Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living magazine. Today I have Kate Alley with me. Hi, Kate.
Kate Alley: Hi.
Toni: How are you?
Kate: I’m great, thanks. How are you?
Toni: I’m great. You look gorgeous in that blue today.
Kate: Thank you.
Toni: So Kate, take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Kate: Sure. I was born and raised here in Berks County. I have lived other places in the world. I’ve lived in Moscow, and I lived in New York City, and Boston most recently, but I just moved back about seven months ago to take a job as Vice President of Development at Opportunity House.
Toni: Congratulations!
Kate: Thank you.
Toni: So you lived in Russia?
Kate: I did.
Toni: How long did you live in Russia?
Kate: It was about a year altogether.
Toni: Wow. Did you learn a lot?
Kate: I did. I really loved the language.
Toni: Did you?
Kate: Yes.
Toni: Welcome back to Berks County.
Kate: Thank you. It’s great to be here.
Toni: And you’re doing great work with Opportunity House. Let’s go into the Project. So Kate, what does inspiration mean to you?
Kate: Inspiration to me means being able to have an impact on somebody’s life.
Toni: Okay. How do you know you are?
Kate: Well, you can see that someone has changed as a result of something that you’ve done for them or some way that you’ve encouraged them. That to me is really very inspirational, to be able to have a positive impact on somebody’s life.
Toni: Do you know when that opportunity arises that you have been inspired to do something to help that person? Is there a specific feeling, gut check, or reaction when you know you’re inspired to help?
Kate: I just think about when I went on my tour of Opportunity House and I saw all the good work that was already being done and all the people it was impacting. I really knew at that point that that was someplace I wanted to work and contribute and be part of that; that the mission was great, and that what was being accomplished was important work. When I see that, a project that’s going really well, I want to join in on that.
Toni: Because you know you can make a difference.
Kate: Exactly.
Toni: So you were inspired when you went on the tour.
Kate: I was.
Toni: It interests me when people share what inspiration means to them. You’ve given me an example. Can you feel when you’re inspired?
Kate: I can. It’s usually a feeling of awe. I feel very excited. It’s a sense that time is going by, and I don’t really notice it; that you could work really hard towards something and it doesn’t feel stressful or laborious. It feels more like you’re working towards a purpose or towards a goal that’s important. Some of those things that are taxing at other times don’t bother you as much.
Toni: Because you’re just in the groove.
Kate: Yes. You’re in the groove. You’re in the zone.
Toni: You are in the zone. I like that. I’ve done this interview about the Get Inspired! Project so many times and no one has used the word “awe,” that you’re in awe. I like that word. That really opens up to a lot of things about inspiration.
How do you take that feeling then and turn it into practice here in Berks County? What do you do? Can you give me some examples?
Kate: Sure. I just think of the ways that I have an opportunity to impact the people in my sphere of influence. In Berks County right now in my role as Vice President of Development, I can bring awareness to the plight of the homeless, the plight of veterans who are at risk of being homeless, kids who’ve been sexually abused, and kids who need daycare. I can bring awareness to those issues so that people can also be moved with compassion to help them.
Toni: Wow – so bringing awareness and doing this through your work, how does it keep you inspired?
Kate: I think because where I work I’m actually working in the same building where our shelter is and where our daycare center is, so I get to see on a daily basis the people coming and going and see the change in their lives. Someone who might come into the shelter one day feeling pretty down and out, and then they’re given a job, a role of responsibility, and see them grow as a person and see them take steps to better themselves, to go from homelessness to transitional housing, to in some cases permanent housing. Being part of that is really special.
Toni: How does that inspiration play out for you personally?
Kate: I think that when I look at the people that I can impact in my life or the ways that I can help others, I look at the small things that I can do, because not everyone has a huge platform where they can impact thousands of lives. I just try to look at the small things I can do within a day to help somebody, whether that be donating a small amount of money to a walk-a-thon, for instance, in one day, or another day it’s just being nice to someone when you’re in a really bad mood. That’s a small thing. One thing that I’ve seen happen time and again at the Starbucks here in Wyomissing is that someone will pay for you. Then if you pay for the person behind you, it’s just a reminder of generosity in a small way that’s so touching.
Toni: And it does happen, doesn’t it?
Kate: It does, yes.
