Good Morning Aurora
Toran Harris Sr. (Loose Change 2 Boost Change) & Gemita Jones (GEM) | Thursday | 9/12/2024
Good morning and happy Thursday! A new day and new guests, that's what we have for you this morning. Our guests today are Toran Harris Sr. & Gemita Jones representing two great organizations, Loose Change 2 Boost Change & GROW with GEM -Gratitude Empowerment Motivation Non Profit Organization. We've got much to discuss with our people and we are ready. Let's get ready to learn, here's the news:
- Our friends at NAMI KDK are currently hiring for 3 great positions! Part-time coordinators for youth and family, as well as a Manager of Development and Fundraising are being sought and interested candidates can apply online. NAMI KDK is very active in our community addressing mental health with solutions and advocacy, now is your chance to join an amazing organization. Visit the website here to apply and learn more about a future with NAMI KDK: https://www.namikdk.org/volunteer-1
- The Kids Expo hosted by the Office of State Representative Stephanie Kifowit will be Saturday, September 14th from 10 am to 4 pm at Phillips Park Aquatic Center! Our team will be there delivering helpful information and resources for families as well as our partners of the Aurora Financial Empowerment Center. Admission is free for this event and there will be many emergency vehicles for kids to explore as well as food and more! See the flyer for more details, see you there!
- There’s a new sweet business doing amazing things with the best Italian Ice around. Check out the menu of Dolci Chillz and be sure to visit them. Follow the page here on Facebook and stay tuned for more. Friends of ours.
Have a great rest of the day! Good Morning Aurora will return with more news, weather and the very best of Aurora. Subscribe to the show on YouTube at this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/GoodMorningAuroraPodcast
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- Broadcast on:
- 09 Oct 2024
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Get started at FordPro.com/financeing. I'm watching Good Morning Aurora, the second largest city's first daily news podcast. It's Thursday, the 12th of September, and we've got a nice beautiful day outside in sunny downtown Aurora. Whether you're on downer, benton, or indeed stulp, you're taking in a nice beautiful day this morning. I encourage you to go to society57, try the coffee, and when you see Scott Hodge, tell him Curtis said hello. Weather has always comes from the National Weather Service of Chicago delivered to you here locally on Good Morning Aurora. So what can we expect today? Well, I'm glad you asked. A daytime high of 88 degrees is what we're going to be faced with today, and a daytime low of 83. It's not an overwhelming 88. Yesterday felt pretty good with a slight breeze. There's some clouds expected today, but overall we should have a nice sunny disposition of a day this evening. Check it out, 68 degrees for the nighttime high, 55 degrees for the nighttime low. Cloudy night tonight, that cloudiness in the nighttime will transition. Take a look to tomorrow Friday. 83 degrees for the daytime high, 77 degrees for the daytime low. Spidey morning showers south of Route 24. It's going to be cloudy tomorrow morning. That's what we can expect, and those clouds checking out, continuing to tomorrow evening Friday night. Look at that 68 degrees for the nighttime high, 61 degrees for the nighttime low. Saturday, moving on, 86 degrees for your daytime high, 80 degrees for the daytime low. Sunny on Saturday with a little bit of cloud cover. That's cool. We're not tripping about that, but check out Saturday night, 68 degrees for the nighttime high, 63 degrees for the nighttime low, a 20 to 30 percent chance of showers. Now, let's pause. If you recall yesterday's weather report, the 20 to 30 percent chance of showers was predicted tomorrow into tomorrow night going into Saturday. That has changed. Saturday night is what we can expect, those showers, 20 to 30 percent once again. Now, going into Sunday, take a look. 84 degrees for the daytime high, 78 degrees for the daytime low. Small shower chances as well. Inland, clouds, some sun, it's going to be a nice day up top, and as we get into Sunday evening, look at that, 68 degrees for the nighttime high, 62 degrees for the nighttime low. Cloudy on Sunday night, transitioning into next week, Monday. 84 degrees for the daytime high, 80 degrees for the daytime low. Next week on Monday, at the moment, no rain is predicted, a little bit of clouds, and Monday night. Next week, 67 degrees for the nighttime high, 59 degrees for the nighttime low. Let's recap. Today, once again, enjoy your Thursday and enjoy these temperatures, 88 degrees for the daytime high, 83 degrees for your daytime low. Tomorrow, 83 degrees for the daytime high, 77 degrees for the daytime low. Saturday, 86 for the high, and 80 degrees for the daytime low. Cloudy with a little bit of rain. It's expected Friday night. Not going to mess with us in the daytime up top temps. Sunday, 84 degrees for your high, 78 degrees for the daytime low, and Monday, 84 degrees for the daytime high, 80 degrees for the daytime low. That is your weather report here on Good Morning Aurora, the second largest city's first daily news podcast. We have a great show and interview for you today. My guests are Toren Harris, senior, the founder of loose change to boost change, and also Jamita Jones of Jim. Get ready for a great show. