A new Facebook group called Wine A Sistah Up has set out to spread sisterly love through wine baskets. Its members deliver free homemade wine baskets to each other, in honor of sisterhood.
The online group started in Bakersfield, California, on June 1. It has more than 2,000 members who have delivered over 1,000 baskets.
The group’s creators, Danielle Simmons and Bianca Haynes, say they were inspired to create the group out of an interest to connect with other African-American women in their community.
“As soon as you make your first basket and as soon as you deliver your first basket, it’s addicting,” Simmons said.
The duo shares they were in a similar Facebook group, but it was not as diverse as they would like. After two weeks of being part of that group, the two started their own.
“We were both in another group that was more inclusive to all and we noticed the sisters in this other group were never receiving anything and they were putting out a lot of baskets,” said Haynes. “We felt that was a void needing to be filled.”
Once you are accepted into Wine A Sistah Up, you have a mandatory rule to follow: “You come in and you create a profile for yourself. Then you describe a couple of things you like — maybe you like cute tumbler cups, Starbucks gift cards,” Haynes offered as examples.
Haynes went on to explain that members include in their description boxes information about themselves, along with their addresses. “At any given time, she added, “a sistah can deliver a beautiful wine basket to your door, and it’s such an amazing experience.”
Haynes and Simmons share that they’ve kept busy daily since starting the group. The two find themselves constantly looking for new wines, snacks and basket themes.
Weekly you can catch the two creators during Facebook Live posts saying, “We are now about to wine a sistah up.”
Meisha Jackson, one of the group’s members, says she’s grateful to have found the group.
“I would say this group has brought a lot of happiness and joy,” said Jackson. “You never know who is feeling down or if someone is having a bad day.”
Haynes shares that Black women, especially during the racial unrest across the country, are in great need of compassion during this time.
“Right now, it is very hard to be a Black woman and have Black sons, Black husbands, Black uncles, and Black nephews; we are terrified,” said Haynes. “We are scared and under a lot of stress. So sometimes you need to ‘Wine A Sistah Up’ and let her know she’s not alone.”
As the group continues to blossom, Simmons and Haynes are working to become more than a wine basket gifting group, but a resource for the community.
Already, Wine A Sistah Up has held a back-to-school backpack drive for students in Bakersfield. Simmons says they want to continue to debunk all stereotypes regarding Black women.
“The stereotype is that we do not get along, that we do not compliment each other, that we can not collab, support each other and that is just not true,” said Simmons.
“As soon as you enter the group you can see the support and positivity.”
As the group continues to grow, many members share how important this network has become to them.
“I have never experienced anything before like this group and I can’t wait to see where else it goes,” said Jennie Charles, a member of Wine A Sistah Up.
“It’s the highlight of my day sometimes to be able to scroll through my timeline sometimes and see so much kindness on purpose between women who look like me.”
