Voice of the Blue Ridge. Volunteering.

All that is required is the desire and ability to help those who, for whatever reason, have lost access to the printed word. Access to a touchtone phone and a newspaper is also needed. This is also a great outreach project for church groups or college students needing community service work to meet requirements.

Reading aloud is very different than just reading to yourself. Please test yourself with the words listed below taken from recent newspaper articles. If you can pronounce close to 18 out of 20 without hesitation, please apply. We look forward to hearing from you!

What does the agency do?

The primary activity that we do, that requires significant volunteer support, is our Dial In News Service. Volunteers call into the system from the comfort of their own home, office, or school using their touch tone phone, and read in their assigned part of the newspaper or other item they are recording.

Is it hard to do?

Not at all! We provide excellent instructions and it is a simple system of voice prompts that guide you through the system. It is really just reading out loud into phone.

What if I "mess up" or can't pronounce a word?

Not to worry. Barking dogs, doorbells, kids screaming, loud trucks, etc., are not a problem. Because you are reading into the phone most of those things will not even be heard on the recording anyway. It is very simple to back up and try again as many times as you need. It is so simple to do and so user friendly. Also, it is a very relaxed system. While the articles must be read as clearly and accurately as possible, perfection is not expected or required. Except for the Sunday paper and items that are not daily in nature, the system resets itself nightly and everything starts again new each day. That means your "mistakes" are short lived anyway.

I don't get the Newspaper do you provide papers for the volunteer readers?

Not at this time. We have looked into trying to get the newspapers to support our efforts by helping to provide papers, but they won't at this time. We will keep trying. Until then it is necessary for the volunteer to have their own access to the item they are reading.

Do I read the entire Newspaper?

No. Each volunteer is assigned a section or part of the paper to read. Volunteers should read most all of the articles in their assigned section or category. More is definitely better. It is good to have your reading done as early in the day as possible so the information is ready for the listeners when they call in.

Do I read everyday?

You can, but it is up to you, and certainly not required. Most people read once or twice a week.

What if I have something come up and I can't read?

You simply call the office and let us know and we take care of finding a replacement for you. Some volunteers do have backups that they schedule themselves and we love that help, but it is not at all required.

Do I have to be a certain age to volunteer?

Absolutely not! All are welcome so long as reading skills are up to the task. If the list above posed no problem then it should work out fine.