The Morning Thing continues our highlights on Knox County Ministries. Today, we shared a conversation with Abby Almodovar, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator with Starting Point.
Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the picture link below.
She shared about the many services that Starting Point offers to the community. These services are available for both women and men. They are free and completely confidential. The ministry is located at 11 Woodlake Trail in Mount Vernon. Their website is www.friendsofksp.com
WNZR’s Daniel Russell talked with Vicky Howard Johnson about Pure Desire, a ministry dedicated to helping people overcome sexual brokenness, shame, and isolation.
Click HERE or on the picture link below to hear the full conversation!
Through its programs and resources, Pure Desire helps individuals navigate challenges involving addiction, abuse, and betrayal. The ministry encourages people to seek support, find community, and begin the journey toward healing.
Vicky shared about Pure Desire’s eight-week introductory class, which began October 13 at Lakeholm Church of the Nazarene. Those interested in learning more about the ministry can visit puredesire.org, where they can find podcasts, counseling services, and resources for men, women, and students. Vicky also encouraged prayer for those struggling to be open and honest about their experiences and to seek the help they need. Pure Desire’s mission is to help people move beyond shame, find healing through community, and become whole in the way God intended.
WNZR’s Brock Hankins talked with Connie Jackson, Kids Ministry Director, and Jon Whisner, Senior Pastor of the Church at Chapel Hill, about the church’s upcoming Fall Fest 2026!
Click HERE or on the picture link below to hear the full conversation!
he event will take place Sunday, October 18, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at 7530 Johnstown Road in Mount Vernon. The church began using an additional 11 acres of land purchased four years ago to serve the community and share the love of Jesus with local families. Connie also shares her personal story of attending the church’s Trunk or Treat and how that experience helped change the direction of her life.
Fall Fest will feature Trunk or Treat, a Touch a Truck experience with Mount Vernon first responders, a photo booth, hayrides to a pumpkin patch, 16 carnival games, and an inflatable obstacle course. More than 700 pumpkins and gourds will be given away, and food trucks will be available for visitors to enjoy. The event is made possible by more than 75 volunteers, local businesses, and community supporters who have contributed sponsorships, pumpkins, prizes, and other resources. Connie and Pastor Whisner hope families will enjoy the activities, connect with others, and experience the love and welcome of the church.
WNZR’s Daniel Russell talks with Kandee Popham, Executive Director of Place 4 Grace, about the ministry’s mission to support pregnant women in need!
Click HERE or on the picture link below to hear the full conversation!
Place 4 Grace provides maternity housing and walks alongside women as they work toward finding safe housing. Located at 790 Fairgrounds Road, the ministry strives to help women find shelter and access the resources they need for everyday living.
Place 4 Grace is also preparing to move its thrift store to 156 North Norton Street, where the organization plans to expand and continue serving the community. The ministry is currently looking for employees and volunteers who share its heart for serving women in need. Community members are also encouraged to pray for Place 4 Grace as it seeks dedicated team members to support its mission.
WNZR’s Daniel Russell talks with Dave Maggert from Afterglow Christian Mission House about the ministry’s mission to build friendships and lead people to Jesus!
Click HERE or on the picture link below to hear the full conversation!
Located at 114 East Gambier Street in Mount Vernon, Afterglow serves the community by providing meals seven days a week. Breakfast is served daily from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., offering practical support to those in need.
In addition to meals, Afterglow Christian Mission House provides emotional support and hopes to add Bible studies and support groups in the future. The ministry encourages community members to get involved and help support its mission. To learn more, visit afterglowmissionhouse.com or find Afterglow Christian Mission House on Facebook. Community members are also encouraged to pray that the ministry continues to serve others with God’s spirit of friendship and wisdom.
Click HERE to learn more about Afterglow Christian Mission House!
Domestic violence can affect anyone, and recognizing the warning signs can be an important step toward helping someone find support. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart spoke with Halle Fike, Director of Programs for New Directions of Knox County, about the organization’s work and an upcoming community event, “Change the Story: Gabby’s Untold Story.” Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the picture link below.
New Directions of Knox County serves as the area’s domestic violence, rape crisis, and human trafficking center. The organization provides emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis line, advocacy, hospital and court accompaniment, ongoing support for survivors, and prevention education throughout the county.
