From Creature Comforts:
Creature Comforts Brewing Company brought one of its founding core pillars – community – to life when the brewery established the Get Comfortable campaign in 2014. The campaign was created to raise awareness and funds for nonprofits in Athens, where the poverty rate ranks fifth throughout the United States. During the 2015-2016 Get Comfortable campaign, the brewery created an actual Get Comfortable Fund and brought $65,000 of value to Athens. In its third year running, the brewery has set an ambitious goal of generating $100,000 of value. Get Comfortable will return this November focusing on one local nonprofit partner per month, with a total of five partners running through April 2017.
The mission for the Get Comfortable campaign is to be a unifying anchor in the for-profit business community to drive awareness, increase engagement and provide support for nonprofits combatting hunger, homelessness and poverty in Athens. Through the direction of United Way of North East Georgia, and an application process sent to more than 200 nonprofits, the campaign selected five organizations to highlight over the course of five months. The following nonprofits were chosen as the Get Comfortable 2016-2017 partners: Action Ministries, The Ark, Athens Community Council on Aging, Athens Area Homeless Shelter and Sparrows Nest. A group of students from the University of Georgia’s Institute for Leadership Advancement Program will be on-site at the brewery every Wednesday to assist with engagement with tour patrons and putting together the various kit projects.
The brewery dedicated Wednesdays to serve as “community days,” by transforming typical brewery tours into ‘Get Comfortable’ tours, providing tour guests with on-site volunteer opportunities to help hand-make household and shelter items, hygiene and cleaning kits, and more for those in need. 100-percent of Wednesday tour profits go to benefit the campaign fund. The brewery also will brew limited edition ‘Get Comfortable’ branded beers during this season, with all the profits from those beers being donated to the fund. Additionally, a variety of ‘Get Comfortable’ merchandise is available for sale with 100-percent of profits benefitting the cause. Guests that bring donations to the brewery will receive $2 off a Wednesday tour.
“We knew before we ever opened our doors that we wanted any community that we operated in to be better as a result of us being there,” said CEO and Co-Founder Chris Herron. “We have been provided with a unique opportunity through the brewery to have a platform from which to speak to a large audience of people. We have always felt like it is our responsibility to use that platform for something more than selling beer. Whether that is encouraging people to crave curiosity so they can find their passion, or helping drive awareness, increase engagement, and provide support to the non-profits tackling the challenges of our community, we just feel it is the best way for us to use our voice.”
Several local for-profit businesses have also partnered with Get Comfortable in previous campaigns including Your Pie, Sons of Sawdust, Condor Chocolates and a number of local restaurants and bars. This year Creature Comforts hopes to increase the number of for-profit partners, as it works to take the Get Comfortable campaign further into the community, and outside the four walls of the brewery.
“We really see this as something that we hope can inspire other for-profit businesses to invest in their community, and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to partner and start making a difference today,” said On-site, HR and Community Manager Katie Beauchamp.
For more information about the Get Comfortable campaign visit www.getcomfortableathens.com. For more information about Creature Comforts Brewing Company visit www.creaturecomfortsbeer.com.
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