Buzz4Good! Nonprofits + Marketing

Buzzing about "The Angel Effect" & R.A.M. House

On today’s show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill introduces a new segment, The Angel Effect, which is being produced in partnership with Angels of Assisi. Based in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, Angels of Assisi is a nonprofit Community Pet Clinic & Adoption Center whose mission is to create a world where every pet in our community gets the care they need and a home they deserve. So we kick off this new segment with a conversation with executive director Lisa O'Neill and development director Carol Jessee. And just a few hundred feet down the road from Angels of Assisi is the new home of R.A.M. House (Roanoke Area Ministries), a day shelter for Roanoke’s unhoused population. Michael shares a tour he got of RAM House’s Jain Care Center from executive director Melissa Woodson as she and her staff prepare for an open house and ribbon cutting on Sept. 25. Mark your calendars for this amazing community celebration.

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Buzzing about House of Bread

On today’s Buzz4Good, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill is buzzing about … bread! Specifically the nonprofit House of Bread, based in Roanoke, Virginia, that helps women who are struggling to overcome a past of addiction, abuse, incarceration and other challenges by teaching them to bake bread alongside a caring community of volunteers. House of Bread is holding its first annual Bake Off fundraiser on Sept. 19. Listen as Michael talks with House of Bread program coordinator Lisa Goad. We also share some of our newest BUZZ television show that stars Calfee Community and Cultural Center, a revitalization of an historic African American school in Pulaski, Virginia. That episode airs Wednesday, August 26, at 7 pm on Blue Ridge PBS.

Buzzing about Harvest Time & Historical Preservation

Today’s show is yet another reminder of the breadth and depth of the powerful work that nonprofits do to build better community for us all. If you have a garden you know it’s almost harvest time, so BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill shares a conversation with Mo McGonagle, director of the Roanoke Foodshed Network, about its work strengthening our region’s agricultural ecosystem that now includes a Food and Farmers Trail. We also share a nonprofit engaged in the historical preservation of an iconic Roanoke, Virginia landmark, Fishburn Mansion, aka Mountain View, and a new concert series this fall called The Fishburn Sessions. And lastly, a personal project inspired by a nonprofit we featured on BUZZ back in 2021 — Christiansburg Institute. One hundred and sixty years ago, Black Americans in this Appalachian corner of Virginia rose up from slavery and segregation to create a school whose reputation stood alongside Tuskegee, Hampton and other sentinels of Black education. But now external threats from the Trump Administration and in-fighting among its descendants – assault allegations, mental health breakdowns, strokes, and in May 2026 a headline-grabbing lawsuit – threaten to destroy its inspirational legacy. Michael has written a book about CI’s history that he’ll start releasing on Substack on Thursday, August 13, We share a bit of that book in hopes you’ll be inspired to subscribe (for free and all you need is an email address).

Buzzing about the power of POWHR: Environmental Justice nonprofit's win over Mountain Valley Pipeline

On today’s show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill is buzzing about the power of POWHR (Protect Our Water Heritage and Rights). Whenever nonprofits have to go up against big for-profit companies it’s often like David vs. Goliath … but with David lacking any stones for his sling. But recently a Southwest Virginia environmental nonprofit used its power to successfully stymy – for now at least – construction of a massive 25-acre, 136,900 hp compressor station that Mountain Valley Pipeline wanted to build in a rural section of Montgomery County. Michael chats with POWHR community organizer Crystal Mello – who prefers to describe herself as the local cleaning lady and a nanna — and double Hokie Seferina Olivo, who is POWHR’s community science manager, about POWHR’s fight against Mountain Valley Pipeline … and its work to establish environmental justice for Southwest Virginia.

Buzzing about GiveLocalNRV nonprofit giving day

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill is buzzing about one of his favorite days of the year, a day that celebrates more than 130 nonprofit organizations in the New River Valley of Virginia: GiveLocalNRV kicking off at noon on June 24 and ends noon on June 25. It’s a 24-hour fundraising marathon coordinated by our good friends at the Community Foundation of the New River Valley, which seeks to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the nonprofits that serve the NRV. To talk about the day and its impact, Michael chats with Community Foundation assistant director Lindsey Gleason-Reed. We also talk with a new nonprofit that helps children who struggle in a traditional academic environment: Why Not Workshop.

Buzzing about Law Enforcement's SHIELD Chaplaincy

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill talks with the founder of SHIELD Chaplaincy amidst this week's tragic killing of Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputy Logan Utt. Just before Utt's May 29 shooting death, the nonprofit SHIELD Chaplaincy reached out seeking some buzz for its work helping law enforcement officers throughout the Roanoke area handle the trauma and stresses of their work so that they can better serve our communities and their families. Listen to our conversation with Darren Potter, founding chaplain of SHIELD Chaplaincy.

