Please direct media inquiries to:
Karen E. Denny Director - Fund Development Phone: 403.206.0287 Fax: 403.221.8791 karend@cupscalgary.com
Take a look through our annual report to learn more about our mission, our programs and our successes.
Past Annual Reports: 2008 Annual Report | 2007 Annual Report
Final Edition, Calgary Street Talk Newspaper
Announcement from the Publisher Robert Perry A hard decision was made. CUPS Health and Education Centres will stop publishing our paper, Calgary Street Talk. Its last issue will be out this July. This decision is affecting many different people, families and our community.
This issue in your hands is devoted to the paper. Street Talk’s story. Where it came from, who it was for, and why those involved love it so much.
The last issue, available July 1, will be about the vendors - the men and women who took the paper to the streets, and are found on street corners across the downtown.
I have had the pleasure of being the publisher of Street Talk, one of my roles as the Director of Operations at CUPS. It is a fun, interesting and challenging job and one that I would recommend to anyone. Unfortunately, it is not always clear cut, and tough choices must be made. This decision about Street Talk is one of them.
For the past five years the paper had a steep decline in sales, and a steep decline in vendors. Fewer people selling fewer papers each. We tried several strategies for increasing revenue and increasing recruitment. Advertising did not work, not enough to make an impact on the deficit. And, it is hard to get people to sell a paper that fewer people are buying. Our greatest hope was to work with our sister agencies in Calgary. People and organizations we know and trust. We came very close to developing such a partnership. But taking on more and more is not possible for charities. We must steward your charitable giving wisely.
This decision was not made in haste, and not without exploring alternatives.
When the news of this hit the streets, it became clear that Street Talk had a significant impact. People in the news industry from print, radio and TV all wanted to know more. Why is this happening? What will become of the vendors? What does this loss mean to our city?
Most of our vendors do not depend on Street Talk as their primary sources of income, and CUPS is meeting with every vendor to ensure all their needs are met.
To be sure, Calgary is losing the connection between the vendor and the reader. It is a space where people struggling with poverty can talk, laugh, and share stories with those who are more fortunate.
After July that connection will be gone, and people from different walks of life will have to think of new ways to connect with each other.
Thank you to those who have called expressing concern, and to those who have supported Street Talk and its vendors over the years. It means a lot.
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