608. A Convo with Bellamy Young: Transformative Storytelling + Empowerment with CARE

7:07PM Mar 5, 2025

Speakers:

Jonathan McCoy

Becky Endicott

Bellamy Young

Keywords:

Bellamy Young

Care ambassador

Rwanda trip

women empowerment

global advisory council

podcast series

gender equity

access to education

kindness

advocacy

storytelling

community impact

health care

nutrition

clean water.

Becky, how are you handling this right now? I'm not handling it well, because people say, like, don't meet your heroes. But I just kind of met one of my heroes from scandal, and she cares so deeply about the world and about women and children. So yes, I'm geeking out just a little bit. Yeah,

friends. I mean, buckle up. It is a huge honor to have Bellamy young on the podcast today. You probably know her from her roles in scandal, prodigal son, Promised Land, I could keep going on. But also she is an ambassador for care, and we are going to double click on her story around there. Back in 2019 Bellamy took this transformative trip with care to learn about their projects in Rwanda. And among the many notable encounters, she met a farmer named Bridget who transformed her life by joining a care savings group and becoming an entrepreneur. And I just gotta pause if you're not familiar with the work of care, like stop what you're doing. Go check out this organization that's impacting millions of lives around the world through critical health care, nutrition, food, clean water and protection from violence for women and girls. But Bellamy, you know, this captured her heart, and it began her journey of supporting and working with care, but now as a care ambassador, she is a member of cares Global Advisory Council, and she is here to share about this exciting project, launching a new limited podcast series. You know, we love the podcast, needs with care. Bellamy, what an honor to have you in our house. Welcome to the podcast.

It is my joy. Thank you guys for everything that you do. I'm so grateful to be here with you today, but also just truly grateful for the way you lift all the voices in this space up and how you really give us all actionable ideas about how to move forward together.

Oh my gosh, thank you. And I mean, Bellamy just was at the Today show. She drives over to get on the phone. Totally was on The Today Show. Today. We're gonna mix this up a little bit, because we love getting to know the humans behind this work. And I think a lot of people are familiar with your work, but we want to hear about you as the human growing up like, what were some formative experiences, maybe growing up that's connected the dots and the work that you're doing today? Oh

my gosh, what a beautiful question, and we'll find the answer together, because I can't say that. I would know it right now, and I'm starting to talk. I grew up in great right? I grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, in the mountains, western North Carolina, so beautiful. I was in foster care for a little while, and then adopted into a family, and bless my parents, because they got some truly bogus information about my birth parents and tried to give me all these opportunities. They thought, you know, oh, your mother was a singer, and she loved to sew. And so I was so pretty in pink in high school, and I was in all the pageants, and, you know, sang at church and did all the things I have met my birth parents, and no, she does not sing, and no, she does not. So we got, just like somebody else's information. So I feel like I got to stumble into a life that I love so much. Y'all, I feel so grateful. You know that whole new adage of you never work a day in your life if you love what you do and and that's never proved more true then in my short stint on this planet. So and I feel like, Thank you for liking scandal. I liked it too. So good,

and that I'm not surprised you're supporting strong women. You've been representing them on screen for years. Honey. That

was a big act as if. That was seven seasons of act as if, because I am a non confrontational human, but Melanie isn't no Melanie has no problem, yeah, but I didn't I like I had been very afraid, I think of engaging in the world, in any you know what could, in any way be construed as contrarian, until that job, and that job really made me understand that democracy is a verb, that life requires participation, and also was kind enough to make it so that somebody would talk to me, you know, like if somebody would have the conversation like this, and we can try and stumble forward together and leave this planet a little better than we found it.

