The Krafted Cup Hosts Hurricane Relief Effort for Puerto Rico
Aesop once said that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted, and that is exactly what has transpired in communities all across the United States as a response to the devastation brought on by Hurricane Maria. One such act of kindness came in the form of a drive hosted by Tanner Townsend, local owner of The Krafted Cup in Poughkeepsie, NY. The drive, which took place on Oct. 21, was able to raise several thousand dollars for the people of Puerto Rico, as well as much needed supplies for the devastated island of Puerto Rico. Tanner Townsend and a few of his baristas, Matt Patane and Ryan Bosch, reflected on the success of the drive.
“I was approached by one of my regular customers who is a part of a group of local residents from, or who have family in, PR [Puerto Rico]” Townsend reflected. The organization Townsend is referring to is known as Team PR, and upon hearing what they wanted to do, Townsend wanted to be part of the effort. “They asked me about using the lot next to The Krafted Cup for their drive, so I put them in touch with the right people at Vassar College,” said Townsend. “We are all a community, and although I do not personally have ties to PR, it is important that we all join together to help those in need, regardless of where in the world they are.”
The drive was overall a resounding success. Even though Townsend didn’t have an official count, he was happy to report that the supplies they received “filled a 16 foot U-Haul truck with boxes of supplies and raised several thousand dollars.” Any monetary donations would be given to The Hispanic Coalition of NY, who are then able to allocate the donations to help best assist the people of Puerto Rico.
Matt Patane and Ryan Bosch also chimed in on the success of the drive. Patane noted that the drive would be held in the parking lot adjacent to the building. “We hoped that holding the drive in in our lot would gain a lot of attention for the drive, and it seemed to have a great effect!” Bosch agreed, and stated that he and a couple other baristas raised their own money for water cases. “Any bit helps,” he added.
Upon finishing up a very successful drive, Townsend didn’t rule out any future similar events. “Although I don’t have any specific plans for future drives, I am always willing to help out whenever possible!”
(If you or someone you know want to donate to the people of Puerto Rico, you can email Rebecca Delgado, the official organizer of the event that happened on Saturday, at rdelgado.pr@gmail.com.)
