Green Bean co-founders say community is lifting them up

by | Oct 23, 2009

I stopped by Neptune Coffee this morning while surveying the clean-up from this morning’s downtown Greenwood fire, and ran into the two co-founders of Green Bean Coffeehouse, which was one of the four businesses destroyed. You can see smoke still smoldering in the middle of this photo. (Thanks to Dean for the photo.)

Lisa Etter-Carlson and Hayden Smith said they’re devastated by the fire, but that the community is rallying around them and the other businesses. While we chatted, Dan Baumfeld, Neptune’s owner, brought the women free breakfast sandwiches and said he’d be happy to hold a trivia night to collect money for the destroyed businesses. Neptune is also donating today’s tips. Etter-Carlson said other nearby businesses have also offered help.
“We’re very encouraged by everyone. This community is very la familia, which is rare,” Etter-Carlson said. “It’s hard to feel hopeless when you’re being held up by everyone. I’m saying we’re going to be okay because I have to.”
Update 12:45 p.m.: We just received a press release from Green Bean:

The Green Bean is a non-profit organization owned and operated by Sanctuary Church. Sanctuary meets in the Greenwood area at Taproot Theatre on Sunday mornings at 10am. Much of the church’s equipment appears to have also been lost in the fire.
Dr. Randy Rowland, CEO of the Green Bean Coffee House and pastor of Sanctuary Church, responded to this morning’s catastrophe: “A church and a community development organization are about people, not about buildings. The people are unharmed and we remain resolute in our vision and mission in Greenwood.”
Sanctuary Church will meet on Sunday mornings at 10am at The Upper Crust banquet facility located on the Southeast corner of 85th and Greenwood. Donations to rebuilding the Green Bean may be made to Sanctuary Green Bean Fund. In addition, a fund is being established at the Chase Bank Greenwood Branch to benefit the businesses affected by the fire.
Our websites will be updated regularly with relevant information.
www.sanctuarycrc.org
www.greenbeancoffee.org

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