[van-announce] Fwd: People´s Co-op Bookstore - Urgent Fund-raising Appeal

[Charlotte Kates]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Brian Campbell <campbell at vcn.bc.ca>
Date: Mon, Apr 7, 2014 at 10:27 PM
Subject: People´s Co-op Bookstore - Urgent Fund-raising Appeal
To: Susan Stout <spstout at telus.net>, Sid Shniad <shniad at gmail.com>


  Dear Friends and Acquaintances

Many of you will receive this appeal directly from People´s Co-op
Bookstore.  I am sending this personally to people I have worked with on
various projects over the years to encourage you to support the continued
existence of the store.  It is slowly recovering but at great cost to the
volunteers who have kept it going.  New books have been purchased, sales at
off-site events such as the Arundhati Roy talk are increasing and a new
core of volunteers is forming.  However, the bookstore needs to retire some
of its debt and increase purchasing stock that appeals to the left, unions,
co-operatives, women´s groups, poets and writers.  It can not continue
without an infusion of capital.

If you are able, I am asking you to make a donation and spread the appeal
among your friends.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sol.


Brian Campbell



 April 8, 2014

Dear Friend of People´s Co-op Bookstore

I am writing on behalf of People´s Co-op Bookstore to urge you to help save
the Co-op - the oldest independent bookstore in Vancouver.

* The Bookstore will close unless we raise a minimum of 15,000 dollars
before the end of June. And another 15,000 before December. It's essential
that we eliminate existing debt and increase our new stock . *

* The good news is an anonymous donor will donate $1 for every $2 you
donate up to a total of $5,000.*

Your donation will help this important bookstore survive., Our goal is to
build a strong progressive children´s book section and increase our
traditional book stock. Another goal is to make the bookstore a friendly
and comfortable hub for a range of progressive, literary and other
activities in our City and neighborhood.

I hope you agree that People´s Co-op bookstore has an invaluable role to
play in Vancouver, and our neighbourhood. It is a critical place to support
labour, left, progressive causes, co-operatives, and local poets and
writers.

You may have seen us selling books at community events. We recentlly sold
books at the Arundhati Roy event. We plan to do more. And we will hold more
book launches. We have already begun a children´s story time on Saturday
morning.

Please help save an independent bookstore that provides critical material
not easily found in other book stores., Progressive people need to support
writers, and ideas. To have a place where people can gather. To challenge
the Stephen Harper's and Christy Clark's of the world.

I've attached a dynamic roadmap for the the bookstores future (I hope
you'll take a moment to read it and I hope you'll make a donation today.

*Ways you can help:*

   -

   *Please make the biggest donation you can. Large or small, your donation
   helps. *
    -

   Become a Co-op member ($25) if you are not already one.


   -

   Upgrade your Co-op membership to a one year $25.00 membership and
   receive a 10% discount. Your donation of $250 entitles you to a 10%
   *lifetime* discount.
    -

   Donate books to the bookstore.
    -

   Volunteer on a committee, work in the bookstore or assist in off-site
   sales.
    -

   *Distribute this appeal to your email lists and Facebook friends.*

 I hope, like me, you believe that this bookstore is important to the
people of Vancouver. And I hope you will help save it. Please send your
donation to the People´s Co-op Bookstore at 1391 Commercial Dr., Vancouver,
V6L 3X5 or phone the bookstore (604-253-6442) to make a credit card
donation. (Online donations are not yet available.) Please include your
name, address, phone number and email address.

In solidarity and with much thanks for your support,

Brian Campbell Chair, Fundraising Committee


 PS. Don't let another bookstore close. And please don't let a thinkers and
activists progressive bookstore close. You and other people in our
community working together can save it, and more importantly, help it to
grow and bring progressive ideas too many more people. As the forces of
conservatism grow stronger, it's important to fight back with books, ideas,
and a community space. The People's co-op bookstore, is critical to this
fight.




-- 
Charlotte L. Kates     charlotte.kates at gmail.com