The Valley Eye Radio Newsletter

It’s Giving Tuesday and VER Needs Your Help

I hope you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving last week. It’s Giving Tuesday on December 3rd and this year we could really use your help.

The sound and recording equipment we use every day for our free broadcasts of the day's news and feature programming to our listeners is limited and there's so much more that we could do.

Your donation today will help us get modern technology to offer even better services to our friends, family and neighbors who are blind or visually and print impaired.

From Executive Director, Chloe Collins:

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer! I had the privilege of joining VER this July and am thrilled about VER’s next chapter.

VER is happy to announce we will again be receiving $150,000 in state funding this coming year.

VER plans to conduct a short listener survey to best assess listener needs and interests. We are excited to continue to grow and adapt to best meet the needs of the visually impaired.

From our Board Chair, Brian Westerlind:

As many of you know, we suffered a tragic loss with the passing of our Executive Director, Barbara Loh, in February. Barbara's leadership took our organization to new heights in our mission to inform and connect the blind and reading-impaired community. Her contributions will forever be remembered.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated staff — Harold, Diane, and Mary. Their commitment has ensured that our programming continues without interruption.

Additionally, our many dedicated readers deserve our deepest gratitude for making our mission possible.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

It is hard to believe, but this week marks the tenth year I have been at Valley Eye Radio. Prior to having the privilege of leading our organization, I started as a volunteer reader. It has been a great opportunity to put my background in nonprofit management and journalism to work for our listeners and serve our organization's unique mission.

It has truly been a time of cherishing every day the goodwill and caring that our volunteers, staff, board members, donors, and community supporters bring in many ways so that our listeners can stay informed and connected rather than facing social isolation and loneliness.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Fall is the time for harvesting crops and sharing its bounty. Of course, Valley Eye Radio is neither a farm nor a garden, but it is an organization needing to grow and prosper for its listeners to stay connected and informed. But how?

After almost 50 years of being the only accessible local broadcasting service in the Pioneer Valley, we are embarking on a fertile time in our history to determine where we should be going in our future and what new innovations we should be considering. To do that, we will need in the months ahead to take some time and reflect on what seeds we may want to plant to harvest new ideas and innovations to help us with our role with countering the growing epidemic of loneliness.  For now, we need to make sure we are preparing the ground to ensure a successful harvest in the future.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Summer is here. Despite our up and down weather and air quality challenges, we hope you have found some moments of rest and relaxation.

On the state funding front, we thankfully have had fewer challenges than in recent years although we are still awaiting news that the state budget is approved and signed by the governor. It has been a relief not to have to go through the amendment process this year. Many thanks to our local legislators who have supported us.

Thanks to all who donated during our end of fiscal year campaign entitled “Campaign to End Loneliness”. Given the US Surgeon General’s recent report on the loneliness epidemic, we need to work together as a community to help solve this social isolation problem that our listeners and so many others face according to the report.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Spring has more than sprung, the pollen is flying, and it is state budget debate time. It is a critical season for our listeners who rely on our service and for our organization to continue to grow and thrive for them. 

We have many to thank in our community for their collective past and "budding" generosity. Their ongoing support and commitment to improving the quality of life of our listeners have been critical to us being able to stay on the air 24/7 to keep them connected and informed. We are so appreciative.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

I am sure I am not the only one hoping the sun will come out again some day. While the weather may be gloomy, Valley Eye Radio's year ahead looks sunny thanks to all of you. Our End of Year Campaign: "Whose Story Will You Help Write?”, which kicked off with Giving Tuesday was a great success.

I hope you had a chance during our fundraising campaign to read the emails with the stories of several listeners, past and present. Mary, David, Jim and many others inspire us everyday.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

This "starting over" time of year is always a time of transition as we still hope for the last vestiges of summer while we are faced with shortening daylight, cooler temperatures and the holidays just around the corner. It is a time for reflection as we start anew, but mostly, we look to the year ahead, what we are anticipating and our aspirations.

While we don't know what is ahead and the prospect of uncertainty can be daunting, at Valley Eye Radio we are on a continuing quest to ensure that our almost 45 year old unique service will be around for many more years and that it will be better than ever. You can look forward to hearing more about our "fresh start" as we say goodbye to summer and move forward in ways anticipated and not!!  

Did you know that May is National Elder Law Month? Did you know that Shatz, Schwartz, and Fentin, one of our programming sponsors, publishes a monthly elder law newsletter that we record and broadcast? They are just one of our committed sponsors that helps to keep us on the air with their ongoing support.

Contact Barbara or Harold if you or a local business would like to underwrite one of our programs.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

I had the honor of speaking at the Springfield Rotary Club's meeting earlier this month. It was the first time in over two years that I was able to experience speaking face-to-face with fellow community members devoted to public service. It was rejuvenating!! ZOOM meetings are productive but can never substitute for the energy we all receive from personal interactions with those who share like passions for community service and to help others.

