by Joe Courter
Well, the optimism about reopening in August that we reported in July has been dialed back, due to the rise of the Covid 19 Delta variant. However, we are still hosting in-person volunteer meetings outside in the Courtyard on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month at 5:30pm. Details can be found at our LinkTree: http://linktr.ee/civicmediacenter. Masking and distancing are required. LinkTree can also hook you up with our biweekly email newsletter.
Meanwhile, inside the space, the CMC is carrying forward hosting organizing activity from Books for Prisoners and Dream Defenders, and the Free Grocery Store is still doing their food distribution activity, where they bring in the large amount of bulk donated food and break it down into individual orders, which are then delivered to hundreds of people weekly. Our radio station, WGOT, is still on the air, and the Thursday poetry jam is still going, but on Zoom. Find the link for it on the CMC Facebook page.
We may not be able to have public events, but we are still doing good things for the community. We had hopes of some public events in early October, but we are still in a wait-and-see position regarding them now. Among them was a memorial celebration for beloved CMC supporter Jack Price, who died earlier this year, honoring him with a plaque, and a Stetson Kennedy “Living a Life of Purpose” event presented by Sandra Parks. And then, of course, the CMC’s founding anniversary comes Oct. 18.
We have been kept solvent through community support over the last year and a half. Our Paypal account, Venmo donations, Facebook birthday fundraisers, and those old reliable checks in the mail have kept JoJo, our hardworking coordinator, paid, our landlord paid, and the utilities paid. We also just had to cover an unexpected air conditioner repair.
We’ll get through this, but meanwhile one-time donations or monthly donations will be gratefully welcomed and appreciated. Payment options are on the CMC Facebook page, or can be sent via mail to 433 S. Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601.