I mean, you loved her as an actress, but do you not just love her more as a human like, I just think you're so real and authentic. Thank you for sharing that personal story about growing up. Because, like, I can just see little Bellamy in the Molly ring wheel pink dress. Like, like, totally just, like, getting her little sewing kit out, like making it happen. But I feel your heart so much in what you say, and I know even even watching you when we're talking about care and your intro like there's there's a softness to you, and it's clear you love this organization so much. And so tell, tell the audience who maybe has never heard of care. Tell us a little bit more about like, who they are, and tell us how you first got involved, and sort of the impact this organization's making worldwide. Well,

the amazing thing about care is everybody knows care, because 80 years ago, after the war, the Second World War, people came together. They thought, Oh, my goodness, everybody in Europe is really hurting. What can we do to alleviate their pain in any way we can? And the care package was created, and it is really this whole organization is born out of people's hearts, just wanting to connect and help anyone they can in any way they can. And from that, a whole organization has grown that's a very bespoke they still do the same things. They go into a local community. They assess what need might be around by asking the people who live there. They hire the people who live there to help them create a rubric and a structure that can allow for transformational change. And they really their end goal is their own obsolescence. They just want to help people thrive. And it just speaks to the fact that we can all do so much by just helping a little like sometimes, we all just need a little bit of a leg up, and we can do the rest on our own. We can run the race, but we need that help initially, and we'll all be on that side of equation. We've all we will all need help, and we will all be able to give help care. What I love is that they focus on women and girls because they, you know, they've got the data. They've got them done, all the empirical number numbers. And when you lift up women and girls, they bring their families and their communities with them. So it causes change within a whole region when you do that sort of work. And it it just always spoke to me that that Teach a man to fish kind of ethos, yes, because it really it reminds us what we're each capable of on our own, but that we all need each other to be able to reach our highest goals and highest

good. Yeah. I mean, there's so much dignity and so much empowerment in that. And it's like, I love that. It traces back to what a care package means. I mean, there's that's such a weighted phrase, and it means something when you just say that out loud. And that's the hope that, I guess, has been there for so many years, and I didn't even know it was there. Like, that's so beautiful.

I know it moves me every time, because it's just the act of love. I'll give what I can to make you feel better.

Yeah, so beautiful. Well, I mean, I love that you are launching this incredible project with care. Honestly, it couldn't be happening at a better time, because I feel like we're all looking for the uplift. We're looking for hope and stories of hope. And so your series, she leads with care, I'd love for you to kind of tone set about. How did it come about? And like, what can we expect through it? Well,

it took a it took a beat. This came about during COVID. I felt very isolated, very alone, very disempowered. And I was realizing that I was turning anywhere to look for hope, to look for connection and care. These stories have always moved me so much, the way these women change their lives and then turn around and bring somebody else up next, and the ripple effect and the power of that. And I thought, oh my gosh, I Why wouldn't everybody want to know about this work, and they can participate if they're able in any way, they can advocacy or volunteer or donation, or they can get involved themselves. And also, right now, we just need to remember that change is possible, that we can make a difference in each other's lives, and that we're all connected. And so I pitched it to Michelle Nunn, sweet, wonderful. Michelle Nunn, I mean, what a human what a leader, what a big heart. She's a president of care. And Hi, Michelle. She was down with it. And we've, it's taken us a couple of years because, you know, they had me at the helm so that I'm a bit of a novice in this space. There's a big learning curve there. And also doing a podcast in multiple languages, there's a lot to learn about that. Doing a podcast globally where you need to ship equipment and, you know, find Wi Fi and, you know, they're just logistically, there was a bit of a lift in that regard from, you know, the innocent dream that I was like, let's tell these stories. But, but my amazing team at care and sunshine sacks also, like we all were equally committed to these women's stories, getting out in the world so that everybody else could warm themselves and their son.

