Support the A-Zone!
The A-Zone has survived and grown as a community space since 1995, and we look forward to a second decade of activism and dissent, and more importantly, the ongoing promotion of new worker-run collectives and self-sustaining infrastructure. But we need your help to overcome some of the considerable constraints of operating within a state-capitalist system that undermines and undervalues the kinds of work we do. The A-Zone is a not-for-profit building, but rents must be charged to member organizations in order to cover a wide array of both “start-up” and “operating” costs. The former refers to ongoing loan repayment for the initial purchase of the A-Zone. The latter includes everything from city property taxes, GST, and business taxes, to utilities, maintenance and emergency repairs, as well as building improvements.
“The A-Zone is what every activist in every city or town dreams of and few get to experience: a physical space that is under the control of those who work in it, part of a network of alternative institutions where people can learn, together, what could be accomplished in a better society. When I saw it years ago, my first reaction was happy surprise. It was only a little later that envy started to sneak in… one major problem I can think of is that there aren’t more of them.”
— Justin Podur, ZNet
Currently, the A-Zone is struggling to meet its loan schedule, pay off large property tax arrears (in the range of $50,000), as well as cover City-imposed fire code upgrades (approx. $8-10 thousand). These are merely the most pressing and current of the A-Zone’s financial priorities. In the past, money has gone towards emergencies, such as re-building the entire A-Zone roof, rather than taxes. Future structural goals include renovating the main stairwell, masonry re-pointing, and making the entire A-Zone wheelchair accessible.
Thankfully, the A-Zone has begun to cover current operating costs with rent revenue from member organizations. But we need to begin aggressively cutting into the above-mentioned financial debts, accumulated over the last ten years, if we are to ensure long-term viability of the space, and more importantly, if we are to be able to start implementing future plans and priorities for A-Zone upkeep and improvement.
Support for the A-Zone can be offered in many ways: donating skilled and unskilled labour, helping to coordinate our upcoming 2007 fund-raising campaign, or planning social and political events (like our much-talked about “Festival of Anarchism”), as well as much-needed financial donations. Drop us a line if you’re interested in helping out in any of these areas.
Donations can be made below as either a one-time contribution, or a monthly pledge as a “Friend of the A-Zone.”
Make a one-time donation
Even a small one-time donation can be a big help (and a show of solidarity) to the A-Zone project. (You will be prompted to enter a donation amount during the PayPal payment process.)
Become a friend of the A-Zone
As a Friend of the A-Zone, you’ll be actively supporting our efforts to become a more sustainable project, while still offering important progressive businesses and activist groups an affordable and supportive space to work and grow in. We plan on offering free gifts and incentive packages in the near future to Friends of the A-Zone - if you sign up now, you will still receive the free gifts commensurate with the level of monthly donation you give. Thanks for your support!