Spokane Hospitality Workers Emergency Relief Fund
Donation protected
We all know what's going on: our friends and family members in the hospitality industry are suddenly out of work or experiencing significant reduction in hours and tips. Given that the vast majority of hospitality workers live paycheck to paycheck, and that their rate of poverty is double what it is in other industries, this qualifies as an emergency.
Local and federal government agencies are scrambling to put together relief packages for workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, but history and common sense tells us a couple of things about what they're going to offer:
1) It won't be enough in and of itself.
2) It will take some time. More time than many people have.
We have started this fund as a means to provide DIRECT AND IMMEDIATE support to those who need it most. This will act as a stopgap and/or a complementary source of relief.
If you are ready to donate, thank you! Every cent (aside from GoFundMe fees) will go directly to actual humans who actually need it. This is the most direct way to deliver relief that we could come up with.
My suggestion? Estimate what you'd typically spend going out each month, think about what percentage of that amount you're comfortable spending to NOT go out, and make that the size of your donation.
Thank you all for your support. Anyone who has ever spent time in the hospitality industry knows that it is a family unlike you will find in any other industry. Now is truly the time to come together and support one another through an unprecedented time. With a little compassion, we will all come out of this stronger and more whole than before. And when we do, the party that ensues will rock the very foundations of our collective existence.
ABOUT YOUR HOST
My name is Ted. I have many friends in the Spokane hospitality industry, and I have worked in both community services/fundraising and the hospitality industry. That is why I was called upon to create this fundraiser.
I spent ten years in the spirits industry as an author and raconteur, event guru, and general troublemaker. Among other ventures, I created fundraising events to raise money for children with disabilities. The result was a series of cocktail nights in bars from Seattle to New York and many points between that raised nearly $20,000 for local nonprofits.
I was later Programs Director for Novo Fogo Organic Spirits, where I created and oversaw wellness programs for food and beverage industry folks. This included smoking cessation support campaigns, education on substance abuse, Yoga for bartenders, hiking and foraging expeditions, and a bunch of other fun stuff.
These days, I work as a Vocational Specialist for Transitions, a Spokane nonprofit working to end poverty and homelessness for women. In this line of work, most of the women I serve who escape the cycle of homelessness do so through employment in the food and beverage industry. I do not want to see those same women back on the streets or in the shelters, and I definitely do not want my friends and family in the industry to become my clients!
Peace & Love,
Ted
Local and federal government agencies are scrambling to put together relief packages for workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, but history and common sense tells us a couple of things about what they're going to offer:
1) It won't be enough in and of itself.
2) It will take some time. More time than many people have.
We have started this fund as a means to provide DIRECT AND IMMEDIATE support to those who need it most. This will act as a stopgap and/or a complementary source of relief.
If you are ready to donate, thank you! Every cent (aside from GoFundMe fees) will go directly to actual humans who actually need it. This is the most direct way to deliver relief that we could come up with.
My suggestion? Estimate what you'd typically spend going out each month, think about what percentage of that amount you're comfortable spending to NOT go out, and make that the size of your donation.
Thank you all for your support. Anyone who has ever spent time in the hospitality industry knows that it is a family unlike you will find in any other industry. Now is truly the time to come together and support one another through an unprecedented time. With a little compassion, we will all come out of this stronger and more whole than before. And when we do, the party that ensues will rock the very foundations of our collective existence.
ABOUT YOUR HOST
My name is Ted. I have many friends in the Spokane hospitality industry, and I have worked in both community services/fundraising and the hospitality industry. That is why I was called upon to create this fundraiser.
I spent ten years in the spirits industry as an author and raconteur, event guru, and general troublemaker. Among other ventures, I created fundraising events to raise money for children with disabilities. The result was a series of cocktail nights in bars from Seattle to New York and many points between that raised nearly $20,000 for local nonprofits.
I was later Programs Director for Novo Fogo Organic Spirits, where I created and oversaw wellness programs for food and beverage industry folks. This included smoking cessation support campaigns, education on substance abuse, Yoga for bartenders, hiking and foraging expeditions, and a bunch of other fun stuff.
These days, I work as a Vocational Specialist for Transitions, a Spokane nonprofit working to end poverty and homelessness for women. In this line of work, most of the women I serve who escape the cycle of homelessness do so through employment in the food and beverage industry. I do not want to see those same women back on the streets or in the shelters, and I definitely do not want my friends and family in the industry to become my clients!
Peace & Love,
Ted
Organizer
Ted Munat
Organizer
Spokane, WA