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Dayum Jam Raises Funds For Local Transgender Youth

Anya Sczerzenie | September 11, 2020

Topics: andy waller, Blue Bee Cider, Dayum Jam, dayum this is my jam, Its my Par(T)ea, Lakeside Farmers Market, local foods, mango jam, Mutual Aid Distribution RVA, RVA Bail Fund, Side By Side, transgender youth

Dayum Jam owner Andy Waller was able to fund their own top surgery through jam sales. Now they’re working with Side By Side to offer similar help to a local transgender youth with similar needs.

Andy Waller’s gender-affirming top surgery was funded by a homegrown business selling lots and lots of jars of mango jam. Now, on the one-year anniversary of the day they started testosterone treatments, they want to pay it forward.

Dayum Jam, named for the phrase, “damn, this is my jam!” describes itself as a queer and trans-owned business. Founder Andy Waller, who identifies as transgender and nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, started the business in 2015. It was born from a conversation between Waller and their best friend, Lindsay Larkin. Waller, bored and frustrated with their job at a nonprofit, jokingly suggested to Larkin that they start a business.

“She was kind of receptive,” Waller said. “She said ‘I’m good at canning.’ So my wife, me, my best friend, and her husband all hung out one night. And a bottle or two of wine later, Dayum Jam was born.”

Photo via Dayum (This Is My) Jam/Facebook

In addition to fruit jams, the company also makes pickles and salsas. All the products have names inspired by popular songs. The company’s logo is, appropriately, an excited strawberry wearing a pair of headphones.

The produce that they use is what Waller calls “hyper-local,” sourced from farmers’ markets in the area. Lakeside Farmers Market in Henrico is of particular importance, as that’s where the Dayum Jam kitchen is located.

“We buy fruit there, we cook there, and we practically live there,” Waller said. 

The company sells their jams at Lakeside Farmers Market, as well as in a few local grocery stores such as Little House Green Grocery and online at their website.

Waller says that they’ve learned some lessons about making jam over the years.

“Strawberries are our most popular, but they’re temperamental,” Waller said. “They have a lot of water, so we don’t want to use too much of an additive that adds liquid.”

After a failed attempt at creating a strawberry champagne jam, Waller and their chef switched to a strawberry balsamic, named “Strawberry Zeal Forever,” which worked better. Some of their other flavors are “Baby Got Blackberry,” which is blackberry lime, and “Bohemian Raspberry,” which is raspberry mint. 

Photo via Dayum (This Is My) Jam/Facebook

When Waller wanted to raise money for their own top surgery back in 2019, they created a limited-edition mango chutney called “Wake me up when they mango-go,” which earned them all the money they needed and more. Waller will be receiving the surgery in mid-September.

“We hit my goal very quickly, and all the proceeds after that went to pay my staff and keep our business from imploding,” Waller said.

Dayum Jam currently has two employees besides Waller and their wife — a jam chef and an events coordinator. Only because they are so small, Waller said, were they able to stay afloat during the pandemic. 

When the coronavirus hit Richmond, Dayum Jam moved almost entirely online. Waller found themselves stuck inside and unable to engage in their usual activism efforts. That’s when they reached out to local LGBTQ organization Side By Side and learned about Kai. 

Kai is a local transgender youth who started a GoFundMe to raise money for his top surgery after losing his job due to COVID-19. “It’s my par(T)ea” is the name of the sweet tea and lemon flavored jelly created for Kai’s fundraiser. It costs $8.55 a jar, and all proceeds will go towards Kai’s top surgery fund. It’s also the first jelly the company has ever made, which Waller said was a difficult process to perfect.

“With the tea jelly, it’s black tea — which is literally liquid. We added some lemon zest and lemon juice, with sugar and pectin to make it set,” Waller said. “We didn’t have a ton of success at first, because our company uses less sugar than the average jam company.”

The Dayum Jams website also links to another page of merchandise for Kai’s fund, including buttons that say “protect trans lives” and “proud to be their friend.”

The company has been giving to other causes as well. After the uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement across the country, Waller created a blueberry jam called “I see your blue colors,” and donated all the proceeds, first to RVA Bail Fund, and then to MAD RVA after RVA Bail Fund put out a statement saying that they had gained enough donations.

“We are not shy about saying we believe in reforming — or honestly, abolishing — police,” Waller said.

Waller says that the pandemic has made them rethink the way they run their business. They are currently taking online orders, with Waller’s wife as the sole delivery person.

Waller will be hosting a virtual “It’s my Par(T)ea” event in support of Kai, along with Blue Bee Cider and Side By Side. Items purchased during the event on October 11 can be delivered to purchasers or picked up at Blue Bee Cider. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Kai’s fund. 

Though Waller has never met Kai in person, they say they want to get to know him better in the future.

“Right now I only know his name. I want to know just a little more about him and his hobbies.” Waller said. “But even if I never get to meet him, that’s totally fine. It’s all about paying it forward.”

