Neighbourly: Real Stories of Care and Community

Hosted by CareImpact

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178

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Sep 2026

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About the show

Neighbourly is a warm, story-driven podcast hosted by Shannon Steeves. Every two weeks, Shannon sits down with a guest to share honest stories of ordinary people offering extraordinary care. Each episode also includes a short Neighbourly Headlines reflection, highlighting a Canadian story of neighbours showing up in meaningful ways. You’ll leave encouraged, grounded, and equipped with one simple step you can carry into your own life.

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60 recent

September 29, 202631 min

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Special (Revisited)

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description What does reconciliation actually look like in our everyday lives? For the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we're revisiting a conversation from the Journey With Care archives that feels just as important today. In this episode, you'll hear Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices wrestle with one question: What does reconciliation mean to you? Through stories and reflections from Jim Thunder, Jennifer Mason, Karen and Howard Jolly, Jared Ross, Ray Aldred, Joel Calabrese, Melissa Spence, Lyn Dyck, Dr. James Robertson, Wendi Park and others, we explore reconciliation through the lenses of Indigenous identity, residential schools, faith, the Church, treaties, forgiveness, friendship and community. These aren't voices offering one simple answer. Instead, they invite us to listen, learn and consider what reconciliation might ask of each of us. You'll hear about the importance of learning the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action, examining assumptions we've inherited, listening to Indigenous perspectives, acknowledging painful history, and building genuine relationships with one another. As we mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we're making a little room to pause, reflect and, most importantly, listen. Clips taken from the following episodes: Jim Thunder | Making a Ruckus with Pope Francis https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/jim-thunder-making-a-ruckus-with-pope-francis Dr. James Robertson | Uncovering the History of the Canadian Church https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/dr-james-robertson-uncovering-the-history-of-the-canadian-church Jennifer Mason | I'm Not God's Mistake https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/jennifer-mason-im-not-gods-mistake Karen Jolly | "Maybe I'll Wear My White Buckskin Before Jesus" https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/karen-jolly-maybe-ill-wear-my-white-buckskin-before-jesus Decolonizing Your Mindset: Small Steps to Engage with Truth and Reconciliation | Joel Calabrese https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/decolonizing-your-mindset-small-steps-to-engage-with-truth-and-reconciliation-joel-calabrese Melissa Spence | Resilient and Strong https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/s01e05 The Settled Stranger | The Stranger Among us With Guest: Lyn Dyck https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/the-settled-stranger-the-stranger-among-us-with-guest-lyn-dyck From Trauma to Freedom: A Story of Healing and Redemption | Jared Ross https://player.captivate.fm/collection/944f3c3c-e727-4801-9513-bd760394ade9 Decolonization, the Bible, and Indigenous Spirituality | Ray Aldred https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/decolonization-the-bible-and-indigenous-spirituality-ray-aldred Beyond Good Intentions | Guest Host Dr. James Robertson Interviews Wendi Park on CareImpact and CarePortal https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/beyond-good-intentions-guest-host-dr-james-robertson-interviews-wendi-park-on-careimpact-and-careportal The Estranged Indigenous | Loving The Stranger Among Us With Guest: Howard Jolly https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/the-estranged-indigenous-loving-the-stranger-among-us-with-howard-jolly A Previous Episode for the Day for Truth and Reconciliation Learning Everyday: A Powerful Father-Son Story of Reconciliation and Prayer Through Dance https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/indigenous-dance-reconciliation-and-cultural-identity-rayne-pasqua-and-kevin-harris 94 Calls to Action https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

September 16, 20265 min

Summer Speedos | Field Note: Porch Pause

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description What if the most neighbourly thing you could do was simply to be available? This reflection takes us to a front porch, where two people watch the street and do nothing in particular. Their quiet presence raises honest questions about availability, interruption, and the ordinary soil where real care grows. Sometimes, gentle acts of showing up can mean more than any plan or program ever could. Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

September 2, 20264 min

Summer Speedos | Field Notes: Driveway Conversations

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description Why do the most honest moments come just as we’re saying goodbye? Neighbourly Producer, Johan walks through his neighbourhood and notices the small, surprising doorways that open in ordinary driveway conversations. This story lingers in the space between leaving and staying, inviting us to pay attention to what can emerge when we slow down and really listen. Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

August 19, 20265 min

Summer Speedos | Field Notes: I See You Trying

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description How do you know when to step in, and when to let someone find their own way? This story traces the uncertain space between holding on and letting go; the way a parent hovers, ready to catch, but knows they also need to step back. Through everyday moments of encouragement and wobbly first tries, we see how care sometimes means offering steady presence instead of solutions. Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

August 5, 20265 min

Summer Speedos | Field Notes: The Secret Cost of Rushing

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description The story is simple: a group moving at the speed of its slowest member, stopping for rocks and untied shoes. What emerges is a quiet meditation on pace, noticing, and the dignity of waiting for each other — at home, in church, in the neighbourhood. Care rarely fits a schedule, and sometimes loving well means adjusting our plans. In this conversation, Johan Heinrichs wonders who might be getting left behind by the pace we keep, and invites us to notice where care is happening at a slower speed. Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

