Cortona Cafe is now a NonProfit!

As of January 1st, 2011 Cortona Cafe has transitioned ownership to a NonProfit, Cortona Community, INC. Cortona Cafe originally began in Fall 2009 with a desire to foster a place of reconciliation and community in Seattle’s Central District neighborhood; and as many of you may know, Will Little (a CD resident) and Brian Wells (of Tougo Coffee) came together to make Cortona the reality it’s been for over a year now.

To further this vision of reconciliation and community building, Will and Brian have donated Cortona Cafe to the community under the oversight of Jason and Foxy Davison. Jason and Foxy Davison are former teachers and mentors in the Central District for the past ten years. Currently, they serve and volunteer in various community organizations in the Central Area that promote harmony among Central District residents, empowerment for youth of color, and advocacy for the marginalized. Given the work the Davisons have been involved with—and the coincidence of Jason and Will having been college roommates—Will & Brian felt comfortable putting Cortona in the Davisons’ hands.

So what does this all mean for Cortona as we know it? Well, Cortona Community will own the cafe, the name will remain the same, and it will still be a casual place to enjoy a tasty waffle or hot espresso. Rather than displace the culture of Cortona, Jason and Foxy desire to augment the culture of the cafe with a focus on empowerment, hospitality, and community building. This Spring we will start a small vocational program for youth or young adults of color who are struggling in school or in finding employment. With regard to hospitality, we will host community dinners and continue to open up our space and walls to any groups or artists willing to come. Finally with community building we desire to establish a board of neighbors and Central District organizations to promote harmony amongst all facets of diversity in the area, as well as advocate for leadership development for the disadvantaged among us.

Too often, we find ourselves valuing “diversity” but never practicing it for fear of “the Other." We believe this need not be so, and true community can come by valuing our stories and unique backgrounds in a posture of love towards one another. If you have not been a part of our Cortona family to this point, we invite you now!

Hope To See You Soon!

~Your Friends at Cortona Community