Hey there, radio fans, and happy spring. As longtime Onion correspondent Jim Anchower used to say: been a while since I rapped at ya.

When last we spoke, I was a freshly minted dad, trying to navigate the first weeks at home with a newborn. Since then? Wowzers. Turns out my little kid is already well on his way to becoming one of the next generation of CHIRP volunteers.

In addition to having the station on his radio presets in his room, Ernie also made his street festival debut this summer, helping me and my fellow volunteers set up tents at fests all over the city. I mean, "helped" is a relative terms. It was more of a moral support role. Still counts!

I was out of the country during the fall fundraising campaign, which means its even more important to come through big this time around. Ernie deserves a world where community matters, where passions don't need to be monetized, where underheard voices get the floor, and where artistic expression gets recognized for its merit rather than its sales potential.

With that in mind, why not start building it with CHIRP?

Over the next week and change, I'm raising at least $500 in his name to help secure CHIRP for the next generation of radio listeners. Our dedication to independent, commerical-free community radio will never go out of style; with your help, we can ensure that it never runs out of cold, hard cash either.

As always, thanks for reading, and for not rolling your eyes at all the baby pictures I've posted to Instagram this year.

CHIRP is radio as it's meant to be: live, local and independent.

We are true radio believers at CHIRP. We love the music that we share with you, and we are committed to our community -- playing local bands every single hour of the day, interviewing Chicago artists for our podcast series, showcasing local nonprofits doing important work, and generally making sure we are shining a light on our city's diverse, vibrant, creative scenes. And we're doing it all without any commercials!

Your generous support makes everything we do possible. We are a truly independent, listener-supported radio station, never beholden to corporate interests.

If you believe in this work, and if you're able, we please make a donation to CHIRP today.

IMPORTANT: If you would like to become a sustaining member by making a recurring donation (monthly or quarterly), or if you want to select a thank you gift, please visit CHIRP's main donation page to make your contribution (and to give in support of the person making this post, be sure to type their full name in the "volunteer to credit" section so they can receive credit for your gift).