2nd annual East Gainesville Backyard Barbecue held Saturday at MLK Center
East Gainesville residents, business owners and entrepreneurs networked and had a good time Saturday at the second annual East Gainesville Backyard Barbecue.
At the event, held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center in northeast Gainesville, those attending learned about businesses, services, entrepreneurs and resources that serve the community.
The event was created to give residents an opportunity to learn more about the resources and businesses in Gainesville while enjoying themselves, said Chanda Mayes, founder of the event and a native of East Gainesville.
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“I created the event because I wanted to give back to East Gainesville,” Mayes said. “I grew up in the area.”
The event was sponsored by Children’s Trust of Alachua County, Sam’s Club of Gainesville, Wanda Daniels and Chanda Mayes Consulting LLC.
Mayes is also the owner of Amazing Grace Coordination LLC and Soars Mentoring Services.
The vendors were Boss Wit Da Sauce, Big Mel’s Smoke House, Swarthy East Gainesville, Eva Baad Wata Ice, Cut D1fferent, Unique Luxury, Creative Touch, Akua Beauty Design, Nanettes Good Ole Crabs, Kool Kids Snacks, Blessings By Mary, Pizazz Styles by Patria, Raise Up, TRIO Education Center, Community Weatherization Coalition, Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area, Travel By Kenya, STM Specialties Made with Love, Santa Fe College Downtown Blount Center, Emma Lu’s Lemonade, Home Sweet Home Crafts and Ministries of Movement.
Kenya D. Ellis, a local travel agent, was one of the vendors.
Ellis gave attendees an opportunity to apply for passports and encouraged them to include traveling more in their lifestyle.
“Most African Americans feel that they can’t afford to travel and that’s not true,” Ellis said. “You can save up in increments and pay for trips on layaway. We can make it affordable.”
Ellis said her main goal is to give families a peace of mind when they travel.
“We focus on food and shelter and don’t take the time out to enjoy life,” Ellis said. “I want to provide peace to families.”
Stephanie Mills, owner of STM Specialties Made with Love, created her business in 2018 due to her love of creating customized and personalized items for customers.
Mills said her business specializes in crocheting, shirts, cups, coffee mugs and more.
“I’ve always been a creator and decided to form a business,” Mills said.
She said events like the East Gainesville Backyard Barbecue help businesses gain more exposure and allows residents to learn more about resources they can use in the city.
“This really supports the community and helps so many vendors get their products out there,” Mills said.
Hatdrika Monroe and Sir Jason Monroe, a local couple with ties to East Gainesville, are the owners of Swarthy East GNV, a holistic health service that provides the community with locally-sourced produce from Black farmers and a community wellness space.
The couple has a farm in Hawthorne and want to reduce food insecurity in East Gainesville.
“We support events like this because it gives people an opportunity to share a space with one another to provide education and resources,” Hatdrika Monroe said.
“That is the beauty of East Gainesville — bringing the resources to the community,” said Sir Jason Monroe. “These are resources we need to know about.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Event in East Gainesville held to expose residents to businesses
