Real Life with Toni Reece and Guest Kimberly Fies

Real Life with Toni Reece and Guest Sheri Golembiewski & Cathy Davidson

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 friends came together to organize a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.  What started as a single event eventually became something much bigger.  Today 4 Girls on a Mission has become a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals and families facing some of life’s most difficult challenge.  Sheri Golembiewski and Cathy Davidson, share the journey of 4 Girls on a Mission.

Real Life with Toni Reece and Guest Kimberly Fies

When most people think about agriculture, they picture tractors, barns, and fields.  But agriculture is much more than that.  It’s food.  It’s family businesses. It’s technology.  It’s economics.  It’s innovation.  And ultimately, it’s about the future of our communities.  Berks County has long been recognized as one of Pennsylvania’ agricultural leaders.  Through decades of land preservation efforts, more than 80,000 acres of farmland have been protected for future generations.  But preserving the land is only part of the story.  The bigger question is how do we preserve, protect, and support the people who farm it?  Kim Fies, Executive Director of the Berks County Department of Agriculture talks about the economic impact, the challenges and the opportunities happening in agriculture and why it is so much more than cows and plows.

Real Life with Toni Reece and Guest Natalie Jacob-Bell

Real Life’s guest in this episode knows what it means to experience profound loss, not once, but twice.  As a freshman in high school, Natalie Jacob-Bell lost her father to addiction.  Years later, she lost her childhood best friend, Kennedy Albright, to suicide.  Many people would be consumed by grief.  Natalie chose a different path.  She transformed that grief into purpose by creating Kennedy’s Kause, an initiative dedicated to mental health advocacy, suicide prevention, education, and building stronger systems of support.

Real Life with Toni Reece and Guest Lexi Hull

Sometimes the things that challenge us the most become the very things that shape our purpose.  Lexi Hull knows this firsthand.  Lexi Hull is Mrs. Pennsylvania 2026 for American Royal Beauties, but her story is about much more than a title or a crown.  It’s about overcoming dyslexia and learning disabilities, finding confidence in herself, and using those experiences to inspire the next generation. In this episode we are talking about her journey, her mission, and why literacy, confidence and perseverance matter more than ever.

Real Life with Toni Reece and Guest Heather McCool

Heather McCool, Executive Director of Phoebe Ministries’ Berks Campus and Founder of Dementia Friendly joins us to help us understand more about dementia.  Heather’s message is an important one - accepting a diagnosis doesn’t mean giving up hope.   It means learning how to provide the best possible support medically, socially, physically, and emotionally.  It also means remembering that people living with dementia are still people first.  People with stories, relationships, accomplishments and lives that matter.