Mayor Henry is a Guest Reader at NEIRRS

We've had great success with our annual Guest Reader Month at NEIRRS!  Community leaders join regular reading volunteers to read from the Journal Gazette or News-Sentinel during February.  A few read magazines.  It's a fun way to introduce our service to new people.  Of course we ask them to help us spread the word.  All in all we've had 17 guests and added 4 new readers because they so enjoyed their experience with us.  Mayor Tom Henry was able to join us on Leap Day and really helped us end our month on a high note!


A big thank you to all our Guests -- and another big thank you to our regular volunteers who made that experience so positive!


The link above and at the end, is to a YouTube video that includes most of our guests.  Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThYcJFE8y3I 

Guest Reader Month is Heating Up!

Unlike the February forecast, NEIRRS studios are heating up!  We will hold our third annual Guest Reader Month this February and we have some terrific community leaders joining us.  You won't believe it!  Over 14 people have reserved dates so far to read the Journal Gazette or the News-Sentinel with us -- and at least one of them is someone really famous!  

Stay tuned to learn more, and spread the word about NEIRRS.  Help us provide our reading service to more people in 2012 than ever before!  

Colds, Contests, and Countdowns!

Many of us at NEIRRS have decided to celebrate the 50 degree January temperatures with colds!  I guess we're determined to have "cold" one way or another.

Regardless, spirits are high, and we're excited to be entering a few of our 2011 readings in the annual   International Association of Audio Information Services Program Awards contest.  NEIRRS is a member of the IAAIS, and we were one of the judges (no one gets to judge their own work) last year, but did not have any entries of our own.  This year we have four.  The Weekend, with reader Cari Kyle; New Yorker, with reader Adie Baach; AARP, with reader Bob Jones; and a NEIRRS Radio Playhouse performance of Christmas Shopping (Archie Andrews script).  

So hold a good thought for our entries and 'weather' the cold and flu season as best you can.  Spring isn't that far away!  See the countdown to the right!

Sign Up for Guest Reader Month!

February is Guest Reader Month at NEIRRS.  What are Guest Readers?  Just some of the most important readers, ever!  Why?  Because they join us to learn what NEIRRS is all about, and then share their new found knowledge with others.  Sometimes they help influence future donations.  Sometimes they help us find new listeners.  And sometimes they become regular readers at NEIRRS.  It's definitely a win win win!  Oh, I almost forgot to mention that they have a lot of fun bringing the printed word to life for our listeners!  

So if you can read aloud from the local newspapers with some fluency and you have 3 hours to share, call NEIRRS Manager, Lisa Bordner, at 421-1375 and schedule to be a Guest Reader in February.  You'll sit-in with two experienced readers and read along with them, live, on-air.  And you'll learn why reading to people who are blind or print-impaired is fun and rewarding.

Happy New Year!

The past year has been an incredible experience!  We added over 1,000 listeners and upgraded some of our equipment and began using new software.  We also put on two new radio plays, added a bunch of new volunteers.  There are many wonderful people who work or volunteer to make our 24/7 schedule possible.  Thank you to each and every one of you!

We'll be reading live Saturday 12/31/11 and have special programming in addition to some of our regular readings for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  

Stay tuned for more in the New Year!

Lisa Bordner

NEIRRS Manager

Humorous Holiday Greeting

Many departments of the library share electronic holiday cards to reduce paper waste.  I created one for the NEIRRS department and thought some of you might enjoy watching it too.  It takes a while to load and you should have high-speed Internet connection to view.  Just touch the heading above or follow this link: http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/g2iPee6PlUSvmP9bWGO4

Enjoy!

Lisa

Donation updates

In addition to the donation from the Central Lions detailed in an earlier post, we also received a donation from the Joyce Schlatter Fund of $3,000, a grant from the Council on Senior Services for $700, and an anonymous donation of $500, several corporate donations of $300 and $500, and many memorial donations in honor of listener Ann Mitchell.  Of course, we've also received individual donations.


All of this before we send our year-end letter, telling people about NEIRRS which you should receive over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Your donation will help us continue this wonderful work of reading aloud to provide unbiased access to print for people with reading challenges.  


We are grateful to everyone who is able to contribute to our organization.  Donations are tax deductible!  You can even make an online donation with a credit card -- just look for the "Donate to NEIRRS" link in the right column.  Follow the link and choose "donate to the Foundation" and then under "designate" choose "NEIRRS."  The first page name information is for making a memorial gift in someone's name, the "next" page will record YOUR information.


As we prepare for this Thanksgiving holiday - we are enormously thankful for our readers, our listeners, and our donors.    

November Updates

THANK YOU to the Central Lions Club for sharing the proceeds of their Bill Smith Golf Outing with four blind services, including NEIRRS.  We received $3,250 from the Central Lions and were blown away by the tremendous work the Lions do for our community.  We were also able to honor one of our awesome volunteers at the recognition dinner, also provided by the Lions.  This year's celebrated volunteer was Jon Broderick.  Jon reads short stories for half the year and Discover Magazine the other half.  He also volunteers at St. Patrick's Church doing good deed in the community (including visiting a visually impaired listener), and at the Franciscan Center unloading trucks for the food pantry, and at Lawton Park Greenhouse (which is his favorite activity), where he plants seedlings, separate bulbs and plants, and helps prepare for the annual Mother's Day sale.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that Jon teaches driver's education!  I know what you're thinking.  He deserves a lot of praise!  That's why we were so happy to shine a little light on one of our very favorite volunteers.

