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WHEREAS on February 25, 2006, seven recent, college graduates opened Beleza Community Coffeehouse, located in the Northside's Mexican War Streets neighborhood, for the purpose of creating a welcoming community gathering place; and
WHEREAS the Community Coffeehouse's name "Beleza," is a commonly used, friendly salutation in Portuguese meaning, "beautiful'; and
WHEREAS while working for "The Pittsburgh Project", a Northside, non-profit organization that is dedicated to socially conscious, urban redevelopment, three of the co-owners of what would eventually become the Beleza Community Coffeehouse enjoyed the opportunity to visit Pittsburgh during their high-school and college years; and
WHEREAS while attending Hope College located in Holland, Michigan, Gavin Deming, Joanna Deming, Emily Frey-Wagg, Steve Frey-Wagg, Ashley North, Philip Johnson, and Kimberly Walkenhorst decided to return to Pittsburgh and dedicate their efforts to increasing social justice and local community-building, allowing their faith to lead them in this process; and
WHEREAS once relocated in Pittsburgh, this group of individuals uncovered a need on the part of the Central North Side neighborhood to have a community gathering place, which in turn led them to create the Beleza Community Coffeehouse concept as a means of promoting social justice and peace through cooperative efforts and community revitalization; and
WHEREAS in fulfillment of this idea, the seven co-owners, acting with generous financial assistance from the Northside Community Development Fund, decided to locate their Coffeehouse in what was once a vacant, corner storefront at 1501 Buena Vista Street; and
WHEREAS the Beleza Community Coffeehouse's commitment to social improvement extends to its products as well, with the Coffeehouse selling and promoting only fairly traded, socially conscious coffee and locally baked pastries; and
WHEREAS Beleza opens it doors to not only its customers but also to local artists wh...
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