Fike also oversees the organization’s prevention team, which works with young people in nearly every school in Knox County. Through these programs, students learn about healthy relationships, personal boundaries, consent, and ways to recognize unhealthy behaviors.
Sharing Gabby Petito’s Story
“Change the Story: Gabby’s Untold Story” will take place Wednesday, October 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Woodward Opera House in Mount Vernon.
The event will feature Nicole Schmidt, Gabby Petito’s mother, and Tara Petito, her stepmother. They will share more about Gabby’s life and reflect on warning signs they recognized in hindsight following her death, helping attendees better understand the complexities of domestic violence and the importance of recognizing concerning behaviors.
Although Gabby’s story received national attention, Fike explained that many victims and their families never receive the same level of recognition. The event emphasizes that every survivor has a story that matters and that domestic violence is not always obvious to those outside the relationship.
The program will also include a local community panel and the voice of a survivor, connecting Gabby’s story with the experiences, resources, and challenges within Knox County. The discussion will explore how the community can recognize warning signs, support survivors, and work together to prevent domestic violence.
Recognizing the Warning Signs
Fike emphasized that domestic violence is often about patterns of power and control rather than isolated incidents. Warning signs may include extreme jealousy, monitoring a partner’s phone or location, controlling finances, limiting someone’s freedom, or isolating them from friends and family.
Friends, neighbors, and loved ones may notice these behaviors before a person experiencing abuse feels comfortable talking about them. Learning to recognize these patterns can help people respond with care and concern.
While October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Fike stressed that education and prevention must continue throughout the year. Conversations about healthy relationships, consent, boundaries, and warning signs can help people recognize unhealthy dynamics and understand where to turn for help.
Supporting Survivors with Compassion
One of the most important messages Fike shared is the need to listen to survivors without judgment, believe them, and offer support without pressuring them to make decisions before they are ready.
Leaving an abusive relationship can be a particularly dangerous time. Instead of telling someone what they must do, friends and family can offer a listening ear, help them explore their options, and remind them that they do not have to face the situation alone.
Fike also encouraged anyone experiencing domestic violence to reach out to New Directions, even if they are not ready to leave a relationship or make a police report. Advocates can listen, discuss available options, assist with safety planning, and connect individuals with community resources while respecting their decisions.
New Directions of Knox County’s 24-hour crisis line is 740-397-HELP (4357).
Every Voice Matters
Fike hopes attendees leave “Change the Story: Gabby’s Untold Story” with a greater understanding of how domestic violence affects individuals, families, workplaces, and entire communities. She also hopes they feel empowered to make a difference.
Changing the story does not always begin with a major action. It may start by speaking up when something is not right, learning to recognize warning signs, believing a survivor, or simply being present when someone needs a person who will listen.
Everyone has a role to play in building a safer, healthier community, and every person deserves to be heard and supported.
Community members are encouraged to attend “Change the Story: Gabby’s Untold Story” on Wednesday, October 28, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Woodward Opera House. Registration information is available on the New Directions of Knox County website atnewdirectionsknox.org and through the organization’s social media pages. You can also register HERE.
To learn more about New Directions’ services or speak with an advocate, call 740-397-HELP (4357).
WNZR thanks Halle Fike and New Directions of Knox County for helping raise awareness, encourage important conversations, and support survivors throughout our community.
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart got to talk with Lacey Filkins, Executive Director of Experience Mount Vernon, about downtown events and upcoming community activities.
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click the image at the bottom of the blog!
Lacey looks back on a successful 2026 First Friday season, which welcomed more than 15,000 visitors to downtown Mount Vernon. She highlights the expanded Kids Zone, popular passport program, live entertainment, and community participation. Lacey also shares how the events helped support downtown businesses while creating fun experiences for families throughout the summer. She talks about the 6th Annual Johnny Appleseed Fall Festival, taking place Sunday, October 11, at the Schnormeier Event Center in Ariel-Foundation Park from 3 to 5pm.
Lacey also mentions the activity zone for this year includes different exciting events at ariel foundation park for the Johnny Appleseed fall festival. They have more room for this event and she highlights events like hayrides, face painting, balloon animals, pumpkin painting, fishing, antique tractors, and a petting zoo featuring animals from Traveling Acres. Entertainment includes a Bluegrass band Blue Diggity will provide live music inside the event center, creating a festive autumn atmosphere.