And now it's November, election month.  Readers have already reported the winners to our listening audience.  We've also recorded two radio theater performances and Chad is busy editing them so we'll be able to air "Our Miss Brooks" over the Thanksgiving break and  Archie's "Christmas Shopping" will be aired over Christmas.  We're betting our listeners will enjoy these performances as much as we did in their making.  There are more shows planned for the first quarter of 2012.

What else is going on at NEIRRS?  Well, volunteers are updating their contact and availability information for us.  If you lost your form, just call and we can email another one.  Be sure to include an emergency contact and phone number.

Volunteers are busy with readings, as always, but they are also busy with audio production and helping in the office.  One group is helping with our end of year donation request by preparing the mailing.  Another group of volunteers is working with staff to check in a new shipment of radios.  We were able to add over 1000 listeners in the past year, but our stock of radios was depleted.  Still others are helping to produce audio segments for special projects.

With all this activity, it should be obvious that this Thanksgiving, we are especially thankful for our volunteers, listeners, and donors.  We hope each and every one of you has a great holiday season!

October Begins

We are beginning October with the typical mix of Autumn weather, cold and rainy one day, then hot and sunny the next.  A forgotten color has returned...green!  We are so happy to see green grass again, and trees that don't look sad.  Of course this means we will be mowing, then raking, then blowing and maybe even mowing again!  Fall is beautiful and unpredictable, just like life.

Actors for the first installment of our NEIRRS Radio Playhouse will be recording in mid October.  The finished program will be aired for the pleasure of our listeners over the Thanksgiving break.  Copies will be available on CD for a suggested donation of $1.00 each - just to cover the cost of materials.

If you haven't stopped by to talk with Amy Hoffman - please do!  Amy is our new Office Assistant.  She is bright, charming, and talented!  We're very happy to have her on our team.

Tell us what you're reading.  What's your latest hobby?  We'd love to know.  Amy has updated our bulletin board with new information and photos.  She'll be regularly updating - so feel free to share your books and hobbies and we'll add them to the bulletin board.  Have you just come back from Brown County, Michigan, or Amsterdam?  Do you have a new grandchild?  Share a picture!  We love to connect and learn what's going on.  We can copy the photo and return the original.  

In Memory of Beverly Richardson

It is with great sadness that we learned our friend and faithful reader, Beverly Richardson, passed away suddenly this past Sunday.  We dedicated today's programming in her memory and will lend a memorial radio in her honor, as well.  

Beverly joined  us in July of 2006 and has spent the last 5 years reading the Journal Gazette on Sundays.  She was responsible for NEIRRS receiving a free subscription to Good Old Days , which we read often for our Armchair Reader program.  Beverly was reliable, friendly, happy and a joy to know.  We will miss her very much - as will our listeners.

Armchair Reader, NEIRRS on TV, SIF and New People at NEIRRS

Summer reading is fantastic!  Unfortunately, we can't sit in the back yard and get some 'rays' at NEIRRS.  However, I've requested 15 books from ACPL and will be choosing readers to bring those stories to life over the coming two months.  Topics include Allen County History, pipe organs, castaways, remarkable animal stories, Parish Nursing, words from our fathers, memorable moments, on being a pharmacist, fathers who cook, spy stories, and even a few children's anecdotes and poems.  It will be wonderful to add new content and treat our growing number of listeners.  

Did you know that we are now heard on TV at Lutheran Hospital, Ortho Hospital, & Rehabilitation Hospital in Fort Wayne?  We are and it's fantastic!  Thank you to Lutheran Health for handling the technical side.  A big thank you to our donors who made the equipment purchase needed, possible!  

We are also heard on TV at Heritage Pointe in Warren, Peabody's Retirement Center in North Webster, and The Towne House and Parkview Hospitals in Fort Wayne.  Other print-impaired people listen using a special radio loaned to them at no charge.  Or they listen to our Web Stream, or tune in to a Podcast.  We are now serving nearly 5,000 people in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio.

As the chairwoman for the annual Senior Information Fair, I'll be busy with promotion of this great educational healthy-aging event - September 22 from 9:00 to 3:00 at the main library.  This year's added feature is on Veterans' benefits.  Bookmark the SIF web page to learn more:  www.seniorfair.info 

Welcome: If you haven't met the newest member of our NEIRRS Team, you are missing out.  Say hello to John Dorrill at NEIRRS on Saturdays and Sundays and sometimes during the week, too.  He's a man of many talents and a great sense of humor.  We're very glad he's working with us.

We are always auditioning great readers at NEIRRS.  If you have an excellent vocabulary, are 21 years of age or over, and are interested in reading newspapers and magazines to people who are blind or print-impaired, please call Lisa Bordner, NEIRRS Manager at  421-1375.  

