Episode -38 With Ruby Pacheco - From Survival to Sacred Work: Youth, Recovery, and Breaking Cycles

In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with Ruby Pacheco, Director of Youth Peer Support and Youth In Progress at SriPonya Collective. Ruby shares her powerful story of recovery and resilience, offering an honest look at the lived experience that now shapes her work with young people.

Raised in a trauma-filled home, Ruby became a mother at just 15 and later survived domestic violence. Through courage, accountability, and community, she has transcended these experiences to walk today as a sober, spiritual person in long-term recovery.

Ruby discusses her role as a peer support specialist and certified recovery mentor for youth in Jefferson County, Oregon, and why peer-led, relationship-centered support is so critical for young people navigating substance use, trauma, and systems of care. She speaks candidly about breaking cycles, building trust, and what it means to show up authentically for youth who are still finding their way.

This conversation is a testament to the power of recovery, the importance of lived experience in youth services, and the profound impact of meeting people exactly where they are.

In this episode, we explore:

• Ruby’s personal recovery journey and path to sobriety

• Becoming a mother at 15 and navigating trauma and domestic violence

• The role of peer support and recovery mentorship for youth

• Youth In Progress and SriPonya Collective’s vision for healing-centered care

• Spirituality, resilience, and transforming pain into purpose
  

An episode full of honesty, hope, and inspiration—for anyone who believes in second chances and the power of human connection.

Check Out The Beautiful Healing Work of SriPonya

Music Provided By;

Trevor Hall - "Blue Sky Mind"

Jay Pinto - "We Breathe The Same Air"

Compassion isn’t just a "soft-skill to meeting people right where they are—it’s the foundation that makes real change possible.In this episode, we’re joined by Maya Jaquez, a community health worker in Central Oregon with THRIVE Central OR, whose work beautifully illustrates the power of combining skilled communication with genuine human connection. Maya shares how compassion shows up in her day-to-day practice and why meeting people with empathy, respect, and curiosity is essential to effective motivational interviewing.Together, we explore how compassionate presence builds trust, strengthens engagement, and supports individuals in navigating complex health and life challenges. Whether you’re a community health worker, clinician, or anyone engaged in helping conversations, this episode offers practical insight and inspiration for bringing both heart and skill into your work.In This Episode, We Discuss:-Why compassion is central to effective motivational interviewing-How skilled communication and empathy work together to build trust-What it looks like to truly meet people where they are-Real-world reflections from community health work in Central Oregon-Practical ways to lead conversations with dignity and respectAbout Our GuestMaya Jaquez is a community health worker with THRIVE Central OR, supporting individuals and families across Central Oregon. Her work centers on compassionate care, skillful communication, and empowering people to make changes that align with their values and lived experiences.

Music:

"Blue Sky Mind" - Trevor Hall On Apple

"We Breathe The Same Air" - Jay Pinto On Apple

“Jesus didn’t just talk about peace—he organized a movement of nonviolence.” (Fr John Dear)

In this episode, we welcome Father John Dear, renowned peace activist, author, and longtime advocate of Gospel nonviolence. Together we explore what Jesus actually taught about peace, compassion, and resistance—and how those teachings have been transformed over time. Fr. John connects the radical nonviolence of Jesus to the work of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and contemporary movements for justice. The conversation highlights the essential role of youth, the centrality of grief as a doorway to compassion, and the urgent need for communities committed to nonviolence as a way of life.

This episode invites listeners to reimagine Christianity as a movement of active, courageous love—one capable of abolishing war, dismantling poverty, and healing our world.

• Jesus’ original teachings were rooted in radical nonviolence, enemy-love, and universal compassion.

• Over centuries, cultural and political forces shifted Christianity away from this foundation.

• Recovering Jesus’ nonviolence is essential for the future of faith and the planet.

• Nonviolence is not passive—it’s courageous truth-telling, creative resistance, and protection of life.

• Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. modeled how Jesus’ teachings transform societies.

• Young people bring moral clarity, energy, and boldness.

• Fr. John emphasizes equipping youth with the vision and tools of nonviolence to shape a more hopeful future.

• How we read scripture determines how we understand Jesus.

• A nonviolent lens reveals a consistent message of love, justice, and mercy.

• Peace work cannot be done alone—friendship, solidarity, and shared practice sustain the movement.

• Communities of nonviolence generate hope even in bleak times.

• Personal and collective grief can deepen our empathy and commitment to justice.

• Rather than shutting down, grief can move us toward courageous action.

• Fr. John challenges us to imagine—and work toward—a world where war is unthinkable and poverty is unnecessary.

• This vision mirrors Jesus’ call to build the “Beloved Community.”
  Key Themes & Takeaways

  1. The Nonviolent Jesus

  2. Nonviolence as Active Love

  3. Youth as Catalysts for Change

  4. The Power of Perspective

  5. Hope Through Community

  6. Grief as a Pathway to Compassion

  7. Abolishing War & Poverty

Notable Quotes From Fr. John Dear

• “Nonviolence is not a tactic. It’s a way of life.”

• “Jesus didn’t just talk about peace—he organized a movement of nonviolence.”

• “Grief is not a weakness. It’s how our hearts learn to love more boldly.”

• “If we believe war is inevitable, we will never imagine peace. But Jesus invites us to imagine everything made new.”
  

  Music Provided By:

  ⁠Trevor Hall "Blue Sky Mind" ⁠

  ⁠Jay Pinto "We Breathe The Same Air" ⁠