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Fever, cough, congestion. When the symptoms keep coming but you've got to keep going, you can rely on News1x Fast Max All-in-One. Just one dose of News1x Fast Max All-in-One relieves up to nine cold and flu symptoms, helping you get on with your day. Need cold and flu relief? Get News1x Fast Max All-in-One and done relief. It's comeback season. News is directed. [Music] Morning Aurora, good morning Aurora, good morning Aurora. The time is 9.05am and you are listening to and watching Good Morning Aurora, the second largest city's first daily news podcast. As mentioned, we have two new guests on the show today. My guests are Toren Harris, senior, the founder of loose change to boost change, and also Jamita Jones of Jim, and Jim is an acronym. What does Jim stand for? Remind the audience. Gratitude, empowerment, motivation. I like that. Gratitude, empowerment, motivation, three things to wake up with every single day. Daniel Calderon, good morning to you. Josue Pais, good morning Stacey Cardona, the hosting creator of a Girl Before Mom podcast. Good morning to you, dear sister. So before we get started, as we talk before the microphones came on, I want to say a good morning and thank you to Joshua Hunter. Fantastic young man in the community doing good things. A.U. graduate as well. Joshua, thank you very much for putting us together and bringing two organizations on that we can shout out. So before we get started, as we get started rather, I'm going to pass the microphone to you. Introduce yourself again. Tell us about loose change to boost change, and then pass the mic to Jamita. It feels good to be able to say that because y'all get that. As Chris said, I'm Toren Harris, senior from loose change to boost change the founder, and we're making an impact in the community, and just to have a partnership with my sister is awesome. So my organization with her organization just come together. That's how we came to form these right here in the area. It is through grace of God, and we're fighting back things that's in the community. So we're going back to give back and fighting back. Right. So it's definitely heartfelt to both of us, and even the ones I have in the organizations that's under me, like have a heart for people, you know. So we're out here, and we want to make a difference in any way that we can just push forward everything that we can in our it in our might just help the community in the surrounding communities. So not just a role. No, not just a role. Share this with you. I have the president and vice president Elliott Graham and Tracy Graham there in Lansing. So we'll be pushing loose change boost change out there in Lansing as well. That's in Illinois. So they'll be making an impact as well out there. So okay, that's exciting. So that's to come. We got some things in motion already. Well, I like to hear that. I like to hear that Lansing, Illinois. You know, a lot of people don't know this, but you know, I started off in Harvey. That's where my that's where the early part of my book started. So you know, Lansing, Illinois, I'm glad to see, I'm glad to see that kind of thing. Yeah, boost it up, boost it up. Jamita. I am Jamita Jones. We grow with Jim, and we are excited to be here. I first want to just thank God for the opportunity. And we thank you Curtis for allowing us to be here. Me and my brother, they call us super siblings. But I am the founder of grow with Jim and grow with Jim. Our mission just is to advocate in the communities for the families so that we can collab with other organizations out there to provide those essential needs of the people. Okay, our main focus will be our South wind community in Aurora, Illinois, because that is where my brother Toren and I, that's where we grew up. South wind. Now, where is that exactly for those that is in Aurora, Illinois, our old address now is officially the community center 1228 South 4th Street. Okay, that's where we'll be going back to give back. Hold on. Mainly 1228 South 48 South 4th Street. That's where it went down. Stacey Cardona, you hear that? Yeah, okay. And we're excited about that. So we're gonna go back and just give back and love on the people and educate. Okay. We have a lot of different programs set up for the youth and we just thank God for the Aurora Housing Authority allowing us and opening that door for us and trusting the mission, the vision, the movement. Ralph Jordan gets to shout out. Yes. Yes. Ralph Jordan Maria. Yes. We thank you. We appreciate you. It's not unnoticed. Right in the community of South