Piikup - The only Blackwoman lead delivery service
Donation protected
I am raising money so that Piikup can exist to support job seekers who face barriers to employment and local small business who struggle to meet the expectations of major distributors in grocery markets.
Our campaign is more than about businesses. Piikup has created space for people who were invisible. Those that cold not show up as African American, Gay, Muslim, formerly incarcerated or a woman. For fear of safety, judgement and many other discriminatory attitudes that so commonly are embraced as normal culture out work.
We exist to create justice by existing and resisting the status quo.
My name is April and I created Piikup, a socially responsible delivery enterprise that incorporates workforce development training among other elements of social responsibility.
"late bloomers"are people who blossomed and gained traction in their thirties or later, however there are fewer and fewer programs to support as they are expected to have it all together by then.
Late bloomers come in all types of scenarios. For example, men and women that were imprisoned when they were youth and released at age 30, 40 and 50 years of age. The young girl who spent half her life working through trauma to finally find her voice and chart a better path or people that are tired of working for companies that uphold oppressive work cultures and ideas. We are all "late bloomers".
We are more than delivery. Our secret sauce is in the way we develop our team.
We were interviewed by Next City recently--> What Would It Look Like if the Economy Loved Black Entrepreneurs
Our work to create not just diverse spaces but safe spaces for people who face barriers to employment was important before COVID-19.
We knew that this new label of "Essential Worker" did not include Black people.
Asking for your help today is also us fighting insidious WHITE SUPREMACY ideology and MYTH of "bootstrapping" a narrative of pulling yourself up to success under near perfect conditions.
Representation matters. We need Black business to survive.
I am asking for your help today, not because I have failed but because the system is broken and #Strongertogether is our truth.
Our target date to establish a firmer footing to survive the fallout from COVID-19 is July 30th.
We will use the funds to:
-Keep our warehouse lease that allows us to centralize operations for our team that commutes long distances due to shelter insecurities
-Help keep our team working with at least 15 - 20hrs per week
-Offer paid internships and to keep our training's free and accessible to those that need it the most
-Upgrade both safety training and equipment
-Put a down payment on a refrigerated vehicle so that we can plug in to support more food distribution to vulnerable communities.
Raising the total amount will mean that WE WILL REMAIN IN THIS FIGHT TO CREATE JUSTICE WHERE THERE IS LITTLE FOR BLACK LIVES and Black lead businesses.
Piikup may be one of the only Black woman lead delivery services in the Bayarea. If we don't exist to support those hyper local businesses owned by people of color and women of all cultures, those marginalized groups who would otherwise face challenges as they try to enter and establish themselves in the market and towards becoming a legacy business.
Thank you very much for reading, sharing and donating. We are grateful that you are in our community and are joining us in the fight to continue to strengthen communities by supporting the rebirth of not just commerce but ensuring that predominantly black communities are able to build legacy and wealth for generations to come.
Pic above: First cohort of graduates from the Piikup Softskills development course. 5 weeks of intensive development for people interested in careers as. Bus Operator or working with the general public. One person went on to work with AC Transit before COVID-19 hit and they had to put a hiring freeze.
Our campaign is more than about businesses. Piikup has created space for people who were invisible. Those that cold not show up as African American, Gay, Muslim, formerly incarcerated or a woman. For fear of safety, judgement and many other discriminatory attitudes that so commonly are embraced as normal culture out work.
We exist to create justice by existing and resisting the status quo.
My name is April and I created Piikup, a socially responsible delivery enterprise that incorporates workforce development training among other elements of social responsibility.
"late bloomers"are people who blossomed and gained traction in their thirties or later, however there are fewer and fewer programs to support as they are expected to have it all together by then.
Late bloomers come in all types of scenarios. For example, men and women that were imprisoned when they were youth and released at age 30, 40 and 50 years of age. The young girl who spent half her life working through trauma to finally find her voice and chart a better path or people that are tired of working for companies that uphold oppressive work cultures and ideas. We are all "late bloomers".
We are more than delivery. Our secret sauce is in the way we develop our team.
We were interviewed by Next City recently--> What Would It Look Like if the Economy Loved Black Entrepreneurs
Our work to create not just diverse spaces but safe spaces for people who face barriers to employment was important before COVID-19.
We knew that this new label of "Essential Worker" did not include Black people.
Asking for your help today is also us fighting insidious WHITE SUPREMACY ideology and MYTH of "bootstrapping" a narrative of pulling yourself up to success under near perfect conditions.
Representation matters. We need Black business to survive.
I am asking for your help today, not because I have failed but because the system is broken and #Strongertogether is our truth.
Our target date to establish a firmer footing to survive the fallout from COVID-19 is July 30th.
We will use the funds to:
-Keep our warehouse lease that allows us to centralize operations for our team that commutes long distances due to shelter insecurities
-Help keep our team working with at least 15 - 20hrs per week
-Offer paid internships and to keep our training's free and accessible to those that need it the most
-Upgrade both safety training and equipment
-Put a down payment on a refrigerated vehicle so that we can plug in to support more food distribution to vulnerable communities.
Raising the total amount will mean that WE WILL REMAIN IN THIS FIGHT TO CREATE JUSTICE WHERE THERE IS LITTLE FOR BLACK LIVES and Black lead businesses.
Piikup may be one of the only Black woman lead delivery services in the Bayarea. If we don't exist to support those hyper local businesses owned by people of color and women of all cultures, those marginalized groups who would otherwise face challenges as they try to enter and establish themselves in the market and towards becoming a legacy business.
Thank you very much for reading, sharing and donating. We are grateful that you are in our community and are joining us in the fight to continue to strengthen communities by supporting the rebirth of not just commerce but ensuring that predominantly black communities are able to build legacy and wealth for generations to come.
Pic above: First cohort of graduates from the Piikup Softskills development course. 5 weeks of intensive development for people interested in careers as. Bus Operator or working with the general public. One person went on to work with AC Transit before COVID-19 hit and they had to put a hiring freeze.Organizer
April Fenall
Organizer
Oakland, CA