Franklin County Coalition Launches Membership Drive: Goal of 750 Individual Members by 2002

CONTACT:
Thomas Linzey, Esq.
709-0457

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shippensburg (September 5) - The Franklin County Coalition announced today that it has formally launched its membership drive for its 2001 Program Year, with a goal of having 750 individual members by late 2002. The Coalition also established a goal of having over thirty nonprofit organizations and over one hundred locally owned business endorsers by that deadline.

Currently, the Franklin County Coalition is comprised of over a hundred individual members, sixteen nonprofit organizational members, and thirty locally owned business endorsers. All members of the Coalition receive a quarterly newsletter, Franklin Green, which contains articles written by Coalition members and news about Coalition activities. Members are also invited to participate in an annual Coalition picnic, and are hosted on the Coalition's e-mail lists.

The Franklin County Coalition will be spearheading its membership drive by establishing a permanent advertising table at the Southgate Farmers' Market in Chambersburg. The Coalition will also be aggressively marketing membership through its annual 2000 Voters Guide for Franklin County residents. That Voter Guide will be distributed through member organizations and business endorsers beginning in October and ending on election day.

Tom Linzey, coordinator of the Coalition, explained that "membership in the Coalition has grown steadily over the past year since the Coalition began offering individual memberships. This membership drive's ambitious goal is to become the largest membership organization in Franklin County, and to include almost all of the nonprofit organizations and locally owned businesses within the County." Linzey added that "building sustainable communities requires input from all members of the community and that is the goal of this membership drive."

Coalition membership is open to community and environmental nonprofit organizations; locally owned businesses; and Franklin County residents. Organizational memberships are offered free of charge; individual memberships are $30 for a basic membership, which includes a subscription to the Coalition's quarterly newsletter, Franklin Green. Other levels of membership, including a lifetime membership category, are also available to individuals.

Individual, organizational, and business endorsers can join the Coalition by calling 530-0764. Membership packets will then be mailed to callers.