Local service, told neighbor by neighbor.
Spirit of the I.E. gives local organizations time to explain what they do and why it matters. The conversations move patiently through community art, youth service, small business help, health access, education, cultural events, and fundraisers.
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Spirit of the I.E. is a local community interview show focused on the Inland Empire and the people working inside its schools, museums, nonprofits, clinics, cultural groups, and service organizations. It is practical first. Episodes tend to begin with a straightforward question: what is this group, what does it do, and who does it serve? From there, the conversations open into stories about participation, fundraising, education, access, and belonging. The show gives guests a lot of space. That patience suits its subjects, because many of the featured organizations need time to explain both the service and the need behind it. A museum conversation can move from public art to Chicano mural traditions, artist-led workshops, and the value of artists working directly with neighborhoods. A youth-led charity segment can start with cheer bows and grow into a larger account of hospital visits, patient prom support, auctions, and team involvement. Business episodes stay grounded in details too, including small business loans, mentorship, credit repair resources, bank statements, tax records, and realistic expectations for entrepreneurs. Service conversations carry the same shape. Children's Fund is framed through support, opportunity, hope, recreational scholarships, and an anniversary event. NDR Therapeutic Riding is introduced through its Norco base, adapted riding, volunteers, instructors, and work with people with disabilities. Riverside Free Clinic brings in health access, student training, medical Spanish translation, uninsured patients, diabetes supplies, and the cost of basic care. Cultural episodes make room for bagpipes, sheepdog demonstrations, Highland attire, and the Kirkken of the Tartan ceremony. The tone is warm without being slick. It sounds like a station making time for neighbors to explain the work they are already doing. Some excerpts include heavy ad reads, but the core program remains clear: patient questions, local names, and a steady focus on community impact. Spirit of the I.E. is best for listeners who want a better sense of the organizations, events, and helpers shaping Southern California civic life.
Made for: For Inland Empire listeners who want to keep track of local nonprofits, arts events, community services, youth programs, clinics, schools, and cultural gatherings. It also suits people who prefer calm, direct interviews over personality-driven talk.
What sets it apart: The show stands out by treating local organizations as worth patient explanation, not just quick promotion. Its value is in the specific names, places, needs, and participation details that make each community effort easier to understand.
Spirit of the I.E. with Vicki Pepper
Southern California's community calendar becomes your invitation to care about who built it.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A local 40th-anniversary review of scholarships, partnerships, and the costs that can keep children from activities.
Children's Fund's 40th anniversary gives Spirit of the I.E. a clear local frame: how a regional nonprofit describes turning community partnerships into support for vulnerable children and families.
A steady look at how a Highland gathering carries cultural memory into public community life.
The episode frames a Scottish cultural gathering as both a public event and a living lesson in how tradition stays active. Blue Marble Cultural Arts brings a Scottish clan gathering and traditional Highland Fet to the Cala Mesa Event Center on March 21st and 22nd, with music,…
A week-long Orange County songwriting festival pairs local music with support for Honor Flight Southland.
Nashville on the Coast comes across as a week-long songwriting festival that brings a Nashville-style experience to venues throughout Orange County, with writers rounds, connections, and industry energy shaping the format.
A grounded Norco Kiwanis episode connects military history, youth leadership and hands-on local service.
Kevin Bash of the Norco Kiwanis Club ties a local service organization to Norco's Navy base history with a clear sense of civic continuity. He traces how a World War Two hospital helped shape rehabilitation work in the United States military, then follows the story into the…
Art historian Tamar Avishai interviews critics, curators, and writers about single paintings and ideas.
Clay talk after art school.
Delta flight attendant Katie Donatelli recalls working Delta flight 1989 from Boston to Los Angeles on September 11, 2001, when crossed radio signals and F-15 escorts preceded an order to land.
This episode features 10-year-old Kehlani Ezell and her dad discussing her charity Beachside Bows for Hope, which collects cheer bows for children in hospitals to bring joy and combat loneliness.
This episode features Maria Mejia from Accessity discussing how the nonprofit provides small business loans, mentorship, and support to entrepreneurs in Southern California, especially focusing on women, immigrants, and people of color.
Spirit of the I.E.
Lisa Blair, Director of the CBU Career Center, discusses what employers look for in new graduates, emphasizing the importance of both technical and soft skills, as well as internships and experiential learning.
Spirit of the I.E.
Lisa Holmes and Morgan Wagner discuss NDR Therapeutic Riding's mission to transform lives through equine-assisted activities for individuals with disabilities, highlighting its history, core mission, and upcoming fundraising event.
At the Humane Society of the San Bernardino Valley, Jill Henderson says a line of more than 100 people forms for monthly spay-neuter appointments.
Ron Witte and Floyd Ferguson of Blue Marble Cultural Arts describe a March 21–22 Scottish Clan Gathering and traditional Highland Fete at the Cala Mesa Event Center.
Nashville on the Coast stays close to home.
Spirit of the I.E.
This episode highlights the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's mission to support first responders, veterans, and Gold Star families through initiatives like mortgage payoffs and smart homes, focusing on an upcoming golf tournament fundraiser in Southern California.
Maribel Vargas and Wes Andre discuss the Jurupa Mountains Discovery Center's family-friendly exhibits, upcoming weekend activities including wildlife education and a raptor release, and a fundraiser dinner to support the museum.
Author Rachel Corbett discusses her new book exploring the history, myths, and realities of criminal profiling, from its Victorian origins to modern digital forms, including her personal connection to a murder case.
This episode promotes the Empower Her Benefit Hoedown event supporting Choose to be Restored, a non-profit helping women recover from trauma, featuring interviews with board member Jamie Schafstahl and performer Michelle Perez.