April is also the month when we show our appreciation to our many volunteers who make it possible for us to be on the air 24/7 for our listeners. WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU!!

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

We are quickly approaching this year's spring equinox on March 20. Also this month, we are reminded of the "in like a lion, out like a lamb" saying. March is traditionally a transitional month between winter and spring. The Farmers' Almanac claims that the March weather folklore originates from ancestral beliefs in balance -- if March starts out "roaring", it should end with weather as gentle as a lamb.

Well, halfway through the month, it certainly looks like a toss up as to how it will end weatherwise. We are going through other transitions also -- is the pandemic over and is a return to normalcy here to stay? Events in Ukraine make us deeply concerned for its citizens as they suffer so many transitions and worse. Here we wonder if we will experience more daily living transitions beyond gas prices

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

I don't know about you, but between the spectacularly bright February full moon (also known as the Full Snow Moon) happening now and the expressive and outward displays of love from Valentine's Day, mid-February doesn't feel so bad. Omicron is lessening its grip and warmer days and more light are ahead of us.

Also ahead of us is the critical state budget process which began at the end of last month with the filing of the Governor's budget. For those who aren't aware, the majority of our operating budget comes from state funding. So, to stay on the air 24/7, it is crucial that we are successful. To that end, Senator Adam Gomez, Senator John Velis, Representative Michael Finn, and Representative Natalie Blais have all toured Valley Eye Radio in recent months to learn more about us and why our unique mission in the Pioneer Valley is essential for our listeners to stay healthy, connected, and informed. Our thanks to all of them for their support in the past and their willingness to fight for us in the months ahead.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Happy New Year to all!!

Let’s hope we are on the brink of returning to some new normalcy.

One of the joys of my position at Valley Eye Radio is to hear from our listeners about how our broadcasting service has made their lives better. Here are the recent words from one of them with visual challenges: “My radio has changed my life. My ‘listening ear’ has been a great support for one who is visually impaired.”

Hearing such words truly keeps us—volunteers, board members, donors, and supporters—inspired. I wanted to make sure you heard them also.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

In celebration of the joys of giving in this holiday season, I want to share Cynthia Simison and Mary Harding’s story with you about how their friendship and shared passions were able to continue to grow despite Mary’s macular degeneration diagnosis.

While I was already an ardent “believer” in our mission, their ongoing connection, enriched by one of our radios, helped rekindle my passion and enthusiasm for what we do here every day at Valley Eye Radio. I hope it will do the same for you.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Thanksgiving is upon us. It will feel more normal than last year at this time when we were still isolating, had not yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated, and masks were a way of life. But the world has changed and our lives were upended.

But, perhaps, one aspect of our lives has remained constant and possibly grown more than ever -- the gratitude we usually feel this time of year for our blessings and those closest to us.

And, for many of us, that includes caring for those in our community that we might not even know, but they need us. Hopefully, a silver lining of COVID is our heightened awareness of the vulnerabilities and isolation many feel in their day to day lives, not just during a pandemic. Our listeners struggle with maintaining their quality of life and staying connected and vital.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

It's hard to believe it has been almost a year since we moved into our new studios at Springfield Technology Park.

As it becomes safer, we hope to have an open house in the near future to show all of you our new location and all the improvements and upgrades we have achieved. As the delta variant wanes, let's hope we can do that soon.

While we aren't out in the community yet recording events like we were pre-COVID, we are continuing our weekday evening broadcasts, giving our listeners all the latest COVID news and information.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

It's hard to believe that the first day of fall is coming up very soon. After an "interesting" summer of rainy and hot weather and the delta variant, let's hope going forward things get more normal. Until that happens, we continue to provide our listeners late day round ups of all the latest news and development with COVID-19. We would like to thank Health New England for a recent grant to help us to continue to expand our broadcasts during this pandemic.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Heat and rain, rain and heat.  It has been an interesting summer for weather.

Despite it being the dog days of summer and the latest challenges with the Delta variant, we are hard at work with some new technological and other exciting initiatives to keep our listeners having all the latest options to hear our broadcasts and to bring our non-profit broadcasting service to even more listeners.

Stay tuned for our September newsletter to fill you in on all the latest!!

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

“June is bustin’ out all over” as the Richard Rodgers song goes. These glorious days have certainly been worth waiting for as we all reacclimate to a new, hopefully post-pandemic world and a more normal fun-filled summer ahead.

If you see a new face around our studios, that is Diane Dray, our new Programming Assistant, who will be performing many roles. She comes to us from KNX in Los Angeles. She grew up in Deerfield and is back “home” to help with caregiving for her parents. An experienced journalist, we are so lucky that she has joined our team and that she is so excited about our mission and what she can contribute.

June also brings our End of Fiscal Year Fundraising Campaign. Your generosity is so appreciated as we continue to expand our coverage of all the latest developments with COVID and continue to work overtime to be the eyes and ears for our listeners to help them stay informed and connected.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

The reviews could not have been better for our first ever virtual statewide Volunteer Appreciation event held last month. We hope you all feel more appreciated than ever. The words of one listener said it all about what our volunteers do for them everyday:

"What readers do is not just a straightforward read, it's communicating and being with us and sharing what you have and brightening up people's days. . .You are a gift. . .you have no idea what you do for people and how you make us feel."

