PVD Bakery & Cafe/Community Center
Donation protected
Dear Friends and Community Members,
We are asking for your help to create a welcoming space in Providence that will help the local community be connected, and enable us to organize and support each other more effectively.
Our vision is to open a collectively-owned and operated bakery and cafe that will also serve as a community space and be a resource for local organizations and projects. The bakery/cafe component will serve two purposes. It will be a casual spot where people can feel welcome to spend time, have meetings, relax, read a book, and generally share space with each other. The idea is that anyone can walk in at any time of the day, and stay as long as they need without feeling pressure to purchase anything. Our bakery offerings will also generate money to support the space. We believe that having this type of community-oriented public space will allow people in Providence to deepen their connections with each other and allow people to care for one another more.
The place we want to purchase is the old Palmieri's Bakery on Ridge Street near the dog park. The building has plenty of space for us to create an open and comfortable environment where we also hope to work with people and groups to host events, meetings, and shows. The location is perfectly placed in Federal Hill, and walking distance from Broadway, Atwells, and Olneyville. It is in a diverse neighborhood and will be an opportunity to bridge the divide between queer transplants in the area and locals by having affordable food and drinks and making intentional choices to serve the whole community rather than a specific population, like other cafes in the area do (if you know what we mean).
Fortunately, the building is for sale at a relatively low asking price of $200,000. Unfortunately, the building needs a lot of work, estimated to cost at least an additional $100,000. We are currently in the process of applying for a loan through a cooperative loan fund and will be looking for investors. We hope that through these different funding sources we will be able to get what we need to make this happen!
If this sounds like a project you would like to see come to fruition, please share this fundraiser widely, and donate if you can. We will be forever grateful and committed to making a space you will love.
sincerely,
toaster's bakery & cafe collective
We are asking for your help to create a welcoming space in Providence that will help the local community be connected, and enable us to organize and support each other more effectively.
Our vision is to open a collectively-owned and operated bakery and cafe that will also serve as a community space and be a resource for local organizations and projects. The bakery/cafe component will serve two purposes. It will be a casual spot where people can feel welcome to spend time, have meetings, relax, read a book, and generally share space with each other. The idea is that anyone can walk in at any time of the day, and stay as long as they need without feeling pressure to purchase anything. Our bakery offerings will also generate money to support the space. We believe that having this type of community-oriented public space will allow people in Providence to deepen their connections with each other and allow people to care for one another more.
The place we want to purchase is the old Palmieri's Bakery on Ridge Street near the dog park. The building has plenty of space for us to create an open and comfortable environment where we also hope to work with people and groups to host events, meetings, and shows. The location is perfectly placed in Federal Hill, and walking distance from Broadway, Atwells, and Olneyville. It is in a diverse neighborhood and will be an opportunity to bridge the divide between queer transplants in the area and locals by having affordable food and drinks and making intentional choices to serve the whole community rather than a specific population, like other cafes in the area do (if you know what we mean).
Fortunately, the building is for sale at a relatively low asking price of $200,000. Unfortunately, the building needs a lot of work, estimated to cost at least an additional $100,000. We are currently in the process of applying for a loan through a cooperative loan fund and will be looking for investors. We hope that through these different funding sources we will be able to get what we need to make this happen!
If this sounds like a project you would like to see come to fruition, please share this fundraiser widely, and donate if you can. We will be forever grateful and committed to making a space you will love.
sincerely,
toaster's bakery & cafe collective
Organizer
Jasmina Victoria
Organizer
Providence, RI
