TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — At Brick Box Brewery in downtown Tucson, the owner James Owens said helping others is part of the company’s mission.
“We don’t have control over the world, but we have control over our space here,” Owens said. “So we try to provide what we can.”
Brick Box Brewery has teamed up with local businesses that use their space including Katsu House, Holy Focaccia, and Cuts and Slabs Charcuterie to give out free meals to people affected by SNAP benefits being cut off or the government furloughs.
In the past week there have been a lot of legal battles that the Trump Administration and the States have been going back and forth on. Lower courts have ruled that the government still has to give people on SNAP full payments but now the Trump Administration is waiting on a ruling from the Supreme Court. The administration is asking them to freeze full payments for SNAP benefits
Owens said their project is all about community and giving back to those who have supported his business.
“Our business is built on community,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to have support in the past, so we try to set an example by doing the same thing.”
Since launching the effort, Brick Box has raised more than $2,500 to purchase ingredients and has served more than 250 free meals. For Owens, the cause is personal.
“I grew up around a table that ate off of benefits,” he said. “My grandparents were on benefits. For me, being fortunate enough to not be in a situation to need them, I’m always not that far from it.”
Sabrina Chapman, who has the username missfirebites on Instagram and TikTok, posted about her desire to help the community. Katsu House’s owner then reached out and the project came to fruition within a few days.
Chapman’s first social media post about the effort received about 100,000 views, inspiring many people to reach out.
“Social media is such a powerful tool,” Chapman said. “We’ve been able to reach people through TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.”
Almost 100 people have messaged Chapman to volunteer, donate or ask how to get help.
Back in 2020, Chapman was in the shoes of many of the people who need help, so she’s making it her mission to help others.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” she said. “We’re here for you.”
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
