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Date: 11/28/2022
Last winter, I was flipping through press releases in my email, formatting them for publication, when I came across a press release from Valley Eye Radio.
I had heard of the organization many times prior, but I hadn’t taken the time to truly look into the work that they do. So, I took a moment and went to their website – https://valleyeyeradio.org/ – and read all about their mission.
In case you are not familiar, Valley Eye Radio is a Springfield nonprofit that works to “help keep our Pioneer Valley neighbors informed and connected to their communities by being a 24/7 accessible source of the local news that otherwise isn’t available to them due to vision loss or other disabilities,” their website explains.
How do you stay informed? How do you learn about what is happening locally? What about nationally? Do you read news online? Do you read a Reminder product every week? Are you a subscriber to national newspapers or their corresponding websites – such as The New York Times or The Washington Post? Are you reading headlines and articles through social media?
For someone who is blind or visually impaired – reading these mediums is not an option.
Valley Eye bridges this gap. With a team of nearly 100 volunteers and only one full-time and two part-time staffers, the organization reads and subsequently broadcasts online the daily, weekly and monthly newspapers from every community in the Pioneer Valley for those who are visually or print impaired.
As someone who clearly has a vested interest in news – this struck me. Instantly, I knew I wanted to help.
I reached out to Program Director Harold Anderson toward the end of February, and ever since, I’ve produced a weekly 30-minute program for Valley Eye, reading one of our Reminder products – The Original Pennysaver. (That said, if readers happen to tune in this week to my segment, you actually won’t hear me, as I’m on vacation!)
Volunteering for Valley Eye has been one of the most rewarding parts of my weekly routine. Not only am I getting the opportunity to read the work of my colleagues, but I’m also doing a small part to help disseminate valuable information to those who are often left behind.
I can’t say enough about Valley Eye radio and the work they do. I was thrilled when we decided for The Reminder’s 60th anniversary we would be featuring 60 nonprofits within our pages because that meant I had the opportunity to nominate such a deserving organization. This week, you will find Valley Eye’s full-page ad, explaining the nonprofit even further.
If you have a friend or family member who is looking for local news, but struggles to read our print, or is blind or further visually impaired, I encourage you to connect them with Valley Eye. On their website, there is a program schedule explaining which newspapers/magazines are read every day and in which time slot. There is a large “listen live” button, which is easy to navigate and press play on their programming.
If Valley Eye’s mission resonates with you, there are many ways to support, including donating, volunteering or becoming a sponsor. For more information, go to https://valleyeyeradio.org/get-involved.html
The winter holidays are often referred to as the season of giving, which is typically focused on monetary donations or food drives. For many, however, sparing that extra dollar isn’t an option. These are not the only ways to give, though. The most worthwhile and fulfilling way I have been able to give this past year is giving my time. When you’re making your list of New Year’s resolutions, I ask you to consider giving some of your own.