Happy third birthday, Stockbridge Community News
by Patrice Johnson
November ushers in a birthday of sorts. Three years this month, Stockbridge Community News published its first newspaper and online service. From its four-page infancy, this public service organization has grown from a wing and a prayer to a national award-winning, 24-page publication with more than 2,500 stories under its belt.
Thanks to the support of readers like you and the devoted work of many hands, each month a printed SCN arrives in the mailbox of every household in our 125-square mile school district area. SCN’s website and Facebook page provide news and information to more than 70,000 viewers each month, up from our first month of 1,100.
Because of input from volunteers throughout the area, SCN serves as a hub for local residents to grieve and celebrate together, to honor and teach each other, and to connect with new and existing friends and neighbors.
So what is SCN’s storied past? In 2016, Stockbridge area residents, and members of the Garden Club in particular, voiced alarm at the area’s dwindling news coverage. The fear was this community would lose a vital medium bonding it together. To explore solutions, Chuck Wisman and Patrice Johnson met with experts and researched the market.
On discovering that 75 percent of residents in our rural, farm-oriented community had little to no access to quality, consistent local information, Wisman and Johnson drafted a proposal to the Stockbridge Area Educational Foundation. In August 2016, SAEF granted $5,000 from the Charlotte and Robert Camp Memorial Endowment Fund to hire college intern, Hope Salyer, to help jumpstart multimedia news and information for the good and welfare of the community.
A task force of volunteers stepped forward, and in November, a four-page print edition rolled off the presses. Newspapers were mailed at no charge to school district households, and volunteers hand-delivered them to local businesses.
Processes evolved, and the roster of helpful hands grew. In December 2016, SCN established a board of directors and became a self-standing, Michigan nonprofit and IRS 501(C)(4) organization. Fast forward three years, and SCN’s unpaid directors include Pres. Johnson, V.P. Diane Rockall, Treas. Judy Williams, Sec. Bev Glynn, Mary Jo David, Amy Haggerty, Rose Collison, Roberta Ludtke, Hope Salyer, Joan Tucker, and Nancy Wisman.
In addition, about 30 volunteers contribute in vital ways, from editing articles to designing graphics, from replying to emails to taking photos, and from writing stories to sending thank you notes to contributors (See page 6.).
SCN’s board of directors expresses heartfelt appreciation to readers and supporters. We are pleased to be a part of this thriving community of good neighbors.
