In a previous post about the Black Lives Matter movement, we made a commitment to taking action and donating towards the cause. We made a list of several things that we had planned to do and now would like to show proof of that commitment.
Redeemer Center For Life
We donated 5000 US dollars to the initiative Redeemer Center for Life. The nonprofit organization is “committed to youth training, attainable housing, and workforce development in the Harrison neighborhood of North Minneapolis.” Previously, we had stated that we would be donating $5000 to the organization Reclaim the Block instead. Reclaim the Block put out a call to instead donate to other organizations that are doing similar work. Therefore, we have decided to redirect the same amount to the Redeemer Center for Life.
We have also started a matching fundraiser campaign for this group with several other coffee product companies, which you can read more about here.
Dream Defenders
We donated 2000 US dollars to the initiative Dream Defenders. The group empowers black and brown youth in a number of different cities across the United States, including Miami, Orlando, and Pensacola.
Ongoing and Longterm Action on our Website
This month, and every month for the rest of the year, we will identify and highlight a different nonprofit organization whose main goal is to dismantle systematic racism. Our customers will have the option of both learning and donating. We have started that project on our website, which gives our community the option to donate to a chosen organization while purchasing from our webshop. Here is the current product link for the National Bail Out Fund which will run til the end of July. We will continue this support for the foreseeable future, extending it out to other nonprofits that align with our values.
Protestor Support through Supportive Cafes
We committed to helping out cafes that have been supporting their local groups of BLM protestors with supplies such as water and food. We reached out to Everyman Espresso, a well-known specialty coffee company in New York, who was operating as a support center. We were aware of their help from what we saw on social media, spoke with them, and sent funds to help them continue their efforts.
GetchuSomeGear and Re:Co Tickets
The account GetchuSomeGear is only around a year old yet has been doing great work at pairing coffee gear with marginalized baristas. In recent weeks, the account reached out to help purchase tickets to the next Re:Co conference for black coffee professionals. We donated the equivalent of four tickets to help GetchuSomeGear reach its goal.
If you like to find out more about the account and how they are currently working on being official recognized as a nonprofit organization, we recommend seeing their link tree here.
