On this episode of Naturally Curious, host Bruce C. Bryan welcomes his long-time friend Bob Schmucker to the studio for a conversation that is bound to lift your spirits. Bob is the resident leader of the Third Street Coffeehouse in Roanoke's Old Southwest neighborhood, a volunteer-led acoustic venue celebrating its 40th year of bringing people together. He shares his journey from serving in the Air Force and working in the defense industry to picking up his old guitar again to help manage the stress of caregiving at home. Bob talks about the history behind co-founding Virginia's Veterans Parade, mobilizing local musicians to raise over thirty-two thousand dollars for the local food bank, and how a chance photograph in the morning paper led him to welcome a "bonus family" of Ukrainian refugees into his life. Plus, Bob breaks a major radio seal by becoming the very first guest to perform live music right in the studio, playing a couple of original songs that show exactly why his friends describe him as one of the kindest people you could ever meet.

On this episode of Naturally Curious, host Bruce C. Bryan talks with Maureen Best, the executive director of LEAP, about how the organization connects people with local food sources in Virginia. Maureen shares her background in agriculture and talks about her transition to becoming LEAP's first paid staff member back in 2013. The conversation covers the daily operations of the local food system, including fixed-site farmers markets, a mobile market that visits senior housing complexes, and an in-house kitchen that turns leftover produce into frozen soups. They also discuss the realities of funding a nonprofit, the value of community partnerships, and how programs like Virginia Fresh Match help local families stretch their grocery budgets. More information about LEAP can be found at https://www.leapforlocalfood.org/staff-and-board-members

On this episode of Naturally Curious, host Bruce C. Bryan sits down with Isabel Thornton, the executive director of Restoration Housing, to discuss the intersection of historic preservation and the affordable housing crisis. They explore the creative mechanics of transforming blighted, boarded-up properties into high-quality rental units, emphasizing how tools like historic tax credits can breathe new life into communities affected by industrial loss. The conversation shifts to a major milestone for the organization: the adaptive reuse of an old Methodist church into Trinity Commons, a 15-unit independent living space specifically designed to help local seniors age in place. Thornton also shares her perspective on intentional organizational growth, the importance of cultivating a strict work-life balance for working mothers, and how the power of a single restoration project can ripplingly uplift an entire neighborhood.