wind as well. Yeah. Just receiving that love from us. That's open arms that really took us in as well. So we're taking that and it's a gratitude. So how did we get here? What were the things that you either experienced or you saw or you maybe worked in that prompted you both to say, you know what, let's let's try to start something or create something or help with the things that we see. What was the genesis of both of the organizations? I say from my childhood as well. My mom and dad, you know, they did the best they can as well but we didn't have it all and you know and sometimes we may not seem, you know, what we wanted, you know, having what we wanted and is, you know, if I can change that in some other youth life, you know, to eight, it might not be easy around Christmas time or different holiday, you know, different holidays, birthdays, right, might not have it all. But hey, you know what, we stick together and made it happen. But if we can, you know, change the lives of others that they want, they won't see that. I should say that effective that the need, you know, but I'm gonna say this, everybody go through something, right, and you know, I end up forming a loose change, a loose change off that I have a detailing business as well. Okay, I can't detail it, but I used to get a lot of change from the vacuums. Oh, yeah. So I worked at a car, I worked at a car with detail shop. Yeah, mad change, yeah. And I'm like, how could this change change? You know, so, you know, it's okay, I was praying, I'm gonna pray for man, you know, I was praying in the Lord put on my heart, you know, starting on a prophet, you know, and to give back, you know, and that would be effective. Right. So I end up, my sister, she end up starting her organization first. And I say, but this is on my heart many years ago. To start this, it wouldn't lose change, a loose change with Lord gave me at first. It was on my mind was changed to change. I was telling to me about that because I was trying to get it out there and get it certified, you know, but the name was took in our race. So I'm, I went back to his job, boy, Lord, you know, I know he put on my heart. And he gave me name, loose change, a loose change, because there's got to be a ill name. The name has got to be, you know, ain't nobody gonna just tune in to, you know, quarter dog court. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's why I took place in, I was talking to my wife, Darcel Harris, like, he shot us in, uh, I was in the chat. Good morning to you, Darcel Harris, watching the show right now. I was sharing that name with her. And, uh, then I, you know, went to my sister as she was, you know, uh, we was going back and forth too, because we was like, you know what, she had a vision already to, um, go back to South way. And so she was like, you know what, let's partner up. Sure. That's how I end up getting my, um, organization certified and legit. You know, we 501c3 status as well. And that's when you need to meet it, put these gloves on and like, hey, you know, partner her up and do this, right, organizations come together, make it impact. Now, what was the beginning up because Jim started before loose chains, the boost chains, as was mentioned. Yes. What was the, what was the beginning of that? Um, growth, like he said, um, just from our childhood, um, yeah, I mean, you have to know where you come from and not be a shame of where you come from, because then you see where you're at, and that's where the growth come. So where we came from and our pain, like you said, it was seven of us in one house. Wow. And our parents, they were, it was five kids, two sets of twins. We're both the twin, not each other's, but we're a twin. And we had Christmases where we didn't have what we wanted. And sometimes we may have not even got anything, just because, but we understood. Yeah. Yeah. We got a hot, we got a hot meal Christmas. Exactly. So with that and our mother, she, she, my, our mother, she's a giver. She should give you clothes off about her last line. And so she's instilled in us to help and to give. And it's just always been in my heart to serve and give back to the people. And I always said, I was going to go back to South wind if I ever got the opportunity, because I know where we came from. I mean, there was times not to put all our business out there, but it is what it is. I thank God for where we're at now. We didn't, we, our lights got cut off before, you know. So I just want to show the people in South wind that, you know, we love them. We know, you know, things that they go through in life and not that we're bigger than them or, you know, they're smaller than us because we, we know what it's like. Yeah. And I live in a rural housing authority. Like we had good times in South wind. So just going back to give back to be a lesson. You know, the thing is that when you've done, I mean, I can remember, you know, grandma opened up, you know, the stove because that was the heat, the heat didn't been cut off. But that's, but, you know, like, mad can't, you