HELP NYC SOBER SPACE FIGHT TO STAY OPEN
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SOBER SPACE TAKING LEGAL ACTION TO REMAIN OPEN
Here & Now Kava bar is taking NYC Health Dept to court for the right to be open and sell kava and kratom. We filed our Article 78 lawsuit on August 19, and we desperately need your help.
The NYC Health Dept has closed Here & Now despite:
- We've WON FIVE TIMES in court. Two hearings, two attempted appeals, and one trial. DOH is not listening to the courts. Could you imagine?
- Kava is legal! And sold at Whole Foods, delis, Target, Amazon, and many other places.
- Kava Bars are everywhere! There's over 600+ in the US in over 40 states. Why not NYC?
- Kava Bars have been in NYC since 2015 with no trouble. Why in 2023 (when this started) did things change? Why would you close small business
WE AREN'T ALONE
Three other kava bars in NYC have been served closure orders over the past year. Kava Social in Williamsburg has been closed, as well as both Kavasutra locations. Kavasutra is currently suing the city.
OUR LEGAL ACTION COULD HELP EVERYONE
If we win, the other kava bars and
OTHER NYC SOVER IT WON'T STOP AT NYC
NYC could set a dangerous precedent and the domino effect could ripple through the country. Other cities will follow what NYC does. We need to stand up and say no for Here & Now and the 600 kava bars around the US.
WE NEED HELP
Our legal fees and fines are now over $50,000. We're a small business, just started two years ago, and are fighting for our life right now. Your donation will go 100% to fighting to keep kava bars in NYC and our employees.
We have the best shot to win. We just need the funding to get to the finish line. But Health Dept not making it easy with fines, dumping kava, and lawyer bills.
We have a very special community, and we want to continue creating a special place for it to come together and grow. We need your help to do that.
KAVA BARS SAVE LIVES
Kava bars are sober space for so many people looking for community, fun times, and third space with without alcohol and drugs. They keep people away from the things that were hurting and holding them back: alcohol. Please don't let NYC Health Dept d government overreach shut down vital life support to so many.
FUN FACTS
- Here & Now is the first trans-owned kava bar in America, and we are immensely proud of that.
- There are very few spaces that are safe for transgender people. Part of our mission is to provide a space where they, as well as the whole LGBTQ+ community, can feel safe and comfortable. This fits with our vision of being a truly inclusive space, one where diverse people of all backgrounds and walks of life can come together and feel accepted.
- That is what the Here & Now community is: A diverse and inclusive group of people who come together and share their lives with one another. We believe this represents a glimmer of hope in an increasingly divided world.
You can be apart of an important movement. Please donate, even $20 will help/
Organizer
Jordyn Joy
Organizer
New York, NY