We Wanna’ Know! “Who’s Down with SVP?”
You’ve heard of the annual SEED20 event, where 20 local nonprofits compete for up to $20,000. A virtual version of the competition took place earlier this week and the 2020 winners have just been announced on social media. Watch the winner reveal by Bleema Bershad, Lead Partner for SEED20 2020, right now. All of this is wonderful, and SEED20 is seen as an incredible gift to the Charlotte community, but just who is behind it? What’s their endgame? All we knew were three little letters you just read above: SVP. To answer these questions, we plumbed the depths of this Queen City mystery in the latest “Broken Crowns” investigation, daring to ask the question … “WHAT IS SVP?” Watch our investigative video report here. WARNING: You may be shocked at what we found. And, you be overcome by an urge to attend a “Smurf Vegas Party.” 
Social Media Advice from our Social Media Scoundrel
Using social media as a tool to connect with clients and potential customers isn’t new, but in the “stay-at-home” environment, it’s vital. Many creatives and small businesses are leaning on it harder than ever to promote the shifts they’re making to online/virtual products and services. That may be intimidating and scary territory. We asked The Biscuit’s resident “Social Media Scoundrel,” Porter Metzler — the least scary person we know — to share some easy tips to keep in mind while using social media to share your stories and your business. He said, “Yes,” so that’s a good start.
Two Charlotte Creatives Share Words of Hope & Inspiration
There’s plenty of bad news out in the world these days. But, there’s reason to be hopeful. And, if Andy Dufresne of The Shawshank Redemption has taught us anything (other than how to creatively use a rock hammer), it’s “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” Despite it all, two of our favorite Queen City creatives found reasons to be hopeful this week. We’re happy to share them with you here: If you’ve got words of wisdom, inspiration or hope you’d like to share in The Biscuitwith your fellow creatives, please tell us here.
Andrea Downs Says The “Dirty” Laundry Still Needs to Be Aired
Providence Day School art teacher and HUG Micro-grant recipient, Andrea Downs, is the founder of Airing Out the “Dirty” Laundry, an ongoing, outdoor art exhibition that encourages “all women across the intersections of race, age, color, disability, faith, religion, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, social class, economic class, ethnicity, gender identity and gender expression” to tell their stories on a clothesline. COVID-19 hasn’t slowed Andrea down (pun intended). It’s made her work more important than ever. She spoke to Kristen Miranda about it this week on WBTV. Watch her QC Morning segment here. And, Andrea just launched a new Website with opportunities to get involved.
Providence Day & Charlotte Latin Team to Produce PPE
Speaking of Providence Day … We’re all aware of the critical shortage of medical facemasks, face shields and other PPE facing hospitals across the country. To help address that pressing need, students at Providence Day School joined forces with Charlotte Latin School and others to create PPE face shields using 3D printers through their on-campus makerspace. Read more about that — and how you can help — here. There’s more you can do!Charlotteans Gloria Tsan, an emergency medical technician, and Dr. Sheila Natarajan, have started CLTgivePPE, a grassroots effort to collect PPE from companies and private citizens that can be redistributed to local clinics and healthcare systems. Read more about it in North Carolina Health News. WFAE reported on how Charlotteans are using 3D printers to combat the shortage of life-saving medical equipment. In a similar vein, The Charlotte Post wrote a story about Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s costume shop staff making masks at home.
When a Problem Comes Along, You Must PIVOT
Like us all, Pitch Breakfast is pivoting to an online experience … and that gave them an idea: Let’s have innovators and entrepreneurs compete for $5,000 by pitching about HOW they are pivoting. Pitch Breakfast has helped launch some incredible start-ups in Charlotte and this is a clever way to adjust to the new circumstances of COVID-19. Pitch Your Pivot is 8:45-10:15am on April 8. If you’d like to apply to pitch your pivot (by April 4), click here. If you’d like a free ticket to the event, click here.
Help for the Latinx Community is a Phone Call Away
The Latin American Coalition (La Coalición) has launched a hotline in Spanish for those affected by the COVID-19 crisis. According to the LAC, the line — 980-320-3734 — “provides information on crisis assistance, help with groceries, questions about the school system, low-cost clinics, document translation, health clinics, immigration and citizenship consultations, among others.” The services are provided regardless of immigration status. More about it here in English and Spanish. Please note: La Coalición has no attorneys on staff and legal consultations are limited to immigration.
$500 Payments Available from New ASC Fund PHOTO CREDIT: Joshua Galloway The Arts & Science Council has announced the creation of the Mecklenburg Creativies Resiliency Fund. The fund was established to help local creatives pay for unexpected expenses or to alleviate the challenges of lost work or performances due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Payments are flat $500 awards to applicants that meet the fund’s criteria. Read more about how to apply.
The local media community is working incredibly hard to provide accurate, uplifting and actionable information to assist with the new realities we face. We’re proud to call them our peers and will continue to support them as we can. Here are some stories from this week we think are worth your time. Qcitymetro expanded the local media conversation about how restaurants are coping with COVID-19 to include food trucks. SHARE Charlotte offered a story on ways all of us can help feed neighbors in need. Charlotte Ledger addressed the immediate “Zoom Boom” that has overtaken personal life. UNC Charlotte Urban Institute forecasted ways the COVID-19 outbreak could change life in Charlotte well past the current crisis. Charlotte on the Cheap assembled a helpful assessment of home delivery services.
This one goes out to all the Classic Nintendo lovers out there. Who needs a sword when you can have a bar of soap?
You may have lost count, but it’s Friday. And, baby … it’s been a week. So, your Biscuit makers are planning to officially kick off the freakin’ weekend with another cocktail from mixologist, Rachael Green. She shared the object of our affection on Instagram earlier this week — Gettin’ Figgy With It. Instructions are below and you can watch Rachael make it here! And, Rachael routinely shares other recipes on Facebook Live. Ingredients - 1.5 oz of White Rum (@muddyriverdistillery used here)
- .5 oz honey syrup
- .5 oz lemon juice
- 2 drops of rose water
- 1 fig
- Ginger Ale
- .5 oz dark rum (@pussersrum used here)
Instructions - Muddle fig into white rum, honey, lemon, and rose water
- Shake ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice
- Top with ginger ale
- Add a float of dark rum
- Garnish with a slice of fig, and a lemon wheel
We miss our daily mural hunting sessions. So, we’ll have to settle for looking through all of our old pictures of Charlotte’s gloriously painted walls. One of our favorites in our Camera Roll is this beautiful piece by Charlotte artist Georgie Nakima. The mural can be found in Charlotte’s east side in East Town Market. Georgie describes the work as a piece of “creative placekeeping.” “Creative placemaking is about making a place. But, this has already been made. Creative placekeeping is honing in on what’s been here — the history and also the cultural impact,” she says. You can read more about this project and Georgie’s thoughts on the importance of creative placemaking here. Directions: Very near 5821 E W.T. Harris Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28215 This Queen City exploration is powered by OrthoCarolina.
Explore other “Where Are We in CLT?” destinations here.
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