Still Time for Joy

When a brain injury occurs, whether due to a fall, a car crash, a medical issue, or another reason, often life is dramatically changed for both the survivor and family members. The initial crisis can be terrifying; there are so many questions, and often too few answers, leading to overwhelm. Survivors may be unable to walk, think clearly, or live independently after an injury. With excellent medical care and rehabilitation, support, and time, improvements often occur.
For 45 years, the Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey has been providing help and hope to brain injury survivors and their families...

During winter months, numerous harbor seals can be seen resting or "hauling out" on the rocks in the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The American Littoral Society, a coastal advocacy nonprofit, hosts regular seal walks during which visitors learn about the seals' amazing comeback story.
Seals historically came here from Canada and New England, following their prey, but their numbers plummeted due to water pollution and overhunting. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and cleaning up the environment, have helped turn that around.
Samantha Hemming, education coordinator for the...

March 14 is National Save a Spider Day, the perfect time to highlight the critical need to protect spiders, not fear them.
Dr. Paula E. Cushing, past president of both the American Arachnological Society and the International Society of Arachnology, has been joyfully studying spiders for decades. She says our fear of spiders is outsized: of the more than 53,000 species of spiders, approximately 100 species have venom that can badly hurt (or in rare cases, kill) humans. 
Still, arachnophobia is often cited as the top phobia in the world. Dr. Cushing says learning about spiders and being exposed to t...

Learn all about composting - whether you want to use a worm bin inside, or a larger bin outdoors - from Master Composter Sandra Blain-Snow, with the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management. Composting not only creates a rich, natural fertilizer for your garden, it saves critically important space in the landfill. 
Blain-Snow talks about the best ingredients to add to your compost bin - fruit and vegetable scraps, newspaper, coffee grounds, leaves, and more - and what to leave out - including meat and dairy products. She also discusses the many joyful benefits of spending time i...

Do you know how maple syrup is made? Recently visitors to the New Jersey Forest Resource Education Center in Jackson Township, NJ, learned all about the fascinating process. At the Sugar Shack, Roger Smith, a seasonal naturalist at NJ FREC, talked about tapping sugar maples for sap, which is then boiled down on an evaporator.
Participants even sampled the pure, maple syrup on small pancakes, before embarking on an hour-long trek through the forest, to learn about wildlife, various tree species, and the importance of taking care of natural resources.
Visit the website of the New Jersey...

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, based in Denver, Colorado, celebrates Random Acts of Kindness Day every February 17th. A recent interview I did with the vice president of the foundation inspired me to create a list of 12 Kind Ideas for you to try today, or any day, that come from the foundation's 2026 Kindness Calendar. 
You can download the calendar--and lots of other resources--for free from the foundation's website https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

A random act of kindness can be as simple as holding the door for the person behind you, or writing a heartfelt note of gratitude. Brooke Jones is vice president of the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, based in Denver, Colorado. Jones explains the science behind the mood boost that comes with being kind: an increase in levels of the brain's feel-good chemicals, including dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.  Not only does being kind make you feel good, it benefits the recipient of the kind act, and even people witnessing it.
The RAK Foundation's mission is to "Make Kindness t...

In late January 2026, large swaths of the United States were blanketed for more than ten days in snow and ice, making it difficult for wildlife to find food and water. In this episode of “Still Time for Joy”, we talk about the best ways to help songbirds with Josh Gant,  president of the Atlantic Audubon Society in New Jersey, at the Jersey Shore.
Gant, who is a naturalist at Wells Mills County Park, in Waretown, New Jersey, says while many birds will survive these conditions on their own, people who want to give them a little help can provi...

The Jersey Shore Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Jersey held an informative workshop on Winter Sowing at Jakes Branch County Park in Beachwood, New Jersey, in January 2026.
Ellen Silverman, a member of both the Native Plant Society of New Jersey and the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Ocean County, provided expert tips on how to jump-start your garden with winter sowing.
Steps include gathering plastic jugs, creating drainage holes, cutting the jugs almost all the way around, adding soil and water, labeling the jugs, sprinkling on (ideally) native seeds, taping the jugs closed, and putting...

