The Social Television Network (www.stntv.com), which creates online content bringing together community leaders to share their leadership philosophies and active efforts to make a difference, will launch The McQuaid Mission on Jan. 18. The twice-monthly show will carry forward the legacy and important work of Mike McQuaid, who dedicated much of his life to ending homelessness.

McQuaid, a founder of the 13-acre Human Services Campus (www.hsc-az.org) near downtown Phoenix where 16 independent nonprofits collaborate to provide unduplicated wrap-around services to men and women experiencing homelessness, passed away last summer due to COVID-19.

The McQuaid Mission will be co-hosted by former CBS5 journalist Chris Coraggio, now STN’s managing producer, and Amy Schwabenlender, executive director at the Human Services Campus. The McQuaid Mission can be viewed on the STN app, which is available through Google Play and the App Store.

“Mike McQuaid left an incredible legacy and we hope this show will leverage his commitment, passion and dedication to continue making a difference in our community,” Coraggio said. “Many of us knew him as ‘Big Mo.’ For me, he was an incredible mentor, friend and coach as I was growing up. We know that Mike never sought recognition for his good work, and he surely wouldn’t want a show named after him, but he touched and impacted so many lives that we want to be sure his spirit remains a motivator for others.”

The premiere episode will feature guests Mike McQuaid Jr. and a special presentation by Congressman Greg Stanton, who read a memorial proclamation into the Congressional Record after Big Mo’s passing. Also featured will be a video interview with Nancy Gerlach, who experienced homelessness in her early 20s and successfully overcame her addictions and life on the street. A former member of the Human Services Campus team, she is currently a Prescott-based licensed clinical social worker helping others work through their challenges.

The show also will offer background about the Human Services Campus. Future episodes will focus on “efforts to address and ultimately end homelessness in the Valley,” Coraggio said. “Our goal is to encourage others to Be Like Mike.”

“Mike was special,” Schwabenlender said. “He was a hero to many, including to me, and a champion for men and women experiencing homelessness. We are deeply grateful to STN for conceiving and producing the show and to engaging with us to find regional solutions to end homelessness.”

The second episode of The McQuaid Mission will air on Feb. 1 with subsequent shows available every other week.

For more information about The Social Television Network, visit http://www.stntv.com. For more information about the Human Services Campus, visit http://www.hsc-az.org. For more information about current efforts to add shelter beds on the Human Services Campus, visit http://www.fromstreettohome.org.




Provided by Steve Carr