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Ethan Cory

New Team Member: Ethan Cory!

27 Mar 2023, by Admin in Harvest Blog, Harvest VISTA, City Fruit

Ethan Cory is an AmeriCorps member serving at City Fruit as the Fundraising & Development Specialist VISTA in Seattle, Washington. Their project is focused on the development of a fundraising plan, aimed toward individual donors and City Fruit members; foundations, corporations, and government sources; and special events; and will implement systems for tracking volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders in order to increase funding for City Fruit’s growth and sustainability.

Ethan was born and raised in Washington (Washington, D.C.) and pursued higher education at the University of Mary Washington (UMW), a small liberal arts school in Virginia.  He had the opportunity to double major in Business Administration and Spanish, whilst studying abroad in Bilbao, Spain. After graduating, he moved to Portland, Maine in 2020 after swearing an oath to serve with AmeriCorps; there he helped the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and their employees with financial readiness programs. Throughout his time in Maine, he became heavily involved in opening restaurants and bars throughout the foodie city. As a result, he has helped launch several small businesses such as a craft cocktail bar, a brunch and fine dining restaurant, and a secondary location for that brand. Ethan is passionate about wine and spirits in cocktailing.

Currently, Ethan is also studying for his Sommelier exam as a side hobby. Throughout his time in the restaurant industry, he noticed a lot of inadequate in the way small businesses handle food waste. Oftentimes, perfectly edible products were thrown away, because small business owners simply didn’t have the capacity or resources to redirect any excess food after service. He joined the Harvest VISTA Program to get a crash-course in ways that today’s organizations are fighting the battle of food scarcity sovereignty. Within City Fruit, Ethan will be managing business partnerships, social media, and major event planning. His main focus will be organizing a major fundraising gala towards the end of his service.

On the side, Ethan is involved in the nightlife scene here in Seattle. Either bartending or organizing events that support various LGBTQ+ groups in the Seattle area. He also really loves to read classics like Albert Camus, Clarice Lispector, and Ursula le Guin.