When people come together great things can happen.

By Sara Coppo, Guest Blogger

This blog is part of a series on businesses partnering with United Way to #ChangeTheStory.

When people come together, great things can happen. That makes gathering places like One Well Brewing important to a community.

“One Well is a place where people come to gather to share ideas, culture and a beer,” said owner Chris O’Neill.

Chris opened One Well Brewing in November of 2014, creating a space for people to eat food, enjoy craft beers and ciders, and spend time in a comfortable and inclusive atmosphere. Instead of TVs, the pub nurtures the feeling of community with more than 250 board games and an arcade that includes pinball machines.

People also gather at One Well for the beer portion of Aspiring Leaders United’s VolunBeer. This United Way activity brings young people together to volunteer in the community and then meet at a local restaurant for a free beer and discussion.

“It makes sense to use the space that we have to give back to the area,” Chris explained, “and to support something that our customers are involved in.”

Chris feels that it is important to utilize the community that they have within One Well to do outreach and support the things that they feel strongly about. In addition to United Way, they support other local organizations.

“We like to keep donation dollars close to home and do cool things for people who live and want to stay in the Kalamazoo area. Investing in the community makes people excited about being in the area and even the brewery scene in general,” Chris said.

As for partnering with United Way, Chris finds it natural to host events where there is support from both the organization and One Well, especially knowing that the dollars raised and donated are going straight back into the community.

If you’re a business owner interested in partnering with United Way, fill out the form below or contact us at getinvolved@uwbckr.org.