Category: Inspirational

WNZR talks with members from Hospice of the Western Reserve!

We got to sit down with Tara Severence and Danielle England from the Hospice of the Western Reserve! Tara and Danielle provide us with information about themselves, their organization, and all the services they provide. They also detail their open house they have coming up, where you can learn about hospice, meet team members, and check out their new facilities!

Hospice of the Western Reserve Invites You to an Open House 

Mount Vernon, OH— Hospice of the Western Reserve in Mount Vernon (formerly HNCO/Hospice of Knox County), invites you to join us for an open house event on August 21, 2025 from 11am-3pm. 

HNCO/Hospice of Knox County was acquired by Hospice of the Western Reserve on August 1, 2024. We are an Ohio-based non-profit organization dedicated to end-of-life care in the community for over 40 years. This partnership allowed us to expand our services and comprehensive care. 

The open house is an opportunity to bring the community together to learn about our hospice and palliative care services, meet our local team members, and to see our newly renovated space. 

During the open house you can enjoy local food trucks, music, and light refreshments while touring our facility and learning about the care, comfort, and support we provide for patients and families. A table of informational materials will be available as well as goody bags for the first 100 visitors. 

We will also share ways you can make a difference as a volunteer. 

On the Rise Bar-B-Que and Round Hill Dairy will be selling and serving food and ice cream from their food trucks. The local band Side Effects is scheduled to perform from 11am-1pm followed by Granny Creek from 1pm-3pm on our back patio, a relaxing space with a beautiful view of nature and a granite water fountain. 

All are welcome to attend! 

Hospice of the Western Reserve is located at 17700 Coshocton Road in Mount Vernon. We are just past the health department on the right-hand side of the road. There is a big blue sign in our yard that you cannot miss! 

To RSVP or for questions, contact Tara at 740-507-0072 or tseverance@hospicewr.org. 

To learn more about their organization, click HERE!

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Being open to let God work!

Today on The Morning Thing, we focused on Serendipity Day! We looked at it through a Christian lens as we know God works in incredible and surprising ways, and we came up with 8 things each of us can work on to be more open to this kind of God!

Recognizing and being open to a serendipitous God — one who moves in unexpected, surprising, and grace-filled ways — involves cultivating a mindset, a heart posture, and some daily practices that create space for divine presence in the ordinary and the unforeseen. 

Here are some of the best ways to open yourself to this: 

1. Practice Attentiveness 

  • Slow down: Serendipity is often missed in busyness. 
     
  • Cultivate a habit of noticing: small joys, coincidences, encounters, beauty, and nudges that may be divine in nature. 
     
  • Ask: “What is this moment trying to show me about God?” 
     

“Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; but only he who sees takes off his shoes.” 
— Elizabeth Barrett Browning 

2. Let Go of the Need for Control 

  • Be willing to release rigid expectations about how God “should” act. 
     
  • Stay open to mystery, ambiguity, and the unconventional. 
     
  • Recognize that interruptions may be invitations, and detours may be sacred. 
     

3. Cultivate Wonder and Curiosity 

  • Instead of seeking answers, seek encounter. 
     
  • Be curious: Why did that person come into my life? What is unfolding here? 
     
  • Welcome the unexpected with openness rather than fear. 
     

4. Engage in Reflective Prayer or Journaling 

  • Ask questions like: 
     
  • Where did I see God today? 
     
  • What surprised me? 
     
  • What felt like more than coincidence? 
     
  • Keep a “God of Surprises” journal. 
     

5. Trust in Divine Timing 

  • A serendipitous God is often a God of timing, not just outcomes. 
     
  • Learn to embrace delays, disruptions, and waiting as potentially sacred pauses. 
     

6. Surround Yourself with Stories of Serendipity 

  • Read scripture with a lens for divine surprise (e.g., Ruth meeting Boaz, Paul’s detour to Macedonia, Mary’s unexpected yes). 
     
  • Listen to the testimonies of others and how God met them unexpectedly. 
     

7. Be Willing to Act on Gentle Nudges 

  • When you feel prompted to reach out, speak up, help, pause — do it. 
     
  • Serendipity often requires participation. 
     

8. Hold Theology Loosely, Hold God Tightly 

  • God is not always confined to our doctrines or expectations. 
     
  • Stay rooted in God’s love and character, but allow the form of His movement to surprise you. 

To learn more about Serendipity Day, click HERE!

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Praisestock is here!

