New non-profit Punks and Monks multi-purpose bookstore and café coming to Anderson
ANDERSON, Calif. — A new non-profit multi-purpose bookstore is coming to Shasta County in the next few months.
The idea behind the non-profit, "Punks and Monks" in Anderson, started about a year and a half ago as an online presence.
Owner Yvette Michelle Brown told KRCR the concept is to "rebel away from anti-spiritual contemporary culture and appreciate the values of the monastics."
"Really to be a place for outreach and community in Shasta County, we feel like there isn't really a lot of places in Shasta County that are really legitimate bookstores where you can sit and read and build community."
Brown said not only will it be a bookstore and café but also a place where people can relax, "It'll be a gathering place for people to come and read and relax and study," Brown told KRCR.
So what kind of books will they have there? According to Brown, the store will carry a variety of books, including, "classical literature, the great books: art, history, philosophy, early-church history, Christian spirituality, and then the theology of the church fathers," Brown said.
Brown also said they are currently raising money to get an espresso machine and also plan to have a tea bar as well.
They will also be holding several events there, such as, "Poetry night, open mic night, live music, book clubs, bible studies, live events, art shows and workshops, watch parties for virtual events, and outreach programs to underserved communities in Shasta County including the homeless and single moms," Brown explained.
The concept is to break away from being a traditional bookstore.
"There's several book stores in the area, but...you go in [and] it's a financial transaction and you leave. We want people to come and be comfortable, here, and have it as a place to build community," Brown said.
Their goal is to open in June, however, Brown says they need more funding to make it happen. "One of the things that we are struggling with is funding," Brown explains. "We had an initial budget of about $7,000 and now we are up to about $13,000. We have had a couple of things we didn't know about this space come up in the renovation process."
If you would like to donate to the non-profit click here.
