Our Community Responds: A Letter from the US Chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association
The staff and leadership of the Specialty Coffee Association and affiliated guilds and chapters are carefully monitoring developments related to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak to understand its impact on our global community and activities. This blog post is part of a series of articles and other content written by members of our community, reflecting on the current COVID-19 pandemic and how it’s affecting their work and livelihoods.
Dear Coffee Friend,
Let us start by saying our hearts are with you, all of you.
These times that are upon us are uncharted and scary, and not a single one of us has the answers. We’ve heard from so many of you the tremendous circumstances that you are facing, the decisions that you are being forced to make, and the level of fear that comes from not knowing what each day will bring to your livelihoods and organizations. With almost zero guidance, we’re being tasked to reconcile the demands between making smart decisions to protect the general health of our society, the policy positions of our local, state, and national governments, and simply keeping our businesses solvent and alive. These outcomes will impact every ring of our circles, and will set in place a new reality for our families, partners, communities, and industry for years to come.
While the impacts of COVID-19 are very real and growing, there is a gentle reminder that keeps coming to us at all the right moments: we’re all in this together. Our community of intelligent, creative, passionate, and resourceful folx is absolutely the type of network one needs when all else seems lost. We can and should look to one another to sympathize, to extend support, to connect to external resources, and to advocate for one another. Through our collective kindness and compassion, and despite the significant challenges ahead, we will persevere.
The US Chapter of the SCA, which represents our entire coffee community in the US regardless of affiliation, will act as a centralized hub for both individuals and organizations for making connections to resources and information. As the situation evolves almost minute by minute, we’re in the process of identifying, clarifying, and vetting those resources now. We strongly encourage you to remain informed on how your local and state-wide governments are providing business support, or incentives, and modifying requirements for unemployment insurance. Please continue to watch our blog for the most up-to-date information on supporting our various communities.
In regard to the upcoming Portland SCA Expo, we continue to stay in close contact with SCA leadership who are actively working with their partners to postpone the show. Transparency and safety remain the top priority in this process, a complex situation that has the potential to reshape the organization for years to come. The SCA's CEO has just released a video and written update explaining the legal conundrum that the State of Oregon has put the Association under by refusing to extend the ban on mass gathering to the end of April. We encourage you to watch and read here.
Knowing the village it will take to weather this storm, the US Chapter is also seeking support and advice from our vast community of business professionals and influencers. If you or your organization are in a position to be helpful, please reach out to us at SCA_US@sca.coffee. We’re very keen to hear and share your small, medium, and large ideas in hopes of making a positive impact on the tremendous challenges at hand.
As your volunteer leadership, we are firmly committed to finding the most impactful ways to continue to bring our community together. We exist to represent you, and there is no group of people we feel our hearts more knitted to than yours. Your success is our success, and your needs are our needs. We will get through this together, and we promise to work for you until we’re on the other side, sharing a cup of coffee.
With Strength, Compassion, and Support,
Marcus Boni
US Chapter National Coordinator
On Behalf of the SCA US Chapter
For the latest updates on the impacts of COVID-19 on SCA events, visit sca.coffee/covid19.
Would you like to contribute your initiatives to this series? Submit your story idea here: https://scanews.coffee/contact/