Our Phase 2 Plan

As Phase 2 of reopening continues in the District, we’ve been fielding lots of questions about our plans. Believe us, we *really* miss having you all here, and we can’t wait for the day when every chair in the cafe and on the patio can be filled again. But our highest priority remains the well-being of our staff and customers, and ensuring that we can manage the complex logistics of keeping shared spaces safe for everyone. Given those challenges -- and in the absence of new breakthroughs about transmission and treatment of COVID-19 -- we will be maintaining our carryout-only model for the time being. It’s a tough decision to make, but it’s the right one for us. We hope you’ll understand. 

But! We’re excited about launching our own version of Phase 2, which will allow us to welcome customers back into The Potter's House to order at the counter (for takeout only) and to enjoy book browsing. We’re aiming to begin this phase in the next couple of weeks -- so please keep an eye out for details and a specific date!

Thanks so much for your continued support as we balance the well-being of our community with our capacity as a small nonprofit enterprise. We’ve been so touched by your loyalty, your words of encouragement, your donations, and your smiles at the front door (we see them, even behind your masks!). 

Truly, we couldn’t do this without you.

See you soon,
The Potter’s House Team

Black Lives Matter.

We shared last week that we stand in solidarity with our Black neighbors in the fight against systemic racism, white supremacy, and the historic oppression of the Black community - especially right here in DC. We want to reiterate our commitment to supporting the Movement for Black Lives and the ongoing protests around the country.

There is still much work to be done: Breonna Taylor's murderers have not been held accountable, the names of the officers who murdered Tony McDade have yet to be released, and countless injustices against Black Americans persist, from the individual to systemic level. 

Some ways you can help: 

If there is anything else you'd like to see The Potter's House doing, please reply to this email;  we will do whatever we can to make it happen. 

In solidarity,
The Potter's House

We're Lucky to Have Neighbors Like You

Last week, The Potter’s House opened for business for the first time since March 13. I won’t soon forget the feeling of that moment when, after many weeks of careful planning and hard work, we set out the welcome sign and opened the front door at last. It felt exhilarating and scary and uncertain and hopeful, all at once.

And then you all started showing up -- our amazing, treasured community -- and you warmed our hearts. I lost track, that first day, of the number of people who told us, “We’re SO GLAD you’re back!” as they picked up their food and books. Many of you left us little notes of support and encouragement with your online orders -- please know that our team sees and appreciates every single one. And we’ve been stunned and humbled by how many of you generously opted to add on a donation to The Potter’s House.

We’re all still getting used to this new way of operating, and we’ve definitely had our share of curveballs and kinks to work out. But on the whole, we feel good about what we’ve accomplished so far, and we look forward to continuing to expand and improve our offerings in the weeks to come.

I could not be prouder of the hard-working, committed Potter’s House team that has made this reopening possible. And I couldn’t be more grateful for you -- our supportive, caring community. Thank you for your patience as we get back into our groove, and please, let us know if you have ideas or suggestions for us (drop a line to info@pottershousedc.org).

Be well and stay safe. See you soon!

Leigh Tivol, Executive Director

We're Reopening on May 20!

After two long months of planning, we're grateful to announce that The Potter's House will be reopening for carryout next Wednesday, May 20. For the time being, our new operating hours will be Wednesdays through Sundays, from 9 am to 2 pm. 

We could never have imagined that we'd be kicking off our 60th anniversary year without inviting you all into our physical space for celebration, but we're thrilled to be back spreading a little warmth and joy to Adams Morgan and beyond.

Some things will be different -- we'll be operating with a streamlined menu and limited hours, and we won't be adding in-person events to our calendar for the foreseeable future (though we have some great virtual events coming up!).

But we promise much will be the same, too. You can count on delicious food and coffee, a great selection of books, the friendly faces of our incredible team ready to help you with whatever you may need, and our Pay it Forward program, which will resume serving free meals daily as soon as we reopen.

To be honest, though, we're a little nervous. We're venturing into uncharted territory, with a completely new business model (and we thank you for your patience as we work out any kinks!). We're taking every precaution to keep our employees and customers safe. We're doing everything we can to keep The Potter's House going.

And we need your help. We hope you'll keep relying on us for coffee and food, books and gifts; your patronage means more to us than ever. And we hope that you'll consider supporting our community-based work with a tax-deductible contribution.

We've been humbled and amazed by the support of our community these past two months -- thank you, and please, stay with us.  

See you soon, friends. We've missed you. 

DC Covid-19 Resources

A number of incredible local organizations have pulled together lists of resources to help navigate this uncertain time. We hope that you find this useful. If you know of additional local resources please send them to events@pottershousedc.org!

