The following is excerpted from this week's Brick House newsletter:

DIRECTORS CONSIDER SELLING THE BRICK HOUSE

Now that the radio project is starting up again, the resources of the Brick House are being stretched thin. Concerts are bringing in several hundred dollars a month, but we are still several hundred dollars short each month of being able to pay our monthly bills (currently about $1150) just to keep the building open.

We survived the past six months on a $5000 grant from an anonymous donor that the radio group brought to us. That money has now run out. Moreover -- just as we ran out of money -- we received an offer to buy the building for $125,000, the same amount we paid for it in 2002.

A majority of the directors say they are tempted to sell because it would let us pay our mortgage and related debts, bank a few thousand, and concentrate our efforts on getting radio off the ground.

But the directors also say they will reconsider selling if a few leaders come forward to demonstrate the need to keep the building, the manpower to run it, and a realistic plan to pay the bills.

CAN THE BRICK HOUSE SURVIVE?
[CAN YOU SPELL "SELF-RELIANCE" AND "SUSTAINABILITY"?]

The Brick House is a DIY community center devoted to encouraging and developing self-reliance and sustainability. We must practice what we preach. If the ideals of the Brick House are worthwhile, then surely in a city of a million people, we can find the resources to be self-sufficient.

We are trying to muster support from the various communities we serve. For example:
  * The kids (and adults) who attend our all-ages concerts
  * Parents of the kids who attend our concerts who feel it is a healthy place for them to hang out.
  * Musicians who value having an affordable, non-drinking venue where they are free to experiment with different kinds of music
  * Participants in our other activities (bicycle workshop, art workshop, gardening, Food Not Bombs,
  * Members of the Old Louisville community who value our presence

The immediate task is to demonstrate to the directors within the next few days that we can soon be self-sufficient. They will be voting on selling the building this Tuesday (Feb. 20).

Because time is so short, we are attempting a "quick fix" to clearly demonstrate that we can get our operations into the black in short order. We'll are asking you to join us in a drive to collect at least a hundred names of people who pledge $5 a month to help meet the monthly bills.

One hundred donors pledging $5 a month will generate $500 per month. When added to our concert and other revenue, that will only just barely pay our monthly expenses. But if we can put such a support structure in place in just a few days, this will demonstrate to our directors that the community does support the Brick House and that the building is worth saving. (And two hundred names will yield a few hundred dollars a month to help us start fixing up the place (starting with the bathrooms) and buying some supplies, etc.)

All donations are tax-deductible. Brycc House, Inc., is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational organization. (You can verify this by searching the IRS charity database for "BRYCC".)

For more information call 213-0428.