What if the people we walk past every day were paid to tell their own stories?

Not as a handout. Not as charity. But as talented writers with meaningful work to do.

I am launching a digital newspaper written entirely by individuals experiencing homelessness in the Pittsburgh community. Each writer will be paid for their work like any other journalist. This is paid creative labor, economic dignity, media equity, and workforce opportunity.

Unhoused individuals are frequently the subject of stories, but rarely the authors of them. Many have powerful insights, creativity, and lived experience that go unheard. Many are artists, thinkers, storytellers, and observers of systems most of us never experience. This project offers a platform- and a paycheck- for those voices.

This is “The Menschen”. German for; human beings.

A name chosen to center dignity above circumstance.

The plan and how it works:

To begin, we will launch a digital newspaper featuring 3–5 unhoused writers for the first three months.

Each writer will:

Submit one article per month

Be paid $40-60 per article during our pilot phase, with payment increases as we receive more funding.

Monthly issues will include articles such as;

Lived experience, culture and expression, Black History, "Ask Annie" advice or questionnaire column, Whats Happening in Pittsburgh, poetry, comics, creative works, and faith and religion- for example.

This fundraiser launches our pilot phase. Sustainability will come from ad sponsorships, reader memberships, and grant funding once proof of concept is established.

As readership builds, we will introduce a small paywall and sell ad space as payment to our writers.

The long term goal is to produce a physical newspaper that, in addition to the digital version, can be sold for cash by unhoused individuals, at their chosen price point, for their own profit. This option will help expand job opportunities to individuals who don't have access to computers or phones.

Although this is a non-profit project, we will not be eligible for government funding or grants until we are able to provide proof of concept. Once we are able to apply, this will help greatly with future funding to keep The Menschen running. Right now, we need you to get it off the ground.

All advertising and operational work will be handled by myself and a small talented team of 3 volunteers.

A breakdown of where funds from this gofundme will be utilized:

Direct writer payments

Website hosting and publishing tools

Outreach to shelters and kitchens to advertise for writers and space rental for monthly meetings

Social media boosting

EIN application

If available, future communication with printing press

Small additional unexpected costs

How successful The Menschen is and how much we can pay our writers depends on your help. Our listed goal reflects the minimum amount required to launch a 3-4 month pilot and pay writers fairly.

Every dollar raised beyond this amount will:

Increase writer pay per article

Extend the pilot beyond three months

Add additional writers

Strengthen long-term sustainability

The more we raise, the more work we can fund.

Transparency commitment:

Funds will be kept in a separate account dedicated solely to this project.

Writers will only be contracted once minimum funding is secured, though if we do not reach our goal, we will adjust finances and continue on with the pilot launch.

During this startup, no Menschen staff will be paid- all have committed to volunteer work while the project gets up and running.

Each issue will include optional “Meet the Writers” profiles, where contributors can share about themselves on their own terms.

Your impact:

For your generous donation:

$20 can fund flyers for job ads

$40 funds one published article and goes directly to the writer

$200 funds an entire issue

The Menschen is not charity.

It's opportunity.

If you’re not in a position to give right now, sharing this campaign is just as powerful. Visibility builds readership. Readership builds sustainability. Every share helps bring these writers closer to paid work.

If you believe in this project, we invite you to help us begin.