Food options available at the Johnny Appleseed Fall Festival include different food trucks featuring local favorites, sweet treats, funnel cakes, drinks, and Mexican street food. You will be able to park at various lots around the Schnormeier event center and around ariel foundation park or walk from a local lot to the park. Lacey thanks the many sponsors and community partners who help make the festival possible each year and she goes into detail what each partner provides to this event.
Lacey shares details about the upcoming Winter in Downtown season, themed “Holiday Movie Magic,” and she’s excited to see what different people bring to events. She talks about Shop Small Saturday, the first event in the Winter in Downtown series. The lighting of Public Square kicks off soon on Monday November 30 from 5 to 6pm. The annual Christmas Parade is moving to Sunday December 6 which leans into the theme of Holiday Movie Magic. Visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus on that same day on December 6 and December 12. The Festival of Lights kicks off on December 12 till December 15. Lacey explains how the expanded schedule will provide holiday-themed activities throughout November and December while continuing to support downtown businesses and encouraging residents to shop locally.
Lacey explains Experience Mount Vernon’s mission of creating a vibrant downtown through events, beautification, business support, and community engagement. She discusses maintaining hanging baskets, holiday decorations, sidewalk maintenance, and promotional efforts for downtown merchants. Lacey discusses the organization’s purchase of a permanent home at 10 East Vine Street and shares plans to move into the new downtown location before the end of the year. You can stay connected through Experience Mount Vernon’s website experiencemv.org, monthly newsletter, and social media channels for updates on downtown events and activities.
The 57th Annual Dove Awards are airing on Friday, October 9th at 7:30pm on TBN! To celebrate, The Morning Thing co-hosts share their favorite Dove Award nominated song!
Click HERE to listen to the hosts Friday Favorites, or click the image below!
These were the hosts’ favorites songsfrom this year’s list!
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart got to talk with Lisa Lloyd of the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon about the annual Coats for Kids campaign.
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click the image below!
Lisa shares her history with Kiwanis, dating back to her high school Key Club involvement, and explains the organization’s mission of serving children throughout Knox County. She talks about how the Mount Vernon club focuses on helping local families and discusses the long-running Coats for Kids program, which began in 1987 and has provided more than 20,000 coats to children in the community.
Lisa explains how community members can donate coats at nearly 40 collection sites across Knox County, including schools, banks, health agencies, and community organizations. She also discusses the partnership with Gault’s Plaza Cleaners, which cleans every donated coat at no cost before they are distributed through the Salvation Army and Interchurch to families in need. The collection runs throughout the entire month, collection ends on October 31st.
Click HERE for a complete list of drop-off locations for the kids coat collections!
Lisa also talks about how the collection has been going on for 40 years and they have collected over 20,000 coats over the 40 years that they have been doing this collection They have a need for all coat sizes because many teens wear adult-sized clothing. She highlights the ongoing need for warm winter coats in Knox County and encourages businesses and offices to organize their own collection drives to support local families. She talks about how people ask about the drive in august and the excitement and need always exists. Kids grow out of coats, or they get damaged, and the need never ends.
Lisa encourages listeners to find collection locations through the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon Facebook page and also shares other upcoming Kiwanis projects, including a chili supper fundraiser, the Boots for Kids campaign, Salvation Army bell ringing, and helping with Food for the Hungry. Lisa also explains how people can become involved with the club by attending meetings and serving alongside other community volunteers or checking out their website at knoxcf.org.
Click HERE to learn more about the Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon and their Coats For Kids Collection!
WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart talks with Brit Eaton, the new Executive Director of the United Way of Knox County!
Click HERE or on the picture link below to hear the full conversation!
Brit shares what led her to the position and how her decades of nonprofit consulting, ministry work, marketing, communications, mental health advocacy, and teaching prepared her for this new opportunity. She has also been a three-time published author and spent 18 years as an adjunct professor at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Brit officially began her new role on September 28 while continuing to teach at MVNU.
As the United Way of Knox County celebrates its 75th Anniversary, Brit is looking forward to an exciting year focused on bringing the community together. This year’s campaign theme is “We Stand United, We Live United,” with a goal of raising $1 million to support local nonprofits and meet growing needs throughout Knox County. Brit discusses special plans for the anniversary campaign, donor opportunities and recognition, and the importance of individuals, families, businesses, volunteers, and donors working together. She also shares her immediate goals of connecting with partner agencies, donors, volunteers, and community leaders, and encourages those interested in getting involved!
