Army of Normal Folks

In this Shop Talk, Bill and Alex dive into the odd history of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows - one of the largest organizations most Americans have never heard of. At their peak, they had over a million members and thousands of lodges across the country. They cared for widows and orphans, built hospitals, and more than 800 cemeteries. And then, slowly, they disappeared.
If you've ever wondered why community feels harder to find than it used to - or why civic life seems to be quietly fading - this episode might be the most important conversation you hear this week. It's a history lesson that hits surprisingly close to home.
ARMY ACTIONS
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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

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 out of every 3 Americans carries medical debt. It's the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the country - and the single greatest predictor of whether you end up in it isn't your income or your insurance. It's whether or not you get sick.
Allison Sesso is a normal person leading an abnormal (and awesome) nonprofit doing something about it. Undue Medical Debt has erased nearly $50 billion in medical debt for over 31 million people!
In this episode, she breaks down exactly what to do if you get a bill you can't afford, why you should never put medical debt on a credit card, how debt collectors acquire debt for pennies on the dollar, how they’ve flipped this very same model on its head to abolish debt, and how you can partner with them to erase a crazy amount of medical debt in your community.
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
Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 out of every 3 Americans carries medical debt. It's the #1 cause of bankruptcy in the country - and the single greatest predictor of whether you end up in it isn't your income or your insurance. It's whether or not you get sick.
Allison Sesso is a normal person leading an abnormal (and awesome) nonprofit doing something about it. Undue Medical Debt has erased nearly $50 billion in medical debt for over 31 million people!
In this episode, she breaks down exactly what to do if you get a bill you can't afford, why you should never put medical debt on a credit card, how debt collectors acquire debt for pennies on the dollar, how they’ve flipped this very same model on its head to abolish debt, and how you can partner with them to erase a crazy amount of medical debt in your community.
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
Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

53% of Americans ages 18-29 say talking to strangers is exhausting. But small interactions with everyday strangers actually make your life more meaningful. In this Shop Talk, Bill and Alex dig into why everyday human connection has declined and how you can integrate it into your life. This one is a reminder that community isn't always built through grand gestures, it starts with just saying hello. You weren't designed for isolation, you were designed to be in community with others.
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
Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Economic mobility has dropped 45% in recent decades. The American Dream - doing better than your parents did - is getting harder to reach. But Leigh Mansberg and Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South are doing something about it. In this conversation with Bill, Leigh breaks down how Junior Achievement uses experiential learning to unlock economic mobility for kids K-12 - and why giving a child hope might be the most important thing a community can do. This episode will change how you think about education, opportunity, and what it means to invest in the next generation. This episode is for everyone who wants to see the American Dream continue on through future generations.
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

Support the show: https://www.normalfolks.us/#join
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.