A revolutionary school in Guatemala methodologically creating a positive impact on its students and surrounding community.
El Patojismo
Category: Causes
Team Brownsville
A humanitarian assistance group for Asylum seekers legally seeking asylum in the United States.
wayOUT
wayOUT partners with local LGBTQIA+ organizations who empower and support gender expansive youth to be themselves.
How You Can Help
GET POLITICAL:
Interactive Voting Map to find voting information for all 50 states.
Call your representatives to demand the bar & restaurant industry is part of the stimulus plan in response to COVID-19. Capital switchboard number – (202) 224-3121
If you’re a U.S. citizen and not registered to vote, or you recently moved, it’s quick and easy to register and update your voter registration here: Register!
SHOP ILEGAL APPAREL:
Since the company began we have supported and contributed to a number of groups working to affect social change for the better. On March 18, 2020, Ilegal made a donation of $50,000 to the USBG Relief Fund. We are in this together and we look forward to bellying up to the bar with you all again soon. To support those who are most vulnerable, the profits from the sale of our apparel shop will be split between the organizations below.
Resources
Black Lives Matter Resources: Somos Ilegales Cuando La Ley Está Contra La Gente. Stand with us in support of the black community in America, who has endured injustice and systemic oppression for far too long.
SNAP State Directory of Resources: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Community Fridges: Use our interactive map to find a community fridge you can contribute to near you
Creative Capital: A list of recourses and grants for those who work in the arts
CORE Grants: Support to families with children who work in the food & beverage service industry
More Resources: We have put together a sheet of recourse for hospitality workers, undocumented workers, and more. This list is constantly being updated, so please let us know if you have questions or recourses we should add. Please contact us at question@ilegalmezcal.com
Organizations We Support
Since the company began in 2006 we have supported and contributed to a number of groups working to affect social change for the better. Apart from fundraising contributions, we host volunteer trips and mentorship programs. Please reach out to question@ilegalmezcal.com for more information. Thank you for your help in supporting these organizations!
Letter from the Founder, John Rexer
We believe that at the door of your business your values should be exemplified and defended.
Ilegal Mezcal — the company — was founded in Guatemala. Ilegal Mezcal — the liquor — is made in Oaxaca, Mexico by Oaxaqueños. The company is comprised of Mexicans, Guatemalans, Mexican Americans, an El Salvadoran American, a Venezuelan, an Ecuadorian, New Yorkers, Californians, an Alabamian, a Philadelphian … people from an array of ethnicities, cultures, and sexual orientations. We live, work, and play across borders.
We are too keenly aware of the issues of immigration, the refugee crisis, gender discrimination, racism and xenophobia. Climate Change affects the future of agriculture, food supply, water resources, air quality, economy, health care, migration, and human rights. These issues impact us, our friends, and our relatives.
Demonizing groups of people will not solve any of this. Nor will building walls, whether brick by brick or sound bite by sound bite. Violence is certainly not the answer. Finding commonality, exercising compassion, sharing an other’s custom, fighting for human dignity, engaging in civil discourse — these are good first steps.
Since the company began we have supported and contributed to a number of groups working to affect social change for the better. Below is a list of organizations we support.
Through the 2019 profits of our apparel shop and team fundraising efforts, Ilegal raised over $50,000 for numerous charity and community organizations. For 2020, in addition to our fundraising efforts, a percentage of our gross sales up to $100,000 will be donated to charity. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
John Rexer and The Entire Ilegal Mezcal Gang