The response to Manna Gum's Special Appeal at the beginning of the year was incredibly encouraging. Having decided to try to pay another wage ongoing we needed to grow Manna Gum's annual income to be able to cover it, but were doubtful as to how possible this was in uncertain times. The response to the appeal has given us real confidence that it is possible. We are not fully there yet, but we are much further ahead than we expected to be. Thank you to all those who have contributed.
In this edition of Manna Matters, we are trying a couple of new things. We are trialling expanding the print edition from sixteen to twenty pages, so we can fit more content in, in particular to include some shorter content under a "Manna Musings" column. Please let us know what you think – feedback is invaluable. Do you like it or is it too much?
On that, although it is probably contrary to what you might expect, if you are reading this on a screen, we would encourage you to think about getting the print edition. This is because we place a high value on materiality, and all the studies confirm that people read more deeply off a page than a screen. Plus, we know that emails tend to get buried in people’s inboxes, despite their best intentions, and online communication has a much higher ecological footprint than most people realise. Manna Matters is printed on 100% post-consumer waste paper (no trees cut down) and posted in recycled paper envelopes. So if you are currently getting electronic, consider the switch to good, old-fashioned paper.
We are steadily adding episodes to MannaCast: two on the church and one on ethical consumption. In February, I also took part in the ABC Radio National program, "God Forbid", discussing living with less. You can listen to it on the Radio National website. In an exciting development, Jacob has been exploring getting some of Manna Gum's material to high school-age kids through the youth organisation, Mustard. Watch this space.
Jonathan Cornford
 |
| Tony Rinaudo, for his inspiring story see Making a Forest, this edition. |