Do you want to help butterflies, birds, and bees thrive, and help mitigate some of the damage we've done to Mother Earth? Master Arborist, Basil Camu, wrote "From Wasteland to Wonder: Easy Ways We Can Help Heal Earth in the Sub/Urban Landscape" to provide practical ways everyone can do their part to help the planet. He is so committed to this work, he is offering the book to everyone for free. 
After Camu began working in his family's tree service business, Leaf and Limb, in Raleigh, North Carolina, he realized cutting down trees was doing massive harm t...

Working in law enforcement can be among the most stressful jobs: police respond to traumatic situations including fatal motor vehicle accidents, suicides, shootings, fires, domestic violence, and much more. For more than 25 years, a peer support program called Cop2Cop has provided expert help to New Jersey police officers and their families. The phones are staffed by men and women who have retired from careers in law enforcement, so they truly understand callers' concerns. 
In this episode, we talk to Retired Correctional Police Captain David Weiss, who has worked for Cop2Cop for 11 years. He has found his c...

Working towards protecting the environment, feeding the hungry, and taking care of our loved ones, not only does good in the world, so often it makes the person helping feel good, too.
As the new year begins, take a look at this episode of "Still Time for Joy", full of wisdom from some of our favorite guests of the podcast during 2025. They talk about finding purpose and meaning in pitching in to work towards addressing a variety of issues. Guests represent HorseSense Therapeutic Center, Best Friends Animal Society, Move for Hunger, dementia caregiving, American Littoral Society, Cattus Island...

CAREing for Children is a small, nonprofit in Ocean County at the New Jersey Shore, that provides food and toys around the holidays to families in need. CFC President Barbara Farley says if you see a problem in your community that needs addressing, just start! 
CFC, like many nonprofits, holds a yearly golf outing to raise funds to support its mission. This year, CFC had just 8 weeks to organize its event, that remarkably netted more than $22,000. In this podcast, Farley provides tips on making this type of fundraiser successful.
Established organizations, like the Salvation Army and church f...

Tina Coetzee was looking for a way to keep her 77-year-old father, Chris Taylor, who lives with Alzheimer's disease, happily occupied. She handed him a paint brush and changed his life. Taylor, who had been struggling with severe emotional outbursts in recent months, now paints every day, and, with the help of new medications, is feeling much better.
     Taylor's vibrant paintings are attracting a lot of attention, with some fans even expressing interest in purchasing them. Selling the artwork was never the point; the idea is to help Taylor find peace and purpose. Coetzee creates outlines on canvases wit...

There's a movement underway to educate homeowners and landscapers on the benefits of leaving leaves, rather than removing every leaf that falls from trees. Decomposing leaves improve soil health, and a vast array of plants, insects, birds, and mammals depends on leaf litter to survive. 
Jean Epiphan holds a Master of Science degree in Ecology from Rutgers University in New Jersey. She is an agriculture and natural resources agent with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County, and an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist. 
Epiphan is passionate about educating people on why leaf litter is so important fo...

A Need We Feed is a small, but mighty nonprofit at the New Jersey Shore whose volunteers bring meals to Ocean County residents living at the federal poverty level, who don't qualify for help from other programs.  Many of the organization's clients are veterans, homebound elderly, and families living in motels. 
From local restaurants, A Need We Feed purchases boxes of individually packaged meals which volunteers then split up into bags for delivery. 
A Need We Feed began in 2012 after Superstorm Sandy devastated much of the Jersey Shore, by providing meals to first responders. 
The cost of l...

