Good Day Atlanta viewer information: April 15, 2021

Radio reading service provides connection during pandemic: 

Like so many people, Penelope Malone starts her morning by reading the newspaper.

The only difference?  She reads it aloud ... in her basement closet.

Malone is a volunteer for the Georgia Radio Reading Service (GaRRS), an Atlanta-based organization that produces non-stop free programming for Georgians who are visually impaired or otherwise have trouble with the printed word.  Listeners can access GaRRS content in a variety of ways, including listening online, over the phone, or via a free radio receiver.  

"We broadcast national news, local news, state news," says executive director Rebecca Arayan. "We have a variety of books and magazines. And also, we connect people to service providers."

A network of 200 volunteers from across the state records that programming; some work once a month, others as much as a few times a week. Before the pandemic, most of those volunteers recorded their material at the agency’s headquarters in Midtown Atlanta. But last year, the pandemic forced readers to create their own makeshift recording studios at home.

"Many of our volunteers were hesitant, at first, to move over," Arayan says.  "But ... some of them have been with us for 20 years.  And they are so dedicated that they went ahead and bit the bullet and learned this new system." 

"I was one of those people that went to the GaRRS office and then transitioned to doing it totally at home," Malone says. "And I must say, it's so much easier to do it at home because I just trudge down to my little basement closet in the early morning hours and do the recording." 

And for listeners like Jasmine Seabron, who is also a producer at GaRRS, those volunteers do more than just deliver information; they also offer some connection during a time when it’s so easy to feel disconnected.

"People want to get out and they want to be able to socialize," Seabron says.  "Even though you can't do that right now …you can still listen to the GaRRS. You feel better, hearing somebody reading to you."

Which means even alone their makeshift recording booths, volunteers like Penelope Malone are making a difference.

For more information on the Georgia Radio Reading Service — including details on how to listen — click here.

Dr. Ian Smith joins us to talk about his new book "Fast Burn! The Power of Negative Energy Balance.": For more information on Dr. Ian Smith click here.

Gabrielle Byndloss joins Good Day to talk about her role on "The Falcon & The Winter Soldier": For more information on Gabrielle Byndloss follow her on Instagram @gabriellebyndloss.

Author and Psychotherapist Angela Buttimer on the "Psychology of Optimisim":  

The weather is warmer, the COBID-19 vaccine is providing hope to many, and there seems to be a collective lift in people's mood as we move out of those dark and someetimes dreary winter months. But despite the lift in spirits, there are still people facing challenges because of unemployment, financial distress, grief, and many other life issues.

Author and Psychotherapist Angela Buttimer joins "Good Day Atlanta's" Katie Beasley with more on the "Psychology of Optimisim." For more information on Buttimer or Atlanta Center for Mindfulness & Well-Being, click here.

Healthy eats in Atlanta with "Eating With Erica" blogger Erica Key:

If you are looking for healthy dining options to lose some quarantine pounds or just enjoy some lighter dining options, Erica Key, writer of the popular food blog "Eating With Erica," has you covered. Sometimes you just want to eat clean and salads can tend to get a little boring, this week she has different health options around Atlanta for you to choose from. 

  • Carson Kitchen Dish: Vegan Tacos with jackfruit carnitas, cilantro lime cream Located at 4 South Main St, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 For more information click here.
  • Located at 4 South Main St, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 For more information click here.
  • The Hungry Peach Dish: Avocado Toast Located at 351 Peachtree Hills Ave NE, Suite 232 Atlanta, Georgia 30305 For more information click here. 
  • Located at 351 Peachtree Hills Ave NE, Suite 232 Atlanta, Georgia 30305 For more information click here. 
  • Local Green Dish: 3 Stack" Cauliflower Taco 19 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd NW Atlanta, Georgia 30314 For more information click here.
  • 19 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd NW Atlanta, Georgia 30314 For more information click here.
  • Grub Bowls Dish: The sweet and spicy salmon bowl and avocado chicken wrap with jasmine rice.  Locate at 876 Virginia AveSuite BHapeville, Georgia 30354 For more information click here.
  • Locate at 876 Virginia AveSuite BHapeville, Georgia 30354 For more information click here.