Still Time for Joy
Still Time for Joy features practical advice for weathering life's storms, and inspiring stories of resilience.
Host Sandra Levine interviews experts on caregiving, trauma, grief, and other intense challenges to provide a road map for survival. Heroes and healers, adventurers and innovators encourage you to pursue more self-care, reflection, connection, and fun—and your own unique and joyful purpose.
Sandra is a television producer, filmmaker, and speaker who spent 20 years as a caregiver, first for her husband Michael, who had a brain injury, and then for her mother Dorothy, who had Alzheimer's Disease. She created this show to share lessons learned from those experiences to help you get through difficult times, too.
Still Time for Joy is also available as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd
Episodes
75 episodes
Leave the Leaves, Don't Rake & Blow Them, to Help Bees, Fireflies, Soil, & More - Rutgers Ecologist
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 ...
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Season 2
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Episode 74
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18:47
Caring Volunteers from "A Need We Feed" Bring Meals to Vulnerable Residents in Ocean County, NJ
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 73
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11:05
Caregiver Action Network Provides Wealth of Information, Celebrates National Family Caregivers Month
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 or...
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Season 2
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Episode 72
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3:50
For "Tommy Duck", Decoy Carving is a Healthy Stress Reliever from Work as a NJ Police Corporal
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 deco...
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Season 2
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Episode 71
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21:21
Remembering Rare Neurological Illness (ADEM) Sparks Painful Memories & Gratitude 26 Years Later
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 d...
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Season 2
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Episode 70
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10:31
Seniors Find Joy Through Music, Movement, & Art with Help from NJ Singer & Artist
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 resident...
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Season 2
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Episode 69
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21:11
Pine Barrens Jamboree Features Music, Nature, & the History & Culture of the Pines in NJ
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 ...
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Season 2
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Episode 68
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9:56
K9 Jager, Gentle Giant Therapy Dog, Provides Comfort During Crises through Prosecutor’s Office in NJ
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 i...
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Season 2
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Episode 67
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23:04
Duck Calling, Skeet Shooting, Dogs & Tradition Draw Crowds to 43rd Barnegat Bay Decoy & Gunning Show
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 Septem...
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Season 2
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Episode 66
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16:18
Protect Your Sunflowers from Wildlife & Grow Joy Through Gardening
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 ...
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Season 2
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Episode 65
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7:38
HOPE Sheds Light Helps People Struggling with Addiction at the New Jersey Shore
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 64
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28:14
Butterfly Tent Event Inspires Visitors to Help Imperiled Monarch Butterflies & Other Pollinators
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 butt...
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Season 2
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Episode 63
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10:46
3 Gorgeous Roseate Spoonbills Make Rare Appearance in New Jersey, Thrilling Birders & Photographers
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 bi...
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Season 2
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Episode 62
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6:45
Sailing Aboard the Historic AJ Meerwald Tall Ship in NY Harbor - An Exciting & Educational Adventure
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 h...
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Season 2
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Episode 61
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6:59
Prepare Before Your Short Hike to Avoid Getting Lost in the Woods
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 Serv...
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Season 2
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Episode 60
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8:07
California Group's Surf Therapy Program Helps Children with Special Needs Blossom at the NJ Shore
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, ha...
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Season 2
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Episode 59
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8:03
Showering Tips for Dementia Caregivers to Help Stop the Battle!
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 perc...
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Season 2
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Episode 58
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14:43
Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crabs Get a Helping Hand from American Littoral Society & Volunteers in NJ
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 milli...
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Season 2
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Episode 57
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9:52
Elks Lodge Thanks First Responders Who Battled Large NJ Wildfire With No Loss of Homes or Lives
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 b...
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Season 2
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Episode 56
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7:37
Women Learn Construction Skills & Help Community through Habitat for Humanity Women Build Program
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 wit...
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Season 2
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Episode 55
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19:34
Growing Native Plants Helps Butterflies & Bees & Creates a Bountiful Food Forest, Even in Sandy Soil
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, an...
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Season 2
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Episode 54
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8:38
River to Bay 5K Run by Toms River Kiwanis Brings Community Together to Support Children's Charities
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 53
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6:00
Therapeutic Horse Program Expands to Help Families Cope with Stress & Grief After Loss
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.
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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17:01
Move for Hunger Nonprofit Feeds Millions by Rescuing Food that Otherwise Would Be Thrown Out
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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19:26
Tips for Dementia Caregivers on Repetitive Questions, Anxiety, & Hallucinations
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 som...
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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15:09