Benne Initiative - Improve life for CHS F&B and Hospitality Workers

State Rep., Chef JA MooreUpdate

New- Meetup, Tues. Oct. 22

JA Moore (image left) worked his way up from the back of the House, to the front of the house to the South Carolina State House.
Help the first professional Chef elected to the SC Legislature improve transit and affordable housing for Food, Beverage and Hospitality Workers by supporting the Benne Initiative. Come to his leadership meetup to help plan the campaign for more affordable housing and better transit in the Lowcountry. The meetup will happen on Tuesday, Oct. 22 from 6 pm to 7:30 at his new Catering Kitchen and Event Space at 3353 Meeting Street Rd., N. CharLeston, SC 29405, Signup to become a Benne Initiative Leader at the meetup on Facebook.

More information & Event Registration
https://tinyurl.com/bennefandb
Or contact Rep. JA Moore
Legislature (803) 212-6890
Business Phone (843) 640-0130

Our Mission

Food, Beverage and Hospitality workers are the backbone of our economy and should have a secure and valued place in our community.
Benne will work to make sure future transit and its associated planning and development for affordable housing offer a higher quality of life, more disposable income and security for the more than 20 thousand people working in Food, Beverage and Hospitality careers here.

Watch JA Moore's Video on the Benne Initiative on YouTube. He's the first professional Chef ever elected to the SC State Legislature and he leads the effort.

You can contact Rep. Moore through his legislative contact page. You can use this page to find your State Senator or Representative.

The Benne Initiative takes its name from the Benne seed, a food grain brought from Africa with it’s people to become part of Lowcountry culture . The benne seed is used to make the traditional benne seed wafer served to guests as a symbol of Lowcountry Hospitality and good luck.

The Benne Initiative kicked off with a fundraising Breakfast prepared by Rep. Moore at the Mellow Mushroom in N. Charleston on Feb. 4, 2019 (Transit Equity Day, the birthday of Rosa Parks). Special thanks to Julie Hussey and the SC AFL CIO for sponsoring tables for F&B workers and activists who wanted to attend. Thanks to the hard working staff and management of the Mellow Mushroom for their kind support.

Our Current Goals

Things move rapidly in Transportation, Community Planning and Hospitalty, so check back here for changes.

Rep. JA Moore in the Kitchen preparing the Feb. 4 Breakfast

1. Pass the Five Transit Improvement bills into state law introduced by Representatives Pendavis & Moore to improve transit, provide save “Complete Streets” for travel to and from work on foot, by bike and by transit and to facilitate creation of Affordable housing along the planned rapid transit line.  Read the details on all five bills and check how they are progressing towards becoming law.
2. Make sure plans for redevelopment of the old Navy Hospital site include affordable housing as part of a mixed use, transit oriented development. Hospitality workers who choose to can afford to rent or owe their home a short transit commute from their work without the need for a car. Allow them to save 8 thousand dollars a year or more of their income so they can have a higher quality of life.  For those who choose to drive, less traffic congestion and competition for parking.  Read the Op Ed column published in the Chronicle about by Rep. Marvin Pendarvis.

3. 

   Carol Dotterer explains plans for Rapid Transit Line

   Work for the accelerated planning and construction of the rapid transit line funded by Charleston County Voters in Nov. 2016 linking Summerville, Lincolnville, Ladson, N. Charleston, the Nexk and Charleston and work to see that work on a branch reaching Goose Creek is started. In planning, push to be sure the needs of our Food, Beverage and Hospitality workers are recognized as part of a changing economic and social landscape here, different from the Lowcountry's historical realities of a generation ago.
4. Improve regular, existing bus service in urban and suburban areas so F,B&H workers can connect home, work and the other parts of their lives. Support the existing HOP bus service and help it build ridership.

See a our map of how the proposed system ought to work.  Watch a video about How Bus Rapid Transit works in other cities.

Support Progress

Volunteer- We work throughout the Lowcountry from rural areas to urban ones with supporters ranging from the homeless to major corporations. Hospitality workers are some of our best volunteers. Limited paid work is available. Email William Hamilton to get involved.
Donate- We're a 501c3 Non profit. The Coastal Community Foundation acts as our financial sponsor and administers our funds. You can contribute to us through them.
Spread the Word- Join our mailing list. You can Follow us on Facebook. Get our Tweets on Twitter. Download and distribute this printable PDF Flyer on our Work