Site donated by the Valley Voice Friends.

(540) 568-3811

 

ValleyVoice.ORG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

Broadcast Schedule of Valley Voice Readings.

 

Weekend broadcasts feature a variety of magazines.

 

The weekday schedule is:

 

9 a m :

Weekend review. (Repeats at 3).

 

10 a m :

Harrisonburg Daily News Record (Repeats at 4).

 

11 a m :

Washington Post (Repeats at 5).

 

12 noon :

Richmond Times (Repeats at 6).

 

1 p m :

Staunton News Leader,

Charlottesville Daily Progress,

Waynesboro News Virginian (Repeats at 7).

 

2 p m  Mon-Thu :

Winchester Star (Repeats at 8).

 

2 p m Fri :

Weekly newspapers (Repeats at 8).

 

The above schedule listing was updated in : January, 2009.

 

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

Hearing Valley Voice via Cable TV.  

 

Area.....Cable TV Channel

 

Charlottesville, Albemarle County.....14 (with Charlottesville Schools Channel).

 

Harrisonburg,  Rockingham County.....3 (with Harrisonburg CitySpan).

 

Staunton, Augusta County portions.....14 (with Staunton CitySpan).

 

Waynesboro, Augusta County portions.....13 (with Waynesboro Schools Channel)

 

Also

 

Waynesboro Summit Square Community.....38 (in-house Valley Voice TV 38).

 

VMRC Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community.....2 (in-house Zap Two Channel).

 

Bridgewater Retirement Community.....3 (with Harrisonburg CitySpan).

 

Sunnyside Community.....(check with in-house provider).

 

Rockingham Memorial Hospital.....3 (with Harrisonburg CitySpan).

 

Sorry, Valley Voice is NOT on Satellite TV systems.  

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

 

Applying for a Valley Voice talking newspaper device. 

 

Those without access to Valley Voice via Cable TV and who have a print-impairing medical condition may apply for a specialized “talking newspaper” receiver unit;   traditionally these electronics are lent out long-term for free to qualified people who fill out the listener application (located on WMRA’s "Valley Voice" webpage).

 

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

About.

 

ValleyVoice.ORG provides info about Valley Voice, a non-profit agency serving Virginia’s cities of Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, Bridgewater, and surrounding counties as a reading service for the blind and print-impaired.   Since 1981 Valley Voice has provided audio access to time-sensitive print matter (from newspapers and magazines to voter guides) to its listeners so that they may be more independent and also better informed as citizens, voters, shoppers, workers, and members of the community.   Reading services for the blind like Valley Voice focus on time-sensitive print matter rather than books;  books are handled by our colleagues at the federally-supported Talking Book Centers.   Valley Voice is supported by the Virginia General Assembly Community Services Grant, by public radio WMRA, by James Madison University, and by charitable contributions.   Valley Voice’s “boosters” organization, Valley Voice Friends, was established in 1999.

 

Cable TV customers in most of the region can hear the Valley Voice volunteers’ readings as the audio background of municipal CitySpan or SchoolSpan channels (except during live video feeds of government meetings or during certain school programming).   Major area elder homes also provide Valley Voice on their in-house Cable TV systems.  

 

Why It's Important.

 

Too often, those who lose their sight (and thus lose their access to print and to easy transportation) rapidly withdraw from the community. They become shut-ins.

 

Giving the blind and other print-impaired people access to time-sensitive print information is not just a "quality of life" issue. It's not just entertainment. From editorials to town meeting notices and even obituaries, much data essential for full participation in community life is only available in print. Our elderly who have lost their sight deserve the same access to civic information as their fellow (sighted) citizens.

 

Modifying an existing quote, past Valley Voice staffer Rob Munro (himself blind) summed up the printed word's world of ideas this way, "what I can read, I can think about; what I can think about, I can DO about."

 

Valley Voice is a reading service; it broadcasts time-sensitive print matter. Our colleagues at other nearby audio information services have related specialties: the Staunton Talking Book Center records books onto tape, while Charlottesville's Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic specializes in scholastic textbooks. Together, we strive to reopen the world of print to those with medical print-impairments.

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

 

Volunteers.

 

Valley Voice is a volunteer-powered organization.   Strong adult readers may apply to be Valley Voice reading volunteers.   Note :  Valley Voice has longer accepts applicants who have been “volun-told” to do community service by judicial authorities;  this policy has been in effect for several years.    The volunteer application (located on WMRA’s “Valley Voice” webpage) is primarily for readers.   From time to time, helpers are also needed for special events.

 

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

 

$upporters.

 

One may give directly to Valley Voice, where funds will go to a state-managed account but where funds are not readily available for Valley Voice’s rapid use due to mandated bureaucratic and security procedures.   To give this way electronically, use the Valley Voice contribution form (located on WMRA’s “Valley Voice” webpage).  For checks, please make your gift payable to VALLEY VOICE and send to:

 

VALLEY VOICE

983 RESERVOIR ST

JMU RADIO BLDG MSC 6803

HARRISONBURG VA 22801

USA

 

Contributions to Valley Voice are tax-deductible.