Toni: That’s so cool. Who in Berks County inspires you?
Kate: I’ve been meeting so many people here since I’ve moved back that are very inspirational, that are very impassioned to make this community a better place to live. I’ve been inspired by a lot of different people here.
Most recently, I was at a Royals hockey game, and Pastor Bryan Koch came out after his accident having lost his leg. He came out on the ice and they just allowed him to drop the puck, and everyone stood up and cheered for him. That was really inspirational to me that he had the courage to get out and try again in a sense. Then the next day I happened to visit his church, and he talked about how that moment took so much effort for him to figure out how to wheel a wheelchair through the icy streets of Reading; to figure out how to get down to the ice on the right floor, and figure all those things out, never being in a wheelchair before, and just being real and transparent about that. That inspired me more, because he had so much courage to be honest about it, but also to do it.
Toni: That’s a great story. Anyone else in Berks County inspire you?
Kate: My parents. They always inspire me. They’ve been living here forever, and they continue to grow and learn as people and are open to meeting new people and bringing new things into their lives. My dad recently did an 85-mile bike ride with me after not riding a bike for 40 years. He trained. He took that on. He said, “I’m just going to go for it.”
My mom, she’s done a lot of different things in mentoring women and helping people in Berks County. Most recently, she decided to co-chair an event I’m planning at work called Wine, Women, and Shoes. I think that’s amazing. Out of not really doing that type of work for a while, she just jumped in and is helping me.
Toni: What great stories these are! So Kate, what would you like your legacy to be?
Kate: I think about that quote from Mother Teresa, “Not everyone can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.” I would love that to be my legacy, because I think that is a wonderful example to be able to do whatever small thing is put in front of you with love and compassion, and to just love the person who’s next to you, because you might not have a platform of 1,000 people, but you’ll always have the person who parks next to you who maybe cut you off in the road and you still have to be nice to them. That’s a challenge. That is a worthy challenge to take on, so I would love that to be my legacy.
Toni: Congratulations, and thank you for doing the work that you do. Thank you for showing up to the Get Inspired! Project.
Kate: Thank you.
Toni Reece: Hi there. This is Toni Reece, and welcome to the Get Inspired! Project for Berks County Living magazine. Today I have Kate Alley with me. Hi, Kate.
Kate Alley: Hi.
Toni: How are you?
Kate: I’m great, thanks. How are you?
Toni: I’m great. You look gorgeous in that blue today.
Kate: Thank you.
Toni: So Kate, take a moment and tell us a little bit about yourself.
Kate: Sure. I was born and raised here in Berks County. I have lived other places in the world. I’ve lived in Moscow, and I lived in New York City, and Boston most recently, but I just moved back about seven months ago to take a job as Vice President of Development at Opportunity House.
Toni: Congratulations!
Kate: Thank you.
Toni: So you lived in Russia?
Kate: I did.
Toni: How long did you live in Russia?
Kate: It was about a year altogether.
Toni: Wow. Did you learn a lot?
Kate: I did. I really loved the language.
Toni: Did you?
Kate: Yes.
Toni: Welcome back to Berks County.
Kate: Thank you. It’s great to be here.
Toni: And you’re doing great work with Opportunity House. Let’s go into the Project. So Kate, what does inspiration mean to you?
Kate: Inspiration to me means being able to have an impact on somebody’s life.
Toni: Okay. How do you know you are?
Kate: Well, you can see that someone has changed as a result of something that you’ve done for them or some way that you’ve encouraged them. That to me is really very inspirational, to be able to have a positive impact on somebody’s life.
Toni: Do you know when that opportunity arises that you have been inspired to do something to help that person? Is there a specific feeling, gut check, or reaction when you know you’re inspired to help?
Kate: I just think about when I went on my tour of Opportunity House and I saw all the good work that was already being done and all the people it was impacting. I really knew at that point that that was someplace I wanted to work and contribute and be part of that; that the mission was great, and that what was being accomplished was important work. When I see that, a project that’s going really well, I want to join in on that.
Toni: Because you know you can make a difference.
Kate: Exactly.
Toni: So you were inspired when you went on the tour.
Kate: I was.
Toni: It interests me when people share what inspiration means to them. You’ve given me an example. Can you feel when you’re inspired?
