Hello Portland friends and fellow quarantiners!
In what felt like a lifetime ago (actually just 12 days), I wrote to tell you that the Portland Mercury was in some real financial trouble after the COVID-19 crisis kicked the legs out from under our business by taking away public gatherings like concerts, restaurants, bars, and theaters. We were forced to temporarily lay off 10 of our beloved employees, and switch to publishing only online with (a wildly talented, but small) skeleton crew. Saying goodbye to my friends/co-workers (even temporarily) ranked right up there with one the worst days of my life—and trust me when I say, I've had a few.
But guys, I'm not here to boo-hoo. I'm here to give you an update on how the Mercury is doing, and how you can continue to keep us alive and fighting for you.
After switching to our new online only format, can I be so bold as to say we've kind of been freaking killing it? Check out just a few of the stories that our amazing reporters, Alex Zielinski and Blair Stenvick, have been churning out for you in the past few days:
• Is Multnomah County's Jail System Prepared for COVID-19?
• The Federal Government Has Sent Oregon 25 Percent of the Emergency Medical Gear it Needs
• Multnomah County Employees “Torn” Over Request to Volunteer at Emergency Shelters
• Portland Pride Festival Postponed Due to Coronavirus
• "I hope everything I’m telling you isn’t true": A Portland Oncology Nurse On COVID-19
• Dispatch from Health Care Workers On the Front Lines of Oregon's COVID-19 Response
And my dudes... those are literally just a few examples from the past week, and there's waaay more where that came from!
We've also been writing posts devoted to supporting our local businesses (such as restaurants, dispensaries, book stores, and even yoga studios), showing you ways to support the people in our community who need it most, and we're even making time for... some... funny... stuff. AND our Things to Do calendar is going stronger than ever, switching from daily events to the BEST RESOURCE IN TOWN for food takeout/delivery, cannabis takeout/delivery, and daily updates of fantastic stuff you can stream, watch, and listen to at home!
In short, we are working our asses off for you. Not because we need a job, but because we adore you and it's our mission to serve Portland to the best of our abilities. We're more committed than ever to making sure you have all the news, information, and entertainment you need to get you through this crisis.
But I gotta be straight with you: If you like what we do, and want it to continue, you have to donate to make it happen, preferably on a recurring basis. Even after scaling back operations dramatically, we're still barely able to cover our weekly costs in order to keep the lights on at the Mercury, and pay our very worthy, talented staff. To those who have already donated... I can't begin to say how very grateful I am. Your well wishes and encouraging words have been like oxygen for us lately, and I sincerely thank you so much.
All of us at the Mercury are currently in good spirits, working super hard, and ready to ride this crisis out and be even healthier when we all emerge on the other side. But we still need your help. PLEASE MAKE A RECURRING DONATION HERE TO KEEP US GOING. Or if you're a business that needs some marketing help, purchase an online advertisement by contacting us here. WE ARE WILLING TO WORK WITHIN YOUR BUDGET, and want to put your business where your customers can see it! Oh, and guess what? If you have a favorite business that's struggling and can't afford to advertise right now, you can DONATE to help them purchase an online Mercury ad, and WE'll EVEN MATCH YOUR DONATION. Find out more about that here!
We know there are a lot of people and organizations that need your help now, and it's very important to take care of the most needy first. But if you love independent, scrappy journalism that's focused on helping those who are less privileged while also pointing you in the direction of fun, please support the Mercury. And most importantly, take care of yourself. You are my "always pal" for a very good reason.
Yer always pal,
Wm. Steven Humphrey
