Vivant brews up stout in support of Women’s Resource Center

Vivant brews up stout in support of Women’s Resource Center
From left, Kris Spaulding, co-owner and president, Brewery Vivant; Tatum Hawkins, Women's Resource Center director of development and communications; and Ciaran Leask, brewer at Vivant. <strong> Courtesy Brewery Vivant </strong>

A new stout brewed with chocolate and caramel notes will help Women’s Resource Center move to larger digs.

Brewery Vivant said it will release on Thursday, May 19, a Tootsie Roll stout called We’re on a Roll! in collaboration with Women’s Resource Center (WRC) to support to WRC’s Propel capital campaign.

The beer will only be available at Vivant’s pub, at 925 Cherry St. SE in Grand Rapids.

We’re on a Roll! (6% ABV) has “big notes of chocolate and caramel with a creamy mouthfeel” from the addition of rolled oats and many Tootsie Rolls that were added to the boil.

A portion of the proceeds of every pint sold will be donated to the Women’s Resource Center.

The Propel campaign is a $2 million fundraising effort to move the Women’s Resource Center to a new location at 816 Madison Ave. SE from its existing building at 678 Front Ave. NW, Suite 180.

“We are thrilled to partner with Women’s Resource Center on this very important campaign to move them into a new home that is more convenient and better equipped to support the women they serve,” said Kris Spaulding, president of Brewery Vivant. “We have partnered with WRC for a number of years and are excited to more directly share their message with our customers, giving them an opportunity to participate in empowering the women of our community through supporting Propel.”

Last year, WRC assisted over 600 local women, providing them with the skills and resources they need to thrive in the workforce. The organization has seen an increased demand for services since the pandemic began, and this campaign will allocate funding to provide more programming for formerly incarcerated women seeking reentry into the job market.

“This campaign is for all women from all walks of life. Every woman in our community deserves the chance to achieve financial stability through workplace success,” said Sandra Gaddy, CEO of Women’s Resource Center. “We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with Brewery Vivant to raise awareness about the Propel campaign. The philanthropic support from this campaign will allow us to be more accessible to women in our community who experience multiple barriers to employment.”

More information on the Propel campaign is at grwrc.org/propel.