Hey y'all welcome to another edition of Off-air with Carmen. my guest today is Laura Whitaker and she is the executive

director of ESP, which stands for extra special people.

So my first interaction with ESP was a few years ago when I was at an event in Athens and there was this coffee service there and it was all run by people with disabilities and special needs.

And being super familiar with Young Life's Capernum,

I was instantly drawn to this crew.

And get this y'all, they call themselves Joy Rista's.

Oh, it's the cutest thing ever, and every cup of coffee

is served with a hug.

You're gonna love my conversation with Laura

as she talks about ESP and the programs that help assist, encourage, and

employ these wonderful friends and oh my goodness y'all, wait till you hear the part about

the white apron ceremony.

Oh, here's my conversation with Laura.

Okay, Laura, I'm really happy that you're here because Jules, I tell you what Jules, I've got to start giving her cred is like my executive producer. I have co-executive producers, Haley and Jules.

But Jules has been booking me lately.

And when she was kind of going down a list of folks

that she thought that I should talk to on my podcast,

your name was at the top of the list.

And I, as soon as she said it, and she said extra special people,

I'm like, ah, is that Java Joy?

And she goes, yes, ding, ding, ding, ding, exactly. So it was. the going into Athens, the morning cruise, Dave Bill, myself, and we had a couple of different

receptions.

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