Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living magazine. Well, I’m just over the moon about this next interview, as one of my favorite people in the whole wide world is here on this Project. Welcome, Gammy Nieves.
Gammy Nieves: Thank you, Toni. How are you?
Toni: I’m just great. So, Gammy, take a minute and just tell us a little bit about yourself.
Gammy: Like you said, I’m Gammy Nieves. I’m a graphic designer by nature. I have evolved in many different things. These last four years, I am part of this great project called The People Chronicles. I do a lot of things in the community. I help others. Basically, I’m a happy guy. Let’s do this.
Toni: You are a happy guy. Alright, happy guy, let’s go through this Project. What does inspiration mean to you?
Gammy: Inspiration for me means a lot of things. It’s more about me personally. It’s like, “What am I looking at every day?” because I like to get inspired. I’m a creative guy, so I always want to be inspired. No matter what, where you look in life…I could be inspired by a rock. I could be inspired by a wall. I could inspired by throwing the line out there. It’s just what are you exactly looking into today? What is going to be my inspiration today? It’s totally up to you.
Toni: Do you know when it happens? Do you know when you’re inspired?
Gammy: Oh, yeah.
Toni: How do you know?
Gammy: Well, I was inspired yesterday about this lady that I met. We were doing an interview, and so much stuff that she does for the community. I was in shock. I’ve been working in Reading for six years. I’ve been downtown for two years now. I never thought what that little store does. That is the thrift shop.
Toni: The City Thrift?
Gammy: Mm-hmm. The City Thrift Shop. They help so many people. If the students need professional clothing, they go there, they get dressed. She was telling me, “Every day we have an item for a dollar.” I was like, “What? That is so crazy! Where can you find this stuff?” Then you go in there and everything’s really nice. It’s just like, “Oh my God. So many opportunities that she’s giving to other people that are not that fortunate.”
Toni: And that moves you and inspires you.
Gammy: It broke me.
Toni: So, how do you take that, when you are moved by someone or somebody shows you an example of giving like that, how do you put your own inspiration into practice here in Berks County?
Gammy: I look into a lot of things in Berks County. I was living in Lancaster, and me and my partner decided, “Maybe we should move to the Reading area.” I said, “You know what? Let’s do that.” I really like Reading. I don’t want to say anything negative, but it was just like, “I like Reading.” A lot of people talk so bad about it. I don’t see the bad part. I don’t see it. I was like, “Yeah. Let’s move in.” That was one of the things that I decided to do, and then we decided to just help a lot of nonprofits. How can we put ourselves out there to help the community grow and be better?
Toni: And so the work that you do helps others, and I think that that’s how you do put your inspired motivation and actions into practice here. I watch you do it, and you do.
Gammy: Well, you know how some people ask in life, “What is your purpose?” I always say, “I’m here to help people.”
Toni: And you do.
Gammy: And I’m doing it.
Toni: And you’re inspired to do it.
Gammy: Yep!
Toni: Alright. Who in Berks County inspires you, Gammy?
Gammy: I have a lot of people inspire me in life, not just in Berks County. I am not a Berks County native, but I have to tell you, I feel like I am from Berks County. I met this person five years ago, and was just like an instant thing. She really inspired me a lot. That is you.
Toni: Don’t do it, Gammy. Oh Gammy, that is so kind of you.
Gammy: Well, that is true. You inspire me in so many different ways. Sometimes when I tell you, it’s like I watch you all the time.
Toni: Uh oh!
Gammy: I always look at you and you always…you have been mentoring me in so many different ways. Sometimes you know it, sometimes you don’t know it, but that’s how it is. I have met a lot of people here in Berks County that have inspired me.
Toni: Who else?
Gammy: I always say thanks to Craig Poole. He was the one who brought me to the area. Oh my God, I forgot his name…he’s always doing cool things for the community, and he never looks back. He just wants to help – Brad Weisman. I always look at him, and I’m like, “Hmm.” Then, yeah, this is how you show up, because he’s always one to help people.
Toni: Yeah.
Gammy: That’s another thing. It’s just like, it is so random. Back in the days of me growing up, I was never exposed to, “How can we help the community?” Then, coming here at the age of 30, everything keeps changing and changing, but at the end of the day it’s just like, “How can we help the community?” Most of the people that I have met here, it really comes from their heart. They want to help the community.
Toni: And you really can sense that, can't you?
Gammy: Yeah.
Toni: Yeah, absolutely.
Gammy: I love that. I love to help people. I love to help everybody. If I’m able to do it, I’ll help you. If I can't, I’ll figure out who will.
Toni: Great point. So Gammy, what would you like your legacy to be?
Gammy: I believe I want to be like Leonardo da Vinci. People will remember him for all creative stuff that he has done.
Toni: Who is this again?
Gammy: Leonardo da Vinci.
Toni: Okay…but how is that tied to your legacy?
Gammy: I think me being creative, helping other people with my creativity, I think that’s the most (inspiring) thing that I have ever been able to do. I keep doing it, and at the end I always say, “Me putting together my artwork, my visuals, my art pieces, I’ve really helped a lot of people, because at the end of the day, my art and my visual stuff help people understand, help people learn, help people communicate in different languages.” I am bilingual, so I do it twice. In many different ways, I keep helping.
Toni: Well, as you’ve heard me say in this interview, a lot of people don’t realize that they are living their legacy, and as people will hear in this interview, there is a genuineness and a kindness that comes out in you that you live your legacy every single day. You inspire me. You inspire those around you. You are helping that community every single day, so thank you for being part of The People Chronicles, and thank you for showing up for The Get Inspired! Project.
Gammy: Thank you for inviting me.
