On June 30, over 40 bar, brewery, and restaurant locations came together for #DCBrewsFightsBack, an effort coordinated by DCBeer and Helping Oppressed Peoples Survive (HOPS). These locations came together to support the national day of action by donating proceeds to organizations working on behalf of immigrants and encouraging patrons to make their voices heard. The total raised by these organizations is currently over $4,300 and has benefited organizations like CASA, the CAIR Coalition, the ACLU, and RAICES.

The “1 Dollar, 1 Call, 1 Purpose” encouraged the D.C. beer community to come together to raise funds for local and national organizations working to reunite families along the U.S. border and providing support to immigrant communities. Patrons were also encouraged to take action in support of #FamiliesBelongTogether by contacting their elected officials.

I was on the Beer Me! Podcast with HOPS founder Matt “Heff” Heffernan and DCBeer contributor Aaron Morrissey to chat about #DCBrewsFightsBack last week. Listen to that recording here.

Big thanks to the following locations who supported this effort:

Editor’s Note: I do understand that some, maybe most, don't come to DCBeer expecting us to be advocating for causes. Though we've advocated for more diversity in craft beer, better distribution and fresher beer, etc. those are obviously not quite in the same vein as #DCBrewsFightsBack. I won't apologize for our efforts because I don't feel sorry about it, and the money raised by these 40+ locations will go to phenomenal causes. I do appreciate the respectful feedback we got, both positive and critical, of this effort and want to let readers know that we are listening and trying to be thoughtful about this. That the current situation drove us to get involved in this way after nearly a decade of operating should demonstrate how we view the stakes and severity of family separation. I can't reasonably expect everyone to agree, but I do want readers to know that we didn’t and don't make this decision casually, and would give similarly serious consideration to making it again in the future. Cheers!