Neptune Coffee: A Letter of Support

I'm heard recently that several businesses in Seattle were destroyed in a tragic explosion. The main business I would like to focus on is Neptune Coffee. Their business was completely destroyed. It's not like they were a shop that had issues attracting a crowd. They were a popular destination and an asset to their community.

I am not good with fundraising. I've tried it a number of times in a number of ways, but I've never raised a cent. Fundraisers are currently ongoing for the businesses that were impacted by this tragedy. These fundraisers seem to focus on the employees of these businesses, which is great; however, I'm not sure what's being done to get Neptune Coffee up and running again.

In instances where a coffee shop can no longer do business due to circumstances out of their control, I think coffee companies nationwide should unite to help them out. Perhaps that has happened already. I don't live in Seattle, nor do I know the people who run Neptune Coffee. I would like to so I can approach this from a more informed perspective.

Coffee is more than just a drink to me. I admire the people who put their heart and soul into making coffee for people. It takes a truly passionate group of individuals to get a coffee business off the ground. Neptune Coffee is full of passion and it's a shame they can't do what they do best. We have the opportunity to change all that.

Now, I understand why some people might have a hard time caring about one coffee shop when there are so many out there. What we need to do is imagine our favorite coffee shop. Once we have that picture in our minds, we should then imagine that shop being blown off the map. It would make us feel like a loved one died. That's what Neptune Coffee's fans are feeling right now.

Neptune Coffee, if you're reading this, I'm in your corner.

Coffee for Nonprofits - Using Coffee as a Force for Good

I believe anyone who wants to have a cup of coffee should be able to have a cup of coffee regardless of their ability to purchase one. I have loved coffee for as long as I can remember. I want everyone else to benefit from it the same way I have over the years. In my opinion, coffee is too expensive for the most part. It doesn’t matter how you make your coffee, what kind of coffee you buy, or if you go to your local coffee shop and have them make it for you. Coffee is a pricey product.

I would be the first to say that I don’t know why coffee is priced the way it is. All I know is that it’s too expensive for most people to afford. People who have the opportunity to scrape together their money have to settle for coffee that's worth exactly what they’re paying. These individuals have a much easier time quitting the stuff because it wasn’t remarkable to begin with. I am disappointed whenever I encounter someone who falls into this category. I want to pour them one of the best blends I’ve had a chance to try just to prove to them that coffee is worth sticking with.

The price of coffee tends to hit nonprofit organizations particularly hard. They do their best to serve their clients coffee on a regular basis, but funding always seems to get in the way. Serving coffee falls by the wayside when they’re faced with getting money for other parts of their operations. Their clients might get outraged. The unfortunate part of this situation is that none of it matters. If nonprofits don’t have the money to give their clients coffee, their clients will have to wait until the money comes in.

I don’t think it should have to be this way. Every nonprofit should have the resources needed to serve their clients as much coffee as they can drink. I am well aware of the fact that coffee companies need to make money. I am not trying to say that they should stop making money or the things they do to make money are not justified. What I am saying is that coffee has the potential to be a tremendous force for good. Nonprofit organizations could help out their clients a great deal if they could give them something to look forward to every day.

My preliminary goal is to provide nonprofits with 50 pounds of coffee per organization. I am going to start out with a couple of organizations to see if this initiative has potential. If it works out, I will push it nationally. Eventually, I am hoping to turn Coffee for Nonprofits, which is what I will be calling this initiative, into a nonprofit itself. Until then, I will have to rely on the kindness of individuals and coffee producing organizations. The ultimate goal for this initiative is to turn it into something that funds coffee companies and nonprofits through the use of grants and other sources of funding.

If you're interested in participating in Coffee for Nonprofits, please email me at allenglines@gmail.com.