation. I definitely want to get more into what you do. I know we've talked about some future trips possibly, but I mean, what's your day to day looking like? I know you've talked about working with Congress and other countries and it's a whole lot going on plus podcast casting.

So tell us a little bit about the day to day life.  Um, I, I wear a lot of hats, like, like yours. Um,  I, my day to day is we do, every week we do local things in the Philadelphia area. Uh, sometimes we go out to Jersey, Tri State area. Um, but first we go, do local. So, that can be anywhere from putting washers and dryers in schools, backpacks, shoes.

Like I said, we like to, to give items. Um, but we ask. The schools what they need. We are also starting a Little kind of humanitarian plaque for elementary school kids  that if they're doing days of service, they can receive one of our awards and we will fund whatever it is that they're doing. Um, so we're starting that program.

So we're vetting a lot of different schools. We're seeing what kids are doing in their communities to make the world a better place are, uh. We also have a humanitarian award that was at the Super Bowl. We give a award to, well, several awards to different members of the NFL community that are giving back to their communities on Super Bowl weekend.

So we do a lot of humanitarian recognition and we're always looking for people who are doing incredible things and we're working on branching out into the sciences and health care to start. Also giving out awards in that area and helping fund some of the research and the programs with that. We are also helping, um, different hospitals find funds and, um, grow in the Philadelphia area.

We are continuing to work with different embassies around the world. That tell us U. S. embassies around the world that tell us the needs in the country that they're in and how we can get members of government that are able to go and listen  to come back and report and see how we can help  the relations between the U.

S. embassy and whatever nation that it's in.  So that's another one of the things I do. And I also sit on several boards, uh, a zoo board where I help continue to educate communities on the importance of conservation and helping protect animals around the world. And um, actually I sit on the board of a farm in New Jersey and it's trying to teach people the importance of Eating healthy and the you know, how farming is very important and how it's important to protect them as well So my day to day is just kind of seeing the need in my local and global communities Which luckily the internet has a ton of really good websites that you can go on and see what people are searching for and seeing Where I can help And connect those dots for, for people and where I can have a  really good impact, but also be hands on.

Like I said, we don't, we don't like to just write checks and run. We like to really see that any program we're involved in is sustainable and, and we, um, engaged with. So, uh. Like you had said in the beginning, I'm, I'm an educator trying to just be out there to recognize people, hear people, make people feel good, and recognize that they're trying to do good things in the world, locally, globally, and figure out ways to help them do it. 

For sure. I like you talked about the most important part to me is, you know, fostering human connection with the youth, you know, getting them involved with this, creating a sense of pride in doing this, of, you know, rewarding,  you know, moving past that to seeing the real reward, which is seeing the results of that work.

And I really like that you focus on the tangible items rather than money. I know it's what they put forward a lot with people who want to help homeless individuals here in the States, you know, um, Don't give them money, give them food or water if that's what they need, because  then you can actually see what it does compared to the money.

Like you said, you could just  give it and walk away, and you don't know if it actually had that effect. So I completely agree on that humanitarian global scale. And like we said, there's a bunch of websites out there, not just for around the globe, but for, like you said, your local communities, whether that's on Facebook or Google or however you're finding it, as well as the communities around you.

There's always something going on, so it's so important to volunteer and give back. And then, I want to bring up your website as well. Who should really check that out and why? You know, who should get in contact with you? And we'll have your social medias as well, where you post a lot of the work that you're doing.

Uh, yeah, absolutely. So, our, uh, website is the Denicola  Family Foundation. And you can actually contact, there's a contact us tab, and you can fill it out. And that actually goes directly to me. So, I will be receiving your emails. And I like to just hear what you're doing in your community and what you would like to see done.

And then I will get back to you and see if there's some way for us to help. Also, social media. My personal is Morgan Slyker Danicola. So you can find me on Instagram, Facebook. My Facebook and Instagram are also personal, so it's a lot of me cooking and with my animals, I apologize, but feel free to reach out and, and I'm a person, I understand the struggles of trying to get out of bed, trying to just feel seen, and I, I encourage people to just reach out and, and feel comfortable Talking with me.

What, what do you want to see? How are you feeling? What are you doing? And I will always be there to try to help encourage people to just be there for one another and little things that you can do that makes you  excited to get up and, and help somebody. So, I have an Instagram, Facebook, and the Denicola Family Foundation also has Instagram and Facebook and our website.