know, the daytime sunlight is coming in. Okay. But at nighttime, it's candles all over the house, never room. But we don't know the lights is off. That's right. The thing, and you mentioned, being ashamed about it, you know, I mean, I mean, people now, in my life, I work in housing, but I'm on the board of NAMI KDK. And I see your shirt mentions mental health, among other things. Definitely. My thing, the number one thing I lead with when I meet people is that whatever first the shame about it. Get that's that let's let's start there. Yes. Yeah. We gonna remove that layer. And now we can start working because if you if you are too ashamed, that's all you're scared or you're upset to walk in, fill out the application, or get the process started, that is the that is stuff one because people need to understand that like there is nothing to be ashamed about falling off your horse. Absolutely. That's fine. So I'm proud to, you know, boost you guys up and have people hear you guys' message and share it because I want people to see that you don't have to be ashamed. That's right. You don't have to be ashamed about it. You don't have to be ashamed. Now you guys have had a few events, you're on Facebook and Instagram as well. What is the next event coming up and how can the people get involved and see you guys and work with you and perhaps support you as well. All right. We have the clothing event coming up. Yep. We have a clothing drive coming up September 25th. Okay. And the people can get involved by donating men's women's kids clothes. They can reach out to grow with jammer loose change the boost change via our email that's on the site or inbox us we can meet for a location. We have a designated location for a drop-off. So men's clothes are high demand but we'll be at Centennial House on September 25th Plumb Street giving out clothes free, no charge. Everything we do as far as clothing giveaways things like that is free to the community. One of our listeners, Daniel Calderon says I grew up in Westwood if you know you know. That's a fact. That's a fact. And it takes people, that's the strength of helping other human beings. It takes a person who's been through it to see that identify it and know that and to know that, you know. And there's so many different things. Now your shirt, poverty, hunger, mental illness, depression, move the bling bling chain real quick so I can read the other part, local audio, live generational curses, broken homes, and trauma. I do like the imagery of that is so powerful both organizations smashing that, getting rid of that. Very powerfully. How can we help you? How can we in the community help your organizations and what you guys are doing? Clothes were needed and things like that. But what else can we do? Get the word out there and that's what we hear today. Get the word out there and you know if those that want to donate volunteer their time you know we need those to help to give out the clothes as well. Okay. So we need to volunteer the boots on the ground with us. Okay. We do need the donations you know that can help us even push further you know either rather as donation in time or monetary you know so we need to help from the city and those that surround in this city to push because we from Aurora, you know at the same time yes if we're able to impact Aurora as well it's like a bomb spreads out. Right. You know that can bring you know the unity and what we need to do in the community. You know it is it'll be more effective you know and it's a lot of non-profits out here doing a lot of great works and I salute each one of you know. Right. So that's why it's important for all of us to come together for that one cause because it's not about us. It's not about Torrance not about Jamita. Right. And it's for the people. Right. That's right. That's why I say the movement I call Blue Chains, Blue Chains, a movement. Absolutely. Yeah. We have movement with a group of people for the people. Yep. You know so I do believe that it'll be more impactful that it as a community that we come together and help the community. The time is 9.20 a.m. you're listening to and watching Good Morning Aurora the second largest city's first daily news podcast. No repeaters since here she says no judgment. Appreciate that. Sandra Harrison Good Morning to you. Our genuine stories. You were saying something before I told the time. No I was just going to say what he said as far as you know what you guys can do for us the city the community if you know the resources direct us to the right resources for you know to help with funding these events and these things and thank God for all the vendors and sponsors that we've gotten so far but like he said we need boots on the ground volunteers and you know donations and things we have our website so you can always go to our website so grow with jam.org and loose change the boost change.org and donate so those are the type of things we'll need and just build the unity like we're we're one this is Aurora is one and we all should be working together