I’m a week behind posting this bit of brewery pandemic support news, but that’s okay—it’s good news for the Columbia Gorge area around Hood River. Double Mountain Brewery established the Double Mountain Foundation to help support employees impacted by COVID-19, and seeks to expand to cover other hospitality workers in the area.

The press release the brewery issued details the Foundation’s mission and initial efforts:

Double Mountain Foundation Receives Generous Grant from United Way

For the Community!
As we all come to terms with the COVID-19 health crisis, our vibrant and essential Brewery and Taproom staff are also experiencing extraordinary hardship. A group of investors from Double Mountain wanted to find a way to give back to the employees that have worked so hard over the years to make the brewery a success. A non-profit foundation was formed after the government closure of dine-in restaurants to assist laid off employees. The Double Mountain Foundation provides assistance to current and former Double Mountain staff in need of help with shelter, food, & health care costs. Furthermore, the Double Mountain Foundation is seeking additional funding to establish a broader program that will include food assistance for hospitality workers throughout the Hood River Gorge community displaced by this crisis. On Friday, April 24, The United Way of Columbia Gorge awarded a $7500 grant to purchase gift cards for groceries at local grocery stores and the Gorge Grown farmers market to directly aid staff that are in financial distress. The foundation is extremely grateful to this generous gift from the local community and hopes to expand our donations to reach more restaurant and hospitality workers in the gorge.

All funds raised will be distributed as direct support to eligible applicants in some of the following ways; Gift cards for groceries/gas/home supplies, rent, utilities, health insurance, medical supplies, car payments, transportation costs, and child care. There is room in the criteria to help in other ways on a case-by-case basis in acute instances of crisis. All grants will be paid directly to vendors or through gift cards.

“As I’ve been reaching out to many restaurant owners, I hear a very similar story of hard working staff that have been laid off, but through the complexity of the overwhelmed unemployment system, still have received no assistance. It is heartbreaking. These families are struggling every day to make ends meet and put food on the table”, says Matt Swihart, Foundation Board Member, and Owner of Double Mountain.

Individuals or groups that would like to make a donation can find a link on our website at www.doublemountainbrewery.com/double-mountain-foundation/ or can be mailed to:

Double Mountain Foundation
PO Box 1660, Hood River, OR 97031

We have submitted our application to the IRS to qualify as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and are awaiting a likely tax-exempt certification. Donations are not guaranteed to be tax deductible until that status is confirmed.

About Us
The Double Mountain Foundation was organized during the pandemic COVID-19 outbreak after the closure of our restaurants and a dramatic downturn of our brewery business. Our mission is to provide financial assistance for current and former Double Mountain employees facing severe impacts on their personal lives during this crisis and provide a platform to assist our staff in the future for other traumatic events. We are a community service organization that can assist our local community with charitable projects that benefit the lives of our citizens to make our towns a thriving place to live.

Good work being done in the Gorge, help out by donating if you can.