An inspirational spot from the June 2013 edition of our newsletter, The Nome Static:
You are a child of God. Call home!
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A surprise message
On a recent grocery run, our volunteers returned to the KNOM vehicle to find a message written in the dust of the back windshield: “We ♥ KNOM!”
Because of the lack of trees and grass in Nome – and the great prevalence of dirt roads and strong winds – Nome cars typically wear a permanent coating of dust. Mischievous residents often write playful messages on the dust-encrusted cars.
This is but a small sign of the incredible acts of kindness we receive every day – from our listening community and from kind supporters like you.
Called to serve
With your support, the KNOM Radio Mission has been a presence in Western Alaska’s communities for more than four decades – and not always just through the airwaves. We’re so thrilled when our outstanding, full-time volunteers serve our region even beyond KNOM’s studio walls; news reporter Margaret DeMaioribus is one such volunteer.
Margaret, who hails from eastern Pennsylvania, has been a frequent presence in many service contexts within the Nome community: in particular, within St. Joseph Catholic Church. At St. Joseph’s, Margaret is a cantor at weekly Sunday Mass and also teaches religious education classes. In Nome, filling both of these positions can be difficult; willing and able musicians and volunteer teachers are both in short supply.
In addition to her work at St. Joseph’s (from which KNOM broadcasts weekly Sunday Mass to its rural Alaska listeners), Margaret also regularly volunteers at Nome’s local homeless shelter, serving dinners to the needy.
Thank you for making possible the service of all of our wonderful volunteers. Through your generosity, KNOM volunteers continue to endeavor to improve life in rural Alaska – even when the microphone is off.
The least important person
An inspirational spot from the May 2013 issue of our newsletter, The Nome Static:
Your love for God is no greater than your love for the least important person you know.
A special trip, in search of song
Volunteer Josh Cunningham recently took a very special trip as a correspondent for KNOM.
Josh went to the southwestern Alaska city of Bethel for the Cama-i (chuh-MY) Dance Festival, one of the largest and most significant annual cultural celebrations in the state. KNOM regularly sends its full-time volunteers to cover important regional and local events – these “village trips” are a staple of our program – although as Josh describes, his latest travel was unique:
Firstly, to call the experience a “village trip” isn’t entirely correct. After all, the population of Bethel, Alaska is more than double that of Nome. You’ll find within its borders a nationally known chain restaurant, paved roads, and even a stoplight intersection. Like a “normal” KNOM village trip, however, I was there for a very important mission: to collect Native drum and dance music from the annual Cama-i Festival.
Native Alaskan music is a very important part of KNOM’s daily programming. On my afternoon show alone, you can hear several Native songs from communities in our region, like Hooper Bay, St. Lawrence Island, and Unalakleet. I feel it is so important to feature Native songs in this way; at the end of the day, I hope a very special message comes across with these songs. I want people to know how important this music is, how much life and knowledge they hold.
Through your support, special trips like Josh’s continue to touch the lives both of our listeners and of our staff. Thank you for making them possible! (Photo: dancers at the 2013 Cama-i Festival.)
God looks at the efforts
An inspirational spot from the May 2013 issue of our newsletter, The Nome Static:
Humans judge by the success of our efforts. God looks at the efforts.
A look back: a village trip in ’08
Travel by KNOM volunteers to the communities we serve has long been an essential part of our mission; thanks to the sponsorship of a regional air carrier, our flights to these communities are usually free.
The photos above offer a glimpse into a special trip five years ago, when volunteer Danielle Sylvester ventured to Wales, Alaska to report on a music festival. Her travels allowed her to meet respected elder Patrick Omiak, Sr. and to witness the sea arrival of the festival’s performers, who braved choppy waters in small boats to attend the celebration.
Tennis
An inspirational spot from the May 2013 issue of our newsletter, The Nome Static:
Life is like a game of tennis: the player who serves well seldom loses.
Construction update
Work on our studio expansion project – the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios – has reached an important milestone! Thanks to your continued support, our dedicated construction crew has been able to complete the outside “box” of our annex: its floor, walls, and a sturdy, insulated roof, all of which can be seen, inside and out, in the photos above.
Our studio renovation, as you may know, will convert KNOM’s broadcasting tools from its aging, analog equipment to all-digital hardware, which will be far less expensive and complicated to operate, repair, and maintain. The new construction will be essential to our mission’s continued operations for many years to come.
Now that the outside of our new studio space is close to completion, the more complex work of installing our digital hardware – and raising the funds for this crucially-needed gear – lies ahead. As we go to press, our digital studio funds stand at $487,946.19; it’s enough to pay for the empty building with about $14,000 left over to go toward equipment, which we estimate will cost $358,430. To learn more or to help, visit our Digital Studios page or call 907-443-5221.
Loving someone…
An inspirational spot from the May 2013 issue of our newsletter, The Nome Static:
Loving someone is seeing them the way God intended.