Buzzing about Refugees, Immigrants and Commonwealth Catholic Charities

On today’s show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill is buzzing about Commonwealth Catholic Charities ... specifically its vital role welcoming to our communities some of the most incredible and inspiring people you’ll ever meet, though they're increasingly under attack by our very government: immigrants and refugees. Michael chats with the nonprofit’s Khalefia Dungee, volunteer extraordinaire Beth Ruffing, and Samim Noorzad, whose amazing journey from his native Afghanistan to Roanoke, Virginia, is sure to uplift you. Learn more about an upcoming CCC event for which Michael is providing some ... buzz!

Buzzing about College Access Nonprofits

On today’s show BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill buzzes about about college … and the unaffordability of it for too many high school graduates who are getting ready to walk the stage this month and receive their diplomas. Thankfully some nonprofits have stepped up to work on this issue, and we speak with two that are headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia: Project Discovery and Friends of the Blue Ridge!

Buzzing about The Bridge Institute: Nonprofit Community Mediation and Restorative Justice

Conflict is natural, but can be painful, so on today show's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill chats with Chelsea Cleary, program manager of The Bridge Institute, a nonprofit resource center that provides mediation and restorative justice for individuals, families, neighborhoods, and businesses in Roanoke Virginia. In increasingly unsettling times, The Bridge Institute helps people resolve conflict and create healing. Listen to Chelsea's personal journey of family trauma, and her tips on how to bridge challenging relationships in a world that increasingly seeks to divide us.

LEAP-ing into Spring with Farmer and Food Nonprofit

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill is buzzing about food ... specifically a Roanoke, Virginia nonprofit dedicated to supporting farmers and fresh, local food for all: the Local Environmental Agriculture Project, aka LEAP. LEAP is celebrating another milestone – a harvest if you will – on April 14 when it cuts the ribbon to a new $250,000 pavilion at its West End Farmers Market. Michael chats about that and all of LEAP’s incredible projects and program with executive director Maureen McNamara Best, a true buzz4good.

Buzzing about Sleep in Heavenly Peace founder Luke Mickelson

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill buzzes about ... beds! Specifically a nonprofit founded in Idaho that builds and provides free beds for low-income children: Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Luke Mickelson founded Sleep in Heavenly Peace in 2012 in his garage. Today, it's a $25 million operation with more than 400 chapters throughout the U.S. and world, including here in Roanoke, Virginia. Michael was buzzing to connect with Luke because of his nonprofit’s mission ... and, unbeknownst to Luke, the impact that Sleep in Heavenly Peace had on creating Buzz4Good! Not only does Luke share his founder story, but also offers lessons for other nonprofit founders whose organizations outgrow themselves.

Buzzing about Defending Democracy and being On Our Own

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill buzzes about Defending Democracy, founded in Blacksburg, Virginia, in response to what organizers say is the increasing authoritarianism of the second Trump administration. Michael chats with Virginia Tech professor emeritus Jim Bohland, and asks how Virginia Democrats' redistricting effort squares with Defending Democracy's mission. Regardless of your political affiliation, you'll want to listen. This week BUZZ also began production on a new episode starring On Our Own of the Roanoke Valley, a drop-in center in Roanoke that is open 365 days a year for people struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Michael shares his conversation with executive director Robin Hubert about the nonprofit's work and her personal journey from addiction to recovery.

From addiction to inspiration: Joey Donovant's journey to founding nonprofit SML Gives Inc.

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill is buzzing about SML Gives Inc. SML stands for Smith Mountain Lake and the nonprofit SML Gives Inc. works to fight, poverty, hunger, and homelessness for the impoverished families and individuals living around the otherwise relatively wealthy lakefront property communities. Michael talks with founder, executive director and president Joey Donovant, who has an incredibly inspiring story to share about his own personal journey through addiction and pain that led him to found the nonprofit. We also share our newest BUZZ episode highlighting the incredible work that has been done in Franklin County highlighting the 70 African-American men who bravely fought for the union and freedom in the Civil War in the United States Colored Troops. The Franklin County NAACP recently unveiled a new statue honoring this history, and we featured this ceremony in our newest BUZZ, which is now available on our YouTube channel.

Nonprofit Schools for Different Gifts: Buzzing about Noah-Christian Academy & Shepherds College

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill buzzes about two very different nonprofit educational institutions that are sure to tug at your heart, hopefully your wallets, and that nearby box of tissues to wipe away a tear from your eye. Michael talks with two parents from the tiny Noah-Christian Academy in Salem, Virginia that works with PreK through 2nd grade children who have struggled in traditional schools. And he visits with the nonprofit Masterpiece Alliance, which provides community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Masterpiece Alliance has formed a new partnership Shepherds College, a first-of-its-kind college in Wisconsin that offers higher education and workforce training for the community that they serve.

