NASHVILLE, Feb. 23, 2024 – Mayor Freddie O’Connell and local radio host Khalil Ekulona will join The Contributor, Nashville’s street paper, at its 2024 Annual Awards Ceremony and Fundraiser Breakfast at Belmont University on March 7 to celebrate the sales of 169,653 newspapers in 2023.
Ekulona, host of WPLN’s daily show This is Nashville, will deliver the keynote address and is joined by Mayor O’Connell who will provide a few words to honor the achievements of the top 15 Contributor vendors of 2023.
Will Connelly, executive director of The Contributor Inc., said the paper generated an estimated $675,759 in profits to newspaper vendors last year, which went directly back into Nashville’s economy and helps vendors gain and maintain housing.
“The newspaper vendors show incredible determination and perseverance in obtaining an income to get off the streets,” Connelly said. “We want to celebrate their success and the impact they have on their neighborhoods.”
Mayor O’Connell said The Contributor continues to play a significant role in the lives of vendors as they move away from their experience of homelessness and into housing.
“This is a great opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of the vendors at The Contributor,” Mayor O’Connell said. “I support the mission of The Contributor and appreciate the role they play in the community’s work to house and support people experiencing homelessness in Nashville.”
The Contributor Inc. has partnered with Metro government to provide supportive housing services for approximately 75 people per year who are transitioning from long-term and chronic homelessness to permanent housing.Currently, the newspaper has 187 actively selling vendors with 53 percent having successfully obtained and maintained permanent housing.
“The Contributor truly changes lives and enables people to set their own goals and pace, which helps them move off the streets of Nashville,” Connelly said, adding that 70 percent of vendors who started out as being homeless and have sold papers for at least six months are now in housing.
The breakfast event will feature a presentation by Lisa Abell, a formerly homeless vendor, who will share her personal journey as a Contributor vendor. Additionally, The Contributor will honor the top 15 vendors of 2023 and present special editorial and vendor success awards.
What: Awards Ceremony and Fundraiser
When: March 7, 2024, from 7:30-9:00 am
Where: Belmont University’s Janes Ayers Academic Center
1501 Wedgewood Ave, Nashville, TN 37212
4th Floor
To purchase tickets, please visit www.thecontributor.org/latest-events. Companies interested in sponsoring the event are encouraged to contact Holly Bowman, Director of Development and Communications, at holly@thecontributor.org.
Contact
Holly Bowman
P.O. Box 332023
Nashville, TN 37203
Holly@thecontributor.org | Office: (615) 829-6829 | Cell: (703) 861-1528
Established in 2007, The Contributor is a Nashville-based nonprofit that offers individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty an opportunity to earn income. Following an interview and sales training, vendors become independent contractors who purchase each paper for $0.50 and sell them for $2.00, retaining the profit. Since its inception, vendors have sold over 8 million copies of the paper. In 2020, The Contributor Inc. has added its supportive housing program to help reduce homelessness among its vendors. Donations to support the organization can be made at www.thecontributor.org/donate.