How the Coronavirus is affecting Reading Pennsylvania | Café Esperanza

Pastor Mary Wolfe and her daughter Emily Wolfe had hopes of opening Café Esperanza’s doors on March 20, 2020. Café Esperanza would have been Reading, Pennsylvania’s first pay what you can cafe. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus pandemic has halted the cafe’s construction and now they do not when they will eventually be able to open their doors to the community.

The founders decided they specifically wanted to open the cafe on the Northside of Reading. This area in particular is a food desert where it is logistically hard to shop for fresh groceries, as most residents shop at local, corner store bodegas. It is also difficult for neighbors to gather around for an affordable, nutritious meal given that there aren’t any cafes or restaurants in the area.

Emily and her mother have seen the struggles the neighborhood residents have in trying to create community when eateries and cafes — that are healthy and affordable — are few and far between.

Despite not being able to physically open their doors, due to the Coronavirus, Emily feels more empowered and even more committed to the cafe’s mission of feeding their community in Reading, PA. Every Tuesday and Thursday Emily, her son Asha, and Chef Angie are outside of Hope Lutheran Church’s parking lot giving away freshly, prepared meals to their neighbors.

If you would like to support Café Esperanza and their mission by either volunteering or donations visit: http://www.cafeesperanzardg.org/

We believe now more than ever in our mission of creating stories that change lives. It is important that we amplify and document those voices of everyday people in our local city of Reading, Pennsylvania who are being affected by the Coronavirus pandemic in different ways.

Video produced by Retorocle, filmed and edited by Mateo Toro.

Music provided by Epidemic Sound.