Business Spotlight: Get Fresh Daily
With Juneteenth approaching, we wanted to highlight a Philly-based Black-owned business. For those who don’t know, Juneteenth (June 19th 1865) is the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Juneteenth is an African American holiday that symbolizes true freedom. Later that year, slavery was officially abolished by the 13th Amendment. However, the fight for equality hasn’t ended. To this day, Black people throughout the U.S. are facing rampant discrimination: unequal employment opportunities, wage gaps, limited access to physical and mental healthcare, etc. However here at LUHV, we believe we have the power to fight for justice.
The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement seeks to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. During the summer of 2020, attention towards BLM spiked due to the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and many more. This narrative about social justice doesn’t seem to be central to the conversation anymore, but we refuse to be a voice that gets lost in the crowd. LUHV Food is a plant-based food company, so you might wonder why we care so much about social justice. Well Veganism stems from a deep love for all things— humans, animals, and the environment. Therefore it’s deep in our DNA as a business to want to give back to our community, making it as fair and equitable as it can be!
In June 2020, we launched a LUHV Black-Owned Business initiative to support Philly-based Black-owned businesses. We pledged to donate a portion of our daily sales indefinitely. Every $5,000 we raise goes directly to a Philly-based Black-owned business. We are fortunate enough to have a customer base that values social justice, so please donate here and nominate a Philly-based Black-owned business here.
We are thrilled to announce that Get Fresh Daily (GFD) will be the first recipient of our LUHV Black-Owned Business initiative. Carolann, VP of Operations at LUHV Food, had the pleasure to meet with Jiana Murdic, Founder of GFD, and was instantly struck by her uplifting personality and mission to do change the world. GFD is a social enterprise celebrating community, culture, and plant-centric living through high energy events and education that inspire and lift people up to their potential and higher self. GFD is all about interrupting dominant narratives depicting wellness as inaccessible for marginalized communities by showcasing people of color actively engaging with nature, exhibiting healthy and vibrant lifestyles. Jiana believes that you have the power to make a difference and take over the world. We can’t wait to see GFD flourish!
On June 19 2021 in honor of Juneteenth, GFD is launching their Freedom Greens & Gardens Project, a free plant-based barbecue at 52nd and Pine. After, community members will stage a peaceful protest down 52nd St which will culminate into an Art in the Park event at Malcolm X Park sponsored by Mural Arts Philadelphia. If you consider yourself a member of this community, we invite you to attend!
P.S. Stay on the lookout for the Get Fresh food subscription box, you may see some familiar items in there!
