Volunteers are the heart and soul of Virginia Voice, a nonprofit that provides radio reading services for the blind or visually impaired. Volunteering is more than reading the newspaper into a microphone. Volunteers build connections, provide a sense of comfort for listeners and make print materials and news accessible to those who cannot see. The Phil sat down with two Virginia Voice readers to learn more about their work and their experience volunteering for the nonprofit.
Susie Burtch
Susie Burtch has been a Virginia Voice reader for the past 19 years. She is a freelance copywriter and her work writing radio spots and producing them has shown her the magic of what a voice can do.
“It’s theater of the mind and it makes all the difference between a recording and a person,” said Burtch.
Her favorite memory from her time with Virginia Voice was when she was given the opportunity to go to the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York City with a Virginia Voice press pass. She interviewed dog owners alongside reporters from large publications like the New York Times and the London Times.
“[The dog owners] were much more inclined to talk to a small reporter,” she said. “They sluffed off the famous reporters and talked to me!”
Burtch made her own show for the broadcast based on her interviews from the dog show. She values her time volunteering at Virginia Voice and says that it has made her more aware that people are different and that there are people with disabilities you cannot see.
Kimberly Gadette
Kimberly Gadette has been volunteering with Virginia Voice for almost three years. She was inspired to start working with Virginia Voice at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic while looking for a volunteer position that was not too public-facing. She used to be a singer and has always been proud of her voice, so being a reader was the perfect position for her. Kimberly has loved her time with Virginia Voice, and she describes the nonprofit and the work as welcoming and easy.
“It’s fun and it’s enjoyable and yet you feel that you’re really doing something,” said Gadette.
To learn more about volunteer positions and apply today, click here.
