Philanthropy Friday Behind the Scenes with VOICEcorps

Today's Behind the Scenes Philanthropy Friday highlights the VOICEcorps. To read more about this non-profit organization visit the Philanthropy Friday Feature article on Columbus Underground.

For a behind the scenes piece I asked VOICEcorps to share a special memory with me. They told me the story of Gail Baldwin.

Gail Baldwin, of Columbus, has been a VOICEcorps listener since 1981, when she began to lose her sight due to Type I diabetes. In two years, she became totally blind. “In listening to VOICEcorps, I got information on a lot things besides the news,” she said. She was drawn to information about organizations that helped people who are blind to carry on their daily activities. “Meeting other people was a big thing for me, because you feel so alone when you first lose your vision. I think meeting others was also good for my mental health.”

She eventually got involved in the blind bowling league, tandem bike riding, beeper baseball, and the American Council of the Blind. I also sat on the board of VOICEcorps.”

In 2009, Baldwin received her 25-year pin for volunteer service to VOICEcorps, a portion of which was spent as a board member. For close to 10 years, she has co-hosted a program called “The Support Group of the Air” with her friend, Jan, who is also blind.

As a listener, Baldwin enjoys a variety of programs, from The Columbus Dispatch Food Page for new recipes, to politicians speaking about their platforms. Hearing the grocery ads on VOICEcorps also helps her make a smooth trip to the grocery store, and allows her to learn about new products and compare prices.

“The variety of programming at VOICEcorps is phenomenal. It is absolutely amazing…the different things the readers read. It’s awful hard to get someone to read in person everything they read on the reading service. VOICEcorps has been a big part of my life, and I have enjoyed it,” Baldwin said.