So, feel free to reach out.  Yeah, and you know, you touched upon there something so important, which is serving others, right? You talk about serving others every day, you talked about all the different ways you're doing that, but how are you serving yourself, and how are, how should other people who feel burnt out, you know, doing all these humanitarian missions, doing the volunteer work, you know, reaching out to people, how should they, you know, face that burnout?

How should they serve themselves, and how are you doing that?  It's interesting that you said that because there's definitely a lot of  noise, um, a lot of overwhelming feelings for me, for, I, I've had a lot of friends reach out and they're going through hard times and feeling like  lost or just overwhelmed, um, For me personally, I truly believe in the importance of meditation, um, or prayer, that I, your brain kind of does the same thing, and you're able to kind of calm yourself and slow down all those thoughts.

I think that that is insanely important when you're feeling overwhelmed, um, because you don't want to respond, you know, just react to things, you want to respond to them, and in order to do that you have to slow down your thinking and your heart rate. But I, I think it's also important to take care of your body. 

Eat something good for you. Work out when you can. Even if that means going outside and just walking around. Um,  and kind of disconnecting. Social media and TV and your phones can be a great tool. But it's also an algorithm. So, if you keep clicking on things, you're gonna get bombarded with those things that can get, you know, to be a lot.

You can, you know, get to a point that you feel so overwhelmed with the needs of the world. It's really important to disconnect from that stuff. Um,  and just be with you. Uh, I think that that's very important. And also, to know where you can go to vent. Venting is great if you have a good person to vent to.

Right, yeah. Make sure you surround yourself with good people and sometimes Just let it go  and let people be people and meet up with a friend and don't talk about any of it. Go eat some good food, get out, reconnect with good people  and remember why we're here, what we're doing. And that's for those, it's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's those little moments. 

Of connectivity. It's those little moments where you share a smile with somebody you know and have a great moment of connection. Don't lose sight of those, and if you're not having them, find them.  Find them. Don't turn inward and go to that dark place of everything's awful. If you feel like you're starting to do that,  go out. 

It's really, go be a part of the world and realize it's not all doom and gloom, it's not all awful, there are phenomenal people that you may not have met yet, and you're only gonna meet them if you go out, so it's knowing yourself, knowing when you're getting to that dark,  weird place, and knowing the little things, walking, working out, meditating, eating good, being around the right people, that will get you out of that. 

I completely agree with all of that, you know, at some point. In my youth, I was planning on writing a book called like the small blessings that add up because so many people just want a miracle and all these, these big examples of their life changing. And I was talking about those small blessings, get in the last parking spot, get in the last burger in a lunch line, you know, like there's small things in your day that make you happier.

Like you said, someone smiling and waving at you, you know, like.  We need more of that. I went for a run yesterday and one out of five people I passed actually smiled back when I said howdy. You know, like, people are getting so, like you said, sucked into their phone, into the, or just their own self. This first person, you know, so I think  taking that time to, to, Make those small blessings for yourself and for others and seeing those in this as, as we mentioned a world that seems to be completely chaotic and going in a wreck and knowing that it's, it's every day, you know, and again, that marathon mindset, like we've talked about my show when it comes to alcohol and addiction recovery  and, you know, content creation with podcasting or social media.

That, you know, you're not going to fix the whole world today or tomorrow or anywhere, you know, it's about doing small actions every single day to reach that end goal of creating a better community or environment. So, same thing with yourself as well, taking small steps every day to improve yourself and take care of yourself.

But overall, this has been a great conversation. I really appreciate you coming on the show. And, and. For me personally, it was a little bit of hope in my day, you know, that there are good people out there who care about others or fostering human connection and trying to make a change. So I highly encourage y'all listening to this, to do that as well, like we said, on any level that you can and to surround yourself with people who want to do that as well.

And if the people around you don't want to do that, you know, do your best to foster that human connection and engagement and get them involved in those small ways. You know, so many of us.  Are so hopeless right now and a lot of us just need a little encouragement And they need to see us do good in order to do it themselves.

So be that example as Mr. Nicola here is doing for us of going out there and making that change and then talking about it You know hosting conversations about it. So again, thank you for coming on the show today to do just that Absolutely. Thank you for having me. This was great