From The Director’s Desk: A Whirlwind of a Year for Toledo Streets Newspaper Arika Michaelis, Executive Director What a whirlwind of a year! This past year has been anything but ordinary. For Toledo Streets Newspaper, that is especially true. For three months this year our doors were essentially closed to the people we serve. For three months we didn’t produce a new publication of Toledo Streets Newspaper. We’ve seen a signifi cant decrease in paper sales, vendor meeting attendance and new vendors oriented. And still our vendors and our organization fl ourished. In 2020, Toledo showed us that they cared. When we were forced to shut down paper production and sales, our community came together to raise funds to sustain our vendors through the upcoming uncertainty. Through the summer and fall, vendors were selling less papers but were reporting making nearly the same income they had before the pandemic. Toledo showed up with love and understanding for our community and they continue to do so. Even during our three months of halted paper production, we looked for every opportunity to help our community. We partnered with local organizations to deliver groceries and provide lunches, we walked vendors through fi ling for the fi rst stimulus package, we’ve continued to assist vendors getting new IDs and birth certifi cates. But most impressively, in 2020 we helped eight vendors into new homes and watched four vendors move up into steady employment opportunities. As for the organization, Toledo Streets has seen a lot of change in 2020. I was hired on in February, we welcomed new and returning Page 13 interns from the University of Toledo, new board members came on as others rolled off. And those are just personnel changes! This year Toledo Streets focused on a few important goals for the organization to level up. Those included hiring an executive director, being able to plan publications further out and moving into the new Toledo Streets Newspaper World Headquarters (as coined by former Board Chair, Tom Kroma). We didn’t quite reach some of our goals but we did accomplish a lot of them. I have been Executive Director for almost a year, we have our publications planned through April and as of December 15th, we are moved into our new World HQ just a few blocks from our last home on Madison Ave. Building our new offi ce has been quite a project this year. From building out new walls, painting a huge space, installing new cabinets and countertops and everything in between, this was an all hands on deck feat. We still have a few tasks to complete before our space is totally fi nished but we are offi cially moved in and operating from a space that we built with our own hands for our community to enjoy! I couldn’t be more proud of our team and our new offi ce. We’ve taken special care to make every bit of it feel like home. Looking forward, I have high hopes for Toledo Streets Newspaper’s upward growth in 2021. Our vendors, staff, board and community have remained resilient and steadfast in our vision to inspire hope, foster community and cultivate change. I am hopeful we will help more vendors move into stable housing. I am certain we will watch more vendors to move up into steady and full time employment. With a community of supporters like TSN has, our vendors are in good hands to build upon their dreams, believe in their futures and make their goals their realities. Thank you for your support in 2020, I look forward to working towards a brighter 2021 together! I AM INCLUDING A ONE-TIME DONATION OF: � $1000 COVERS COST OF PRINTING ONE MONTH OF TOLEDO STREETS NEWSPAPER � $500 ELIMINATES BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT BY PROVIDING ALL NEW VENDORS WITH VESTS, SIGNS AND BADGES � $250 SUPPORTS TOLEDO STREETS EMPLOY VENDORS’ CREATIVITY IN STORY-TELLING, POETRY, PHOTOGRAPHY AND MORE � $100 � $50 PROVIDES ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES SUCH AS SOCKS, HATS, HAND-WARMERS AND PONCHOS TO TSN VENDORS SETS 20 NEW VENDORS UP FOR SUCCESS AFTER ORIENTATION BY PROVIDING THEM WITH 10 FREE PAPERS EACH � $______ A GIFT AT ANY LEVEL MAKES A DIFFERENCE NAME ______________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________ CITY _______________________________ STATE _______ZIP________________ TELEPHONE ____________________________ EMAIL_____________ � I AM INTERESTED IN RECEIVING EMAIL NEWSLETTERS FROM TOLEDO STREETS NEWSPAPER � I WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED ABOUT HOW MY COMPANY/ORGANIZATION CAN SUPPORT TOLEDO STREETS NEWSPAPER TOLEDO STREETS NEWSPAPER CREATES INCOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND POVERTY BY PRODUCING A NEWSPAPER AND OTHER MEDIA THAT ARE CATALYSTS FOR INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL CHANGE
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