MindsEye Receives “Commitment to Community Award”
MindsEye, a nonprofit radio reading service for the blind, and the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce are proud to announce MindsEye: The Virtual Newsstand as the recipient of the Chamber’s Commitment to Community Award. Marjorie Williams, Executive Director of MindsEye, accepted the award at a December, 4 ceremony at Fischer’s in Belleville.
The Greater Belleville Chamber promotes the interests of businesses that benefit the community, believing that, through community and business partnerships, the quality of life for Belleville area residents will be enhanced. The award acknowledges the significant contribution of an organization to the Belleville community.
For over 40 years, MindsEye has worked to achieve exactly what the Chamber aims. Through participation in the United Way and through its location on the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, MindsEye fosters connection to the community for the blind, visually impaired, and print impaired. The station broadcasts a variety of materials – books, magazines, and newspapers – all free of charge.
MindsEye also works as a catalyst for the community partnerships the Chamber develops. Broadcasts are supported through the generosity of Belleville area volunteers and businesses. MindsEye’s events, such as the Mardi Gras-themed Soiree pour la Vue: An Evening for Sight, showcase the interdependence of the community.
Varied businesses and individuals unite to help the blind and visually impaired every day at MindsEye. As Marjorie explains, these partnerships put “the mission in front of people who might miss us otherwise.” Marjorie believes nonprofit partnership with other entities, like businesses, dramatically “increases the value” both bring to the community. Because of this, MindsEye is honored to accept the Commitment to Community Award.
MindsEye Launches New Program
In other news, December 5, saw the debut of “Health Beyond Barriers.” This new show features monthly health lectures broadcast in five different languages consecutively. To provide this show, MindsEye is partnering with LAMP(Language Access Multicultural People).
The show airs to the MindsEye website, mindseyeradio.org, and the LAMP website, lampinterpreters.org, on the 1st Friday of the month. Each show features a special topic discussed by a healthcare professional and broadcast in English, Spanish, Bosnian, Arabic, and Vietnamese. Each broadcast will be read by a native speaker of that language.
“Health Beyond Barriers” is one component of MindsEye’s efforts to bring information and entertainment to the blind, visually impaired, and print impaired. A proud United Way member agency, MindsEye broadcasts a variety of material: books, magazines, and newspapers all free of charge through special radios and podcasts.
The station is proud to be working alongside LAMP, Language Access Metro Project, an agency whose mission includes helping immigrants and refugees seeking health care and support services. For over 14 years, LAMP has provided trained interpreters to assist during consultations and to translate documents.
The show supports the missions of both agencies to foster community connectedness for all St. Louis area residents. “Health Beyond Barriers” is important to St. Louis because, as many of its residents know first-hand, “Your health and our insight knows no borders.”
A proud United Way member agency, MindsEye broadcasts a variety of material: books, magazines, and newspapers all free of charge through special radios and podcasts.
Located on the grounds of the National Shrine of Our Ladt of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois, MindsEye was founded as a TalkingLocated on the grounds of the Missionary Oblate’s, National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, MindsEye was founded as a “Talking Book” service in 1973 by Fr.Boni Wittenbrink, OMI through a partnership of the Missionary Oblates, Lions Clubs, other community organizations and many dedicated individuals. From there it evolved into Radio Information Service which provided readings of newspapers and magazines to thousands of people who were blind. It was the third reading service of its kind in the world. Now called MindsEye, its broadcasts reach a 75-mile radius around the city of St. Louis and around the globe on the world wide web at www.mindseyeradio.org.