Isn’t it Lovely When We Humanize an Issue? Special Guest: Rich Merkouris
“Your heart just starts to break more and you just start to get involved a lot more…when I started to at least get a name with a problem, it changed my whole perspective.”
It’s a celebration of collaboration and empathy as Isn’t it Lovely? welcomes community leader Rich Merkouris to the podcast! After reflecting on a childhood that encouraged outreach, Rich identifies the life-changing moment a casual joke to a college professor set him on a trajectory to engage with his community in a personal way. Rich and Tracy discuss the notion of holy discontent and the ways the entrepreneurial spirit thrives in the nonprofit/service sector — and when it’s equally vital to set individual ideas down to creatively partner with others. Rich and Rachel explore the importance of humanizing social issues, preserving dignity, and challenging personal biases to compassionately acknowledge the complex dynamics of addiction, mental health, and accessibility. In an inspiring call to action, Rich reminds listeners that the core issue for so many individuals is hope and that success doesn’t have to be either/or; it can be both/and. Rachel and Tracy conclude the episode with a years in the making love letter to Sioux Falls, its people, and…its airport.
Episode Mentions:
Rich Merkouris Instagram: @richmerkouris
Empower Sioux Falls Website: https://www.empowersiouxfalls.com/
Randell Beck
Rich Merkouris, a Sioux Falls resident for 20 years, serves as President of Kingdom Capital Fund and Senior Pastor of King of Glory Church. He is on the board of directors for Empower Sioux Falls, Compassion Child Care, and the Sioux Falls Hope Coalition. He has helped lead multiple collaborative efforts in Sioux Falls, including the development of the Empower Campus, the formation of the Sioux Falls Hope Coalition and housing redevelopment in Pettigrew Heights. Over the last eleven years, Rich has served as a Volunteer Chaplain for the Sioux Falls Police Department and Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office. Rich and his wife, Shannon, a special education teacher at John Harris Elementary School, have three children: Hannah, Henry and Hazel.