  • DC Mutual Aid - A grassroots, community-led effort looking to take care of each other and keep our city as safe as possible. This spreadsheet includes current efforts across the city, ways to find help, or opportunities to plug in to the work.

  • DC Jobs with Justice - the most up to date information for workers, residents, and community members on DC Council's Covid Response Acts.

  • DC Hunger Solutions  - In depth compilation of food resources and food related policy changes.

  • Georgetown Juvenile Justice Initiative - Comprehensive list of food assistance, mutual aid, internet access, and education resources. 

  • Hook Hall Helps - Meals and care-kits for hospitality industry workers, information about unemployment, business assistance, mental health services, and assistance for families. 

  • DC Policy Center - Education focused resources for families, individuals, and schools. 

  • Elite Ops Exterminators - Offering free treatment to local restaurants, grocery stores, food banks, or other food establishments in the DC metropolitan area in need of pest control. 

How are you?

We miss you. How are you holding up? 

It has been both the longest and the shortest month since we last saw you. A huge thank you to all who took the time to fill out our survey. We're using your input to guide a number of upcoming projects, including a virtual open mic next week -- stay tuned on our social media, @potterhousedc, for more.  

We were touched that close to 70% of you said the thing you miss the most about The Potter's House is the physical space. Though we can't invite you in to sip a latte and chat for a few hours, we are gearing up to reopen for takeout in the coming weeks in a way that keeps all members of our community comfortable and safe. We're still working out the details of exact dates, times, and menu, but we know you won't be disappointed! Coffee, books, biscuits, puzzles, and other tastes of The Potter's House are only a few weeks away. Follow us @pottershousedc for updates.

In the meantime, we're staying true to our Potter's House values by keeping our Pay It Forward program going for those in need of a meal. Since we closed, we've given away hundreds of free meals using the last of the fresh food in our kitchen. We're going to keep serving free food -- but we could use a hand so we can purchase the necessary ingredients. Here's how you can help Pay It Forward. 

Wishing you and your loved ones all the best. We can't wait to see you.

--The Potter's House Team 

We Miss You!

Dear Potter's House Community, 

It's been nearly three weeks since we closed, but we've been hard at work to ensure that when we reopen, we'll be running better than ever. 

This week alone we served over 100 free meals and 40 servings of ginger puddin' bread to our neighbors (and we're offering another round this Friday -- see below for details), updated our recipe books, cleaned and organized our book collection, and stayed in touch with you via video and social media. We're continuing to cook up ways to keep connected, even while we're apart -- stay tuned for more.

And thanks to you, so far we've raised nearly $11,000 for our Workers' Fund, allowing us to continue to pay our valued cafe staff through our closure. 

As a reminder, you can still purchase books & activities, audiobooks, and gift cards to be delivered right to your door (or mobile device). 

Even though we can't be together right now, rest assured we have great events, books, and café treats in store for you when we return. In the meantime, please stay healthy and safe!

The Potter's House Team 

New Ways to Support the Potter's House Online

We hope to emerge from this moment stronger than ever -- and you can help! Here are six easy ways you can continue to support The Potter's House from the comfort of your own home: 

1. Follow us on social media @pottershousedc. (Bonus: recipes!)
Stay tuned in the coming days for opportunities to feel like you're back in your seat in the cafe, cozied up with a soy vanilla latte, a slice of carrot cake, and a brand-new book. We'll be announcing ways to stay engaged with our community virtually during our temporary closure. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and instagram and you just might get access to some of your favorite Potter's House classic recipes :)

2. Order books through Bookshop.
Bookshop is a fabulous new Amazon alternative whose mission is to support the indie brick-and-mortar bookselling community. You search for the book you want to order, Bookshop sends it to you within a couple of days, and The Potter's House receives 25% of the purchase. Easy as that!

3. Download audiobooks from Libro.fm.
Libro is running an incredible deal to support independent bookstores impacted by coronavirus. When you start a membership with code SHOPBOOKSTORESNOW, you’ll get two audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99), and 100% of your payment will go to The Potter's House.

4. Contribute to our Workers' Fund. 
We are dedicated to paying our team during the closure. But we'll be honest -- doing so puts us in a tough financial position as a nonprofit. We need your support to meet our commitment. Please consider contributing to our Workers' Fund to help us. Every cent of your donation will go straight to our team.

5. Purchase Gift Cards. 
Potter's House gift cards never expire! Purchase a gift card for yourself or a loved one. We can't wait to see you when we reopen. 

6. Become a member of The Potter's House. 
You can help sustain the Potter's House by joining us as a member of our monthly donor community and donating $2, $5, or $10 monthly.