Spring 2025
From Executive Director, Chloe Collins:
It's been a busy spring at Valley Eye Radio! We are excited to announce the hire of David Gonzalez who is now in the studios on Wednesdays. David is a music artist and audio engineer and studied at Holyoke Community College. David’s passion for music began at thirteen. David has a background at a radio station and with podcast production and recording. Welcome David!
VER also welcomed a new Board Member, Peter Atkins, who has a background in corporate work, academics, nonprofits and botany. Welcome, Peter! Additionally, Byron Harden has been volunteering in an advisory capacity to our board. Byron is a Deafblind entrepreneur, music producer and recording engineer.
VER is excited to announce that we will begin hosting interns in collaboration with MCB. One such intern, Lamont, is expected at the studio this summer. I know that he will feel quite welcome. VER is thrilled for this new partnership as it will allow more individuals with visual impairments to contribute to our mission.
We have received great feedback from our survey, so thank you to everyone who filled it out and mailed it back to us. We are excited about the thought of creating original content in the near future. There is still time for anyone visually impaired or print disabled to send us their feedback. Contact us at valleyeyeradio.org or call us at (413) 747-7337 for a link to the survey.
VER is seeking a much-needed upgrade to our over 20-year-old soundboard. We are gladly accepting any donations toward the $5,000 goal for the project at https://valleyeyeradio.org/donate. Thank you for your ongoing support!
I was excited to receive a scholarship to attend this year's IAAIS Conference in Kansas. Additionally, VER wants to thank the Hadley Senior Center and East Longmeadow Senior Centers for hosting VER at volunteer events. I have also been meeting with legislators and continuing to advocate that legislative funding remains a priority in the current budget which is seeing widespread cuts.
Thank you to our volunteers, readers, listeners, board members and staff who make it all possible every day!
Chloe Collins
● Our friends at Baystate Health provided more expert information on a variety of topics and Valley Eye Radio was able to rebroadcast the audio from their latest presentations on Making a Difference in Dementia Care, Slow Digestion, Could it be Gastroparesis?” as well as “Demystifying Hospice. What’s Fact and What’s Myth?”.
● April was Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we let our own dedicated family of volunteers know how valued and important they are to Valley Eye Radio. We also interviewed Lucilia Prates, State Director of the MA Senior Medicare Patrol, and Dennis, one of their volunteers, in a program highlighting how volunteers help them to spread the word about combating Medicare errors, waste and abuse.
● Valley Eye Radio programming was also enriched with audio rebroadcasts from Clean Slate MA on “CORI and Record Sealing Basics”, from the Public Health Institute of WMass entitled “From barriers to Bridges: Clean Slate Laws and Public Health” as well as a workshop on “The Ins and Outs of the Home Modification Loan Program” from Valley Community Development.
● Valley Eye Radio spread the word with presentations to the Greenfield Low Vision Group, a Health Fair at the Hadley Senior Center and a Volunteer Fair at the Pleasant View Senior Center in East Longmeadow.
● We’re also looking for a new volunteer reader for the Saturday edition of the Daily Hampshire Gazette to record from their home. If you know of someone who might be interested in joining the Valley Eye Radio volunteer family, please contact us for more information.
Happy Birthday to all of our volunteer readers who had their special day in March: Karen T., Ron, Pippa, Joe, Maureen P., Anurima, Maria, Doug and Scott.
Happy Birthday also to our valued volunteers who began another trip around the sun in April: Perry, Pat A., Martha, Jim M., Terry and Paul.
…and a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday to You” to all of those in our volunteer reader family who enjoyed their cake and presents in May: Tim, Joan, Pat D., Chloe, Kathy, Bobby and Lorraine.
…and a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday to You” to all of those in our volunteer reader family who enjoyed their cake and presents in May: Tim, Joan, Pat D., Chloe, Kathy, Bobby and Lorraine.