Buzzing about Black History Month

On today's show, BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill is buzzing about Black History Month. A couple of weeks ago we premiered our newest episode starring Harrison Museum of African American Culture as it moves into its new home at Melrose Plaza in Roanoke. Here we share the audio of that episode hope you’ll go to our YouTube channel to watch it in its entirety. Or better yet, go visit the museum for yourself! Speaking of Black History Month, our next new BUZZ stars the Franklin County NAACP, which recently unveiled a new statue in Rocky Mount, Va., honoring the 70 Black men born in the county who fought for the Union and freedom in the Civil War as members of the United States Colored Troops. We were there for the unveiling – a spectacular day that actually included a video tribute from NBA great Steph Curry, who has family from Franklin County.

12 BUZZes buzzing! Top 12 moments of 2025

Merry Christmas! Yes, yes, we know it’s at least Jan. 3 if you’re listening to this, but in celebration of the 12 days of Christmas, on today’s show BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill shares 12 BUZZ highlights from 2025 in anticipation of even more BUZZ here in 2026. We’ve gone back through the nearly 40 BUZZ episodes and BUZZ Live! shows we produced in 2025 and selected these 12 moments that highlight nonprofits that engage in everything from Black history, animal welfare, refugee and immigrant opportunities, Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities, poverty, literacy, unplanned pregnancies, and so much more. It’s what we love about nonprofits: they literally do everything! Merry Christmas!

Buzzing about Wicked Festival, Williamson Road, Elimisha Kakuma

Something wicked this way comes on today's Buzz4Good. On Nov. 6 Radford University hosts The Wicked Festival in which hundreds of students grapple in public presentations with our world’s wickedest problems. BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill chats with Paige Tan, Radford University political science professor and festival director. Michael also share some "sneak listens" to two new episodes of the TV show BUZZ starring the nonprofits Greater Williamson Road Area Business Association and Elimisha Kakuma. Elimisha is the Swahili word for "educating." Kakuma is the name of a refugee camp in Kenya that is home to 300,000 people who have been forced to flee war and violence in their home countries. Why are we buzzing about Elimisha Kakuma? If you’re a Virginia Tech Hokie fan, you will want to listen.

Buzzing about On Our Own mental health nonprofit, and former Virginia Tech football coach Brent Pry

Today BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill buzzes about On Our Own of the Roanoke Valley, a nonprofit drop-in center that strives to improve the quality of life of people with mental health/substance use issues. We speak with executive director Robin Hubert, who knows all too well the need for such a place as she struggled for years with depression, alcohol abuse, and attempted suicides. Michael also bids farewell to a real buzz4good, Brent Pry, now former head football coach of Virginia Tech. He was featured in our 2023 BUZZ show starring The Hokie Way. He is a class act and a great representative of not only Virginia Tech but Southwest Virginia as a whole.

Buzzing about Blacksburg Refugee Partnership

On today's Buzz4Good, creator and host Michael Hemphill is buzzing live from the historic Lyric Theatre in downtown Blacksburg, Virginia, to feature the inspiring people who serve, and are served by, the Blacksburg Refugee Partnership. Blacksburg Refugee Partnership is an organization run entirely by community volunteers who believe all humans have the right to a safe, peaceful, happy home. They connect displaced families to the resources and ongoing support they need to successfully plant roots here in America.

Buzzing about The Athena Award: Conversations with 3 finalists about women in leadership

BUZZ creator Michael Hemphill buzzes about the Athena Leadership Award, given by the Roanoke Regional Chamber that celebrates women who have achieved the highest levels of professional accomplishment while giving back to their communities and actively investing in the success of future leaders. Today Michael chats with the three finalists – all exceptional women who helped build BUZZ – about leadership: Melissa Woodson, executive director of RAM House and the star of one of our first episodes we produced in 2020. Renee Brown, President and CEO of DePaul Community Resources, who has previously appeared on this show. Becky Freemal, who generously served as host of our pilot BUZZ in 2019 and this year helped launch BUZZ Live! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - FOLLOW US: F A C E B O O K ➜ http://facebook.com/buzz4good​​ I N S T A G R A M ➜ http://instagram.com/buzz4good​​ L I N K E D I N ➜ https://www.linkedin.com/company/buzz4good Y O U T U B E ➜ http://youtube.com/c/buzz4good W E B S I T E ➜ http://buzz4good.com​​ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The United States has more than 1.5 million nonprofits — from homeless shelters, food banks and rescue squads to children’s choirs, science museums and animal refuges — that employ one out of every 10 Americans. Like any company, nonprofits have salaries and bills to pay, a budget to balance. They require money. And if enough people don’t know about them, don’t believe in them, don’t support them — in short, if they lack BUZZ — they suffer and die.