Friends of Couth Buzzard Books Sustaining Fund

COMMUNITY: ONE CUP, ONE BOOK, ONE NOTE AT A TIME...

Couth Buzzard Books’ motto perfectly captures our essence. We are so much more than a bookstore: we also are a cafe, performance space, and most importantly, a key community gathering hub for North Seattle for over 30 years.

The Couth Buzzard overcame many struggles and setbacks to arrive where we are today. Campaign Organizer and owner Theo Dzielak faced personal tragedy. The store bounced back from a series of burglaries and the devastating gas explosion that severely damaged The Buzzard and many Greenwood businesses. And since February 2020, we have been adapting to new challenges posed by the COVID-19 virus.


THE CORONA VIRUS

Due to Washington State laws, Couth Buzzard remained closed for ten weeks in March and April, 2020.  We offered limited online sales, but -- especially by losing the ability to host concerts and gatherings -- income was scarce. We received an SBA loan for use for employee salaries and, of course, stayed afloat because of generous donations from our community. With your help, we were able to purchase a new espresso machine, upgrade our cafe with a wraparound safety shield, and pay much of our rent, licenses, taxes, utilities and other crucial expenses. 

Since partially reopening, we have operated under reduced hours, with a more limited cafe menu. Group meetings, clubs, open mics, and concerts ceased. These have always been essential sources of income for us. (See the list below of the incredible events and groups that we have hosted in the past.) Your extremely generous donations during these past sixteen months enabled us to remain in business, and to pay staff.  We truly are a COMMUNITY!

So what’s next? Beginning in June, we are opening our space up to small groups, a maximum of six people at a time. We’re getting so close to a “new normal,” but we’re not out of the woods yet.


OUR REQUEST: $15,000. Your donation is an investment in a post-quarantine future. We invite you to view our video and see just how much your help will mean to us.


Thank you. Please share with friends. 


And as always, thank you for supporting Couth Buzzard Books, our future, and your community!


A SHORT LIST OF OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS OFFERED PRE-COVID:

- Creative writing groups including the all-levels, all-ages Couth Buzzard Writers’ Group and the Poets’ Table.

- Multiple reading groups, including the long-standing Couth Buzzard Book Club and Buzzard Whodunit Mystery Book Club.

- A weekly all-ages Community Open Mic that encourages and supports participation from all members of the community.

- Local author events featuring authors such as David Shields, Nick Licata, Peter Mountford, Mary Purdy and others.

- Current events discussion groups.

- Concerts every weekend, including many in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Folklore Society, ranging from local heroes to internationally acclaimed artists.

- As part of Greenwood's annual Halloween celebration, we give away hundreds of books each year to local children.

- Environmental advocacy groups including the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and pro-bicycle Greenways group.

- Weekly board game nights where players can find a partner for everything from chess to cribbage, and learn the ancient game of Go from a highly respected local teacher.

- All age and skill level music jams featuring a broad range of styles -- from jazz standards, improv, and Americana to Celtic, Brazilian Choro, and more.

- A yearly Jazz Festival where both seasoned performers and emerging artists celebrate the genre’s history and discover its future.

- A safe place for children to learn and play -- we proudly host a Girl Scout troop, and an open mic for the talented kids of the Bureau of Fearless Ideas.

- Language conversation groups including French, Spanish and Gaelic.

- Weekly donation-based, all-levels yoga instruction. .
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