UPtv, the network known for its family-friendly and faith-based programming, is celebrating a major milestone – 20 years on the air, and a new initiative to promote encouragement to others. In a recent interview, UP Entertainment President and CEO Charley Humbard reflected on the network’s journey and shared his vision for the future.

The network, which started out as a gospel music channel 20 years ago, has evolved significantly over the decades, expanding into a diverse portfolio of brands and services.

“Today, we’re UPtv and all these other brands, but we’ve never varied from our purpose of uplifting others,” Humbard said. “Using quality entertainment to uplift people and hopefully have a long-term impact on our world around us.”

That commitment to uplifting content has paid off, with UP Entertainment experiencing its two best performance years in the company’s history over the past two years. Humbard attributed this success to the network’s ability to adapt to changing viewer habits and preferences.

“You look at what’s going on in the world around us, between wars and the political environment and everything else, people need a place to go to get away and feel good about the time they spent watching quality entertainment, where characters have character in the end and actions have consequences,” Humbard said.

Some of UP Entertainment’s recent success stories include the exclusive rights to air the popular Canadian series “Hudson and Rex” and the long-running “Heartland,” which the network can air 18 months before it becomes available on Netflix. “Heartland being on there as exclusive for us. You know, we get Heartland 18 months before anybody else, Netflix included. So that’s been a real success story for us there,” Humbard said.

The network has also found success with its lifestyle programming on the Aspire channel, a children’s channel, Minno, as well as its faith-based and family-friendly movies, including big programming pushes at Christmas and Easter.

“We like to say we get the real meaning of Christmas. It’s not about Santa and romance movies and, you know, around Christmas. But we have faith movies on there, and a lot of even our Christmas movies tell the story of faith in those movies,” Humbard explained.

Humbard, who has a long history with gospel music, also highlighted the network’s efforts to keep gospel and Christian music alive, including a partnership with Bill Gaither’s gospel music library and the creation of Gaither TV Plus, a streaming service that is part of UP Entertainment’s bundle of offerings. UP recently featured actor Dennis Quaid’s latest gospel project, “Fallen.”

“This Christmas we’ll have a Gaither music special, an original so we keep music alive,” he said. “It’s not like it was where it was wall-to-wall music on the channel back (in the beginning)(, but still very much a part of what we do, and keeping gospel and Christian music a part of it,” Humbard said.

As UP Entertainment celebrates its 20th anniversary, Humbard is confident that the network’s commitment to uplifting and family-friendly content will continue to resonate with viewers in the years to come.

“I think our kind of entertainment today is needed more than ever, and it’s part of why we’ve been successful,” Humbard said. “As you get more and more quality platforms and quality producers in the business, it attracts more of the talent that is high-quality talent.”

Looking to the future, Humbard is also excited about the network’s plans to further expand its reach and impact. One initiative he’s particularly proud of is the launch of National Uplift Someone Day, a nationally recognized holiday dedicated to encouraging people to do something uplifting for others.

“We started National UPlift Someone Day. So that’s going to be a nationally recognized day to remind people to do something uplifting in their communities,” Humbard said.

The network has partnered with Feeding America to promote community outreach and service on this special day, which will be celebrated for the first time on October 30, UP Entertainment’s 20th anniversary. The day is first being recognized through legislation in Georgia but Humbard said the plan is to have it recognized nationwide, much as the network did with sponsoring Gospel Music Heritage Month.

UP Entertainment employees will be celebrating the day by partnering with Love Beyond Walls to put together 500 “Blessing Bags” for the unhoused in the Atlanta area. Blessing Bags will contain a Poncho, Hand Sanitizer, Hygiene Kit, Socks, Lip Balm, Bottled Water, Snacks, LifeLine Resource Card and a Gift Card.

Here are 20 other ways to celebrate National UPlift Someone Day:

• Compliment a stranger.
• Buy a coffee or meal for the person behind you in line at the coffee shop or fast-food restaurant (drive-thru or at the order counter).
• Bake something for your neighbors, friends, or co-workers.
• Check in with family members or friends you haven’t seen recently through a phone call or text.
• Nominate someone who uplifts others at http://upliftsomeone.com/.
• Volunteer at a homeless shelter to help those in need.
• Leave out a basket with sealed packaged snacks and/or drinks for your local delivery driver.
• Be a positive voice online by leaving encouraging comments on social media posts or sharing uplifting news stories.
• Give an educator, school administrator, or anyone who works with our kids in education a verbal or written thank you.
• Donate non-perishable food to a local food bank. Visit Feeding America to find one near you.
• Leave a kind/inspiring note in a library book as a bookmark.
• Donate blood in support of relief efforts.
• Befriend someone new to your neighborhood, school, or work, by inviting them to an activity to help meet people.
• Give new or gently used items (clothes, toys, books, furniture) to those in need.
• The next time you leave a tip at a restaurant, include a kind note on the receipt for your server.
• Write a letter or simply say thank you to first responders you know or see (police officers, firefighters, nurses, etc.).
• Offer to do yard work, walk their dog, get the mail or move the trash can to the curb for an older person in your neighborhood.
• Offer to babysit for a busy parent who could use a break.
• Organize to clean up a local park or plant a community garden.
• Provide mentorship to a young person looking for guidance or to learn about a career or skill that you are knowledgeable about.

For more information on UPlift Someone Day, including a sweepstakes in partnership with 1-800-FLOWERS, click here.

DEWAYNE HAMBY is a communications specialist and longtime journalist covering faith-based music, entertainment, books, and the retail industry. He is the author of the book “Gratitude Adjustment.” Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.