Fieldwork Brewing Company announces the establishment of a Community Fund Committee led by Fieldwork staff members from each of the brewery’s seven locations throughout Northern California in an effort to donate funds to noteworthy local non-profit organizations. For the first two quarters, the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee identified standout organizations who are making an immediate and substantial impact to help alleviate the many challenges communities are facing across the region. Over the course of 2020 (4th Quarter) and 2021 (1st Quarter), the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee has donated a total of $40,000 to 11 non-profits.
“During such difficult times, we’ve sought out measurable ways that we can be there for people most affected by the pandemic,” says Matthew Porcelli, General Manager of Fieldwork Brewing (Berkeley Taproom) & Chair of the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee. “We care deeply about how to positively reach diverse communities and have funds directly assist those with urgent needs such as hot meals, showers, laundry services, crisis intervention and prevention services, reading materials for at-risk K-3rd grade students, as well as many other inspiring initiatives we really want to support.”
Over 10 Fieldwork team members at its various locations are key voices leading the Fieldwork Community Fund Committee. Each team member recommends various non-profits that the committee then votes on to decide which specific organizations receive donations.
2020 (4th Quarter) Beneficiaries Receiving $2,000 Donations Include:
WEAVE Inc. (Sacramento): Established in 1978, WEAVE promotes safe and healthy relationships and offers support for survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. WEAVE provides an array of crisis intervention, therapeutic and prevention services to meet the unique needs of survivors, their families and the community.
SF-Marin Foodbank (Corte Madera): During COVID, the SF-Marin Food Bank has operated 29 pop-up pantries and provides weekly deliveries to 12,000+ seniors and groceries to 55,000 households. 14% of people served are homeless with 60% of food offered being fresh produce. Every $1 donated provides 2 meals. Fieldwork’s donation brings 4,000 meals to those in need.
VOICES Youth Programs (Napa): Founded in 2005 by Napa foster youth, VOICES focuses on keeping disadvantaged and homeless youth safe during COVID.
Elder Givers – Art With Elders (San Mateo): Founded in 1991, Elder Givers utilizes the power of art, creativity and community to enrich the journey of the aging population. Elder Givers provides 2,000 art classes to 400 seniors living in long-term care communities.
MEarth (Monterey): In response to the pandemic, MEarth has converted their educational garden to a production garden to grow food for families in need. MEarth has donated over 3,000 lbs of produce since July 2020 to local relief organizations.
2021 (1st Quarter) Beneficiaries Include:
Pints for Paws – Berkeley Humane (Berkeley) – $15,000 Donation: Voted the “Best Fundraising Event in the East Bay,” Pints for Paws is the annual fundraiser for Berkeley Humane. Over the past five years, Fieldwork Brewing has been instrumental in the fundraising efforts for the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization who serves the East Bay community with life-saving programs for cats and dogs while cultivating compassion and strengthening the human-animal bond. The 7th Annual Pints for Paws (June 5, 2021) raised over $150,000 for Berkeley Humane.
Monument Crisis Center (San Ramon) – $5,000 Donation: Fieldwork’s donation will provide eggs and milk for 2,800 at-risk families in Contra Costa County. Monument Crisis Center provides food to families and individuals in crisis situations.
ALBA – Agricultural and Land-Based Training Association (Monterey) – $3,000 Donation: Over 500 newly launched organic family farms owned primarily by Mexican immigrant farm workers will be incubated with the completion of a new water well in July 2021. The new farms will grow and sell nearly 100 million pounds of organic produce in Central Coast and Bay Area communities. 3,000 farmers will be trained at the ALBA facility and re-enter the organic workforce. Nearly 400 Hartnell College students will participate in the ALBA course, earning college credit, completing community service hours and internships.
Berkeley Public School Fund (Berkeley) – $2,500 Donation: Fieldwork’s donation covers a quarter of the costs for the annual “Summer Slide” reading program that provides books for 500 economically disadvantaged K-3rd grade students to help keep their reading level up.
Ritter Center (Corte Madera) – $2,500 Donation: A partner of the SF-Marin Food Bank, the Ritter Center’s food pantry is the largest in Marin serving 3,000 households annually with the distribution of 22,000 bags of groceries. Ritter Center further offers case management, medical and behavioral health services, as well as 2,000 laundry and 8,000 shower appointments each year.
Jonathan C. Younts Second Chance Scholarship (Sacramento) – $2,000 Donation: The Second Chance Scholarship goes to returning students that were unable to complete their degree the first time around and focuses on helping them get a digital design degree that can get them out into the workforce. The Fieldwork donation will increase the yearly scholarship amount from $400 a year to $475 annually in perpetuity, providing second chances to college bound youth.
Supporting the local communities neighboring Fieldwork Brewing’s seven taprooms is of incredible importance to the brewery. Fieldwork Brewing fosters a strong sense of community both at their taprooms and well beyond its doors through their philanthropic efforts reaching those most in need.
For more information regarding Fieldwork Brewing Company, please visit fieldworkbrewing.com and instagram.com/fieldworkbrewingco.
Raymond
Terry Bunch
