by Melanie Jongsma, Publisher
LANSING, Ill. (November 27, 2022) – Last year around this time I told you about a phone conversation I had with Mildred. (That’s not her real name — I want to protect her privacy, so I refer to her by my grandmother’s name.)
You might remember that Mildred called to ask why she wasn’t receiving The Lansing Journal on her porch anymore. I explained that since the pandemic we were not able to publish a print version of the Journal as often as we used to. “I’ll help pay for it,” she told me. “I miss getting it — I like to know what’s going on in town!”
Mildred lives alone and can’t get out much. This local newspaper helped her feel less isolated. She recognized the value, and she understood there are costs involved for that kind of service.
In fact, a few days after our phone conversation, she mailed a $5 bill to my attention. Mildred wanted to pay for her newspaper.
Mildred needs the news
I didn’t ask Mildred for money. She gave without being asked. She wants to stay informed and connected. She knows she needs the news, and she wants to do what she can to make sure we are able to keep delivering it to her.
People like Mildred are an example of why we provide The Lansing Journal for free. I don’t want to charge a subscription price of $97/month (which is what another newspaper now charges) when her resources are limited. I’m pretty sure the $5 she sent was already a stretch.
And yet, this summer, when The Lansing Journal included a giving envelope in our summer print issue, Mildred was among the first to return that envelope. This time it had two singles in it. Maybe times are getting tougher for Mildred, but she still wants to help.
Mildred is doing what she can
Obviously, it costs more than $2 or even $5 to report, publish, and deliver local news every day. But I love the spirit behind Mildred’s contribution. She values her hometown paper. She wants to give what she can.
And maybe, just maybe, she knows that her $2 is enough — as long as other people will do the same thing and chip in what they can.
Giving NEWSday is about giving news
Tomorrow, November 29, is Giving Tuesday this year. Here at The Lansing Journal we like to call it Giving NEWSday. We want to keep giving news — to Mildred and to you.
Mildred has taken a step. It may be a risk for her — there’s no guarantee that her $2 will keep this newspaper afloat. Her gift is enough only if other people join her and make the same kind of generous investment.
Will you be like Mildred?
Will you, like Mildred, give what you can? Will you support The Lansing Journal so we can keep giving news to our community? Would you even be able to give a little extra, to pay for your own readership as well as someone like Mildred’s?
I’ve listed some suggested amounts below, but you can type in your own number. Whatever amount is right for you.
[give_form id=”55070″ show_title=”false” show_content=”above” display_style=”reveal”]
If you are able, would you keep that monthly box checked, at whatever giving level you can? Those monthly gifts are such a big help to us.
Making connection possible
I never want to put Lansing news behind a paywall. I never want to tell Mildred there is no newspaper for her. She lives alone. She doesn’t drive. The Lansing Journal is her window to the community around her.
So when you give to The Lansing Journal, you are doing much more than paying for web hosting and email delivery and the occasional print issue. With every gift, you are making connection possible. You are building community.
As part of Giving NEWSday (or Giving Tuesday), will you give to The Lansing Journal so we can keep giving news to our community? Will you do what you can to keep this newspaper going?
Here’s the secure form again where you can make your Giving NEWSday choices:
[give_form id=”55070″ show_title=”false” show_content=”false” display_style=”reveal”]
Thank you for your Giving NEWSday support — it’s so important! Your gifts are what empower us to keep giving news freely every day. To Mildred and to you.
P.S. We have a real need right now for more monthly supporters. Please keep that monthly box checked if you are able, and choose an amount you can give as a recurring, monthly gift. That monthly support is what sustains this community newspaper through good times and bad.
Here’s the secure form again. We appreciate you doing whatever you can:
[give_form id=”55070″ show_title=”false” show_content=”false” display_style=”reveal”]