July 22, 20264 min

Summer Speedos | Field Notes: Trash Bins

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description Summer Speedos is Neighbourly’s short in-between-season series while Shannon takes a break from regular interviews. Hosted by producer Johan Heinrichs, these episodes mix outdoor field notes and story-driven reflections that help us notice the ordinary ways care, faith, courage, and community show up around us. Sometimes loving your neighbour looks like a deep conversation. Other times, it looks like picking up a bin, pulling recycling back from the curb, bringing in a package before the rain, or sending the classic suburban warning text: “Hey, your garage door is open.” This short episode is a reminder that care does not always need to be big to be meaningful. Often, it starts with noticing a small burden and making someone’s day a little lighter. Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

July 8, 20265 min

Summer Speedos | Field Notes: Long Grass

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description Summer Speedos is Neighbourly’s short in-between-season series while Shannon takes a break from regular interviews. Hosted by producer Johan Heinrichs, these episodes mix outdoor field notes and story-driven reflections that help us notice the ordinary ways care, faith, courage, and community show up around us. What story do we tell ourselves about someone else’s messy yard—or their messy day? Johan Heinrichs shares a simple encounter with long grass, and how quickly curiosity can give way to quiet judgment. As questions linger, this story sits with that unsettled space between what we see and what we don’t know, where care and dignity begin to take root. Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

June 24, 20268 min

Summer Speedos | History Field Notes: Endurance

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description Summer Speedos is Neighbourly’s short in-between-season series while Shannon takes a break from regular interviews. Hosted by producer Johan Heinrichs, these episodes mix outdoor field notes and story-driven reflections that help us notice the ordinary ways care, faith, courage, and community show up around us. In this Story Field Note, Johan takes us into the frozen world of Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition, a journey that did not unfold the way anyone expected. What happens when the plan changes, the way forward disappears, and the only thing left to do is keep going? This episode reflects on endurance as more than survival. It is about courage, community, and the steady kind of care that helps people hold on when life becomes uncertain. Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

June 10, 20265 min

Summer Speedos | Field Notes: Empty Chair

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Description Summer Speedos is Neighbourly’s short in-between-season series while Shannon takes a break from regular interviews. Hosted by producer Johan Heinrichs, these episodes mix outdoor field notes and story-driven reflections that help us notice the ordinary ways care, faith, courage, and community show up around us. In this first field note, Johan reflects on an empty chair he notices while walking through the neighbourhood. It may mean nothing, but it also raises a gentle question: who used to be part of our rhythm, and now seems to have quietly disappeared? This episode is an invitation to notice the people who have gone quiet, stepped back, or faded from view, not with suspicion, but with care. Sometimes a simple check-in can remind someone that their absence was noticed and their presence still matters. One Small Step Think of one person who has been less present lately, then send a simple, no-pressure message to let them know they are noticed and not forgotten. Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate

May 27, 202634 min

Curious Instead of Furious | With Alicia Freeman

Partner with work of CareImpact and Neighbourly! https://careimpact.ca/donate Curious Instead of Furious: Creating Safety in Overwhelming Moments What does it look like to care for someone well when their emotions feel bigger than the moment? In this episode of Neighbourly , Shannon sits down with Alicia Freeman , a CareImpact trainer whose journey through foster care, adoption, and trauma-informed learning has shaped the way she understands safety, presence, and compassion. Alicia shares why trauma care is not only for foster and adoptive families, but for everyone, everywhere, especially those who want to care well in their homes, churches, and communities. Together, Shannon and Alicia talk about what it means to stay curious instead of furious, how to respond when someone is overwhelmed, and why sometimes the most loving thing we can offer is not a solution, but our steady presence. In this conversation, Alicia reflects on a recent training at a pregnancy resource centre, where a moment of disagreement became a deeper opportunity for listening, humility, and shared learning. She also offers practical ways to help children, youth, and adults feel safer when they are dysregulated or overwhelmed. This episode is a gentle reminder that care does not have to be perfect to be powerful. It just has to be present. In This Episode Why trauma-informed care matters beyond foster and adoptive families How curiosity helps us move from defensiveness to empathy What it means to create emotional safety in a room Why the urge to fix can get in the way of true care Practical ways to support someone who is overwhelmed How churches can care well without rushing people toward easy answers Why presence, patience, and dignity matter in the messy middle A Small Step This Week Think of one person in your life who may be carrying more than you can see. Before offering advice, try starting with curiosity. Ask a gentle question. Listen a little longer. Resist the urge to fix it too quickly. Sometimes the most neighbourly thing we can offer is simply to stay present. Time Stamps 04:17 Starting foster care and adoption journey 07:41 Training at the Pregnancy Resource Center 10:57 Navigating overwhelming emotions workshop 14:25 Staying confident and calm during discussions 17:27 Helping people find their personal why 23:13 Importance of Curiosity and Empathy 27:16 The power of just being present 29:43 Role of Church in Trauma Care Guest Links careimpact.ca/alicia Other Links Join The CareImpact Podcast Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PgzJWfkq9/ Reach out to us! https://neighbourlypodcast.ca Email: podcast@careimpact.ca About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with the most vulnerable: careimpact.ca/donate