Some happy news here to end a busy week of coffee culture, as the non-profit community activism organization Getchusomegear has announced a huge new slate of grant recipients for the new #Getchuagrant program. First announced in September as a partnership with Seattle Coffee Gear, Getchuagrant expanded through the fall to include partnerships with Oatly, the Good Food Awards, and Royal Coffee. Now a new slate of recipients has been announced, with spotlights happening each day on Getchusomegear’s Instagram.
Grant seekers were asked to fill out a simple questionnaire. “We received 49 responses,” Getchu founder Chris McAuley tells Sprudge. “It was very difficult and we had to make some tough decisions from there. But we wanted to boost and lift up folks that aligned with the values we have. Queer people deserve a space in coffee. Black folks deserve a space in coffee. People that often get kind of stepped on and looked over, they deserve that space. And so we went for people who are digging deep to work for their communities and the community that surrounds their shop.”
The organization hopes to continue the grant program in 2021, and will soon launch a website profiling the first wave of receivers. “I still kind of can’t believe it happened,” McAuley adds. “The fact that these companies and organizations were able to take a step and use their power to lift up someone else… it’s so beautiful to be a part of something that’s even bigger than Getchusomegear.”
Many of the granted businesses are brand new, and these grants will help them seed growth and develop into thriving companies in the months and years to come. Let’s meet the grant getters!
The following recipients qualified for a $5000 grant in partnership with Seattle Coffee Gear.
Christina Chin of Favor Coffee
Sonam Parikh of Mina’s World
Jennifer A. Cantú of Gloria’s Coffee Bar
Jose Acosta of Ace of Cups
Melissa Stinson of Everybody’s Busy
Read a recent interview with Melissa Stinson on Sprudge.
The following recipients qualified for a $2500 grant in partnership with Royal Coffee of Oakland.
Moriah Mesina of Chrome Coffee
Maya Crowley of Uncommon Coffee
Umeko Motoyoshi of Umeshiso Coffee Supply
Listen to A Better Table on the Sprudge Podcast Network, hosted by Umeko Motoyoshi.
Tiani Wright of Coffee And Tax
Read our recent interview with Tiani Wright on Sprudge.
The following recipients qualified for a $500 grant in partnership with Oatly.
Kaylah Saltzman-Bravo of Albizu Coffee Roasters
Rhema Jordan of Roots + Rivers
Kimberly Helms of Sightseer
Jess Harmon of Sanction Coffee Club
Jess Mill of Weird City
Nancy Alvarez & Shannon Smith of Monster Coffee Roasters
Chass Grissom of Parle Espresso Bar
The following recipient qualified for a $570 grant in partnership with the Good Food Awards.
LaChrista McArthur of The Barista Coalition & Hello Love
For much more information and about the slate of Getchuagrant recipients for 2020, follow @getchusomegear on Instagram. Read Nicole Taliaferro’s recent profile of Chris McAuley and Getchusomegear on Sprudge.
Sprudge Media Network is proudly partnered with Getchusomegear.
