November 2020

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.

But despite the hectic pace, Thanksgiving, as well as this pandemic, remind us to be grateful and count our blessings as we cope with the many changes that have occurred in our lives in the last ten months.

All of us at Valley Eye Radio count you—our volunteers, board members, donors and supporters—as true blessings.

We know we would not be able to stay on the air for our listeners without you.

Here’s our new address:

Valley Eye Radio
1 Federal St., Bldg. 101
Springfield, MA 01105

We look forward to welcoming you all to visit when it is safe to do so. We are beginning an exciting new chapter in the 40+ years of Valley Eye Radio providing the only accessible local news and information broadcasts in the Pioneer Valley.

Despite COVID and having fewer at your table, we hope you find new ways to be grateful and have possibly new, unexpected blessings as you gather for this special day!

• With Thanksgiving coming up this month, we know how thankful we are for all our listeners, the hard work and dedication of our volunteer reader family and the support from our many collaborators, underwriters, supporters and donors.
  
  We couldn’t do what we do without all of you.
  
  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! (you all deserve at least three exclamation points)
  
  
• Valley Eye Radio certainly didn’t forget our veterans on Veterans Day with several programs related to the day including the history of Veterans Day, Stories from Veterans, some veterans related columns and the special observance by the Brookfield Institute and Clear Path for Veterans New England. What an amazing day of programs!
  
  
  During November, we continued our collaboration with Storrs Library and the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts.  Thanks to them, we brought programs to our listeners such as “Reconstructing History and Genealogy: Mom’s WWII Letters” and a very informative presentation by Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, U.S. Representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government, who spoke virtually on the topic of “U.S. and Kurdistan Region, Iraq: A Growing Partnership”

• On Friday, November 13th, our dedicated volunteers (and cousins) John and Jeanne had the honor of broadcasting the Springfield Republican, our last live program from our old studios at the WGBY building on Hampden St. in Springfield. Next day was moving day and we had lots to get ready!
  
  
• A little “heads” up that after Thanksgiving Day, when the focus shifts to giving gifts, please remember the gift of support for our mission at Valley Eye Radio. Giving Tuesday comes on December 1st and we count on you to help keep our accessible programming going for those who depend on us.
  
  
• Moving day for Valley Eye Radio was a busy one. As we were awaiting the final touches on our new location, we did all of our programming remotely with the help of our amazing family of volunteers and Chris, our engineering consultant. Now comes the hard part, figuring out what box we put everything in…..
  
  
• Happy Birthday to all of those in our volunteer reader family who were born in the month of November: Linda felt all the love on the 7th, our Board Chair Ellen and Heather both opened their cards and presents on the 9th, David got all the (virtual) attention from friends and family on the 10th, Robert begins another trip around the sun on the 21st and Elizabeth has her day on the 23rd.
  
  Best wishes to all!