On August 29th, Hurricane Ida made landfall in the United States, hitting Louisiana as a Category 4 with winds reaching up to 150mph, making it the second strongest hurricane to hit the state behind Katrina, which hit land exactly 16 years previous. The damaging storm caused flooding and power outages throughout the state, issues that still persist nearly two weeks later; in New Orleans for instance, a quarter of the city is still without power.
This includes coffee shops throughout NOLA and surrounding areas, leaving many cafes workers without any source of income during an already trying time. Enter Go Fund Bean, who is raising funds before displaced hourly coffee workers around Louisiana affected by Hurricane Ida.
Per the funding page, hourly cafe employees have been out of work for over a week due to the storms, with no means to make a living or cover the costs of food, gas, or any other evacuation-related expenses. For this latest campaign, Go Fund Bean—a non-profit organization started in March 2020 to aid out of work baristas during the COVID-19 pandemic—looks to raise at least $10,000 in order to provide $500 to affected hourly coffee workers.
As it stands, New Orleans is soon to play host to the SCA Expo, the biggest trade event in US specialty coffee. With the pandemic running amok amidst the impact of Hurricane Ida, multiple brands and volunteers have announced their reservations over hosting the event. This story is still developing. In the meantime, for more information and to make your own charitable donation, visit the Go Fund Bean donation page.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
Sprudge Media Network is proudly partnered with Go Fund Bean. Read all Go Fund Bean coverage on Sprudge.
