We need your help to continue telling your stories

Dear Henrico Citizen Reader,

We need your help to continue telling your stories.

When I first started working at a community newspaper, it was strictly a means to earn a paycheck. My kids were all in school, and the job offered flexible hours and a chance to dip my toes back into the work world after 13 years at home.

It didn't take long for the job to become much more than a paycheck.

After almost 20 years with the Citizen, I consider community journalism a calling – bordering on compulsion. I'm at an age at which many people retire, but I can't even conceive of giving this up. There are too many stories still out there; too many interesting people yet to meet.

Most of all, there is too much need.

Now, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are feeling a different type of need ourselves. We’ve lost about half of our advertising revenue but are still working daily to provide the news that matters to Henrico readers – online; through our daily weekday email news update and podcast; and through our social media channels.

We’re asking for support from those of you who value the work we do and feel able to contribute to it to; you may do so in a tax-deductible way here. To those who already have given, we say a heartfelt "thank you."

Your assistance not only will allow us to continue as the independent news source of Henrico County – but we’ll also donate advertising space to the nonprofit of your choice. (Just email us at citizen@henricocitizen.com to let us know which one.)

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When the Citizen began in 2001, we were living through an era of lightning-fast change, and Americans had just gone through a cataclysmic event – with effects that would reverberate through the years.

Fast forward to today, and rapid change is still a way of life – only it has accelerated, aggravated once again by a cataclysmic event with long-lasting reverberations.

What's more, this event is still in progress.

In an age when people are often isolated from their neighbors and less likely to be civically involved, community journalism strives to link you to others and to foster a sense of community.

At the Citizen, our favorite stories tend to revolve around local volunteers, neighborly acts, awards ceremonies, and recognition of youth achievement. We love nothing better than shining the spotlight on remarkable educators in our annual Henrico's Top Teachers issue, supporting charitable causes by covering their fundraisers, and boosting small businesses by photographing their ribbon-cutting or groundbreakings.

We love calling attention to good deeds and good people – especially when those good people labor in obscurity and behind the scenes. We believe that stories about the unsung heroes in our community help unite us, remind us of all the the good things going on, generate pride in community, and make you feel more connected to others.

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Like most of our stories, these would be impossible to cover while sitting at a desk; meaningful community connections are not developed by making phone calls.

But the immersive experience takes a huge commitment of time. Not to mention the final task: the hard work of researching, fact-checking and crafting a story that's clear, concise, and highlights the what's important.

We work long hours to get it all right.

We hope we can keep it up for years to come.

Scientists say that human brains are wired to hunger for story, to help make sense of the world around them.

You might say that human hearts hunger for connection and meaning as well.

Connection, meaning, and making sense of the world through stories. I can't think of anything we need more at a time like this.

And I can't think of anyone who provides it better than community journalists – and the Citizen.

If you agree, we invite you to contribute to our efforts.

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You may now make tax-deductible contributions to the Henrico Citizen through our partnership with the Local Media Association. Learn more and make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen here.

If the tax-deductible element isn’t important to you, you may still donate directly to us here. One-hundred percent of your contribution will be used for our local journalism efforts.

Thank you for your readership and support.

All the best,