logo
episode-header-image
Today
19m 28s

From Child Abuse to Saving Grace: Becky ...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

On this episode of Our American Stories, Becky Shaffer grew up in severe neglect and abuse, cycling through hunger, violence, and instability before entering foster care as a teenager. After aging out of the system herself, she built a life marked by faith, family, and hard-earned resilience.

Years later, while fostering young women, Becky recognized a familiar pattern as girls left care without support and faced the same dangers she once had. That recognition led to the creation of Saving Grace, a residential program designed to help young women aging out of foster care learn practical life skills, build stability, and find direction. Becky shares how her past shaped her purpose, and how Saving Grace grew from an idea into a refuge for girls with nowhere else to turn.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Today
She Ran Banks in Colombia, Then Cleaned Floors in America
On this episode of Our American Stories, Gladys Gonzalez once held a senior banking position in Bogotá, earning a dollar salary and managing major financial institutions. When Colombia’s drug war forced her employer to shut down operations, she was suddenly starting over in the U ... Show More
10m 49s
Today
Fat Bear Week: How Alaska’s Brown Bears Compete for Survival
On this episode of Our American Stories, each fall at Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, brown bears race to gain as much weight as possible before winter. Ranger Lian Law shares the story of how Fat Bear Week began as a small educational project and grew ... Show More
7m 59s
Today
Duke Ellington: An American Original
On this episode of Our American Stories, many music critics consider Duke Ellington one of the most important composers of the 20th century, in or out of jazz. The late Wall Street Journal culture critic Terry Teachout, author of Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington, shares the sweepin ... Show More
38m 16s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2025
I Called the Police on My Serial Killer Dad
As a child, April Balascio noticed that people would often vanish. One time it was a labourer working for her dad, another time it was a young couple in town. Then as an adult, April started googling cold cases in her childhood towns. In 2009 she got a match and called the police ... Show More
1h 10m
Dec 2020
From a ‘Street Kid’ in Uganda to Foster Dad in America
<p>Peter Mutabazi spent his childhood feeling alone and forgotten in the streets of Kampala, Uganda, until the generosity of one family changed his life forever.</p><p>That family taught Peter about the love of Jesus Christ and what it meant to be loved and affirmed. Now, as a fo ... Show More
25m 8s
Feb 2025
Alan Cumming
<p>In this deeply personal episode, Monica chats with actor and <em>Traitors</em> presenter Alan Cumming, who shares his story of surviving an abusive childhood with a father obsessed with his hair and the lasting impact it left on him. He reflects on the power of speaking openly ... Show More
51m 10s
Jan 2025
Minnesota Man Caught in Blind Mule Drug Trafficking Scam
<p>Rodney Baldus, a retired truck driver from Minnesota, believes he is the recipient of a large inheritance belonging to his late wife. The inheritance is in Italy, but he is told he must first fly to Africa to sign papers before going on to Italy. Since his travel expenses are ... Show More
48m 50s
Apr 2024
Episode 78: The Chicken Whackers Pt. 1
A man named Luke originally reached out to the show on behalf of his younger brother. His brother Keegan left home to hitchhike and travel the country, which eventually turned into living on the street for years. When the family finally got Keegan off the street, he had many stor ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 2024
#530: Dad fakes it to the border
<p>Dad went out for a carton of milk? Jim and Kathy explore the story of a father and husband who supposedly went missing in a tragic kayaking incident, but as the story unfolds; they discover that things aren't what they seem. A double life is unveiled and the truth is somewhere ... Show More
22m 7s
Jul 2018
Catfishing Strangers To Find Myself | With Cory Michael Smith
<p>As a teenager in Finland, Kalle Oskari Mattila was trying to figure out who he was. For help, he turned to Pamela Anderson. Cory Michael Smith (&quot;1985,&quot; &quot;Gotham&quot;) performed his story live at the Provincetown Film Festival.</p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a hre ... Show More
21m 1s
Aug 2025
Father of Three Faked His Own Death To Runaway With Woman He Met Online
A Wisconsin judge sentences a husband and father to twice the amount of time recommended after he duped authorities and his family into believing he drowned while kayaking at a lake, all so he could make a new life overseas with an Eastern European woman. Amy and T.J. go over the ... Show More
21m 3s