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Megaphone launches special Olympic issue: “Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside: A People’s History” on Wed Feb 3, 2010 – 11AM to 1PM, Interurban Galley
Olympic Issue Launch event
Megaphone launches special issue: “Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside: A People’s History”
Wednesday Feb 3, 2010, 11 AM – 1PM, Interurban Gallery
http://www.MegaphoneMagazine.com
With the eyes of the world on Vancouver for the Winter Olympics, residents of the city’s Downtown Eastside will have a unique opportunity to dispel the negative stereotypes of their historic, but troubled, neighbourhood.
Megaphone, a magazine sold on the streets of Vancouver by homeless and low-income vendors, is launching a special, double-issue on the Downtown Eastside at the Interurban Gallery on Wednesday, February 3rd at 11 a.m. Entitled “Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside: A People’s History”, the issue aims to change the perception of the neighbourhood and the people that populate it.
“There are a lot of unfortunate stereotypes about the Downtown Eastside,” says Megaphone’s editor-in-chief, Sean Condon. “Many people have a tough time seeing beyond the drug use and poverty. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find a community bursting with spirit and compassion.”
The commemorative issue features stories on neighbourhood successes like the United We Can bottle depot, which provides both economic and environmental benefits to the city, and the Hope In Shadows calendar project, which shows the community’s strong spirit. It also features articles from vendors and Downtown Eastside residents about their lives and the tremendous barriers they’ve overcome.
Speaking at the event will be Sean Condon, Irwin Oostindie, executive director of W2 (an organization profiled in this issue) and Dalannah Gail Bowen (who is the executive director of the Downtown Eastside Centre for the Arts and is a member of editorial advisory board for this special issue).
Megaphone vendors will be in attendance to pick up issues and new Megaphone carrier bags. They will also be available to speak to the media.
The magazine’s launch will be held on Wednesday, February 3rd at the Interurban Gallery (1 E. Hastings) at 11 a.m. The event will be open to the public and will include snacks and drinks.
Please help Megaphone’s Joyful Voices Fundraising Campaign
With your help, Megaphone can make this Christmas one of Joyful Voices for our vendors and community. Megaphone gives homeless and low-income people a chance to be heard, whether it’s by being a vendor, writing an article or having their issues covered in a story. For many, it’s an opportunity they’ve never had before.
“I really had no outlet until I started selling the paper,” says Megaphone vendor Danny Maloney. “It gave me the chance to interact and socialize with people and turn my life around.”
Our vendors take pride in selling Megaphone to their customers. When you buy a copy of the magazine from one of them, you are telling them that their voice matters. But in order for Megaphone to continue to give a voice to the voiceless, we need your support.
This Christmas season, Megaphone needs to raise $5,000 so we can keep working to empower homeless and low-income people, and make sure the rest of the city hears what they have to say. We need your donation.
Donate
Your donation helps pay for:
- Vendor materials: T-shirts, ID badges, hats and bags
- Printing and publishing costs
- Office Supplies
- Vendor Training
Please donate online or fill out this donation form and send a cheque to:
Megaphone Magazine
#611, 142-757 W. Hastings
Vancouver, BC
V6C 1A1
Please help Megaphone make this a season of Joyful Voices for all.
Thank you for your support,
Sean Condon
Editor-in-Chief
Megaphone Magazine
AHA MEDIA is very pleased to support Megaphone Magazine one year anniversary party !!
Megaphone set to open office in DTES
It has been quite a year for Megaphone. Since we renamed the magazine from Street Corner to Megaphone a little over a year ago, we have produced 30 hard-hitting and entertaining issues that have put thousands of dollars into the pockets of the homeless and low-income vendors who sell the magazine on the street and helped raise awareness across the city about poverty and homelessness across the city.In May, Megaphone won three esteemed journalism awards, which included two international accolades: Editor-in-Chief Sean Condon and photographer Ahmad Kavousian both received awards from the International Network of Street Paper (INSP), while Managing Editor Amy Juschka received the Rafe Mair Award for Excellence in Journalism from the University of British Columbia.“Megaphone has worked hard over the past year to give marginalized people a chance to speak up about the issues that impact their community,” says Condon. “Whether it’s the Downtown Eastside or the West Side, Megaphone has become a strong voice for the voiceless.”Megaphone expects to carry the momentum from last year’s successes into the next. On Monday, June 8th, Megaphone officially opens its office at the corner of Hastings and Carrall (9 E. Hastings). Having a street-level space in the heart of the Downtown Eastside (DTES) will allow us to significantly expand our distribution base and help dozens more homeless and low-income vendors become self-sufficient through the magazine.To celebrate our one-year anniversary, Megaphone is teaming up with local artists and holding an art auction fundraising event at the Interurban Gallery (1 E. Hastings) on Friday, June 12th. The fundraiser will help raise funds for the magazine so it can continue supporting its vendors and will feature artists from the Downtown Eastside and across Vancouver.“The fundraiser gives us a chance to celebrate the incredible work that our vendors and volunteers have done over the past year and help keep the magazine going as an effective voice for the community,” says Condon.Proceeds from the silent auction will be split between Megaphone and the artist. The event will also feature prize draws, music, food and drinks.Megaphone’s one-year anniversary party:Interurban Gallery (1 E. Hastings)
Friday, June 12th – 6 p.m. to midnight
Cover charge: $5-$20 (sliding scale)For more information contact:Sean Condon – 778-835-4440
sean@megaphonemagazine.com
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