 

(United way?  Long ago, Valley Voice was a member of United Way, but decided to leave due to UW’s fundraising-scheduling restrictions [which conflicted with Valley Voice’s own  direct-funding] and because Valley Voice’s director objected to the six-figure salary earned by the state head of United Way.)

 

Or

 

One may give to Valley Voice’s “boosters” organization, Valley Voice Friends, (a private-sector 501c3 non-profit organization primarily tasked with supporting Valley Voice).   Gifts to Valley Voice Friends can be used rapidly to meet Valley Voice’s immediate needs, but are at a federally-insured credit union rather than the state-managed account.   To give this way electronically, use the Valley Voice Friends gift form (located on NetworkForGood.org).   All gifts of personal property, antiques, collectables, land, and other such should be directed to Valley Voice Friends.   For checks, please make your gift payable to VALLEY VOICE FRIENDS and send to:

 

VALLEY VOICE FRIENDS

% 202 SOUTH MAIN ST

BRIDGEWATER VA 22812

USA

 

Contributions to Valley Voice Friends are tax-deductible.

 

The Valley Voice Friends “tax number” / federal entity identification number / EIN is 54-1966173.   Its Virginia SCC number is 0529960-7.   State staff participating in the commonwealth-combined campaign may give to Organization 3174.   Guidestar.org info click here (offsite).

 

 

 

PS

 

Many thanks to past major supporters of Valley Voice and/or Valley Voice Friends including:

 

*  Public radio WMRA.

*  Virginia taxpayers, through the General Assembly Community Services Grant.

*  Massanutten Lions Club.

*  James Madison Greek service participants, through the JMU Greek Week Coordinating Committee.

*  The P.Buckley Moss Foundation.

*  Congressman Bob Goodlatte’s Pay Raise Refusal Promise program.

*  Marrow Family Eye Care.

*  US taxpayers, through a Dept of Justice “Weed and Seed” grant.

*  ARTandJUNK.com

*  Virginia Army National Guard outreach programs.

*  Harrisonburg Lions Club.

*  Mill Creek Church of the Brethren.

*  VanguardMIL.com

*  Staunton Lions Club.

*  Harrisonburg Rotary Club.

...just to name a few –plus the many individual donors who have given funds, services, an goodwill over the decades.

 

Thank you!

 

All newspapers read on Valley Voice are donated as a public service by the publishers –except for the Winchester Star and the Washington Post.

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers.

 

United States Senate

Washington, D.C.

George Allen

Virginia

 

June 21, 2003

 

Dear Friends:

 

...I would like to add my voice to those applauding the volunteers....

 

Blindness ...dramatically affects an individual's quality of life. I applaud Valley Voice ...for their dedication to alleviating the burdens of blind, partially-blind, and medically print impaired individuals. By reading newspapers and magazines ...to people who have lost the gift of sight, you ensure that they have access to otherwise unattainable sources of print material.

 

Friends, thank you for all you have done, and are doing, to help make the lives of ...Amriccans longer, fuller, and healthier. Working together, we will get closer to a future without visual disorders.

 

With warm regards, I remain

 

Sincerely,

(Ink signature)

George Allen

 

- - -

 

Commonwealth of Virginia

Office of the Governor

James S. Gilmore, III

Governor

 

September 10, 2001

 

Dear Friends:

 

On behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, it gives me great pleasure to welcome everyone in attendance to the 20th Anniversary celebration for the Valley Voice in Harrisonburg.

 

There are currently more than 100,000 blind and vision impaired Virginians living in our great Commonwealth...

 

...The work of loving families and dedicated volunteers...plays a crucial role in helping Virginia's blind and vision impaired community enjoy a high quality of life.

 

I extend my sincere thanks to the many volunteers at the Valley Voice Reading Service for the Blind, including those recognized today for their long and distinguished volunteer service. Your efforts are appreciated by many throughout our great Commonwealth and nation.

 

Best wishes for a joyous celebration, and I look forward to the positive contributions you will continue to make to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

 

Very truly yours,

(ink signature)

James S. Gilmore III

Governor of Virginia

 

- - -

 

International Association of Audio Information Services

 

2004 International Program Awards

 

Honorable Mention to Valley Voice

 

Category: Information 1

 

June 2005.

 

- - -

 

Mental Health Association

 

Mental Health Media Award

 

Presented to Valley Voice

 

For outstanding contributions toward public understanding of mental health.

 

Nov 16, 2001

 

- - -

 


 

- - -

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

 

Contact.

 

Valley Voice director and also Valley Voice Friends point-of-contact is Mr Terry Ward.

(540) 568-3811

 

 

VALLEY VOICE

983 RESERVOIR ST

JMU RADIO BLDG MSC 6803

HARRISONBURG VA 22801

USA





 

 

VALLEY VOICE FRIENDS

% 202 SOUTH MAIN ST

BRIDGEWATER VA 22812

USA





 

ValleyVoiceFriends(at)Gmail(dot)com

 

 

 

 

Top.  Schedule.  Listen on Cable TV.  Listen on “Talking Newspaper” Unit.  About.  Volunteers.  Supporters.  Cheers.  Contact. 

 

 

 

end . .