You’re not alone.
That’s the big message from The Heart of Eureka Podcast, which is wrapping up its first season this month. The series shares stories about Eureka residents showing resiliency while facing adversity.
Elizabeth Arway created the series with her husband, PJ, last year, and the first episode was released in February.
Arway, 40, said she and PJ, 42, were put in touch with people through Most Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Eureka. She said they have been members of the church for about 10 years.
“We live in Eureka, and we know a lot of people who are going through a lot of hard things,” she said. “I found that there’s power in hearing somebody else’s story, learning from it, and gleaning wisdom from it.”
In the first episode, PJ and Elizabeth Arway talk with Don Grimshaw, who provided around-the-clock care for his wife and mother for a number of years as they both battled illnesses.
Grimshaw tells his story about how his relationship with his mother changed from him being her son to being her friend. He also talks about how the deaths of his wife and mother changed his life.
“We wanted to be able to use voices and real stories of people in our community who have gone through things and put it on a podcast where anybody can listen and feel less alone,” Arway said. “We thought it would be really amazing to use the power of podcasts to let the people in our community share their stories of grief, so they can help others.”
Even if the listener can’t fully relate to the stories shared on the podcast, Arway said it’s her goal that the Eureka community can see and feel more of what their neighbors are going through.
In the fourth episode, Jason and Theresa Wacker share their story about their daughter, who has a terminal illness called Sanfilippo Syndrome. The couple talks about the importance of relying upon a community network for support during their daughter’s treatment journey.
“To me, it’s not just about the listener applying (the stories) to their life personally, but it’s how we as a community can be more empathetic to what people are dealing with and empathetic to a neighbor,” Arway said. “There are little moments that you can have to really brighten up someone’s day in the monotony of taking care of somebody else.”
At the end of each episode, the Rev. Joe Kempf, Sacred Heart’s pastor, provides a synopsis about each of the stories and gives practical advice about dealing with difficult situations. Kempf said he’s proud two of his parishioners started this podcast.
“One of the delights for me in this parish is to watch our folks care and take ownership of making a difference in this world in the time they have,” Kempf said. “PJ and Elizabeth saw what I saw – the wisdom among us. One of the hopes was that as a person would listen to each podcast, the story of that person’s life, which will of course not be the same as theirs, it would give them a sense of how resilience and wisdom and courage and even God shows up in their lives.”
Making the podcast
Arway said the podcast is recorded in the library at Sacred Heart.
Arway is the owner and creative director of Creative Entourage, a marketing agency in St. Louis. PJ is a language arts teacher and softball coach at Eureka High School.
Arway said her husband has a broadcast journalism degree, and that’s what inspired them to start the podcast.
They presented the idea of starting a podcast to the church and formed a group of volunteers who had talents in technology, audio and were connected to people in the community.
“None of us had done it before,” Arway said. “There was a 100 percent learning curve. Everything from what equipment we use, what software and then how to publish it. Every step of the way we were learning.”
Picking the right space to record the episodes was important to Arway. The studio had to be a comfortable space where guests felt welcome to share their personal stories, she said.
“Of course, (the guests) were nervous at first, but as the conversation kept going, they relaxed and forgot the mic was in front of them and really just opened up,” Arway said. “At the end, I remember a few of them feeling almost a relief that they got their story out; it was very cathartic for them.”
Arway said they edited and released episodes of the podcast whenever they could squeeze it into their schedules. Kempf listens to the stories and records his part before the episode is aired.
Kempf said he pulls out common threads in each story to personalize his conclusion to the episode.
“I am a lifelong learner, and I know there’s much that I don’t know,” he said. “There are a few things that I know are deep down true, that show up in these stories. Things like, everybody matters; it’s important to be kind; we are never alone though it feels that we are; and that life is both the good, the bad, the happy, the sad, and they don’t cancel each other out.”
Listeners far and wide
Arway said while her podcast focuses on people living and working in Eureka, the stories can inspire people worldwide. The podcast may be listened to anywhere, from nearly every audio platform.
Arway said she and her husband will work on the second season of the podcast this summer, and they plan to continue their focus on resiliency and wisdom. She said they also plan to invite more young people to share their experiences.
To listen to the podcast, search for The Heart of Eureka on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.
Jason Wacker said podcasts are a unique way to connect with people who are going through similar situations and who may have useful information.
“With these podcasts, getting this information out the community is so helpful,” Wacker said on the podcast. “Listening to other podcasts, today, it’s incredible. I’m just thinking about people in the past who may have suffered from this disease and didn’t have this type of information available to them. We’re fortunate in that aspect of the times we’re living in to have so much support and so much information.
“It gives you hope going forward.”