Hello my name is Ian Howard. I am the director of a teen center based around roleplaying games. I am posting here to seek aid from the gaming community of the World. Please take a moment to read my posting and any questions or comments please email me or post here. Thank you for your time and for the brilliant design work you are doing. The existance of this site and community shows the growth and maturity of the gaming industry.

Gamers of the World,

Do you remember the pride and excitement you got the first time you defeated that Giant without losing a party member? Or, that first time you stopped the Empire from stealing the maiden and conquering the world? How about that first inn when you all met and came together to help the town? Of course, you do!
Now The Game Loft needs your help! We are under siege by ravaging hoards of orcs and goblins. What is The Game Loft? A retail shop? No. A new gaming company? No. A gaming group? Not quite that either. We are a new and powerful aspect of the gaming industry. We like many others are pushing gaming, and gaming culture, in a new direction and we need your help. What we are is a teen center focused on non-electronic gaming. Every part of the hobby is played here from miniatures to roleplaying and cards to LARPs.
So why do we need you? We need you for support. We are a non-profit. We are not a store. We don’t sell games to make money. We have to find grants and donations to keep our doors open. That’s right I’m asking you for a donations but please let me explain why.
The Game Loft, like many grassroots efforts, was founded on a wing and a prayer. A group of adults and teens that had the common interest of gaming came together to form the Loft. That was seven years ago. Two people who work with the youth everyday after school and on weekends now staff us. We have over 50 youth members who have chosen to support the Loft and enter into our program. We had over 6,400 visits last year. All this is occurring in the small county of Waldo, Maine, population 15,000.
So now you’re saying to yourself, “why should I care about a small game program in Belfast Maine?” It will never affect me. That’s where you’re wrong. It will affect you. We want to see our program, the heart of what we do here, brought to centers around the world. We envision a network of centers, driven by the love of gaming and the desire to help teens enjoy their life, connected together under one banner. That will affect you because it affects your hobby and passion. Even if you don’t have children who are gamers, think of the positive image we can bring to gaming. Let the public see what we have known all along. Gaming is a powerful means of impacting a young person’s life. We have taken that knowledge and created a place of teen freedom and meaning.
The problem is we are running dangerously low on funds. Our coffers are dry. We need extra support to keep our program open and get the attention we need to expand. The Game Loft is struggling. We are using our local resources to the best of our ability and we continue to do so. Even the Department of Health and Human Services for the State of Maine supports us but we need more aid and that is why I am sending out this plea to the gaming community. Most people who fund us do so because they know we work with kids and they see what an impact it has on them. Yet they don’t understand what we do at all. You do. You know the thrill of gaming. You remember the ego boost you got the first time you successfully slaughtered that Ogre that seemed so daunting. You know the personal boost you got when an adult really listened to what you said about your character and his story because he gamed too.
The future of gaming and The Game Loft is very bright. Our present, just like the industries right now, is a little dark. We just need a little help from you to get ourselves through the dark dungeon. Please take a moment to look at our website www.thegameloft.org and see what we do. Then click on our donation button. If every person who reads this notice took a moment to send five dollars we would be saved. A few dollars will be like a Grand Cleave attack. Help us destroy those orcs and goblins.

Ian Howard,
Deputy Director
gameloft@midcoast.com

Uh . . . I was in the Game Loft about 2 years ago and it was definitely a store, then. I wouldn't mind a bit of explanation, here.

And I am just curious. The first thing I thought when I saw the organization was in Maine was, "Oh, cool, I'm too poor to really donate money but I have enough time to possibly volunteer. Gaming and community service!" So I wouldn't mind getting this all settled out, hehe.

The store you were in is called All About Games and it is most deffinetly a game shop. We are a seperate entity unaffiliated with that store. We are a 501c(3) non-profit in Belfast Maine.

As for volunteering, we would welcome your assistance. We can always find various projects for volunteers. Please feel free to contact me off list with any more questions. Also, see our website for more information. www.thegameloft.org

Ian