Update time!! I've been slow to get this because, honestly, I wanted it to say something different, but here we are. In the last couple months I've been pushing to grow the project, so I'll tell you about it. Well I'll tell you about that in a minute. First, I want to offer the most important update which is, the project is still here, still happening and still functional. People who cannot work and need help are being helped. That is the bottom line and that is beautiful! The project has been running for 8 months and has brought 8 months of increased stability and decreased vulnerability to the recipients, and that could not happen without you. It's a serious success story, making something appear where there was nothing. But because I want to see more more more of this I am still working hard to try to expand to help these people even more and to add more people because god knows there's need, so much need. I made postcards about the project (see below- I have these and can get some to anyone who wants to use them to let people know about the project and encourage them to sign up. No project money was used to make them.) Thanks to the generous support of the band, I went to two of the well attended Bikini Kill reunion shows in Los Angeles and about 1000 flyers were distributed to attendees, both by me personally and bundled with purchased merch. Erica Dawn of Scam Magazine interviewed me about the project and promoted it on her site. I went on the local community radio station and did an interview. All very exciting! HOWEVER all of this yielded very little in the way of results- to be exact, about 5 new people have signed up which is alas, also roughly the number of people who have canceled their subscriptions recently. It's discouraging, I admit! But I also feel like I've learned some things about what is and isn't useful. The fact is, there is one thing and only one thing that has worked at any point to grow this project, and that is talking to people directly and encouraging them, personally, to make this commitment to the community. So I'd like to beg you, if you are already signed up, to try to sign someone else up. Maybe someone from outside the immediate sphere of your friend community, maybe a family member with a stable income or a friend from work. Are you a part of an activist group such as SURJ or Catalyst? Would you post to your listserves with a personal message suggesting that folks who have white or able bodied privilege consider supporting this project as a way to share the wealth? And if you aren't signed up, please think past the initial knee jerk reaction that you can't afford it to what it would really mean for you. Think about other things you spend $30 a month on and whether you have the same reaction to them. That's all for now but do get in touch if you'd like some flyers and I hope the next update will have more news of project growth! xo Anandi A big thank you to Michelle Hill for donating her time to design the cards and to Zeph Fishlyn for allowing the use of their beautiful artwork!
June money sent out. As you can see, it was divided only four ways this month-- it's not clear of this will be a permanent change or not, if so I will adjust the info on the site to reflect the new recipient list. For this month, a little extra boost for these four.
In the six months since starting the project, over $14,000 has been distributed to six recipients. The subscriber numbers are still lower than we will ultimately need them to be to effect major lasting change but even at low numbers, we have been able to boost stability, safety and quality of life for these community members. In coming months I hope to expand the project to at least 200 hundred subscribers which will put us at our base goal of six people being provided with a universal income grant of $1000/month. After that I'd like to move forward to the ultimate goal of spreading the template for this easy project to other people and places to be replicated and to serve as many people as possible, by being lifted up and helped or by being able to help our communities at so little personal expense. We are currently distributing funds to 5 people, and I will post payout screenshots here each month. Within the next month or two we'll be back to serving six people, and there should be some other updates and media coming up. Thanks for everyone who has signed up and supported the project, please know that every month less tears of fear and worry are being shed thanks to your direct help, and just a reminder that one time donations of any size are also welcome always! xo Anandi |
Payouts and updatesWe post screenshots of the transfers here each month. |