Supporting Community

I’m reading and subscribing to more and more Substacks. Many interesting commentators, bloggers, and podcasters are joining this platform, despite the concerns with Substack and the people behind it. I find this platform a valuable source of information and insight.

It also seems that more people are asking for readers to have a paid subscription. Yes, I’ve paid to subscribe to a few, usually independent journalists doing great work, who need the income to continue.

I have no intention of ever asking for people to pay to read what I have to share. I have turned that feature off, and told the people who have asked about supporting me through a subscription that I will not be doing that. My goals here are not financial gain.

But.. (isn’t there always a but!), as people are willing to pay, I would like to suggest that rather than paying me, you make a donation to a couple of organizations that are important to me.

Westminster Housing Society (not going to link to the website as it is terrible and in the process of being updated). WHS provides affordable housing in the West Broadway neighbourhood of Winnipeg through acquiring older homes and renovating and renewing them into apartments. Each of these then provided as deeply affordable subsidized housing. WHS is a charitable organization that is very much focused at the community level.

Second is a small theatre company, Theatre By The River. They produce interesting and challenging theatre that is often site specific, meaning site unusual. They don’t have a “season” so don’t have a subscriber base. Usually doing around one full production a year, with other events through the year such as during First Fridays. I love this theatre company because they are small, doing interesting work that truly engages, challenges, and surprises audiences.

So, please support these two great organizations. Make a donation to them, and get a tax receipt, which is more than you would get if I asked you for money! And if you can, become a monthly donor, that is always meaningful.

It’s easy, they each have their own Canada Helps page.

Thanks for supporting community work, wherever you are.

Brian

If you aren’t in Winnipeg, and would like to support groups that are important to me in other cities, let me know. Here are a few:

In Calgary: Skipping Stone

In Vancouver: Hub Cycling

In Halifax: Ecology Action Centre

In Québec: Vélo Quebec

In Edmonton: Parkland Institute

And so many more….

b