Caregiving for a loved one with a serious, longterm illness can be stressful, isolating, and overwhelming. The Caregiver Action Network, or CAN, provides a wealth of free resources, including webinars and a helpline. 
CAN is the lead organization celebrating National Family Caregivers Month in November.
Caregiver Action Network https://www.caregiveraction.org/
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

Watch "Still Time for Joy" as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd

Thomas "Tommy Duck" Lewis, who began carving wooden objects as a very young boy, today is an award-winning decoy artist. He creates wooden decoys as well as nautical folk art from his studio near the Delaware River in New Jersey. He carves decoys in both the Delaware River and Barnegat Bay traditions.
Lewis has volunteered or been employed as a first responder for more than 35 years; today he is a corporal in the Moorestown Township Police Department.
Lewis says carving is a healthy outlet for relieving the stress that so often comes with working in law enforcement...

On Halloween,1999, Sandra Levine's husband, Michael, was rushed by helicopter to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania due to Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, or ADEM. Michael nearly died -- twice. His recovery was long and very difficult, lasting many years.
And while Michael eventually made a remarkable recovery, even after 26 years, challenges remain. Both Sandra and Michael say while some of the memories are painful, looking back on how far they've come, sparks deep feelings of gratitude.
Sandra presents public speaking programs on brain injury recovery, caregiving, grief, and reconnecting with joy once the worst of a...

Staying active and exploring the arts is good for the mind, body, and spirit for people of all ages. Sherri Ehrlich, founder of Vibrant Activities, brings creative programs into senior facilities in several New Jersey counties, keeping residents engaged, and boosting joy.
Ehrlich is an accomplished singer and artist, who encourages seniors to let go of judgment and enjoy the process. In this interview, she also provides great suggestions for family caregivers about how to involve their loved ones in creative activities.
Vibrant Activities https://www.vibrantactivities.com/
Sandra Levine Productions  https://sandralevine.com/

W...

The annual Pine Barrens Jamboree was held in Wells Mills County Park in Waretown, NJ, October 11, 2025. The joyful day was filled with old-time music, canoe trips, nature walks, arts and crafts, and informational displays about the history and culture of the Pinelands. Visitors learned about the restored "Piney Queen" boat, and an old, working train, while children tried archery and painted pumpkins.
Wells Mills is Ocean County's largest park, at more than 900 acres.
The event is sponsored by the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Ocean County Board of Commissioners.
https://www.oceancountyparks...

With his owner and handler, Mark Stanish, who works part-time as a community service aide for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office in Toms River, NJ, K9 Jager provides comfort and calm during crises. Stanish and K9 Jager also assist in crisis intervention training, wellness programs, and attend veterans' support groups, and many community events. 
Through the volunteer group, Crisis Response Canines, Stanish and Jager also respond to provide support following  mass shootings and other tragedies. Jager, a 181-pound Boerboel, is a gentle giant, whose presence has a calming effect.
K9 Jager is a semi-finalist in the therapy do...

Waterfowl hunting displays, skeet shooting, decoy carving, duck calling, retrieving contests, and more drew crowds to the 43rd Annual Old Time Barnegat Bay Decoy & Gunning Show in Tuckerton at the New Jersey Shore, held at the end of September 2025.
Visitors to the two-day show saw carvers creating decoys, listened to duck calling competitions, tried skeet shooting, and enjoyed watching exuberant dogs who - usually, but not always - retrieved the duck replicas. The Delmarva DockDogs also put on a show.
The annual event, which attracts about 10,000 people, showcases the culture and history of life on the Barnegat...

Just looking at beautiful sunflowers bursting with vibrant colors can boost happiness and joy, and conventional wisdom says the plants are easy to grow. But if you live in an area with birds, chipmunks, rabbits, and squirrels, plus cutworms or other pests, that's actually not true. Suburban wildlife often eats the seeds as soon as you plant them, or mows down young seedlings before they have had a chance to take root.
In this video Sandra Levine outlines some of her new tips for growing gorgeous sunflowers in her New Jersey yard. Her solutions may not look pretty...