Top Photo via Dayum (This Is My) Jam/Facebook

Support Pride Month From Home With The RVA Virtual Pride Market

Brooke Nicholson | June 24, 2020

Topics: andy waller, black lives matter, community, dayum this is my jam, gayrva, holly sullivan foster, LGBTQ, LGBTQ Pride, pistil and stamen, Pride Month, rva virtual pride market

A brand-new event is coming to Richmond, and you won’t have to leave your house to attend. The RVA Virtual Pride Market this Saturday lets us support LGBTQ small businesses from home. 

It’s June in Richmond, and in a normal year, it would be time to enjoy the many celebrations of Pride Month across the city. Like many other facets of the “normal” world, though, this year has seen a change to that dynamic. 

Amid the coronavirus pandemic and recent Black Lives Matter protests, events are being cancelled to protect public safety, and many LGBTQ organizations are stepping back to bring systematic racism to light. In times like these, breaking out the rainbow flag might not be enough for locals to show their support. Enter the new RVA Virtual Pride Market: an opportunity to make a difference, safely from home. 

This Saturday, June 27, the first-ever event brings local LGBTQ small businesses together in an online market. Customers can support their favorite vendors without visiting public spaces, and donate to the Black Lives Matter movement through several organizations that have partnered with the market.

Local business owners Andy Waller (Dayum This Is My Jam) and Holly Sullivan Foster (Pistil + Stamen) joined hands to create the new concept this year. 

“Holly and I have known each other for a while through our nonprofit work,” Waller explained. “We parted ways because of different life paths, and then reconnected through the rad career network that exists in Richmond.” 

Image via RVA Virtual Pride Market

Waller and Foster met in 2012, but it would be another eight years before the pandemic would bring them together for their latest project. 

“At that time, I was in the midst of doing a lot of theater and costuming,” Foster said. “I’ve delved into different art aspects throughout my life. I’m a very creative-minded person… I’m trying to put marginalized communities first. I advertise to those communities regarding my services, and I try to cater in terms of non-traditional services. For example, I do flower beards. That’s not something that all designers are known for.”

Both owning small businesses that identify as part of the LGBTQ community, Foster and Waller used their platforms to reach out to local customers. Waller first brought the idea for the RVA Virtual Pride Market to Foster, and together, they got to work. 

During the event, customers can pay for items through one Venmo or PayPal account, then the market disperses one hundred percent of funds to participating vendors. Paying in one place keeps the checkout process simple. 

“Everything’s supposed to be priced between $25-50 to make it more seamless,” Waller said. “Folks can attend in their PJs and not leave their houses. However big in-person events and parades are, they might not seem like a safe space for those who don’t feel ready. This is a way for folks to engage and be a part of this, and show up in ways they haven’t been able to before.” 

Running with the motto “You Don’t Have to Come Out to Show Up,” this year’s Virtual Pride Market will host local vendors like Dayum This Is My Jam, Pistil + Stamen, Karmalita’s Marshmallows and Confections, RVA Witches Unite, Two Fat Babies Candle Company, The Tottering Teacup, Nicmakesknickknacks, Diamond and Shadow, Over The Rainbow Apparel, Guy Piper, Color & Culture, and Sarah Schultz-Taylor Photography. More details on each vendor can be found on Facebook at the official event page. 

Customers can choose either delivery or one-day pickup options. Vendors will be able to display and sell their work, and live entertainment will run through the event. 

“It’s an LGBTQ+ market, it’s a fundraiser, there’s entertainment, there will be DJs, live performances, and we’ve got an LGBTQ+ children’s book reading,” Waller said. “And, of course, the most important part for Holly and I is awareness.” 

PHOTO: RVA Virtual Pride Market

Not only will the event support and highlight the LGBTQ community in Richmond, but it also sheds light on the Black Lives Matter movement. The market offers donation services to foundations and organizations available to combat these problems facing the nation right now. 

“Police brutality is probably one of the biggest offenders right now,” Foster said. “We have so much work to do before we can get anywhere where people of color in the queer community are treated equally.” 

Customers can donate to the SupportBlackLivesRVA Signs Project that benefits the Black Lives Matter movement. Donations can also be made to the Nationz Foundation, an organization dedicated to HIV-related education and overall health which also works to make Central Virginia more inclusive. The official RVA Virtual Market t-shirt donates 100 percent of profits to the Nationz Foundation. 

“I’ve always wanted to help people,” Foster said. “It’s personally gratifying to help others… We want to support however we can.” 

Thinking ahead to the market’s future, Waller and Foster both plan to see how the next year unfolds before making any concrete plans. 

“We have to be sustainable,” Foster said. “Hopefully, by this time next year, we won’t be in quarantine (fingers crossed). That would open up a lot of avenues and opportunities for us, and we’d be able to do an in-person event. It may be possible that we could collaborate with other folks in the community. I’d say it has potential.” 

As the state slowly opens back up, many Virginians are unsure whether it’s safe to venture back out into public life. For those looking to make a difference from home, this Virtual Pride Market is a great option to show support. With more than two thousand people interested on Facebook, hopes are high that the first-ever event will be a hit.

To learn more about the RVA Virtual Pride Market, a full guide with information is listed in this public Google Doc. Updates will be posted to the Facebook event page throughout the week. 

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