Thank you once again for picking up this issue of Community Alliance. If you are new, welcome; if you are returning, welcome back. September marks the official 30th anniversary of this publication.
From the Editor
We have a lot planned for the coming month and we want to make this milestone special. I am excited for you to see what we have in store. You may have noticed that this issue is lighter than you are accustomed to. I won’t sugarcoat it—this is largely due to budget constraints. We are a small publication that depends almost exclusively on the generosity of our readers, which is why you will find our donation boxes throughout this paper. If you love Community Alliance, please help us keep it going for another 30 years. The paper, much like the world it reports on, is in a state of flux. Things are visibly changing around us. I think the questions remain: will we adjust to the new status quo the ruling class intends for us? One of genocide, oligarchy and environmental destruction, even more blatant than it has been in years past? Or will we stand up as a community and say that this is not the will of the people, that this will not stand, that we deserve more. I truly believe that we deserve more than this and while I wish we could fill the paper with good news, I hope it serves as a wakeup call to us here in Fresno and beyond. As always, I hope that this paper inspires you to be a part of the change in the Central Valley that our founders intended nearly thirty years ago. Enrique Little
From the Executive Director
It is truly amazing what the Community Alliance newspaper has accomplished in 30 years. YOU did that—the paper would not exist without community support. From Xerox machines to tabloid newspaper, the work, relationships and heart put into making Community Alliance a success and a staple to the progressive movement in Fresno and the larger Central Valley is humbling and inspiring. As an explicitly and unapologetically progressive paper, we cannot rely solely on foundation grants. They are not guaranteed, are highly competitive and the applications take an ample amount of time away from our small staff. We’d like to tend to our mission to amplify the voices of the progressive movement in our home, the Central Valley. If everyone who supports the newspaper and wants to see it succeed donated, we would be in a good place; to be blunt, we are not in a good place at this moment in time. True to the Alliance’s spirit, we will continue to evolve to keep the paper alive. Please help sustain this important historic news source with a monthly contribution of $10/$25/$50/$100+ (please choose a tier that works for your budget). If you are unable to budget anything at the time, the paper will be free as long as we continue printing it. If you can pay a little more, your contribution helps keep our print publication alive. mars santos, M.Ed.
From the Advertising Manager
Today I want to highlight our advertisers and sponsors. Please take a moment to look at the advertisements you see in this paper you are holding. Now, ask yourself: how many do you recognize? When was the last time you visited a local taco shop or befriended one of the groups, like Peace Fresno and the Fresno Center for Nonviolence, that advertise with us? We have plumbers and lawyers, insurance agents and therapists—and a whole host of other businesses and nonprofits—that share our progressive social justice values. We are thankful for their partnership and support and want our readers to get to know them too. Join me in thanking them by patronizing their businesses and getting to know the clubs and organizations we promote. Go out there and make some new progressive friends and enrich our community with your presence. And, of course, always consider advertising your businesses or initiatives with us. I know I don’t have to tell you, we are one of the few vestiges of print media alive in California today and we reach thousands of dedicated readers and committed supporters just like you each month. ‘Community’ is in the name of our paper because community is at the heart of our struggle and Success. When we come together as a community, you know we can do extraordinary things, like this paper that you’re reading right now has been doing for three decades. We are looking forward to many more I.smiley G.
From the Distribution Manager
Our slogan for this year’s December fundraiser is “pages against the regime.” This is in recognition of the importance of our presence as a paper news source. We are currently distributing over 7,000 copies monthly. Those are mailed to subscribers, placed in newsstands and set on countertops of businesses and organizations around town. Over a dozen volunteers deliver the paper each month, from Caruthers to Coarsegold. Our reach with the paper edition is greater than our online audience (although we are building our online presence at fresnoalliance.com and on social media). Many weekly and monthly papers around the country have shut down. Keep us on our mission of providing progressive coverage of the Fresno area and donate now if you can. Especially important is becoming a monthly sustainer, for $10, $25, $50 or $100 a month! Peter Maiden
