Welcome to Episode 344 of Live Happy Now.

When the pandemic began last year, traditional ways of volunteering and helping others completely disappeared.

But today's guest found a way to bring people together by creating a pandemic of her own.

I'm your host, Paula Phelps, and this week I'm joined by Shelly Tegelski, a meditation teacher

and mom who started a movement from her kitchen table in March of 2020.

As she read through her messages and emails about the ways people were being affected by

COVID-19, she saw people filled with fears of losing

their jobs, not having enough food, and not being able to pay their bills. But she also saw many

people who wanted to help, and she came up with a plan to connect the people who need help

with the people who were able to give help. Her efforts went viral kicking off what became known

as Pandemic of Love, a global grassroots mutual aid organization. By March of 2021,

pandemic of love had matched more than 1.5 million people and had allowed donors to directly give

$54 million to those in need.

Shelly's here today to talk about how this movement caught fire, how it changed the lives

of those who were able to help each other, how it's still thriving today, and how you can be a

part of it.

Shelly, welcome to Live Happy Now.

Thank you so much for having me.

I'm so happy to be here today.

Well, we have so much to talk about because you've got two big things that I'm really excited about.

And so I wondered if first we can talk about pandemic of love.

Okay.

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