Meet Sarah Andrew, volunteer reader for the Southern Illinois Radio Information Service (SIRIS). Andrew and her husband moved to Southern Illinois in 1975 after accepting jobs at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. An avid listener of public broadcasting, Andrew was pleased to discover Southern's own WSIU Public Broadcasting stations and learned about volunteer opportunities at SIRIS while listening to WSIU Radio. After retiring from the University in 2006, she decided to join SIRIS as a reading volunteer in early 2007.
Andrew has a personal connection to SIRIS listeners. "In my family, my mother and grandmother both had glaucoma, so I'm aware of the needs of people with visual impairment," she says. "For people who really enjoy reading, it's difficult to lose that ability. SIRIS is a vital service that can bridge the gap for people who have visual impairment or other physical disabilities."
Andrew says that people who are lucky enough to reach retirement should give back to their communities by volunteering. "Retired people have more free time to share their expertise as volunteers, and they don't have to be paid," she says. "Volunteering offers retirees more opportunities to make a difference in people's lives."
For Andrew, an added benefit of being a SIRIS volunteer has been learning more about the community by reading the local newspaper. "I find out all kinds of things about what's going on in the region," she says. "Plus, reading is so important. It opens up the world a little to people who are unable to pick up the newspaper and read it for themselves. SIRIS is more personal than just turning on the television and listening to a voice. Users can get importat information about their communities, which they can't always get from a television channel."
Andrew encourages other retirees to volunteer for SIRIS. "It's a great organization. If you like to read, and want to help others, being a volunteer is a fun and fulfilling thing to do."
