The City of Riverside, in cooperation with the Library of Congress, is seeking assistance from local nonprofits and other organizations in gathering the stories of local veterans for an oral history project called “Riverside Listens – Legacy of Service.”
The local event is the first partnership between the city and the Veterans History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center, which collects and preserves the firsthand narratives of U.S. military veterans from World War I through the more recent missions.
Participating organizations will be asked to assist in holding nine planned training workshops. Details about the workshops are still being determined, but they are expected to begin in January.
The two-to-three-hour training workshop is meant to build oral history interviewing knowledge and skills by providing participants with skills to properly engage and interview veterans, making them feel most comfortable to share their story.
Organizations interested in getting involved with the project can call 951-826-2391 or send an email to specialevents@riversideca.gov. Training will be provided.
The Veterans History Project’s mission is to collect, preserve and make accessible the personal accounts of American veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of their service and sacrifice. To learn more, visit www.loc.gov/vets.
