In the face of financial struggles, A Seat at the Table Books in Elk Grove, Calif., is inviting community members to support the bookstore on an ongoing basis through a sponsorship program, the Sacramento Bee reported.
The program offers a monthly sponsorship option for $50 per month, as well as annual sponsorships ranging from $200 to $1,000. Sponsorship benefits include receiving curated selections of advanced reader copies, free rentals of the store's conference room, reserved seating at author events, an annual sponsor party, and more. The store officially launched the program with an event Wednesday night.
Store owner Emily Autenrieth told the Bee that she believes "shopping local is a form of activism," and she and her team hope the community rallies around the store. "We live here and our kids go to school here. We are a member of the community, as well as trying to lead change in the community. We know this community in a way that a corporation does not."
A Seat at the Table, which debuted as an online and pop-up store, opened a bricks-and-mortar store in 2021. It "features a cafe and espresso bar, a conference room, a play area for kids and a quiet room for people with sensory needs or nursing mothers," the Bee noted. Its events schedule includes book clubs, a Lego Club, and parental support groups, and a number of community organizations meet at the bookstore.