From Uncle Ike’s
Uncle Ike’s is thrilled to renew its partnership with local nonprofit Entre Hermanos, which provides free sexual health care and immigration aid to members of the Latinx LGBTQ+ community.
As part of that partnership, Ike’s partners with vendors every year during Pride month to donate a portion of proceeds to Entre Hermanos. From June 24-30, Ike’s will donate 5% of all proceeds to Entre Hermanos, and each participating vendor will match with their own 5%.
“Pearl Extracts is honored to partner with Uncle Ike’s in support for Entre Hermanos,” said Greg Shaw, their CEO. “We strongly believe that diversity enriches our community and we salute Entre Hermanos for the invaluable services they provide for the well-being of Seattle’s Latinx LGBTQ+ population.”
The “Big Lift” Pride fundraising drive raised $12,000 in 2017 and $37,000 in 2018. Based on the vendors participating this year, proceeds are expected to top $50,000, which would be the most a single cannabis retailer has ever donated to charity in Washington.
“We couldn’t do what we do without neighbors like Uncle Ike’s,” said Owen David, Entre Hermanos’ Development Manager. “Their generosity empowers us as we expand our ongoing medical case management and Spanish-language support groups, fight for immigrant rights, and organize around the 2020 Census.”
Continuing and expanding the “Big Lift” fundraiser is a high priority for Uncle Ike’s, as the work Entre Hermanos does is only getting more necessary. Many people in the Latinx LGBTQ+ community are hesitant to seek services like HIV testing and prevention counseling through traditional channels, especially in today’s political climate, so Entre Hermanos offers free and confidential HIV testing Monday through Friday. They also do extensive outreach and education work, via events like the South Park Queer Pride Picnic, and other community workshops and forums. For people in the Latino community living with HIV, Entre Hermanos provides case management services and support groups. They also offer an extensive array of classes, clinics, and legal services to help undocumented immigrants dealing with immigration proceedings, including a program to assist with asylum proceedings for LGBTQ+ people who may be fleeing hate and discrimination.
Most importantly, their policy is that, “Our clients can obtain services regardless of immigration status and regardless of ability to pay. Our service is offered in Spanish or English and is culturally friendly for our Latino clients.”
Uncle Ike’s owner Ian Eisenberg stressed the importance of fundraising during Pride, and specifically fundraising for the Latinx LGBTQ+ community.
“We’ve never wanted to be one of those businesses who just put up a rainbow flag in the window and don’t actually do anything to support the LGBTQ+ community,” Eisenberg said. “Entre Hermanos is really doing the work, and we’re proud to help them do it.”
Uncle Ike’s and Entre Hermanos would like to thank all of this year’s participating vendors, listed below:
- 1937 Farms
- 4.20 Minis
- American Hash Makers
- Artizen
- Aurum Farms
- Avitas
- BotanicaSeattle
- Burnwell
- C4 Cannaburst
- Cascade Crest Cannabis
- Constellation Cannabis
- Craft Elixir
- Crystal Clear
- Dabstract
- Double Delicious
- Elevate
- Evergreen Herbal
- Experience Organics
- Exotikz
- Fairwinds Cannabis
- Falcanna
- Flav
- Freddy’s Fuego
- Funky Monkey
- Gabriel
- Goodship
- GreenMed Labs
- Grow Op
- Happy Apple
- Hellavated
- Herbs Herbz
- Heylo
- Highdrate
- Honu
- Hot Sugar
- House of Cultivar
- Journeyman
- Lazy Bee
- Leafwerx
- Legends
- Lemonnade
- Magic Kitchen
- Melo
- Mr. Moxey’s Mints
- Mfused
- Northwest Cannabis Solutions
- NW Wonderland
- Oleum Extracts
- PAX
- Pearl Extracts
- Phat Panda
- Private Reserve
- Puffin Farm
- Ra
- Regulator
- Royal Tree Gardens
- Saints
- Seattle’s Private Reserve
- Sinners and Saints
- Smokey Point Productions
- Sourface
- Spot
- Sticky Frog
- Stone Cold Sodas
- Sweetwater Farms
- Swifts
- Techbud
- THC Express
- Topshelf WA
- Trail Blazin’
- Velvet Swing
- Verdure
- Washington Bud Company
- WA Grower
- Wave Edibles
- Willie’s Reserve