Here are just a few of the newest folks reading at NEIRRS:

Judy O'Dwyer

Judy Bennett

Rick Dumford

Allyson Ellis

Debbie Hallett

Rita Voors

Steve Morrell

Doug McGehe

Joan Richardson

Celebrating Volunteer Aldon Bultemeier

Busy is Great!

Feeling left out or blue?  Well you'll have to put on running shoes to keep up with us.  Here are a few things that have been going on at NEIRRS in April:

Lisa went to Boston to attend the National Conference on Media Reform.  It was awesome and inspiring.  She attended on behalf of the IAAIS (International Association of Audio Information Services).  Lisa's on their board and the IAAIS is very concerned about the future of accessibility for people who are disabled -- and by association, the future of delivery for our various reading services.  


Along that subject, how does NEIRRS stack up?  Well, NEIRRS is webstreaming, available by Podcast, available as one of the audio choices in the iBlink application, and networking like crazy with other programs.  Lisa is also working on expanding availability locally to hospitals and assisted living centers who have closed circuit TV systems.  


The whole staff is involved in welcoming Meredith - who joined NEIRRS in April as a weekend Control Room Operator.  She'll be running the board every other Saturday and Sunday.  Stop in to say hello if you're reading.


We've created two new email databases to help us communicate more frequently.  We now have a "weekend reader" database, and a "week day reader" database.  Watch your email for NEIRRS News!


Everyone is preparing for Volunteer Recognition, too!  This year's Volunteer Recognition Luncheon is June 2nd at the Towne House.  Volunteers join us from noon to 1:30 for a great meal and some major appreciation for the 6500 hours they volunteered last year to provide our 24/7 service.


You will also see Lisa and Advisory Council Members or Reading Volunteers exhibiting at many of the area's Focus on Health locations.  Grab your best friend and get a check of your health at one of the FOH screening locations.   


In May you'll see Lisa and volunteers exhibiting at Senior Circle Expo at Safety Village on May 6th and at the DisABILITY Expo at the Coliseum on May 7th.


The 3rd week in May Lisa will be going to the IAAIS Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO.  Another networking, learning, and leading opportunity.  Lisa's been asked to moderate the Wizard Panel - discussing new technology opportunities for Member Stations.  


And don't forget the Central Lions Bill Smith Golf Outing on May 26th.  The Central Lions have been organizing this fund raiser for many years, and NEIRRS is one of 4 blind service recipient agencies that benefits.  Grab your clubs and fill out an application to participate!


It's already a GREAT SPRING!

Winners of 70 Degrees Contest

We can't believe we missed the official day -- but it was 70 degrees on March 17th according to our trusted source "Weather Underground".  We printed their calendar where they track temperature and sure enough...3/17/11 hit 70 degrees on the dot.


So our lucky winners this year are:
1st place - Marcia Crawford
2nd place - Doris Grandos
3rd place - Joan Goldner
4th place - Barbara Bickel
5th place - Rich Kraus


It appears that the women were more accurate than the men this year!  Stop by the office to take your pick of our prizes (winner's choice is awarded in order above).  

It's A Date!

NEIRRS Volunteers - be sure to mark your calendars and plan to join us for our annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon!  A few details:

NEIRRS Volunteer Recognition Luncheon

June 2, 2011

Noon to 1:30

Towne House Retirement Community 

2209 St. Joe Center Road

Guest Speaker will be Linda Scribner, Senior Blind Services Manager from The League for the Blind and Disabled.  Menu will be scrumptious, as always.  Active NEIRRS volunteers are invited to RSVP and may bring one guest.  

More about our 70 Degrees Contest

Each winter (usually in early February), we chase away the doldrums with a contest called, "70 Degrees of Separation."  NEIRRS Volunteers enter a chance to win one of several books we've chosen in advance by guessing which date Fort Wayne will officially hit its first 70 degree day of the season.  We've not hit 70 degrees yet - so if you haven't entered, call in your guess or send an e-mail!  This year's winners will receive one of the following:

• Dangerous Fortune - by Ken Follett
• The Help - by Kathryn Stockett
• David Sedaris: Live for Your Listening Pleasure - Audio CD 
• Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory - by Peter Hessler
• Live to tell - by Lisa Gardner 

NEIRRS begins blog transformation

During 2011, we'll be changing over our Blog page from www.readindiana.blogspot.com to http://neirrs.blogspot.com/
Oddly enough, "NEIRRS" wasn't available when we started our Blog two years ago...but now it is.  So, it should be much easier for you to remember and easier for you to follow what's going on at NEIRRS.

We'll be posting to both Blog locations for 2011 and then moving over to just the NEIRRS.blogspot.com address in 2012.  Stay with us and be sure to share your comments.  You have to register for a G-mail account (that means you have to sign up for a free gmail email address to comment) - but it's easy and free. Tell us what you're reading, why you enjoy volunteering at NEIRRS, and if you know anyone whose life has been improved by using the NEIRRS service.