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With less than $500 to go before we meet our original $15,000 goal, we've raised our fundraising target for Chicago movie theater employees to $25,000!
We've been blown away by your generosity. We've also learned a lot about what our applicants are going through.
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We've been blown away by your generosity. We've also learned a lot about what our applicants are going through.
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In this thread, we'd like to share some of the testimonials that we've received along with the nearly 100 applications that have come in to the CCWF. (Applicants, thank you so much for sharing your experiences!)
Some of these testimonials speak to the importance of the moviegoing experience and the community that comes together around their cinemas:
"[My cinema] is a very special place to the city of Chicago and I miss going there. I miss all the amazing people I worked with and all the amazing events and films we'd host. I hope everything goes back to normal for them soon."
"I love my job at the Landmark so much. I miss my coworkers, the customers, & getting new movies every Friday. I love film so much. Going to the movies [...] in a theater is such a wonderful way people come together. I can't wait until we can go back."
"My job at Facets means the world to me. The people and the education they provide to the younger generations is invaluable. I pray Facets makes it thru so I can go back to being a part of something so important."
This quote, from an employee at the Harper, really drives home how much pride cinema workers take in their work and the important value they bring to our communities.
Some of the other testimonials stress how important cinema jobs (which offer flexible hours and entry level-positions) can be for students:
"I’m a full time student paying for my own education at Loyola University Chicago, this job helps me put myself through school."
"I have been without a job as a future college student for next year who needs that money to go to college, without a job I don’t know if I can go to college or how I’d come up with the funds."
"Currently I'm a college student and its affecting my entire household because I live with my parents and all 3 of us are unemployed now for a couple of weeks. Paying for rent is starting to look slim along with paying for other bills."
Movie theaters can be great places to work for people who contribute to Chicago arts and culture in other ways. We've received applications from several actors who are facing hardship:
"Being an actor in Chicago, I lost all of my jobs when the shutdown was enacted. [My cinema job] was the one steady paycheck I could definitely rely on. Because movie theaters are also places where crowds gather often, I'm worried they [will be] the last places to open back up."
!["Being an actor in Chicago, I lost all of my jobs when the shutdown was enacted. [My cinema job] was the one steady paycheck I could definitely rely on. Because movie theaters are also places where crowds gather often, I'm worried they [will be] the last places to open back up."](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWPgTqOXYAEXmxh.png "\"Being an actor in Chicago, I lost all of my jobs when the shutdown was enacted. [My cinema job] was the one steady paycheck I could definitely rely on. Because movie theaters are also places where crowds gather often, I'm worried they [will be] the last places to open back up.\"")
Some of the testimonials speak with raw honesty about the anxiety that people are facing: "Extremely stressed out and worried." "This shut down is hard on my daily routine especially my mental state of mind."
The main thing that comes across throughout these applications, though, is how badly we all want to get back to experiencing the joy of cinema together. "Even a small amount goes a long way. Hopefully this all passes soon so we can get back to doing what we love so much."
If you feel the same way, a donation to http://www.chicagocinemaworkers.com would be a huge help to the folks who have made filmgoing such an important part of life in Chicago–and who will do so again!
