Real Life with Toni Reece

When we see a veteran in uniform, we often say two simple words:  Thank you.  These two words, although heartfelt, only scratch the surface of the sacrifices our military men and women have made.  This episode of Real Life isn’t about politics or war.  It’s about people, it’s about what happens when they come home.  Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Jay Ostrich, Director of Berks County Veterans Affairs a...

The Fourth of July is one of America’s favorite holidays.  It’s a time for family, backyard barbecues, parades and of course fireworks.  Understanding the law, respecting the power of fireworks, and knowing what to do in an emergency can help protect your family, your neighbors, and first responders.  In this episode of Real Life, we are joined by Reading Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss and Lieutenan...

Sometimes a rumor spreads faster than the facts.  This episode of Real Life sets the record straight about the Meals on Wheels program.  The mission remains the same, making sure older adults receive nutritious meals, remain independent, and continue living safely in their own homes.  LuAnn Oatman, President and CEO of Berks Encore and Jessica Jones, Director of Berks County Area Agency on Aging,...

When most people think about agriculture, they picture fields, tractors, and barns.  What they do not see are the families who have spent generations adapting to changing times while working to preserve a way of life.  Dan Brown is a third generation farmer, the owner of Deerfoot Vineyards and Winery, and the President of B.A.R.N. (Berks Agricultural Resource Network).  His family experienced firs...

Our guest today believes second chances don’t simply change lives, they create opportunities to help others.  Ryan Bradley is the Clean City Coordinator for the City of Reading.  Every day he works alongside residents, churches, schools, businesses, and volunteers to make Reading cleaner, safer and stronger through the Adopt-a-Block program.  But before Ryan helped restore neighborhoods, he had to...

America 250 PA is upon us!!  Commissioner Christian Leinbach joins us in studio to talk about all the events that are happening in Berks County, PA to help celebrate this milestone.  However, the story of this episode is not just talking about the events, but magic, inspiration, and passion took over this episode right in the middle of it.  Commissioner Leinbach spoke so passionately and eloquentl...

Rosa Parra is the founder and CEO of Palo Magazine, a publication dedicated to celebrating culture, community, business, and the stories that connect us.  However, long before she launched a magazine, Rosa was a little girl growing up in public housing, raised by a single mother of five children.  Her mother could not read or write.  Resources were limited and opportunities were scarce.  Survival...

Lisa Ashcroft, Vice President, Wealth Trust Advisor and Thomas Miller, Director of Investment Strategy, Senior Vice President both of Girard, a Univest Wealth Division talk about the Mid-Year Market Check.  What’s working, what’s not and what investors should do next!

Real Life’s guest today believes every family has stories waiting to be discovered, not just names on a family tree, but ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives.  Laurel Miller is the Director of the Womelsdorf Community Library, and the founding President and current librarian of the Berks County Genealogical Society and someone who has spent decades uncovering the remarkable stories hidden...

We live in a world that goes incredibly fast.  We scroll, we skim, we react.  Yet stories still have the power to slow us down, challenge us, comfort us, and help us understand each other.  Marian Wolbers is the guest today on Real Life.  Marian is an author, playwright, teacher, editor, and the founder and publisher of Pretzel City Press.  She has written novels, poetry, nonfiction, and drama, bu...

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in America, affecting one in five people during their lifetime.  The encouraging news is that it’s also one of the most preventable cancers when we build good habits and catch problems early.  On this episode of Real Life, we are talking to Andrew Kay, Executive Vice President of Growth for Dermatology Partners about a new initiative called Play Sun Safe, a pa...

Tammy Dahms joins the conversation on Real Life.  Tammy is the V.P. of Corporate Partnerships for Oak View Group working with the Reading Royals, Santander Arena, and Santander Performing Arts Center.  She is a respected leader, a relationship builder and someone who spends her days connecting businesses, organizations and people.  Tammy’s story reminds us that balance isn’t a destination, it’s a...

Have you ever wondered who decides what goes into a museum exhibit? Or what happens behind those closed museum doors after visitors go home? This episode of Real Life takes you behind the scenes with one of the coolest jobs you never knew existed. Kim Jovinelli, is the Collections and Exhibitions Manager in the Curatorial  Department of The Reading Public Museum. This conversation is realizing tha...