It's funny, you talk about warm yourselves and their son. I just keep thinking that, like, storytelling is this way for us to plant roots. You know, under whose shade, like we'll never sit in. It's like we we need to understand how to get rooted in somebody else's story, how to feel changed by that. And I, I'm just deeply curious about this, because I can tell that you are one of these heartwired humans that when you hear something, it just moves you deeply. Like, what was this process like? Like, are you sitting down with a. Another woman or a girl from another country, and what is the experience like for you on the receiving end? I know you're kind of probably moderating and guiding these questions, but how did that feel to you? What did you experience? It

was humbling and thrilling, and always, I mean, I always, I cried like three times every interview, just to just so moved, you know, I get it truly right, and so grateful to be having the conversations for it to be the 21st century where that's even possible, like just the tech alone of it, because I'm a very 20th century human. I'm like pens and papers and, you know, horse and buggies, but it was phenomenal. I do, I try to do a bunch of research. So I because I feel like, first of all, that's the only respectful way to engage. I want to know, you know, all about coffee making in Vietnam, so that I can have a conversation with Ben about both growth and production and marketing and distribution, you know. I want to carry my own weight, you know. I want to learn about, you know, women and land rights in Nepal and, you know, what the social norms are in Jordan. So I can understand what it means that Raida has become a plumber there, that she's a female plumber, you know. So you want to make sure, I wanted to make sure that there was deep context, so that the conversation can go anywhere. And always, the thing that got me the most, to be honest, was that the conversations go the same place, because we're all just humans, and it doesn't matter how different our circumstances may be, we need and want and dream and hope and hurt and heal in all the same ways. And I think that's always what the when I, you know, clicked off of Riverside, like had to just sort of sit and take the enormity in. Yeah, of I didn't quite my so my sweet, my sweet English teacher, mother just turned over in her grave. If she had to diagram that sentence, she would kill me. But no, I that it always just was so humbling to be able to speak to wonder, like Lillian and Tanzania, have a conversation that's so filled with love in itself and education and inspiration? A, to be to able to have done it at all, and then B, to know that, yeah, Tanzania, upstate New York, you know, we're just humans. We're all the same animal. That's

it. I mean, I feel like kinship with you, because not only from just time spending traveling where, I think opens up your eyes to this, but Becky and I you know, this is like our 600th ish episode, and the people we are at the beginning to where we are at now, of just walking in open handed to conversations like, you can't not be changed by that. And you got to think like, what a superpower that I left on my on the table for too long of my life, of not just getting in dialog with people about, what are their pains, what are their dreams, what are their hopes? Like, there's such a connectedness when we get below the surface. And I love that you're lifting that, because we feel that too in our conversations, and you can do it at

the store. Do

you know we all shared humanity everywhere we go? It's

always day better. My sweet husband is aces at that, and always is my my reminder, because I'll get on my telephone, or I'll, like, be messing with my dog, or, you know, like, Whatever, I'll tune out. It's New York. I'm a New Yorker, but, um, but he, you know, we have the most wonderful adventures, because he's gonna speak to the person beside us or in front of us, or, you know, ask a question that I did wonder, but would never have broken the barrier. But then, then that's when the magic happens. Yeah,

I agree. And Pedro, that's the second time she said something kind about you. So just know she's speaking real big love about you,

or I'm having to dig out of a big hole. It's one or the other.

I mean, we want to talk about advocacy in this conversation too. So I wonder if you'd table set that by like, what are some of the challenges that you have been awakened to in these conversations? Like, what are some of the triumphs and maybe challenges? Because we do want to be global citizens and be aware of what our friends and our neighbors are experiencing. And there are things from those conversations that you're like, Man, this is a universal challenge that I think most people are not aware of that you could lift

