At Michigan Retirement Community, Volunteer Records Memories to Last

As Gwen Joseph revisited hours and hours of family memories – Christmas Eves spent with her extended family celebrating their Swedish traditions with performances, a family choir and food – the familiar sounds of joy brought her back to those moments, captured by her grandfather, who would hit record on the tape player at the start of the night and let the tape roll.

She discovered this trove of recorded family tapes while clearing out her parent’s home, after losing them both in 2012. “It meant so much to not just remember the stories of my childhood, but to hear their voices. I thought, ‘this is something everybody should have the chance to have.’”

Just as these tapes were valued by her family, Gwen realized that recorded memories could be meaningful for others as well. In a time when photo albums gather dust and many memories simply live on our smartphones and hard drives, she became a digital archivist, creating the ultimate gift for those who don’t have much time left.

Working with the Liz Vachon, the volunteer coordinator at Canterbury-on-the-Lake retirement community in Waterford, Michigan, Gwen began to put her idea into play by recruiting residents, all “fabulous and fascinating” she said, who were interested in sharing their life stories.

Read the full story on the Points of Light blog.