HOPE Sheds Light was born out of the tragic loss of three young men to addiction at the New Jersey Shore. The three families banded together to start a nonprofit that provides help and hope to people looking for answers and resources.

CEO Pam Capaci talks about the origins of the group, the need to reduce shame and stigma around addiction, and trends like "sober curious", that are gaining traction after research has shown that no amount of alcohol is safe.

Today, HOPE Sheds Light provides a 24/7 hotline (855-850-HOPE), a comprehensive resource guide, numerous...

The beloved, iconic monarch butterfly is in serious trouble; its population has plummeted in recent decades due to pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate change.
For five years, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County has held a butterfly tent event in Toms River, NJ, to teach visitors about the importance of pollinators-including monarch butterflies-and the benefits of growing more native plants in your yard.
Susan Emhardt-Servidio, Rutgers Master Gardener Coordinator, Ocean County, explains how the tent event inspires young and old to take better care of the environment. Phyllis Delesandro, Rutgers Master Gardener, encourages people to live...

In the United States, the beautiful, pink and white roseate spoonbills typically live in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. In mid-July of 2025, three of the birds were spotted along the shores of Forked River, New Jersey. Since then, throngs of birders and photographers - dubbed the Pink Paparazzi - have flocked to a salt marsh, to admire and photograph the stunning birds.

Josh Gant, president of the Atlantic Audubon Society, explains that climate change is likely responsible for these juvenile birds wandering so far north. For more than a decade, in this area, at least one spoonbill has...

The 85-foot-long AJ Meerwald is New Jersey's official tall ship, whose home port is in South Jersey. In July, the Meerwald embarked on a two-hour environmental educational sail around New York Harbor, during which passengers learned about the history of the oyster schooner, trawled for fish, and helped hoist the sail.

Captain Fern Hoffmann talks about the importance of exposing people to the marine environment and its life, to help create better stewards of our natural resources.

The AJ Meerwald is operated by the nonprofit Bayshore Center in Bivalve, NJ. For information and tickets: https...

Spending time in nature on a short hike in the woods brings many physical and mental health benefits, but it's smart to prepare first, so you don't get lost in the woods.

Rebecca Fitzgerald, administrator of the New Jersey State Park Service, and Chief George Fedorczyk, of the New Jersey State Park Police, provide tips on what to do before you go for a hike in the woods to stay safe. Packing essentials, like a cell phone and plenty of water is just a start; you also should have a map, and tell a family member or...

For two days in early June 2025, the nonprofit, A Walk On Water, once again brought its California-based surf therapy program to Spring Lake, New Jersey. Dozens of children living with autism, Down syndrome, and other challenging conditions, had a chance to experience the thrill of riding waves on the ocean with trained surf therapists. The program also provides respite for parents, many of whom rarely get a chance to relax.

Renowned Jersey Shore surfer, Sam Hammer, who surfed professionally for about 25 years, is deeply involved with A Walk On Water, working with the children, fundraising, and bringing...

If you're caring for a loved one with dementia, you've probably run across some resistance to bathing or showering. There are many reasons for this including a desire to maintain privacy, lack of trust, fear of falling, problems with depth perception, feeling cold, and more.

Deb Hallisey, a certified dementia practitioner, provides some helpful tips to make showering easier, and even more fun, for both caregiver and the person living with dementia. They include using towels or a robe to provide more privacy, cuing, and involving your loved one in the process.

Hallisey also assists...

The Delaware Bay is known as the horseshoe crab capital of the world. In May and June, millions of crabs come onto the beaches to spawn, and each female lays thousands of eggs. 

While the horseshoe crab has existed for some 400 million years, more than once their population has been decimated by overharvesting. In turn, other species have been severely impacted - including the threatened red knot - that depend on horseshoe crab eggs for survival.

The nonprofit American Littoral Society recently restored Thompson's Beach in Cumberland County, NJ, with 32 thousand tons of sand, to m...