not aware of is the only part of that question that I think people are more aware than we realize. So I'm not sure that I have any secrets to reveal about what is needed in this world, like kindness and. And equity and access to the marketplace, and sometimes just being remembered or just being respected as a human. But I think, through this lens, particularly with everyone that I have spoken to for the podcast, gender equity is still just there's just a grievous discrepancy, and that plays out in access to, I think, first and foremost, about how women in Tanzania, for example, you can't or and so many other places, you can't get a loan if you're a woman without a man signing for it. So many of the village savings and loans, success stories, personal transformations, all of that have just come out of just giving women access, just access, and it's access to their own money that they come together and share and support each other's dreams and get a little back and then support my dreams. And we all go and we take our turns, but it's not not having institutional support, you know, having to create that for yourself, or access to education, a woman's access to education, hygiene, health care, it that's I mean. But again, I say it's not like I'm revealing any secrets at all when I talk about that. But I think what we were just talking about, oddly, is also the other side of the coin as peoples, people who are privileged to be safe and have enough and be connected, people forgetting or feeling friction against engaging. I think that's the other non Secret. Secret is just that we all do make a difference, and our engagement does make a difference. You think you you don't matter, or somebody else will handle it. Or how much can I help? Every bit aggregates, and more than ever, I feel like it is time to reach a handout in every direction, just if only to clasp it in support of a brother, a sister, a stranger. More than ever, I think we have to not be walking down the street messing with our dog and on our phone more than ever. We need to pay attention to the person who's walking beside us. And you know they always say, you can't know what somebody else is going through, but you can, if you ask,

I just think there are some themes here that have resonance. And I don't care who you are, what your lived experience is, where you are in the world. I think this accessibility piece is such a barrier for so many people, whether it's accessibility to education or to economic stability. I mean, I think about Jon has three daughters. I have two daughters. It's like this issue for the world that we're setting up for our girls and for our all of our kids. We want them to navigate through a kinder, more just and humane world. And it's like, if we as adults can go back to that and figure out and kind of look around and say, Where is my agency? What do I have? Do I have access to power? Do I have access to funding? Do I have access to a network who could open something up? And I love just the metaphor and the visual of to Bellamy's point, just hold their hand. Just hold their hand and let them know they're not alone right now, we're seeing such isolation as we're in the most connected time we've ever had. And I feel like Kevin, Kevin Adler talked about this when he came onto the podcast with miracle messages, and he said, We are literally in relational poverty right now, and a way that we can come together is by helping one another. It's going to heal us. It's going to heal the person on the back end. And so I really feel like you're on to something. Bellamy and I, and I keep hearing this, like activation component to it, and I thank you for just talking about your agency and feeling like you kind of felt yourself standing on the sidelines and didn't want to ruffle feathers, but when you stepped up into that work, I want you to talk about the shift that you felt when you chose to kind of lean in, whether that's in your hurricane recovery efforts in Asheville to reproductive justice, which I am also a very big proponent of, like talk to our audience about that. And what would you share to someone who's feeling that nudge to kind of step forward but has felt very much pulled back in it for most of their life?

I would of course, encourage them to delight in that impulse they're feeling and to follow it to hear. I mean, I've been on meditating too, because I my brain is so loud, it's just so loud, but my heart has a lot more sense. You know, my brain is like, I know everything, and my brain is like, no. So like meditation. Always gets a clearer answer. For me. So if someone has the impulse, but like a bit of a paralysis around what direction to go in, I always feel like your heart knows the answer, and there is abundant need in all directions for your gift and what you can do, and it's in you for a reason, and it's you know, somewhere between silly and against divine grace to not let what's inside you out. I will also say that for people that are natured like me, which is nervous about everything and overthinking and afraid to ruffle feathers, it has not gotten easier for me. It is just remains rewarding. It is the thing that gives me the deepest joy. Ironically, even though I get nervous about, you know, somebody can be mad at me, or, you know, we have, we're, you know, the winds are a change in and so you know, is this for you know, is this okay to say, or is that okay to do? But again, I just keep coming back to my heart, and my heart knows what I'm here for, to like in what way to be of service. And so I try to be humble and do what my heart tells me. And always at the end of the day, if those are the footsteps I've walked in. I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude that I got to be alive today and be of service and maybe help a little like I, you know, no one gets out alive. So I want to, I want to, I want my time here to be useful. I want it to be good for something, and I love acting, and it is so much fun. And when I have a job like that too, oh, I thrill and I delight, and also in the wee hours of the night, it's when I've spent a day having a conversation like this, or gotten to lift up the work that care, or a woman involved with care is done or any kind of advocacy. Those are the those are the nights that I feel the warmest and the calmest and the clearest and the most grateful.

