Two years ago, the news was overtaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing heartache and breathtaking change to the world. Businesses closed. People lost their jobs and paychecks. Hospitals operated at and even beyond their capacity. The news was filled with stories of confusion, worry, illness, uncertainty, anxiety, and fear. And, if you read about it in the news, Binc is there helping booksellers, comic shop employees, and store owners with unforeseen emergency financial needs.
You were there, too.
In the past two years over 2,800 individuals, families, and stores have received nearly $4.5 million dollars in financial assistance from Binc.
March 2020 began a time of tremendous need for emergency financial assistance that has been met with an equally tremendous outpouring of support and compassion from publishers, authors, volunteers, regional trade associations, illustrators, comic book creators, literary agents, media partners, and others.
In the first 30 days of the pandemic Binc received more requests for assistance than the previous eight years combined. Thanks to the generosity of our amazing supporters no one with a qualified need has been turned away.
During the past two years we learned that the Foundation has more friends than we knew. Friends that extended their hand in help. Friends that pointed others towards Binc, spreading the word that a safety net was available. Friends that came forward and donated to meet that tremendous need.
Glennon Doyle, in her book Untamed said, “These things will be hard, but you can do hard things.”
The past two years have brought hardships for many in every community, and that is still the case. The emergency assistance requests we receive each week echo the hardships we read in the news.
Hardships like medical and dental needs that were delayed due to illness, lack of medical service availability, and lack of insurance are now critical issues. Anxiety, grief, and depression adding to everyday stresses and highlighting the need for mental health assistance. Domestic violence. Job loss. Housing stability. Funerals.
These hardships are in the news and Binc is there with a safety net because you are there with us. You are there with us to point employees and owners of bookstores and comic shops towards Binc when they are in need of that safety net. You are there with us to meet the emergency financial needs through your donations.
We are grateful and humbled by the extraordinary support and advocacy of thousands of people like you. The past two years have shown us that together we have done, and will continue to do, the hard things. Thank you.
