EASTON, Pa. – A new business, “rooted in compassion, healing and connection,” is supporting local seniors, domestic violence victims and other community members at a welcoming space in Northampton County.
Love YOU More, a heart-centered community space featuring Project Paw Cat Café, Threads of Love thrift store, community programs and more, held a grand opening on Sunday at 452 Northampton St. in downtown Easton.
The space has a tagline of “love is our foundation, kindness is our flame.”
Love YOU More
Owner Kelly Bauer told 69 News that she launched the new venue to create a relaxing community space that would benefit her nonprofit, The Love YOU More Movement, which has a mission of implementing intentional acts of kindness.
Bauer, a resident of Catasauqua, is a motivational speaker and author of seven self-love journals, which are available for purchase at the store.
The new Love YOU More venue features a cat cafe where guests can hang out with cats while enjoying drinks and snacks; and a thrift store where guests can shop new and gently used clothing and housewares.
Proceeds benefit The Love YOU More Movement, which helps the community through various programs, including support for domestic violence victims and their families and an “adopt-a-grandparent” initiative where volunteers are paired with seniors who are isolated, Bauer said.
The space also will host various community-centered workshops and events.
Love YOU More
“The big part about it is the funding for community programs – giving back to the community, doing things for kids and just spreading kindness,” Bauer said.
“We’re going to host a lot of community events and take care of our neighbors.”
Love YOU More features multiple rooms, including separate spaces for the cat café and thrift store.
To start, the cat café features three cats that Bauer rescued, and in the future, more cats will be welcomed and available for adoption.
“We will eventually adopt out,” Bauer said.
“I have a wonderful friend who’s partnered with a rescue in Honduras, and she will eventually be flying cats into us. But right now, we just want people to enjoy [the cats’] company, slow down, relax and decompress because in the world that we live in today, there’s so much hate and animosity, and people are not taking care of themselves the way that they should. So, this is really a place for people to love themselves more.”
Love YOU More
Love YOU More is open 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Cat café admission, which includes 30 minutes with the cats, a cookie and drink (coffee, tea or hot chocolate), is $10 for adults; $7 for seniors; and $5 for children.
On Wednesdays, one child is admitted free with the purchase of one adult admission, and on Thursdays, the cat café offers a buy one, get one free (BOGO) admission deal.
“I have always wanted to have a nonprofit that gives back to the community,” Bauer said.
“I’m actually allergic to cats, but I came up with this concept about five or six years ago, and I just wanted to have a place where you could hang out with cats because therapy with cats is amazing. To be able sit down, slow your day down and really just engage with an animal is so good for your mental and physical health.”
Love YOU More occupies an updated, roughly 1,800-square-foot space that previously housed Project Paw, a similar concept featuring a cat lounge and thrift store, which The Center for Animal Health & Welfare closed last summer.
The venue operates directly across from the State Theatre.
“I am so happy to be here and live out my dream,” Bauer said.
“This is a chance for me to tie the things that I love into supporting not only my nonprofit, but the community as well. We also have a giving tree where each month, we’re going to allow a nonprofit or somebody in need to give us the items that they need, and we’ll put them on our tree and allow people to pick them and donate the needed items.”
For the latest Love YOU More updates, follow the business’ Facebook page.