In an effort to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic, San Diego Pride has announced it is distributing $30,000 in gift cards to LGBTQ bar and restaurant workers.
The program, aimed at helping local businesses and workers, is part of the Pride Grocery Relief Fund for LGBTQ Bar and Restaurant Workers. It is made possible by presenting sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka with support from Tequila Herradura.
“Our LGBTQ bar and restaurant workers are a precious resource to our LGBTQ community,” San Diego Pride Director of Philanthropy Sarafina Scapicchio said in a statement. “They are there when we celebrate our birthdays and special occasions. They provide the service and atmosphere for our first dates, and sometimes they even act as confidants for our LGBTQ community members when we are down and seeking a friendly face. The last few months have hit them hard as their wages and tips evaporated overnight. We’re so proud to help make things just a little bit easier for them during this difficult time. They deserve our help as they have taken care of so many of us for so many years.”
According to a statement, 300 grocery gift cards — at $100 each — are “being distributed to local LGBTQ bar and restaurant employees who have been financially impacted due to the fact that their main sources of income were shut down in the interest of public health.”
“Everything we do at Tito’s is rooted in giving back to communities, and since the company’s inception, supporting the LGBTQ community has been a core part of our work to make the world a better place,” Brian Herlihy, field marketing director for Tito’s Handmade Vodka, said in a statement. “As life changes every day due to the current pandemic, we’re honored to sponsor the Pride Grocery Relief Fund to aid the LGBTQ service industry workers that are like family to us.”
San Diego Pride Executive Director Fernando Z. López echoed the sentiment.
“LGBTQ entrepreneurs create LGBTQ jobs, careers, future business owners and financial stability in a community that has historically been underemployed,” they said. “These business leaders and their employees have always maintained a philanthropic mindset as they helped to build our community, nonprofit landscape, and strong found-family bonds. We are so fortunate to be in a position, thanks to our sponsors, where we can return some of that goodwill and support back to some of our community’s most treasured LGBTQ spaces and people.”
In addition to its relief efforts, San Diego Pride has been busy planning for its virtual celebration, which is scheduled to take place on July 18. This year’s theme, “Together We Rise,” “will focus on calls for collaborative social justice and will help to shed light on intersectional ways the community members can address the issues impacting our community, region and our movement.”