Okay, I you know Jon, that this listening audience is feeling all kinds of jelly for care. They're feeling so jealous that care gets to work with belly. Because I do think what you were saying is, we talked about this a lot last year, you know, in terms of, like, how we can scale influence and impact, and how do you find people to amplify and their influence? And I think that you're doing it with such conviction, and you're going back to your values as the grounding point for how you align and connect and act. And it is straight from the center. And please nonprofits, go find a Bellamy type, someone to amplify your mission. And I know there's only one of you, but I do think that you are lifting a bigger conversation, for care, for women, for girls, for equality. It's not just in this one lane. I really am excited about this podcast because I feel like it's gonna have tentacles in a lot of different

areas. I really hope, I hope people listen and enjoy and get the feel all the feels that I feel so and at the end of the end of the day, remember that they can also be agents of change, right? Like, it's incredible what these women have done. It's incredible what care does every day all around the globe, and also, we can all do it in our own ways, every moment of every day. It's a choice we have.

Becky and I are nominating ourselves as fan club president and

vice Oklahoma chapter. I got it right here. I got Oklahoma, and I've got the road you've got South Carolina this week. So it's great,

my friend, I have a question, what inspires you? I mean, you have got a lot of passions. Where do you really find inspiration in this moment?

What melts me like undoes me. Is kindness. It can happen anywhere, anytime, just people being kind to people. That's really, I wish it were something more interesting or had a better story, but that is, that is true, like, and that's always been true, like the even as a kid, like watching commercials or something, I will I am that I will cry if someone is doing some kindness in a commercial. I will be like

rook during gamble the Olympic commercials every time,

like somebody helping somebody get their bag down the subway stairs, you know, like I just makes me feel like it might be okay, you know, that we might make it through because we're connecting with each other. I It's everything. It's everything to me.

Yeah, I'm a big proponent of people being just kind, and I love that we're connected on this love. Storytelling that we have, and I want to give you the mic and ask you about a time when philanthropy, kindness, maybe generosity, where you had a moment in your life where philanthropy or kindness came in and it just profoundly changed you. Can you share a story of a time?

Yeah, no, I surely can. I mean, I can share. We can be here forever. How long have we got? Let's

go. This will be great. Do it. Order pizza, everybody. We're gonna do this.

How would that be if we did like, a kindness, telethon, from your lips. Sidebar, to

like, yes, come find us. We would love to do that.

I am I the one that pops immediately into my head is I was very lucky to go to Yale. I thought I was going to be a physics major. Turns out, I'm not that good at physics, but I was English in theater, and it was all good, and I had a great time. And, you know, they meet demonstrated financial needs. So I was able to go and because my mom, my dad, is dead at that point, my mom was the high school English teacher, and thank you. And you know, I'm just like a kid and finishing college, and it's all, you know, I'm like, Okay, what? Oh, the great abyss. What's next? I get this letter from the Bursars office. Bursar is like, the person in charge of the money at a fine at a college. And I'm like, Oh, God,what? Wait, like this. Can't be good. I open

it up and it's it says below, please find the name of the person who paid for your education, if you know you want to write them a thank you note or something. And it just had never, I mean, I was so grateful to be there, obviously, but Yale's like a wealthy institution, and I sort of thought they just have, like, a big pool of money that someone stirs with a big stick. And some of it goes one direction, and some of it goes another Scrooge and duck

like isn't everybody diving into the gold coins in one sink with you? But

it wasn't. It was a man named Dr Richard light, and he lived in Kalamazoo. He had been a surgeon and a cartographer and a pilot, and it was had gone to school there before me, a long time before me, and I just, I mean, I just stood straight still because he didn't know me. He changed my whole life, like he opened the world to me. He opened my mind, and I got a national tour straight out of college, and we actually played Kalamazoo because it wasn't the best national tour. And I met him. He was 93 when I met him, and I got to, like, hug him, and he came to the show, and I, like, vowed that if I ever could, I would try and do that for somebody. And scandal let me do that for somebody too. So now, like, some I can't pay for, like, I think he paid for everything I pay for part of somebody's college every year.

