It is very “PC” for a company to give back to society in some way. It is also a good marketing tool…well, you know how corporations work with these things. At City Bean, we work with the following causes, because they are real to us and in our hearts.
Center for Lifelong Learning - This after-school program in South LA, provides underprivileged children with an environment to learn what they may not be mastering in school. Full-time staff and volunteer tutors help those who need extra help in learning the basics. Sol Salzer, founder of City Bean, and his mom volunteered at the center back in the 1970s. Sol’s mom was tutoring a young teenager who was soon to find himself homeless. The Salzer Family adopted Spencer when he was 14. Spencer grew up, graduated high school, continues a successful career, lives with his wife and family, and was one of the original investors in City Bean. The center has been important to the Salzer Family and City Bean is committed to other children’s dreams being fulfilled.
The Mary T. Pollock Memorial Loan Fund - Mary Pollock and Sol Salzer were study partners at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Business School in the early 1980s. Mary was killed in a car accident on an icy road near Lake Tahoe during Christmas break in 1984. She was a smart student and a great person. Sol founded this fund for Business School students on the verge of dropping out due to financial problems. The monies given to the needy students are in loan form, so the fund will always keep Mary’s name alive at Cal Poly.
Coffee Kids - This program supports the needs of the children of coffee workers in countries of origin. The kids get support with basic needs and education. Coffee often comes from areas where wealth is not plentiful. Coffee Kids helps to bridge the gap.
Community Magnet - Established in the mid-1970s, this unique school thrives in the underachieving and undercapitalized LA Unified School District. Community Magnet School emphasizes the study of the humanities and the social sciences through a multicultural perspective. Community Magnet School has been honored as a California Distinguished School, one of only two schools in Los Angeles selected as A National Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education. In addition, the Getty Education Institute to Transform Education Through the Arts selected CMS as a national model for integrated comprehensive arts education at the elementary level.
Food Bank LA - Whenever we have coffee that does not meet our standards for freshness or quality, we donate it to this organization that provides free meals to those who cannot feed themselves.