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

So much is being written and talked about in the last few weeks on what we have all been through the last year with COVID and how we are all considering making our "reentry" to "normalcy".

We had a ZOOM board meeting last week. I spent some time reviewing the last year and how we were able to survive and, despite the challenges, thrive. I marveled at how we achieved so much since the early darkest days of wondering how we would continue broadcasting for our listeners who would need us more than ever.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

We are excited to announce that we will be part of a statewide event on April 30 as part of Volunteer Appreciation Month to honor our amazing volunteer readers!!  Sponsored by the Massachusetts Audio Information Network (MAIN) and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, it will be a Virtual Volunteer Appreciation Event via ZOOM from noon to 1pm. More information will be forthcoming, but it will include messages of appreciation from MCB Commissioner David D'Arcangelo, legislators, and listeners. We hope you will be able to join us and feel more appreciated than ever!!

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Winter has certainly arrived but hasn't slowed us down a bit at Valley Eye Radio. Our studios at our new space at Springfield Technology Park are more professional than ever. The last boxes are finally getting emptied. When it is safe, we look forward to holding an open house so everyone can visit and see our progress. I would like to thank Ward Caswell from Beveridge Family Foundation for his generosity which has allowed us to continue to upgrade and provide higher quality broadcasting for our listeners who deserve nothing less.

Growing collaborations with Focus Springfield and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts have enabled us to provide even more expanded local COVID-19 programming. In addition to our regular programming, our highest priority over the last year has been to bring our listeners all the latest news and developments during this pandemic.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Happy New Year to everyone!!

First I want to thank all who supported us on Giving Tuesday and during our End of Year campaign. We were able to reach our goals. Your kindness and concern for our listeners during these challenging times is so appreciated.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Well, we have moved, but we aren't exactly moved in. It will take some time to get settled, but we are officially broadcasting from 1 Federal Street at our new office at the STCC Technology Park.

Despite the inevitable disruptions from moving--especially the broadcasting equipment--Harold and Chris Tracy, our engineer, kept us on the air continuously for our listeners throughout the whole process.

That is quite a feat, and we are so thankful to them.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

What a year! What a month!

Changing our clocks for daylight savings and enduring more darkness, another surge for COVID downsizing the plans of many for the holidays, moving Valley Eye Radio to new space, and preparing for Giving Tuesday on December 1. Phew! If that wasn’t enough, we have been working day and night with local legislators to make sure we receive state funding from the much-delayed FY’21 state budget.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

We have great news!!

Valley Eye Radio has been very fortunate to have received a generous COVID-19 Stabilization grant from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. This latest round of coronavirus relief funds will provide us with much needed additional funding during these challenging times for non-profits and so many others.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Happy almost fall!! The unofficial end of summer is here and we are heading into the homestretch for 2020. There aren't too many people that I know who won't be very happy to see this year end.

Still, we have months to go and so many uncertainties remain. One of them is that half of our annual budget usually comes from state funding, so we continue to await a final state budget to enable us to know our financial picture going forward for the fiscal year that started July 1. The current interim state budget ends October 31, but with no word on possible federal dollars coming to the states, a final state budget still seems elusive.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Thirty years ago at the end of last month, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. It is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on a person's disability. It was landmark legislation and a milestone in guaranteeing these rights to individuals with disabilities. Today, we must ensure that progress continues for those with challenges like our listeners have--the inability to read independently for a variety of medical and physical reasons.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Since my message last month, our state is starting to open up and some normalcy is returning. There are still many uncertainties ahead. Our lives will continue to be different for a while, but hopefully the worst is behind us.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Since my message last month, our state is starting to open up and some normalcy is returning. There are still many uncertainties ahead. Our lives will continue to be different for a while, but hopefully the worst is behind us.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

I think many of us are not unhappy to see the month of April pass. So many uncertainties and fears, so many new challenges, too much loss, and a growing need for our lives to return to normal and be able to connect face-to-face with others the way we used to do.

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

Hopefully you all saw the excellent and touching article "Keeping an 'Eye' Out For Those In Need" on the front page of the Sunday Republican by Executive Editor Cynthia Simison about our AMAZING VOLUNTEERS at Valley Eye Radio . It was part of their COVID-19 "Angels Among Us" series and shared our mission of keeping our listeners informed and connected. It stressed the need for our accessible service everyday, but also stressed how we are needed even more during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Cynthia, who truly "gets it", wrote so beautifully:

From our Executive Director, Barbara Loh:

One part of being in this position that is constantly gnawing at me and that I spend a lot of time thinking about is: "Who aren't we reaching? Who could be benefiting right now from hearing our broadcasts? Whose quality of life could be much improved if one of our radios was near their favorite chair in their home?"