by JoJo Sacks, CMC Coordinator
This has been an unprecedented time for the Civic Media Center, as we have remained closed for the last few months during the pandemic. It is our first and most important goal to keep our community safe, and make sure the CMC does not become a place where the people we care about can get sick.
This is the first time that we coordinators and volunteers are asking you to help us keep our doors “closed.” And, they stay closed, except that we are the staging area for a weekly food distribution, which gathers and distributes food to hundreds of people.
In these times, we have still been able to offer programs online, including our upcoming CMC Virtual Book Club, and panels and talks via Zoom. We will be hosting a virtual discussion on DIY community spaces on Monday, Sept. 7 at 6 pm with three other DIY spaces participating.
We have planned a panel discussion on Seminary Lane development issues on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 pm with Desmon Walker, Kali Blount and Terry Bailey, and the poetry jam has gone virtual, too.
Social media and computers have allowed us to stay on people’s minds, raise some funds, communicate, and plan, despite not being able be with one another face-to-face. You can keep up with these events through Facebook at www.facebook.com/civicmediacenter.
We do not want to be like the other infoshops and DIY spaces around the country that have had to close during these times. Each day we are open is an act of resistance. Your support is how we will power through the pandemic, pay our rent, bills, and coordinator pay, and continue to be a hub for the mutual aid efforts and protest planning happenings in town.
Without our normal events, we need your help to sustain the CMC and keep it alive. Thank you for being a part of our community and our family.
If you can, send a check by mail to: CMC, 433 S. Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601, donate online through PayPal at: paypal.me/CMC4ever. Mask up, stay safe.