WNZR gets to talk with Ben Staats and Dave Ewert from the team at Praisestock! They share with us all of the information on this year’s Praisestock event. There will be speakers, worship, ministries you can visit, and a ton of events for kids! Your not going to want to miss this year’s event.

To learn more about Praisestock’s mission and their annual event, click HERE!

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WNZR talks with members of the TAC about the annual Color for a Cause Race!

We got to chat with several members of the Teen Advisory Counsel about their program and the upcoming Color Run! Their members tell us all about the TAC, why they are involved, and they highlight the fun event coming this weekend!

To learn more about the TAC or their Color Run, click HERE!

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WNZR learns about Habitat for Humanity’s amazing ministry!

We got to sit down with Terry Schulz and Sarah Scott from Habitat for Humanity! They tell us all about Habitat’s mission and goals to help in our community.

They also highlight their new Welcome Home Ohio Project which is in the works right now and will help numerous people. There is a lot of work going into right now and it is for a great cause!

To stay connected with their ministry, click HERE!

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It’s Back-to-School Time!

Today on The Morning Thing, we had mixed feelings about sharing some back-to-school content! It is always a bittersweet moment.

We had the opportunity to share some great tips for you and your kids when it comes to getting back in the groove of things. Today, we highlighted how to deal with anxiety and how to make the first day of school easier, as well as how to develop good sleep habits for your young students.

We will share more of these on the show tomorrow!

To see the full list of tips click HERE!

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The Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival Kicks off Today!

The Mount Vernon Music Festival kicks off today and runs through Sunday.

Click HERE to hear all of Thursday’s Interviews!

We talked to a number of folks associated with the festival about the entertainment, music, food and fun:

  • Joe Rinehart who serves as Board Chair
  • Noelle Walton, Festival Director
  • Trina Trainor, Board member
  • Ashley Smith, KidsFest Coordinator

Click HERE to learn more about the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival!

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WNZR joins Women United to pack backpacks and tour the new Salvation Army “Learning Lighthouse”

Today was an exciting day at the Salvation Army in Mount Vernon. A group of Women United joined together to pack 300 backpacks for the Salvation Army. Women United is an affinity group of the United Way of Knox County Ohio comprised of passionate women who offer their time, talent and treasure to improve lives throughout Knox County.
After packing backpacks for local students, the ladies had the chance to tour the new Salvation Army 13,270-square-foot childcare center called “The Learning Lighthouse”.

Captain Christine Moretz shared a timeline for opening the new center, plus an update on fundraising.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the link below. Pictures from the event are also included below.

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Conversations with our 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award recipients!

Congratulations to the the city of Mount Vernon, Ohio, Volunteers of the Year for 2025.
These outstanding volunteers were announced and recognized by Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr at August First Friday. They tell us more about what they do in our community and give us some advice on getting involved!

Here is some more information on each of them:

• Paul Acitelli, who died on June 18 of this year, consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to helping others, particularly individuals with disabilities. In addition to adopting a family every Christmas through the Salvation Army or Interchurch Social Services of Knox County, he continually raised thousands of dollars to support disabled people in need of housing assistance, utilities or to fund recreational access via pool passes.

• Heather Barbour, the physical education teacher at Twin Oak and Columbia Elementary Schools, has been responsible for bringing many sports programs and activity initiatives to Mount Vernon. She’s done this through her volunteer work with Lifepoint Church, the City’s Recreation Board and more. Bicycling is a priority for her, and she has helped many kids learn how to ride a bike via the All Kids Bike program and as the bike safety coordinator for Mount Vernon’s Safety Town.

• Jeff Williams and Courtney DeCosky, through their Nellie Six Productions, have made a huge impact on the arts scene in Mount Vernon and Knox County. Within just a few short years, they have turned the Summer Front Porch Concert Series into one of the City’s top cultural events of the year. As founding members of the Kokosing Valley Arts Alliance, they have worked to create opportunities and remove barriers for local and regional artists to develop and share their art.

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The City of Mount Vernon honors employees

The City of Mount Vernon hosted a luncheon on Thursday 7/31/25 to honor their employees. The Workforce Development Employee Awards honored our city workers for their dedication to make Mount Vernon a fantastic place to live and work.

Workers reaching milestones were honored – from 5 years up to 30 years of service. The retirees of this last year were recognized. Also, new employees were announced.

Congratulations to Jonny May for 30 years of service. He works in the Public Works Department.

Click HERE to hear Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr share comments on this special event.

You will find pictures of the event and a list of our wonderful City Employees below.

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