Episode Details

On today's show I sat down with Matthew Purkey, President and CEO of Josiah White's in Wabash, Indiana, a 175-year-old nonprofit founded on 800 acres to provide opportunities for every child.

Purkey explains their Christ-centered mission and statewide services, including residential programs (PATH for behavioral issues, MAP for unhealthy sexual choices, and TREK for long-term substance abuse), serving youth ages 13–17 referred by DCS and juvenile probation, plus family preservation, foster care licensing, and fatherhood engagement.

He shares key statistics about students' family instability and trauma, describes the holistic campus approach (therapy, on-site school, work stipends, and certifications), and recounts his own journey from legal trouble to the Marine Corps and nonprofit leadership.

Our conversation highlights the need for transitional housing after age 18, the impact of hope, and why Purkey chose Indiana and Wabash as home.

If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:
- The Origins of Josiah White's and Its Mission
- Josiah White's Residential Programs
- Family Instability and Traumas for Students

Thank you to our partners:
ClusterTruck (use code GETIN at checkout for $5 off orders of $25 or more)
Berne Apparel

Check out these great clips from the show:
00:00 Hope For Kids
01:16 Guest Introduction: Matthew Purkey, Josiah White's
02:26 Origins Of Josiah White's
03:32 Mission Today
04:13 Residential Programs
06:02 Who They Serve
10:28 Campus Life Explained
13:31 Jobs And Certifications
15:18 Matthew Backstory
16:24 Marine Corps Turning Point
17:52 Deployments And Haiti
20:29 PTSD And New Mission
27:15 Nonprofit Career Path
30:20 Travel Burnout
31:05 Finding Josiah White's
32:27 Mission and Scale
34:18 Foster Care Reality
37:51 Ethan Wells Story
40:52 Why Rural Healing
44:51 Fatherhood Engagement
48:02 Graduating From the Back
50:10 Leading With Authenticity
53:49 Indiana Home and Advice
58:08 Rapid Fire Favorites

Get IN. is brought to you by our friends at Sweetwater. Whether you are looking to start a podcast or level up your current show you need to hit them up.