doing the same things helping the people. What does the next what's the next um what's the next five years look like our next five years and epic I say we're definitely good words you claim that I like that I like that that's right our partnership is some amazing things that's all like well I'm not gonna speak too much on sure absolutely it's gonna be epic as she said because we have a lot of things in play for the community and for from the men the women children all you know as a unit and I think it's gonna be awesome and um and as loose the boost loose change the boost change our next five years as an organization we want to expand like I said to lance and then I do have a CFO of loose change boost change okay it's named Robert West I'm sutra shout out my man um he come from legacy one of our biggest sponsors okay and he hopped on board fitness oh fitness nutrition plot chains okay okay let's just fly chains let me get that okay so he hopped on board to be the CFO and um that been a blessing you know um because they're out of Ontario California so we'll be pushing loose chains boost chains in California as well right so that's gonna be the next in the in the future but it's it's in play as well right now as I speak so we're just talking last night actually um but uh right now we're pushing this partnership okay that's so heavy because the community needs it so we're fighting you know so got the gloves on well I um I would encourage anyone who's looking for something positive to get involved in to volunteer with the team and um and and take part in the event to come on out there and and do things um my kind of journey to like doing more uh for myself and other people started with volunteering um uh you see just work a job then I'd get off and go home and I'm like what else you know um so it's it's it's a really a it's a great and really fulfilling way to help yourself by by helping other people that's right um 923 is the time um nor Peterson says meet people where they are that actually wants me to um brings me to the next question so you guys gonna be at Centennial House yes um do you have a is there like a target place for you is there is there a place that you want to go that you haven't been yet or any locations which will be ideal to help what you're doing um not as yet as far as want to go and haven't been able to go because once again I we we thank God for a world housing authority and believing in the vision and they've actually given us you know access that we need a way for the target sure people that we want to target so we thank God for that and and and we plan on um fulfilling and living up to our word yeah and um like I said just for grow with Jim I know God has already shown me like I said is epic right so um that the things that's coming is just amazing and I'm looking forward to it and giving back in the community to wherever we can um for whoever we can there's no discrimination time is um time is 925 Sue Hall Smith good morning to you what does Aurora what does Aurora need that it does not have you know good question you know and I can't just give you an answer to that at the moment but it well it do need that that um that unity even the more you know because I see Aurora already just it has grown even as we walk in you know just through it this morning it's like Aurora has grown and it grown from when I was knee-hot to the grass however up until now um it just need more hands and feet on the ground you know you know coming together right you know I will say that because I think this one thing I know for sure I was born for such a time as this my sister was too and anybody in my organization was born for such time as this so we're gonna do what we need to do for Aurora and we can come up together with what Aurora needs absolutely so that's the best answer I can you know give at that you know at this moment because you know I say we all game changes right right I think I think Aurora needs um a couple things um to for the resources to be not so hard to get to okay and and more available for the things that we're trying to do in the in the city and I also think we need in Aurora just more advocacy for mental health awareness out here it's out here we have people um advocating for that but I do believe we need more okay more training on how to deal with the people with mental health health awareness out in Aurora because it seems like it's just been an all-time high since um the pandemic so I think Aurora like we really need to focus a lot on that okay so that we can prevent some things that has happened that probably shouldn't have because proper training right well I asked that like I said that's for a specific reason and that reason is uh so typically you know this show is interviewed all kinds of people I've interviewed everybody from uh senator congressman to folks who just started a non-profit right um and when you ask a certain set of questions certain set of people you get in certain assets when you ask that same question to a different group you get a whole different