HELP DIVERSE, HOME GROWN BUSINESSES BEAT COVID!

COVID-19 Relief - #FundCovidRelief

HELP SAVE DIVERSE, INDIE, HOME-GROWN PDX BUSINESSES

Many Portland restaurants and bars are gone.
We have, right now, three home-grown, diverse ones that have gutted it out the past 12 months and are still standing! They are JaCiva’s Bakery, Palio Espresso House & Aprisa Mexican Cuisine -  woman, queer and Latinx owned businesses!

They have been grinding it out every day despite enduring steep decline in business, surviving multiple break ins,  foul weather, being forced to lay off their beloved staff and pressed to cut costs to the bone without harming quality. 

Around the country more than 280,000 US businesses closed permanently since March 2020. The hardest hit were small, indie restaurants and bars like Laura’s JaCiva’s, Julia’s Aprisa, & Hank’s Palio.

Businesses like these are what keeps Portland so weird & wonderful. They are one of a kind, small and independent. They enrich the fabric of our City and they need your help now. After all the long hours and sacrifices, there's finally light at the end of the tunnel.  New vaccines are giving America hope.

Summer will be better! There will be pent up demand the experts say!

Help Laura, Julia, and Hank continue to:
Fight To Keep Their Employees.
Fight To Keep The Lights On.
Fight for Survival. 
Give them something to fight with!  

The owners didn't want to ask for help so we are asking for them. We are friends and families of the owners. Pitch in whatever you can,    and share this post right away! Your help is greatly needed AND appreciated 

*Here’s Where Your Investment Will Go: To One-of-a-Kind, Small, Independent, Diverse Restaurants

 Aprisa Mexican Cuisine – Julia is originally from Mexico. She has had only one dream – to own her own restaurant that will support her and her kids! She bought Aprisa about a year and a half ago and while she doesn’t speak English she DOES speak “business”. Julia is a business “Boss Lady” with a big heart. Even though her business has been broken into SEVEN times -  she contributes to her community during the winter holidays by serving Portlanders who are food insecure and service people. Julia believes not only in serving high quality food but centers her business on saving Mother Earth while she is at it!  She uses fresh, local ingredients and recyclable paper products. Julia is committed to her community and the environment! 
http://www.aprisacuisine.com/

Caption: Julia, her daughter and son who she trained to work there too!
Caption: Julia is all about quality and her customers love her!
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JaCiva’s Bakery – Laura has an award-winning and popular place. She hires artists and trains them to be bakers and chocolatiers! They have contributed to community cohesion for decades, supporting The Women's March, "Let's Do Our Part" for Black businesses, Peace Day and many other progressive events.  This is a rare gem of the City. Not only great baked goods & chocolate but it is a 3rd  generation woman owned operation!  http://www.jacivas.com/

Caption: Laura, Iva and Jack and the next generation is coming up next!

Caption: Laura’s leaders she coached and trained!
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Palio Dessert & Espresso House – Hank bought Palio six months before the pandemic.  He is the second queer identified proprietor. This business is a long-standing place where thousands of students have been safe to be themselves and enjoy a late-night study space.  Multiple generations of Portlanders have reveled in the cool vibe and charm of Palio. It has been in the same location for over 26 years and has reasonable prices and great desserts! Hank has reserved space & provided food generously  for the Women’s March, donated to Universal Pre-K for All, promoted Black businesses,  hosted  events at Palio for candidates and causes that make our City a great progressive place to be.  Order here: https://www.paliopdx.com/

Caption: Hank is seeing it, believing it, and making it happen 7 days per week!

Caption: Women’s March making plans and enjoying coffee and baked goods!
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Impact of  COVID:
Julia, Laura and Hank have experienced multiple gut-wrenching calamities not of their doing:
●       70% drop in business due to shelter in place, layoffs of all employees, owners hanging on by a thread working 80-100-hour work weeks for the last 12 months.

●       Complex and inaccessible government programs with too many strings attached - which burden them with more debt. 

●       Storefront break ins and theft, just one more hurdle they all endured. They kept picking themselves up to move forward.
Caption: break-in damage and theft at Palio in December 2020


These are 3 GREAT people who work to make not just a profit but build a just community. Social justice is not just a value for them – they act on it:
They have supported  many social justice events - with vigor. And, they also  plan to work with Darius (of Wishbone fame) to help Portlanders who are food insecure at St. Francis Kitchen by making  900 hearty lunches per month. They have worked to make Portland better and now they need our help to survive until summer.

Here’s how you can help:
Donate:  We’re raising funds to get them through the darkest time of the pandemic. Again, chip in $10 or $25 bucks, whatever is right for you!  With this boost - they will be able to keep the lights on, hire back more employees immediately and get back to what they’d like to be doing: Making Portland a more delicious, equitable and lovely place. If more funds are raised we will help other BIPOC, queer and women owned businesses.

Spread the Word:  Please share to help get the word out - can post the link to your Facebook Timeline & Instagram page! 

Thank you for helping and joining the Julia, Laura and Hank team to get to better days!

We will keep you posted about their progress!

Best to you and stay safe,
Mary, Luna, Deborah, Kat and Lara

For GFM Grant: #SmallBusinessRelief

REFERENCES:

·        ON BUSINESS CLOSURES:   https://in.news.yahoo.com/60-business-closures-due-covid-132907991

·        On Portland Closures:  https://pdx.eater.com/22240842/portland-restaurant-bar-cafe-closings