MENDOCINO Co., 5/3/20 — There are many different ways to help out your neighbors in need right now, and now thanks to a recently announced partnership between the Anderson Valley Brewing Company and the Community Foundation of Mendocino County, you can contribute to the Community Foundation’s Covid-19 Relief Fund every time you purchase selected local brews.
For each purchase of the Anderson Valley Brewing Company’s Boonville Gold, Hop Ottin’ IPA, and Poleeko Pale Ale, the company will donate a portion of their profits to the Community Foundation’s Covid-19 Relief Fund, which is supporting local organizations and Mendocino County residents during this pandemic. Through the Relief Fund, the Community Foundation has already contributed to local food banks, and providing economic grants for individual residents via three community organizations, and this partnership will help add to the fund.
More information about the Covid-19 Relief Fund can be found here. Here’s the announcement from the Community Foundation:
The spirit of philanthropy blooms across our county, evidenced by the response to our COVID-19 Relief Fund. Today we are excited to announce a new philanthropic partnership with Anderson Valley Brewing Company, which will contribute a portion of the profits from three of their local brews to the COVID-19 Relief Fund.
When speaking with Kevin McGee, owner of Anderson Valley Brewing Company, he shared his family’s commitment to supporting the community, “We bought the brewery in December, in large part because of the history, and connection, and authenticity it has. We really want to get more involved, to be good neighbors and be part of this community. That is why I reached out to the CommunityFoundation to find a way to support the COVID-19 Relief Fund.”The COVID-19 Relief Fund was created by The Community Foundation of Mendocino County to support basic needs of Mendocino County residents impacted by the pandemic. To date the Foundation has released $70,000 in food relief countywide, and $100,000 for immediate financial assistance. We are continually pursuing funding opportunities to try and bring much needed support to those with the greatest need in our community, with our fire recovery efforts guiding the process on how to quickly and efficiently get support out to our residents.
“I know that while Sonoma and the Bay Area often get access to resources, Mendocino County often is overlooked,” Kevin tells me. “We saw this with the fires, so much of the attention goes to the Northbay but stops before it reaches here. That is another reason we wanted to find a way to focus on supporting Mendocino County. We really wanted to find a good non-profit partner to get involved with, and multiple sources told me the CommunityFoundation was the best in the area. So we looked online and found the COVID-19 Relief Fund, and it was the perfect fit for what we wanted to do.”When asked what impact the brewery hopes to make with their contributions, McGee said “There are people far more versed on where the needs are and how to effectively disburse the funds, so we just want to empower them with our support. We trust the Foundationknows what the community needs, so we have chosen to support the Foundation to do this work.”
Indeed, we have been working with our non-profit partners throughout the county to determine what needs exist. Food banks have seen their numbers double as families in need arrive in droves. Individuals without access to unemployment or stimulus payments are turning to local non-profits for much needed financial aid. Based on the current economic data about our county, it is possible that as much 55% of Mendocino County are not likely to have the resources to weather the financial impacts of this crisis. Which is why we rely on donors, such as the Anderson Valley Brewing Company and our lead donors, to help those with the greatest need in our communities.“We plan to be here for a very long time, and we want to continue to support our community,” McGee tells me. “We are fortunate that our people are healthy and doing well, we just want to extend our good fortune to others in Mendocino County. That is why we are allocating a percentage of the proceeds from three of our popular beers – Boonville Gold, Hop Ottin’ IPA, and Poleeko Pale Ale – to support the Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund.”McGee hopes others will join him in these efforts, “We are happy to share what we are doing, and it would be incredibly powerful to get other breweries on board to join us in raising funds for COVID-19 relief.”
Mendocino County has long been home to generations of locals and newcomers alike. This dynamic blend creates the Mendocino County we love, rooted in history and inspired by authenticity. We are thrilled that our new neighbors at Anderson Valley Brewing Company are joining us in our mission to support a thriving Mendocino County through this pandemic and beyond, and we hope others will join in our efforts. If you take this opportunity to pick up on of these three brews, know that a portion of the profits will go directly into helping your neighbors and friends in need. If you want to make a more substantial contribution, you can learn more about giving to the fund on our website.
To learn more about The Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, visit us at: www.communityfound.org/covid19
Press release from the Community Foundation.