On Saturday, May 24, 2025, the Lacey Elks Lodge in Ocean County, New Jersey, held a large party to thank first responders for their work battling the Jones Road Wildfire, with no loss of homes or lives. The fire, that started April 22 after a bonfire in the Pine Barrens was improperly extinguished, spread quickly, threatening homes and businesses in Lacey Township and Ocean Township, an alpaca farm, and even an inactive nuclear power plant. 

One commercial property in Lacey Township was completely destroyed, and some 15,300 acres of the Pinelands burned. Firefighters from throughout the region and members of the N...

Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program matches women volunteers with home construction projects and opportunities to perform critical home repairs. In volunteering, the women learn new construction skills, help people in their community with housing needs, and forge lasting friendships.

Kristine Novakowski, chief executive officer of Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity in central New Jersey, at the Jersey Shore, explains how the program works, and talks about the mission of Habitat for Humanity, which operates throughout the United States and in about 70 other countries around the world.

Habitat for Humanity focuses on shelter and ad...

There are so many benefits to native plant gardening for the environment, wildlife, and people.  Lisa Mazzuca is an Ocean County Master Naturalist at the New Jersey Shore, who has created a food forest by knowing which plants to choose, and how to care for them.

The magic starts with the soil, which in New Jersey’s coastal plain, is famously sandy. Mazzuca explains how to improve the soil, and lists numerous plants and trees that thrive in this environment.
 
She grows beach plums, blueberries, and large pawpaws, as well as milkweed plants and other flow...

The 33rd Annual River to Bay 5K Classic was held in Island Heights, NJ, on May 3, 2025, a fundraiser run by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Toms River. The popular event was started by a beloved local dentist and past president of Kiwanis, the late Dr. Ed McComsey. Over the years the event has raised well over $500,000 for various children's charities at the New Jersey Shore.

Members of Kiwanis say they enjoy the camaraderie of the group, and the joyful feelings that come from volunteering and giving back to the community.

Kiwanis Club of Greater Toms...

     For years, Loree Mahalchick has been providing therapeutic horseback riding, especially to children with special needs. She and her husband, Tom, run the nonprofit Horse Sense Therapeutic Center in Howell, New Jersey.

     The couple's only son, Tommy, an avid ice hockey player, was prescribed oxycontin for several injuries, which eventually led to a heroin addiction. 
Last June, while trying to protect a neighbor from an intruder, Tommy was murdered in his apartment building in New York City.

     The Mahalchicks held an open house to announce the expansion of their program, in Tommy's honor, to include fa...

Often, when people move, they don't know what to do with the food in their pantries, and they simply throw it in the trash. Adam Lowy, whose great-grandfather started the family moving business more than 100 years ago, began offering in 2009 to take customers' unwanted, nonperishable food to the local food bank. He then founded the nonprofit Move for Hunger, based in Neptune, NJ, which has since grown to include a network of more than 1,200 moving companies in the United States and Canada.

The federal government estimates between 30-40% of the food supply in the United States is...

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia can be a very rewarding experience, but also can leave caregivers feeling frustrated, due to challenging behaviors that are often part of the journey. Watch this episode for some simple tips on dealing with repetitive questions, anxiety, and even hallucinations. 

Deb Hallisey, who is the founder of Advocate for Mom and Dad, a caregiver advocate, and a certified dementia practitioner, offers concrete strategies to help with some common issues. Always consult with a doctor for advice about your specific situation.

Advocate for Mom a...

In early spring, ospreys return to the New Jersey Shore and other coastal areas after spending winters in places as far away as South America. There were only about 50 breeding pairs of ospreys here in the 1970s, after widespread use of the pesticide DDT and development caused their numbers to plummet. After DDT use was banned, biologists, environmentalists, and volunteers--led by legendary naturalist Pete McLain--installed nesting platforms and took other measures to help the ospreys make a remarkable comeback. Today, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ says there are about 800 breeding pairs in the state.

Nikki Vernachio, chief...