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New BUZZ: YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge 900 508 Michael Hemphill

New BUZZ: YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge

As originally broadcast June 28, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

The Y is known as a great place for a workout. From its wellness centers, pools and fitness classes, the nonprofit offers all ages and abilities the means to exercise the body.

But the body is just one side of a triangle that also features “mind” and “spirit.” At the YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, that means a focus on monthly luncheons for older adults, multicultural gardening experiences, free water safety classes for schoolchildren, and fun after school activities for kids seeking a safe space from gang and gun violence.

Helping fund these programs is the annual Keith Willis Society Reception, which gets a boost from BUZZ’ own video marketing.

This 33rd episode of BUZZ is sponsored by Freedom First Credit Union, where people bank for good.

“It’s Here!” BUZZ highlights Arts & Economic Development 889 500 Michael Hemphill

“It’s Here!” BUZZ highlights Arts & Economic Development

As originally broadcast June 21, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

Economic development folks often talk up a community’s quality of life when pitching new businesses. Somewhere in that mushy mix they may mention the local arts and culture – the symphony, art museum, playhouse and so on.

But on the stage of economic development, what role does Art really play?

In part 5 of our 6-episode partnership with the Roanoke Cultural Endowment and City of Roanoke, BUZZ shines the spotlight on this often minor character’s importance in recruiting, building and investing in economic projects.

Through the marketing team at LeadPoint Digital — and the song-writing talents of Bryan “Harvest Blaque” Hancock and J.P. Powell — BUZZ provides business leaders some much needed marketing resources to help pack the economic development house.

We thank Friendship for its sponsorship support of this episode!

New podcast: Memorial Day Special features nonprofits caring for veterans 900 900 Michael Hemphill

New podcast: Memorial Day Special features nonprofits caring for veterans

Here on Memorial Day weekend Buzz4Good creator Michael Hemphill features four nonprofits that serve veterans: 

  • Healing Strides of Virginia
  • The Least of These homeless ministry
  • Total Action for Progress
  • Stop Soldier Suicide. 
Listen Now

Michael praises the missions of these organizations, which work  each day to help veterans with housing, food, transportation and healing and, in the extreme, from harming themselves. 

Michael also explores why these nonprofits are needed in a country that claims to value the service of those sent overseas to fight our wars. 

Are you a nonprofit with an event that we could help promote? Or a marketing problem we could help fix? Contact us and we’ll share on an upcoming episode.

New BUZZ stars — and helps rebrand — Literacy Volunteers 1024 576 Michael Hemphill

New BUZZ stars — and helps rebrand — Literacy Volunteers

Watch our 31st episode of BUZZ featuring Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley that originally aired May 3, 2023, on Blue Ridge PBS …

For most people, the ability to read and write comes so naturally that we forget they are skills we had to learn as a child. But for immigrants who don’t know English, and native-born individuals who perhaps struggled in school, those letters on a page are literally a foreign language. From navigating our healthcare system and the DMV to simply wanting to read to a grandchild, a lack of literacy can be crippling.

Literacy Volunteers of the New River Valley provides tutoring and classes to teach adults how to read, write, do basic math, and use computers — which in turn provides people the power to lift themselves out of poverty, lower health care costs, find and keep sustainable employment, and ultimately change lives.

But the nonprofit’s brand is clunky — LVNRV — and suggests it serves volunteers rather than people who need help reading. Coming to the rescue once again on BUZZ are our rebranding magicians from Wordsprint.

We thank 100+ Women Who Care NRV for sponsoring the production of our episode!

Coming up on BUZZ: May-August 2023 schedule 900 675 Michael Hemphill

Coming up on BUZZ: May-August 2023 schedule

Tune in to Blue Ridge PBS on Wednesday 7:00 p.m. to watch BUZZ! New episodes air each month! Here’s the schedule of upcoming shows now through August.