response um and one of the things that I when I asked myself that question I was always like Aurora could do more for a housing for folks and now we're we're starting to have a whole lot more yeah we're we're starting to have a whole lot more affordable housing and workforce housing development I'm proud to see that so I asked that question because I'd like I'd like to I'd like to get that thought not those thoughts and ideas in the air right yes because although there have been improvements on access to mental health I do think I do think at times they're a little bit siloed siloed in the fact that like you got to be on this side of town at this thing at this time to get the and that's not always the case for a lot of people right and there's a you know good things take time we know that but I want to know those things because um we're fortunate that a lot of people and organizations and partner folks watch the show yes so perhaps that could be a a little light bulb for somebody yeah and I see I do see like I said I do see a lot of organizations you know focusing on that and and it's just like the training and stuff it it just needs to get a little bit we need to do more okay Tracy Duran is here good morning to you Tracy what we're saying about it I think you know as we um keep you know move keep moving forward and I think it'll definitely be some changes that you know we can implement to really see those changes that um we you know the community want to see because it's about those that's in um it out there in that community right you know because we can go and offer what we want to the people right what the people really need absolutely true that's a fact yeah that is that is that is um right that is a really that's a good point because um what I've seen now and and this is what does make me happy what I have seen is I've seen oh your phone oh what I have seen is I've seen large organizations and this is I gotta say this has been happening since the pandemic and a lot better I've seen so many big super large organizations with the shiny right now they start tailoring their services to meet people where they're at now they're popping them places they never been before now they doing something at the little water street mall out here not in the parking lot of the you know I like to see that yeah I like to see that they have to they have to be accessible and start working for people who aren't just the donor class yes you know what I'm saying it's like that's that's what um that's right you have to give people what they need um this show this show exists like the reason I'm here asking people about themselves for an hour a day right is because what is going to help me as an individual is if everybody succeeds that's right oh that's right yeah if my neighbor's doing good my block is doing good yes if the block is doing good then the whole little thing right when you it's like a drone picture right when you when you go up and look at the whole thing yes it starts to look healthy yes you know what I'm saying right exactly so so that's um I think that a lot of um I think that a lot of people who have problems are a lot closer than they think to a solution but it's just that sometimes the solution doesn't the solution doesn't look like exactly exactly right right right right yeah you know so they only reach for right exactly you know what I'm saying but uh what time oh my goodness Chris 931 all right mark a low pass good morning to you all right last question here if there was a theme song that could describe loose change to boost change what would it be you know I haven't given that a thought actually it would be some triumphant you know that would give my lord and savior all the credit you know I would curt Franklin type of thing huh something yo what should I say you know I can't say right now it's just be something trumpet that it wouldn't even have me in it but give god the glory for yes you know even allowing me to be here so you know I would just have to say I don't know I don't know what song right now so we can but well we plan on doing more with y'all so we can give us all of us you know do you ever thank you one you can think of god did it okay all right that's that's that's that's it okay um 932 is the time this was a fantastic episode and we appreciate both Turin and Jamita for coming on the show and telling us about both organizations loose change to boost change and gym if you see them on Facebook or Instagram please hit the like button hit the follow button and see what you can do to help out both organizations right now good morning aurora is going to wrap it up ladies and gentlemen there is no Buenos dias aurora today and um tomorrow there will not be a good morning aurora we have some exciting things to show you guys out in the field but there will be a Buenos dias aurora I hope that you all have a blessed and positive wonderful and motivating day take care of yourself and each other thank you very much for joining us. Thank you. It's really cool and it's Monday through Friday.