March 2021
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!!
The Fiscal Year '22 state legislative budget process is starting. We are working with local legislators to make sure we get the funding we need to stay on the air. We so appreciate all the support we have received in the past and look forward to being successful in securing state funding once again for July 1.
Our expanded COVID-19 expanded broadcasting continues this month with the critical need to keep our listeners informed about the latest local news and information especially now regarding vaccination sites and what resources are available to help if a person is homebound. As the pandemic drags on, we remain committed to playing an essential role for as long as necessary to ensure our listeners' health and wellbeing.
Remember to put the April 30 volunteer appreciation event on your calendar. We can't wait to celebrate all of you who give your time and generous spirit to making sure our listeners know we care.
- Valley Eye Radio continued to provide timely information on the Covid-19 Vaccines with the latest recording from the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts with another panel of local experts to explore “Personal and Professional Perspectives within African American and Latino Communities”.
March is Women’s History Month and Valley Eye Radio is broadcasting a number of programs and events related to the theme including new and rebroadcasted articles from many sources to highlight women overlooked by history and those women who overcame obstacles to excel in their chosen field.
- Valley Eye Radio plans to present a number of presentations from Storrs Library in Longmeadow with such topics as “Beatrix Potter: The Woman Behind the Rabbit” by Betsy Bray, “Discoveries from Longmeadow Cemetery” from the Longmeadow Historical Society and “The Border of Our Minds” by David Mould. Our thanks to Storrs Library for helping us share these events with our listeners.
- We’re pleased to have picked up some new listeners through inquiries from our website. If you know of someone in need of our service, please contact us!
- Valley Eye Radio also provides programming outreach to veterans not only with our daily “Vet Minute” program with news related to veterans from the VA, Military.com and more, but also with the rebroadcast of various events for veterans such as the recently held “Building Bridges Veterans Forum” with expert information so that our listeners who are veterans can get the support they need.
- We’re always looking to add new readers to our volunteer reader family. Our greatest needs right now are for readers of the Westfield News during the week or the Springfield Republican on the weekends. Contact us for more information.
- Following our broadcast of the compelling narrative of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, Valley Eye Radio is proud to continue our collaboration with the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts with a rebroadcast of the audio from the presentation by former CNN Asia Correspondent -- and Northampton native -- Mike Chinoy, on his new book “Are You With Me?: Kevin Boyle and the Rise of the Human Rights Movement”.
- Happy Birthday to all of those in our volunteer reader family who were born in the month of March: Tom began another trip around the sun on the 12th, Patti got best wishes (virtually) from friends and family on the 15th, Maeve gets her presents on the 21st, Maria reads all her cards and emails on the 22nd and John gets spoiled by everyone on the 30th.
- Happy Birthday wishes to all!