Publishers of the Island’s own phonebook, the Mercer Island Guild of Seattle Children’s Hospital, is pleased to report that revenue from ad sponsorships and donations from residents remained strong in 2014 allowing the guild to donated $120,000 to the hospital.
Consistently listed in the top ten out of almost 500 Guilds supporting uncompensated care and research at the hospital, the Directory has generated over $100,000 every year since 1995.
Support by local businesses and generous donations by island residents has made this possible since 1943, when the MI Guild took over the phonebook. The earliest version of the directory was a for-profit business owned by Warren Upper, a local high school student. In 1942, he enlisted in WWII and sold his small business, then a printed list of only 200 residents, to the MI Guild. Since then the MI Directory has operated as a charity, now having 63 pages of residential listings and over 400 advertisers.
Information about advertising options, residential listings, volunteer activities and donations is available on the web at www.midirectory.org. Email contact is miphonebook@gmail.com and the business address is PO Box 442, Mercer Island, WA 98040.
Expenses are kept as low as possible by the 33 active guild members, who do everything but the design, layout and printing of the Directory. Mailing day in March is a big event, with many island residents joining the members stuffing the phone book into envelopes and organizing them for easy handling by the post office. Year round, numerous changes, deletions and new numbers are added to the data base, invoices are sent, donations tallied and new ads and ad renewals are solicited.
The September Guild meeting is Friday, Sept 12.
Mercer Island Guild Of Seattle Children’s Hospital monthly meeting is at 10 a.m., September 12. The first meeting of the season is at the home of Janice Krekow, 7717 S.E. 22nd St, Mercer Island. Newcomers are welcome.
Join in as work on the 2015 Directory begins. Agenda items include ad renewal assignments. Lunch will follow the business meeting. All members and newcomers should RSVP to Tracy Landsman at 232-0409 or landsmans@comcast.net.
