STAUNTON (December 4, 2017) —A popular locally-produced calendar that features a collection of historic photos from around the Shenandoah Valley and amusing “holidays” for each day of the year is currently being distributed in the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Lexington and the counties of Augusta, Rockingham, Rockbridge, Highland and Bath. The unique calendar, produced by Shenandoah Valley Project Impact (SVPI) and the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC), has become a community holiday tradition around the region, and is available at government centers, libraries and other locations, while supplies last.
“We start getting calls asking when the calendars come out as soon as the holidays hit,” said Rebecca Joyce, Community Program Manager with the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, developed the first calendar in 2003 and has been supervising production ever since.
This year’s calendar features the towns of the Shenandoah Valley, and contains a mix of entertaining historic photos and facts. But the underlying purpose of the publication is to provide easily accessible information about disaster preparedness and mitigation pertinent to each season. The distribution of materials to help the general public prepare for emergencies is part of SVPI’s mission to educate the community about opportunities and planning for severe weather events and emergencies of all kinds.
“We want the information at people’s fingertips all year long, so that’s where the idea of a calendar was born,” Joyce added.
The calendar is part of SVPI’s ongoing efforts to create awareness about preparedness. Since its inception in September 2000, SVPI has conducted hundreds of trainings, demonstrations, surveys, forums and planning meetings, as well as developed important plans and printed materials to educate Valley residents on ways to protect their families, homes and properties, and businesses from the impact of severe weather, emergencies, and disasters. SVPI is also a pilot community within the Resilient Neighbors Network, a national program that will forge stronger efforts within local communities to prepare and respond to emergencies.
Locations where the calendar is available (while supplies last) can be found HERE.