A ten-year-old with a big heart is changing the holidays for veterans. Tucker, the force behind In Tucker’s Mailbox, shows how handwritten cards can bring comfort to veterans living in VA homes—and how a simple idea can rally an entire community. We follow his journey from practicing his signature to organizing and hand-delivering thousands of Christmas cards to VA homes in Eastern North Carolina.

Along the way, Tucker’s letters spark unexpected replies, powerful connections, and living lessons about service, kindness, and showing up for others. He also shares advice for kids who want to make a difference: start with what you love and use it to help someone else.

We round out the episode with practical holiday energy-saving and safety tips, plus a look at PowerBucks—an easy way to help a neighbor with their electric bill. If this story inspired you, share it, subscribe, and consider writing a card of your own. Sometimes, the smallest gestures bring the most warmth.

On this episode of Flippin' the Switch, we highlight how United Way of Onslow County shows what happens when generosity works like infrastructure—steady, practical, and built to last. Raquel Painter joins us to share how small, consistent acts can have a real impact: students are fed through the CHEW program, families gain access to fresh produce, and neighbors move from crisis to stable housing with wraparound support.

Raquel walks us through their model—funding vetted nonprofits, coordinating a volunteer network that runs smoothly, and expanding food access through a community garden that’s now growing into plans for a 28-acre farm. That future farm will supply disaster relief hubs and help the community learn where to turn long before an emergency hits.

We also dive into their transitional housing project: 111 units designed with on-site services for therapy, substance-use support, documentation, banking, and job pathways that help people rebuild long-term. United Way’s reentry efforts show what’s possible when barriers come down.

And in a rapid-fire segment, Joe—our lineman preparing to join NRECA International in Guatemala—reminds us how technical skills can become life-changing service. Bringing electricity to a village opens doors in education, health, and opportunity.

Want to help? Volunteer through Volunteer Onslow, donate at uwonslow.org, or share this episode with someone who believes local action creates lasting change.

What happens when you take four high school students from small-town North Carolina and drop them into the heart of Washington, DC for a week? Magic, transformation, and lifelong connections.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has been sending students to our nation's capital for over 60 years. In this episode, we get a firsthand account from Giana Cadwallader, a Jacksonville High School senior who experienced this journey of discovery over the summer. From trading state pins with students across America to standing in awe before towering monuments that remind us "freedom isn't free," Giana's story captures the essence of what makes this program so powerful.

For any high school juniors listening, applications open in December for next summer's trip. Check our website or social media for details on how you could experience this transformative opportunity. As Gianna's story demonstrates, some lessons can only be learned by walking in the footsteps of history.

Run Time: 19 Minutes