Cindy Silverman grew up knowing only fragments of her family’s past.  She knew her grandparents spoke with thick German accents.  She knew they had escaped Vienna.  She knew relatives had perished during the Holocaust.  But whenever questions were asked, the answer was always the same:  “You shouldn’t know from this.”  Years later, after her grandmother passed away, a forgotten box of letters was...

Most of us have thousands of photographs on our phones.  We scroll past them.  We delete a few.  Every once in a while,  a photograph becomes something completely different, it becomes the last picture.  The last smile.  The last hug.  The last ordinary day that suddenly becomes extraordinary because there will never be another one.  Real Life’s guest is co-owner of Arcanum Lens Imagery, Alyssa Su...

There are moments in life that change us forever.  Some moments fill us with joy.  Others leave wounds that take years to understand, years to heal, and sometimes a lifetime to transform into something meaningful.  Cathleen Palm is the founder of the Center for Children’s Justice, an organization dedicated to protecting children and strengthening systems designed to keep them safe.  But long befor...

Are you confused by Medicare Supplements, Advantage Plans, rate increases, enrollment periods and premium increases?  Or do you have questions about 401(k)s, 403(b)s and retirement timing?  How do you protect your retirement savings?  What about principal protection?  Perfetto Insurance can answer these questions for you in this episode of Real Life.  Cassie Hovan, Senior Insurance Advisor and Den...

Every family has a story.  Some stories are about where we came from.  Others are about what we build along the way.  But the most meaningful stories are about what we leave behind.    This episode of Real Life we talk to father and son, Jack and Chuck Gulati.  What happens when one generation creates opportunities and the next generation chooses to build them in a different way?  How do you balan...

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, communities across the country are taking a fresh look at the people, places and stories that helped shape our nation.  In this episode, we are traveling back to the 18th century and exploring one of Pennsylvania’s remarkable historic treasures, Pottsgrove Manor.  Justin Clement, Historic Site Supervisor for Pottsgrove Manor, talks about history...

Most people see a successful restaurant and think about the food.  They think about the atmosphere.  They think about the menu.  What they don’t see are the years of risk, sacrifice, uncertainty, setbacks, and perseverance that happened long before the first customer walked through the door.  Jim and Gracie Rutolo are owners of Gracie’s on West Main and Louie’s Kitchen and Bar.  Together, they hav...

Every person is living a story.  Not just the famous people.  Not just the people making headlines.  All of us.  The challenge is that most of us only see life through our own experiences.  Our own struggles.  Our own generation.  Our own circumstances.  It is easy to assume everyone sees the world the same way we do.  But they don’t.  That’s what Real Life is about.  It’s about looking through so...

So many people are exhausted.  They are carrying stress, anxiety, family responsibilities, caregiving duties, workplace pressures, and unresolved experiences from years ago.  Many are functioning but they are not thriving.  Laural Miller, Founder of Shade Tree Embodies Wellness has spent much of her life exploring those questions.  Her practice is dedicated to helping people understand stress, tra...

June is Men’s Health Month and a time we celebrate Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and honoring the resilience, achievements, and contributions of African Americans.  As we reflect on freedom, equity, and opportunity, it is important to recognize that health and wellness are essential components of thriving communities.  Greg Day, Lead Therapist - Caron Outpatient...

Sometimes the most profound life lessons don’t come from textbooks or classrooms.  They come from life itself.  From the challenges we didn’t choose, the people we love, and the moments that force us to discover strengths we didn’t know we had.  The guest on Real Life today is Erica Hesselson, owner of Ahava Counseling and Wellness Services.  Erica’s story is about getting over the fear of talking...

Sometimes the biggest movements begin with the simplest question - what can we do to help?  The guests on this episode of Real Life are proof that you do not need a large organization, a huge budget, or a national platform to make a meaningful impact.  Sometimes all it takes is a group of friends, a shared purpose, and a willingness to show up for others.  Nearly a decade ago, four longtime friend...