2009 Calendar Success

February 2009 - Despite progressively worse media stories of economic crisis, Hope in Shadows calendar street sellers managed to increase their profits by an amazing 140 percent over last year.

Paul Ryan, director of the Hope in Shadows campaign, said 13,300 calendars were printed - 4,000 more than the 9,250 printed last year. "Last year we sold out before Christmas so we printed more and set the target high. We're really pleased that all the extra 4,000 calendars printed sold on the streets as sales earning were more than $100,000 for the sellers, up $40,000 on last year. It seems like Vancouverites have now fully embraced the street vendor aspect of Hope in Shadows." The Hope in Shadows book earned vendors $30,000.

It was believed this year's success was due to a combination of things, including more sellers trained in the micro-credit sales courses (220 sellers, up 15 percent).

Other reasons for this year's success include the affordable price of the calendar, which at $20 including tax has not increased in five years; the quality of the calendar which had a very popular winning shot on the cover and was printed in a metallic-looking ink; and the new environmental emphasis: for the first time it was printed on 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled paper.

The Hope in Shadows calendar was sold by street vendors, community groups and retailers. Trained official street vendors wore blue and white ID City of Vancouver-sanctioned licenses with their name and photo on it.

Hope in Shadows book

The Hope in Shadows book released in April last year was the winner of the 2008 City of Vancouver Book Award.

The book, Hope in Shadows, Stories and Photographs of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, featuring interviews with 33 participants from the first five years of the project, was also sold by vendors this year.

Over 1,000 books were sold on the streets by calendar sellers over the Christmas period after the first print run of 2,000 ran out in July. The book was a joint publication with Arsenal Pulp Press, who coordinated the retail sales across Canada. It was part-funded by Arts Now, part of 2010 Legacies Now.

Like the calendar, fifty percent of the sale price of Hope in Shadows books went directly to the street vendors, many of whom were photographers in the June contest. More than 220 people were trained to sell the calendar and the book between early October and early December, an increase of 30 people over the previous year.

New features for the Hope in Shadows campaign included the formation of a vendor's committee, a program for women and the launch of the train the trainer program which helped top sellers gain experience training in a number of new training venues, including the Kettle Friendship Society.