MINNEAPOLIS — At The Coffee Shop Northeast, there's a whole lot of love for community educators. Co-owner Jennifer Horton considers them family.
"Educators are the most important people in a child’s life besides their family, and they have been putting up with so much from the pandemic," Horton said. "These are the people that are influencing your kids’ lives, they are worth so much."
Horton's cousin is a teacher at Waite Park Elementary School, and about a week ago, she came to Horton with a question.
"She said, 'We might be striking next week, is it possible to use the bathroom?' I said, 'Of course it is! Hello, obviously,'" Horton explained.
Horton took it a step further and provided a stash of hand warmers for teachers to warm up after striking outside in the cold, and set up a charging station for those whose cell phones were running low on battery. In addition, guests at the shop started donating to a gift card to provide free warm drinks for teachers.
"It will start running low and someone will be like, let’s put $50 more dollars on it!" Horton said.
Allison Gurney, a FAIR High science teacher who stopped by The Coffee Shop Northeast Saturday, said she's extremely appreciative.
"There’s been so much community support it really helps us feel we’re on the right track," Gurney said. "They have our backs."
A few blocks down the road, another business, Twin Spirits Distillery, is finding a way to support educators. They're donating 50 percent of the proceeds of their "Ruckus Rosemary" drink to MFT Local 59.
"I think it’s our most popular drink," Michael Gunderson, a bartender, said. "We wanted to find one that people would for sure order."
Gunderson considers it a "noble cause." Though he didn't grow up in Minneapolis, he said, "[Teachers] deserve all the support they can get right now, and it’s the least we can do honestly to help them out."
Saturday, a representative for Minneapolis Public Schools told KARE 11, "From the community partner standpoint, it's more about them supporting students and families than them throwing their support behind the district." They shared this list of community resources for families.