I came across a Facebook memory this week from January 2020 noting that our local new site West St. Paul Reader now had 16 members.
Four years later we have 268 members.
Back in 2020, I said it was “super encouraging” to see the support coming together. With 16 members. I can’t help but wonder if I really felt that way or if I was putting a brave face on it.
Looking back on 268 members, it is humbling and gratifying to see this little experiment in neighborhood news take off. We’re informing the community, hiring contributors, and truly making an impact. It’s becoming sustainable. All thanks to community.
How Did It Happen?
One of our members commented that it takes a lot of persistence. Another talked about passion and patience. It takes all those things and more. And a lot of hard work. It’s definitely not easy, or everyone would do it.
Building something impactful in your community definitely takes passion, patience, and persistence. You have to love it. You have to be willing to wait and let it grow (even when it’s just 16 folks supporting it). And you have to keep fighting for it, pushing forward, and making progress.
It happens one day at a time.