Politics & Government
Oregon Settles With Revolucion Coffee House Owner On Pandemic Aid
Maria Garcia, who owns Revolucion Coffee House downtown, sued Oregon over its Oregon Cares Fund, which only provided aid to Black residents.
PORTLAND, OR — When Revolucion Coffee House owner Maria Garcia saw that Oregon had set up a $62 million fund to help businesses affected by the pandemic, she immediately applied for a grant.
Her downtown coffee shop had been forced to close for three months and she needed help.
It turned out that asking the Oregon Cares Fund was not going to offer any help.
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They said no because the state had decided to set aside the aid for Black residents and business owners.
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Garcia, who is Mexican American, was told no.
She filed a suit last November and the state decided to settle.
The state had set aside almost $47,000 in an account for her last year if she won. that's the maximum amount that she would have received if she had been Black.
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