Director’s Desk - Positivity As we make our way past the one year mark of the beginning of the pandemic and quarantine, I fi nd myself refl ecting on what the last year has looked like at Toledo Streets for our community, especially for our vendors. Between halting paper sales, a new executive director, moving offi ces and an eventual full reopening, our vendors have been asked to adapt a lot. And yet in these moments of uncertainty TSN vendors have remained resilient. While this year has been a lot of change and challenges, we’ve also taken any opportunity to celebrate. Toledo Streets Vendor Week in February reminded TSN vendors that the community sees them and loves them. We hung your words in our offi ce on post-it notes vendors could take to continue to encourage them on their path to fi nancial autonomy. Early this year, we celebrated vendor manager, Claire McKenna’s two years at Toledo Streets with a social distant party. And while we are in the planning stages of reopening the full offi ce, we’re hopeful to celebrate our ability to gather and cultivate the community we’ve been craving since the offi ce closed. It is within these moments positivity and joy are abundant. The past few colder months have been rough on vendors and the newspaper program. With the streets of Downtown Toledo already lacking the pre-pandemic bustle, the cold had driven out most remaining traffi c. Additionally, vendors had been seeking shelter instead of slinging papers causing paper sales to be shockingly low. In saying this, I’m hoping when you see vendors out this month, you’ll not only purchase a paper but encourage a friend to purchase one, give more generously and spend a moment longer to remind vendors their hard work is recognized and they are loved. 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 Page 13
14 Publizr Home