And his name is literally Dr Lite, come on,

can you? Yeah, I swear I did not make this up. This is 100% the truth. Dr Richard lights Kalamazoo, Google him.

That is why we asked this question. Story, we can all be lit up and

grateful because we have. We're all blessed in so many ways that we don't even think to wonder about. You know, I was just like, happy enough to be a college but there was, like a human. I was there because the human helped me be there. I don't know. It just teaches he's always in my heart. Okay,

that one will stick with us as well, my friend, thank you for that. As we start to round out, we have kind of a tradition. We ask for a one good thing that you Yeah, our audience today that could be like a secret to success. It could tie to this or not. It's like, good habit. It's a mantra, what you got? I

love that you asked people this. And so I was like, you know, I've been thinking about this because I try prepare. I always try to be prepared. Um, but it what I kept coming back to, which will, okay, I'm just gonna say it. Oh, my God, that's the build up. Um, don't be afraid to ask questions. Like I tried to. I always try to be prepared, and I try to, you know, I'm the daughter of an English teacher, and I want to do it right. And so I think for a long time, I thought if you ask a question, they'd know you weren't prepared, or you didn't know everything. There's like so few subjects that are finite enough to know everything about anyway, but, but you can never know anybody else's experience or their feelings about us, even if they're even if the subject is finite. But so I think that's I. What I just as I was thinking, because I was I've been so looking forward to coming on your podcast. I knew that was a question, and I that's what I just kept coming back to, like, don't assume anything. Always be like, lead with curiosity. Don't ever be afraid to ask a question, because you're gonna get such a more wonderful information than you think you already know. So that in floss, FLOs, obviously,

that's important, okay, philosophical and practical, we're getting to the biological. I do think curiosity yields compassion. Curiosity yields deeper connection. It's a part of our evolution as humans. And I just think curiosity is so kind. It is so kind. And people love to talk about themselves. They love to tell their stories. So why not just ask and see what would happen? And also, Jon, like Meli knows our podcast, can we, like, pinch ourselves with that too? Like, oh my god, no. Okay. But practically speaking, we really want people to go and check out this new podcast series. We are huge proponents of ethical storytelling, of allowing agency, for people to tell their own story. So we're definitely going to link the podcast series in the episodes description, so everyone can subscribe and join you on this journey, but also tell us how they can connect with care or keep up with the work you're doing. Tell us,

yeah, oh my goodness. Well, follow care on all the platforms, because that's they do a great job of storytelling and small bite size, so we can always keep up with what's going on. You can, of course, go to care.org/see leads to find out more about the podcast and sign up for their newsletter so they can, you know, send you information when you need it. Donate if you want it, if you can. You know, do all the things be a part of, be a part of the love. I really do think it's, you know, we almost called the podcast when we care, because I think that's the bottom line. When we care, like change is possible, so just become, be a part of it, or be a part of change, and caring in any way you can or are drawn to. I think

we're here for the spin off already. I mean, yeah, I'm like, let's do it me. I mean, you made us laugh, like we're literally crying, holding back tears. Over here, you're amazing. Thank you for being part of this. Thank you care for having the vision to say yes. Whenever you have an incredible donor, supporter, believer, yes comes in with an idea too. This is the kind of evolved way that we show up for our missions, to spread our stories like you're doing it. So thank you, my friend.

Media scales impact meet. The more we share these stories, the more people find us. And I just hope, if this has affected you in some way, listener, go, go do something about it. Like, if you're not going to follow care or go check that out. I totally think you should. And I think you should listen this podcast series do something kind for somebody. Like, let's watch this ripple keep going, and let's not wait for other people to start it like let's Be the change. Let's go. Bellamy, keep rocking this lifetime. You

guys. I'm so grateful. I'm a fan right back. Thank you for having me on. Thank you for what it's 600 and how many 600 what that makes such a difference. I'm so grateful. So thank you for having me on. You're amazing. You.