After reading your article about the Gathering Grounds Cafe Society, I felt I would like to help them. Kurt’s comment about wanting to help people like the women selling her furniture to raise the funds needed to get her sick child back and forth to Vancouver struck a chord with me.
I have been unfortunate enough throughout my life to have needed help and fortunate enough to have been able to find it. However, there are people like this woman who need help but seem to fall through the cracks. I think their intentions are noble and should be supported and I would like to help in a bigger way than just buying a coffee.
I, through my company and with the help of a couple of co-hosts, hold networking/fundraiser events based on the theme of “Giving others a boost”.
It is different than most networking events for a couple of reasons. First, because I’m an entrepreneur in Penticton and can relate to the difficulties faced in getting started, at each event we showcase three or four local entrepreneurs, provide hot hors d’oeurvres made by a local red seal chef, wine tastings provided by a local small winery and this time, local entertainment. Second, although we charge $20 per person to attend, the proceeds of those funds are donated to a local charity.
As a result of this article I contacted Jenn at Gathering Grounds and stated that we would love to partner with them for our Nov. 8 event and they agreed. So, our next event will be held there with the proceeds being donated to the Gathering Grounds Cafe Society at the end of the evening. I’m so happy that I read this article as now I feel wonderful about finding a charity that fits perfectly into our theme of “Giving others a boost”.
Thumbs up to them for the hard work I know it takes to open and run a coffee shop and for having the community spirit to give their proceeds back. I’m looking forward to working with them and only hope that our event is enough of a success to give them a good-sized cheque at the end of the evening.
Dianne McEvoy
Penticton