We're switching gears on this lovely Sunday in Washington, D.C. Today I'm on a mission to convince corporations to sponsor our cause. If we were to win some sponsorship, we could turn this movement into a legitimate force in D.C. and across the country. I envision people working for the FSLDM in various parts of the country and in a main office in D.C. Yes! You heard me right. I said working, and *gasp* earning a paycheck!
Here's my first attempt at reaching out to a potential corporate sponsor. I wrote to Michael Besancon, Senior Global Vice President of Purchasing, Distribution and Marketing, of Whole Foods. Lucky for him, right? (Wink, wink).
You may be wondering why I chose to write to Whole Foods. My first pick was Whole Foods, because I love their products and would like to shop there more than I can now. I know I'm not alone in that feeling, and many younger, educated professionals - like me - would like to support Whole Foods more than they can now. Moreover, when you realize that you're part of the indentured educated class, and not by your choosing, you quickly feel ashamed when entering a store like Whole Foods. You might think: "I really shouldn't be here. I can't afford to buy anything here, because of the education I just obtained from that fabulous school I attended." Perhaps you walk out empty-handed. Let's assume that there are millions of us who are now part of this new, indentured educated class. While we would love to shop at Whole Foods, we cannot. Perhaps those numbers would inspire them to be support our cause.
I may not get any response from Mr. Michael Besancon. But, heck, it's worth trying for all the individuals who are committed to this movement. (Many of you are aware that I also have a questionnaire set up on Facebook - it's an event called, "Please help us collect data for retailer support!" I hope you fill it out).
Letter:
Dear Mr. Besancon:
My name is Ms. C. Cryn Johannsen, and I am the promotional writer and marketer for Robert Applebaum's Forgive Student Loan Debt Movement.
Are you familiar with this movement and Mr. Applebaum's proposal? If not, please allow me to provide you with a brief history.
Like many American consumers, Mr. Applebaum was frustrated by the way the bailout on Wall Street was handled in January. Out of this frustration, Mr. Applebaum created a Facebook group called "Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy." He assumed that only a few people would join. As of today, September 13th, we have 228,713 members!
I am writing to see if you would be interested in sponsoring our group's efforts. We fall within that highly desired demographic - we're in our 20s and 30s, educated, and hip. We like to consume your products and support Whole Foods Market. However, millions of us in this coveted demographic are unable to do so because we are saddled with student loan debt. Members of our group send half of their paychecks or more to their lenders each month. This economic burden does not allow them to buy consumer goods at Whole Foods.
I've been collecting data from our members and asked them to tell me how much money they would spend at your store every week if they weren't saddled with student loan debt. When people took out this debt, they took it out to better themselves. We have all our lives been told that education is priceless. When many students take out loans they are only 18. The language and complexity of these loans is even difficult for experts on student lending to comprehend, let alone an 18-year-old. In many instances, the loans students take out are not transparent, and they don't realize this until they've graduated. What does this mean to you? The student lending industry has cornered a lucrative market and you're losing money as a result. That's why I urge you to consider sponsoring us, so that we can push Congress to change the way the student lending industry is regulated.
More than anything, we are trying to create a lobbying group that will watch out for students and a consumer demographic of people who are struggling to buy products created by your company for our age group. If we were to be an actual presence in D.C., we could push for real change that would boost the economy immediately, and you would see more consumers in their 20s and 30s back in your stores.
You can read Mr. Applebaum's proposal here: http://www.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Respectfully,
Ms. C. Cryn Johannsen
Promotional Writer and Marketer, Robert Applebaum's Forgive Student Loan Debt Movement
Washington, D.C./Mid-Atlantic Charter Leader
Are you familiar with this movement and Mr. Applebaum's proposal? If not, please allow me to provide you with a brief history.
Like many American consumers, Mr. Applebaum was frustrated by the way the bailout on Wall Street was handled in January. Out of this frustration, Mr. Applebaum created a Facebook group called "Cancel Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy." He assumed that only a few people would join. As of today, September 13th, we have 228,713 members!
I am writing to see if you would be interested in sponsoring our group's efforts. We fall within that highly desired demographic - we're in our 20s and 30s, educated, and hip. We like to consume your products and support Whole Foods Market. However, millions of us in this coveted demographic are unable to do so because we are saddled with student loan debt. Members of our group send half of their paychecks or more to their lenders each month. This economic burden does not allow them to buy consumer goods at Whole Foods.
I've been collecting data from our members and asked them to tell me how much money they would spend at your store every week if they weren't saddled with student loan debt. When people took out this debt, they took it out to better themselves. We have all our lives been told that education is priceless. When many students take out loans they are only 18. The language and complexity of these loans is even difficult for experts on student lending to comprehend, let alone an 18-year-old. In many instances, the loans students take out are not transparent, and they don't realize this until they've graduated. What does this mean to you? The student lending industry has cornered a lucrative market and you're losing money as a result. That's why I urge you to consider sponsoring us, so that we can push Congress to change the way the student lending industry is regulated.
More than anything, we are trying to create a lobbying group that will watch out for students and a consumer demographic of people who are struggling to buy products created by your company for our age group. If we were to be an actual presence in D.C., we could push for real change that would boost the economy immediately, and you would see more consumers in their 20s and 30s back in your stores.
You can read Mr. Applebaum's proposal here: http://www.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Respectfully,
Ms. C. Cryn Johannsen
Promotional Writer and Marketer, Robert Applebaum's Forgive Student Loan Debt Movement
Washington, D.C./Mid-Atlantic Charter Leader
Stay tuned . . .
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