At a time when South Los Angeles is suffering and in need of compassion and hope, black-owned independent craft brewer South Los Angeles Beverage Company is launching its first beer label, People’s Republic of South Central (PRSC) on September 26. The line will feature a quarterly beer release with 100 percent of net proceeds benefiting charitable initiatives in South Central Los Angeles for those negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the launch of its first beer, LEGACY, the brewer will purchase computers for students that live in CD9 and South Central and who do not have access to a home computer to participate in virtual classroom activities. The brand looks to reduce inequality, lower poverty levels and build a community of support for the 36 percent of South Central residents who lived below the federal poverty line before COVID-19.

Local co-founders Craig Bowers and Samuel Chawinga describe LEGACY as a hazy IPA featuring Motueka, Simcoe and Mosaic hops with flavors of pineapple, lychee, lemon verbena and nectarine. LEGACY will be available for pre-order at PRSCbrand.com and at Harold & Belle’s. Their onsite brewery campus will open in 2021 as a craft beverage incubator, production and packaging facility in a Federal Opportunity Zone. All of the front-of-house employees will be residents from the immediate local community. South Los Angeles Beverage Company is a fair-chance employer, partnering with local nonprofits and government workforce programs to help create jobs for residents and community members who face barriers to employment.

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LEGACY co-founders Craig Bowers and Samuel Chawinga (Courtesy South Los Angeles Beverage Company )

“Covid-19 shines a bright light on the extraordinary challenges facing residents of South Central – food insecurity, poor underlying health conditions, housing insecurity and high levels of poverty, ” Bowers tells LA Weekly .
“It is extremely heartbreaking to see this community now bear the brunt of the disease: frontline workers, multi-generational households, higher death rates, lack of access to tools to receive an all-digital education. What this community is fighting for didn’t just begin with Covid-19 and the death of George Floyd. This community has been fighting for decades as witnessed by the Watts Rebellion in 1965 or Rodney King in 92. What’s most heart-breaking is how far we still are from real change all of these years later.”
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LEGACY IPA (Courtesy South Los Angeles Beverage Co.)

 

National Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off today, and to celebrate, El Pollo Loco has created a grant initiative to support Latina small businesses by Infusing $100,000 directly into the Los Angeles Latina business community.

According to the Pew Research Center, Hispanic women have been more significantly impacted by job loss than any other demographic during the pandemic. The grilled chicken giant that opened its first chicken shack in the United States on Alvarado Street in 1980 has teamed up with #WeAllGrow Latina to connect with the community and create a nationwide business directory of Latina-owned small businesses in the food and restaurant space. The company is encouraging the community to take an active role in nominating these businesses and the women behind them.

Starting today and continuing through September 25, the community can nominate their favorite Latina-owned food brand based in greater Los Angeles with the hashtag #FundLatinaFoodJefas for a chance to receive a $10,000 grant that can immediately be put to use.

To complete a submission and be part of the national directory of Latina entrepreneurs in the food industry, visit weallgrowlatina.com/fundlatinafoodjefas. For more information and to contribute to the El Pollo Local Grants program, visit gofundme.com/EPLGrants.

 

 

 

 

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