Memphis is buzzing with possibility, and on this episode of the KIND Podcast, Dr. Reginald Boyce and Gerald J. Joyner show us exactly why. As the driving forces behind the City’s Office of Community Affairs and its Opportunity R3 program, these two community champions blend heart and strategy to spark real change—and they don’t shy away from a little fun along the way.

Opportunity R3 is built on a simple but powerful idea: blend Rethinking, Rebuilding, and Rebranding to help 16–24 year‑olds who are out of school and jobs find their footing. Participants dive into credentialing classes, soft‑skills workshops, and—most uniquely—a full week of career shadowing. “They spend 15 to 20 hours per week on a career shadowing opportunity,” explains Dr. Boyce, not just a single day. And the payoff? A remarkable 100 percent placement rate. “We pride ourselves in saying we’re 100 % placement on that,” he says—proof that when you combine training with real‑world exposure, you change lives.

But R3 is just one piece of the puzzle. With On Your Block, faith leaders and businesses team up to make neighborhoods cleaner, safer, and more investable. And this season they’ve launched BAM Memphis—the Black Alliance Movement—where each church “adopts” a local Black‑owned business for a day of community support. “Every church picks a Black‑owned business and runs it for a day,” Dr. Boyce explains, igniting economic pride block by block.

What truly sets these programs apart is the spirit behind them. Both guests stress that empathy—not mere sympathy—is the key: “We need more empathy, not apathy,” Dr. Boyce reminds us. Joyner, a self‑described “Hope Dealer,” treats every participant “on an individual, case‑by‑case basis,” because “each person’s needs are unique.” They balance this intensity with simple self‑care rituals—family hugs, gratitude practices, even a meditative walk from City Hall—to stay energized for the work.

You don’t need a big title to join in. Whether you volunteer a single hour, mentor a young person, or simply acknowledge someone you pass on the street, you can be a Hope Dealer in your own right. As Gerald Joyner puts it, “Be who you is. Don’t be who you ain’t.” And in Memphis, that authenticity is the spark that turns service into transformation.