Harold Anderson, Valley Eye Radio programming coordinator, will be hosting the “I Remember When” program at the Westfield Senior Center. (Photo submitted)
WESTFIELD – Valley Eye Radio is scheduled to record their first “I Remember When” program with a live audience at 1:00 p.m on March 21st, at the Westfield Senior Center located at 45 Noble Street in Westfield.
The intent of “I Remember When” is to record recollections by seniors related to a particular topic and turn it into a program that will be later broadcast on Valley Eye Radio.
The topic for the inaugural program is “My First Job”, in which seniors have the opportunity to talk about what their first job was, how they got it and memories from their time there.
“Everybody likes to have their story told and be able to express themselves by saying something important to them,” said Harold Anderson, programming coordinator for Valley Eye Radio. “The whole idea is connection. Connecting them with the community, what’s going on and with other seniors.”
Rita Kurty, from Westfield, will be one of the people sharing her story during the making of the first “I Remember When” program.
Anderson and Valley Eye Radio provide specially tuned radios to their listeners and encourage them to provide feedback on subjects they want to hear more about. According to the programming coordinator, that listener feedback is what created the idea for “I Remember When”.
“When I originally talked to the senior who suggested the idea she said, ‘We like to giggle and tell stories,’” said Anderson. “How can we put that into practice? It’s a way for them to get involved.”
Tina Gorman, Executive Director of the Westfield Council on Aging, said she thinks this type of event can be beneficial for those telling their stories as well as those in the audience.
“One of the most powerful tools to use with older adults is reminiscing therapy,” said Gorman. “I think this really fits right to it. It’s a great way to lead off.”
Each participant will have approximately five to six minutes to reminisce and tell their story.
Anyone interested in attending the event can sign up to share their story or to be part of the audience by calling the Westfield Senior Center at 413-562-6435.
Valley Eye Radio is a non-profit broadcast service of readings from local publications as well as recoded features for the blind or that may be visually or reading impaired. For information on future “I Remember When” programs, visit www.valleyeyeradio.com