Kate: I can. It’s usually a feeling of awe. I feel very excited. It’s a sense that time is going by, and I don’t really notice it; that you could work really hard towards something and it doesn’t feel stressful or laborious. It feels more like you’re working towards a purpose or towards a goal that’s important. Some of those things that are taxing at other times don’t bother you as much.
Toni: Because you’re just in the groove.
Kate: Yes. You’re in the groove. You’re in the zone.
Toni: You are in the zone. I like that. I’ve done this interview about the Get Inspired! Project so many times and no one has used the word “awe,” that you’re in awe. I like that word. That really opens up to a lot of things about inspiration.
How do you take that feeling then and turn it into practice here in Berks County? What do you do? Can you give me some examples?
Kate: Sure. I just think of the ways that I have an opportunity to impact the people in my sphere of influence. In Berks County right now in my role as Vice President of Development, I can bring awareness to the plight of the homeless, the plight of veterans who are at risk of being homeless, kids who’ve been sexually abused, and kids who need daycare. I can bring awareness to those issues so that people can also be moved with compassion to help them.
Toni: Wow – so bringing awareness and doing this through your work, how does it keep you inspired?
Kate: I think because where I work I’m actually working in the same building where our shelter is and where our daycare center is, so I get to see on a daily basis the people coming and going and see the change in their lives. Someone who might come into the shelter one day feeling pretty down and out, and then they’re given a job, a role of responsibility, and see them grow as a person and see them take steps to better themselves, to go from homelessness to transitional housing, to in some cases permanent housing. Being part of that is really special.
Toni: How does that inspiration play out for you personally?
Kate: I think that when I look at the people that I can impact in my life or the ways that I can help others, I look at the small things that I can do, because not everyone has a huge platform where they can impact thousands of lives. I just try to look at the small things I can do within a day to help somebody, whether that be donating a small amount of money to a walk-a-thon, for instance, in one day, or another day it’s just being nice to someone when you’re in a really bad mood. That’s a small thing. One thing that I’ve seen happen time and again at the Starbucks here in Wyomissing is that someone will pay for you. Then if you pay for the person behind you, it’s just a reminder of generosity in a small way that’s so touching.
Toni: And it does happen, doesn’t it?
Kate: It does, yes.
Toni: That’s so cool. Who in Berks County inspires you?
Kate: I’ve been meeting so many people here since I’ve moved back that are very inspirational, that are very impassioned to make this community a better place to live. I’ve been inspired by a lot of different people here.
Most recently, I was at a Royals hockey game, and Pastor Bryan Koch came out after his accident having lost his leg. He came out on the ice and they just allowed him to drop the puck, and everyone stood up and cheered for him. That was really inspirational to me that he had the courage to get out and try again in a sense. Then the next day I happened to visit his church, and he talked about how that moment took so much effort for him to figure out how to wheel a wheelchair through the icy streets of Reading; to figure out how to get down to the ice on the right floor, and figure all those things out, never being in a wheelchair before, and just being real and transparent about that. That inspired me more, because he had so much courage to be honest about it, but also to do it.
Toni: That’s a great story. Anyone else in Berks County inspire you?
Kate: My parents. They always inspire me. They’ve been living here forever, and they continue to grow and learn as people and are open to meeting new people and bringing new things into their lives. My dad recently did an 85-mile bike ride with me after not riding a bike for 40 years. He trained. He took that on. He said, “I’m just going to go for it.”
My mom, she’s done a lot of different things in mentoring women and helping people in Berks County. Most recently, she decided to co-chair an event I’m planning at work called Wine, Women, and Shoes. I think that’s amazing. Out of not really doing that type of work for a while, she just jumped in and is helping me.
Toni: What great stories these are! So Kate, what would you like your legacy to be?
Kate: I think about that quote from Mother Teresa, “Not everyone can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.” I would love that to be my legacy, because I think that is a wonderful example to be able to do whatever small thing is put in front of you with love and compassion, and to just love the person who’s next to you, because you might not have a platform of 1,000 people, but you’ll always have the person who parks next to you who maybe cut you off in the road and you still have to be nice to them. That’s a challenge. That is a worthy challenge to take on, so I would love that to be my legacy.
Toni: Congratulations, and thank you for doing the work that you do. Thank you for showing up to the Get Inspired! Project.
Kate: Thank you.
