Give Back to Your Community

[Lakey]

I know many slams do similair things and many of them do it without even thinking of it. . . However some don't give back to their community at all.

Upon returning from St.  Paul last year I noticed the City of San Antonio had given us a couple thousand dollars to help us get to slam the past two years.  We hadn't done anything to give back. . .

This being the case I started Puro Slam Working
hxxp: www. facebook. com/PuroSlamWorking

The point of PuroSlam Working is to give back to the community.  Since September of last year we've volunteered just under 450 hours.

I think every slam should do this.  If for no other reason it really makes it feel like you're repping your city when you've busted your ass all year to give back to the city that helped make you and your scene what they are today.

Another reason to do this is marketing.  If you're offering to work for free(volunteer) for a cause it makes people wonder about the cause.

The final reason for this is it is going to increase the chance your city will help your slam get to nationals and it's going to increase how much they're willing to give.  I remember talking to several people that had to pay out of their own pockets to go. . . even more disturbing (to me at least) is people were raising money for themselves as individuals so they could go to nationals. . . Considering it's a team competition that just seemed out of place. . .



There's a million ideas that can branch from this.  I'll keep it somewhat short and we can all work from here.

[Duncan Shields]

That's a fascinating idea.  Thanks for sharing.  That's a great way to give back. 

[danstrack]

This really is a great idea Lakey!  Please share your progress, and maybe I can do something similar in Austin!

:)
dny

[Ransacked]

Most of the National Public Radio stations have fundraisers which make use of volunteers who answer phones and process credit cards. WBUR in Boston has a thing where for every 10 man-hours a group volunteers, they get an on-air shout-out.

Five slam poets answering phones would get a shout-out every two hours. It does three things:
1. It's a nice thing to do.
2. It gets publicity for the slam.
3. It gives NPR reporters ideas for stories about poetry slam. Ahem.

[Lakey]

Generally I prefer more local based for myself but I must say the NPR idea is a good idea.  I'll have to check and see if that's possible here in San Antonio.

@danny: I've got several things in the works right now that I'm hoping will really take off with summer here so I'll make sure to share the best of it soon!

[Lakey]

Just added up the hours and hit 577 today. 

Couple of days ago I went to our local foodbank for a meeting where I found out there are 150 different non-profits in San Antonio that will be giving out food for their summer programs this year! With this information I'll be able to have an unlimited source of possible places to volunteer at and no one could use the excuses of distance/bad side of town.  Just a tip of the ice-berg but it's got me really excited and trying to pull all my resources and plans together!

[Lakey]

it's dead in here. . . I thought more of you would like the idea

[Lakey]

Ended up closing the year with 866 recorded hours and 200++ unrecorded so the goal was hit.




My main project for 2011 is giving an online identity to as many grass-root non-profits in San Antonio.  I will set them up with a facebook page and go out to the establishment to get an interview/tour on camera.  I make the assumption that many people don't volunteer simply because they were never exposed to it.  That being the case. . . hopefully by next summer I will have raised awareness to a point where everyone knows about the poetry scene and non-profit thing going on in SA.

[Faylita Hicks]

Lakey, you're sexy.  Great idea!  We should start a Texas Poet's version!

[Lakey]

Lets get it done!

sounds like Danny is interested too - That's three of us right on I-35!


I've also started a competition between our youth slam and puro slam to see who has the most hours so hopefully that will be an extra couple hundred hours by next year.