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Stay in the know with your fellow volunteers, read the latest volunteer spotlight, and learn about current events happening in the Volunteer Nation.


Always Be Ready for Anything

Always be Ready for Anything

Steve (left) and Myra (Right) pose in front of a canal in Amsterdam.It was going to be an epic adventure.  We were taking a small ship cruise from New Caledonia across northern Australia up to Indonesia and finally to Singapore.  Another week in Singapore would top it all off before we came home.  In the middle of the trip was my husband, Steve’s birthday.

 

That was the plan.

 

We sailed from New Caledonia to Cairns Australia with no issue.  Two days after leaving Cairns we were told that we were headed back, the cruise was over and we needed to find our way home as we would not be allowed to stay in Australia.  That was March 13.

 

We flew from Australia to Singapore, over-nighted in the airport and then attempted to catch our flight's home. Singapore to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Guayaquil Ecuador.  As we checked in for our flights we were told that Ecuador had closed its borders.  We asked if we could  make it as far as Amsterdam and then figure it out from there, especially since Singapore had made it clear we could not stay there.  We arrived in Amsterdam and were welcomed.  While we do live in Ecuador, we are US citizens and considered trying to get back there but that would put us at risk on yet another plane ride and when we got there we would just be in the same situation we are in here.  

 

Amsterdam had already closed all non essential businesses until June 1, that is all museums and shopping and churches, pretty much everything except grocery stores and restaurants that are allowed to do delivery or take out.  Hotel restaurants are also closed but are allowed to deliver room service to guests.  It became apparent quickly that we would need a place with a kitchen.  We found a vacation rental and made a reservation until April 6, when Ecuador was supposed to reopen its borders.  The criteria was kitchen and washer/dryer.  We were near the end of our stay in this rental and it did not look like we were going home anytime soon, so we found another more comfortable place. We moved there on April 6. There is a beautiful park nearby that I anticipate many walks in.  We initially packed for a tropical vacation, not March in the Netherlands, so we picked up some warm souvenirs rather quickly.

 

Our days are a mixture of watching the news, I have always been a news watcher and this crisis is not something I can turn away from, and focused distraction.  We started walking around to Amsterdam's attractions and taking photos outside them.  It is a beautiful city and the citizens are taking social distancing very seriously, we do as well, and are doing all we can to keep ourselves and others around us safe.  Facetime has been a great way to stay in touch with our loved ones during this time, technology is fantastic.

 

As I said, groceries are open, but they only allow a certain amount of people at a time inside.  The stores have the allowed number of baskets at the front door, when you go inside you pick up a basket, if there are no baskets, you wait until there is one.  Once someone pays for their purchases, the basket is cleaned and placed back at the door.  If you need to wait outside you stand in a 1.5 meter apart queue.

 

A trio of photos from Amsterdam: A canal, lots of parked bicycles and a row of buildings.One of the best things for me personally throughout this situation has been projects I am  working on with Learning Ally.  I can DO something and feel good about doing it.  I feel that it is something that helps me maintain my sanity, so thank you all for that!  I attended the recent webinar (It was 10:00 pm here) and that was wonderful for me to feel connected.  Bonus, I now know how to green screen my Zoom background, thanks Russell.

 

I am currently acting as listener for a few literature books.  

 

“The Poet X” which is being narrated by Krysta Gonzalez is a true joy!  Krysta is absolutely lighting up this performance and I want every young woman in the world to hear it, especially latinas!

“Lu” is being narrated by Gregory Jacques and is the third in the track series that I have worked on.  Just started, but I have high hopes!

“The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl” narrated by Rebecca Carter is an awesome and fun YA syfy type book that is going to give a lot of readers fantastic distraction.

“The Big Game” narrated by Jacob Lindsey is a coming of age, while playing football and trying to step out of your fathers shadow story.  Jacob is hitting all parts gloriously.

“Cilla Lee-Jenkins Future Author Extraordinaire” narrated by Victoria Rivera is such a fun book, it has made me laugh out loud a couple of times and I have made Steve listen to passages just because it is so cute.  A lot of that is thanks to Victoria really making this character pop!

“Five Feet Apart” narrated by Holly Russo and William Wright is a love story between two teens with cystic fibrosis.  I don’t think I will make it through this one dry eyed, especially because Holly and William are really bringing it with their performances.  

 

I don’t know how much longer we will be here, but I do know that I am so fortunate to have my Learning Ally projects to keep my mind active and give me a sense of contribution.  

Did I mention we wanted an epic adventure?  

 

Myra Parker


Celebrating Volunteer Jerry Byrd's 300th Book

Jerry Byrd in his home recording studio, facing the camera.

Today at Learning Ally we are celebrating Jerry Byrd on reading his 300th book!

 

Jerry started volunteering with Learning Ally 18 years ago back in 2002, but has been reading audiobooks for the blind since the mid 1960s. Jerry got his start in recording audiobooks when he joined the St. Louis public library’s recording studio. For his first project, Jerry was given a book, a stack of cassettes, and off he went! He continued his narration when working as a professor at California State University in Long Beach, the Monterey Society for the Blind, and later Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, now known as Learning Ally. 

 

One of Jerry’s favorite memories from working in the Learning Ally studio was meeting the students who stopped in to share their stories. He recalls one student saying: “I was nine in the third grade. I couldn’t read. The teacher thought I had problems; the kids thought I was dumb; I thought I was dumb. Now I am a doctoral student in anthropology.” Jerry said that inspiring stories like these were accomplishments he wanted to share in. 

 

When Learning Ally made its shift to recording online, Jerry went with them. When asked what motivates him to continue to volunteer with Learning Ally, Jerry recalled a lesson he learned from his mother. “My mother always inculcated in me the idea that you don’t do everything for yourself. People do things for you; your dentist, your car mechanic. So you do something for somebody else. I feel privileged that I have the education and the voice to be able to do this for somebody else.” Since narrating audiobooks, Jerry says he has become more aware of the blind and dyslexic community and the people who depend on audiobooks for their education, livelihood and quality of life. 

 

Jerry offered a piece of advice and encouragement for Learning Ally volunteers. He said: “Stop and think about this whole idea that we exchange gifts in life. I can’t fix my car, I can’t fix my teeth, but I can read for people who cannot read and they will do something for me in the long run. They will be that doctor of anthropology or historian for me. We are all in this together. We are dependent on each other. We don’t go this alone. It’s a gift that we shouldn’t turn away. We should use the gifts we have.” 

 

Thank you Jerry for 300 books, 6,000+ hours, and 100,000+ pages. You are inspiring!