Summer 2024

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.

We are thankful to our staff Harold, Mary and Diane, to all our volunteer readers and our listeners - the people who really make VER!

We are also truly grateful for all of our supporters and donors.

I’d love to hear from you, if you’d like to schedule a call or coffee with me, please send me an email at  chloe@valleyeyeradio.org

Thank you!

● Thanks to our friends at the World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts, Valley Eye Radio was able to rebroadcast the audio from their latest event from June, a talk by Journalist Mara Kardas-Nelson: We Are Not Able To Live In The Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance. We are so proud to be allowed to bring such informative programs to our listeners.

● Valley Eye Radio was proud to have a table at the recent Health and Wellness Fair at the South Hadley Council on Aging to spread the word about our unique service that is solely for those who are visually impaired or print disabled.

Our dedicated volunteers Warren and his little dog Duchess along with Barb and Eileen graciously gave of their time to present information to the many seniors that attended the event.


Our thanks to all who attended and were involved in putting this together.

● Valley Eye Radio broadcasts the latest news every week on Sunday afternoon from the Social Security Administration from their SSA blog as well as the Social Security Matters article from Turley Publications with practical answers to various questions.

● More informative expert programs were presented thanks to Baystate Health and their health webinars.

The latest topics have included this update from July by Dr. Cecilia Lozier with an update about the important issue of Diabetes which affects so many people in our community.


We’re so grateful for Baystate’s continued support for these audio broadcasts.

Please have anyone you know who is visually or print impaired to call us at (413) 747-7337 or contact us through our website www.valleyeyeradio.org to get more information and to register to become a listener.

Happy Birthday to all of our dedicated volunteer readers who felt the love from friends and family on their special day in June:  Tim, Lorraine A., Marcia, Jeannine, Marvee, Ken, Gerald, Sarah and Arnold.

Happy Birthday also to our valued volunteers who began another trip around the sun in July:  Johanna, Barbara, Jules, Mary Z., Eileen, Sandy, Claire and Payton.

…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 August: Chuck, Ray, Sue, Rich, Mary D., Paul, Mariana, Sarah, Simon and Nicholas.

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