Emergency Housing Consortium and Barefoot Coffee Roasters partner to deliver sustainable support to end homelessness and build lives
SAN JOSE, CA July 1, 2004 -- Grinding homelessness to a halt is the aim of new partnership between Emergency Housing Consortium (EHC) and Barefoot Coffee Roasters. Through its Cause and Effect program, Barefoot Coffee Roasters will raise awareness and provide sustainable support for EHCs programs serving homeless adults, families, and youth.
For every pound of Casa Segura sold at retail, Barefoot Coffee Roasters will donate $1 to EHC. In addition to retail sales, EHC will receive $0.50 for each pound sold to wholesale customers. Casa Segura will debut at Day on the Meadow and the San Jose America Festival, two July 4th weekend events that also benefit Emergency Housing Consortium.
We are very excited about our new partnership with Barefoot Coffee Roasters, says Barry Del Buono, EHCs President and CEO. For EHC, this support is more than dollars in the door. Casa Segura will help to raise awareness about EHCs work and the issue of homelessness.
Casa Segura is a new blend created specifically to benefit EHC by Barefoot Coffee Roasters CEO Chief Espresso Officer Andy Newbom. Casa Segura is a beautifully bright and lively coffee with rich red wine highlights and sublime floral and cacao undertones. It is a rich and heady blend of a world class Central American coffee and an intense East African coffee. The flavor is rich and buttery yet features a bright and snappy intensity. While Barefoot Coffee Roasters provides sustainable support to the global community by purchasing coffee directly from farmers, the creation of this special blend highlights the companys commitment to bring that support to the local community.
All businesses have an obligation to support the community both locally and globally, says Andy Newbom, CEO of Barefoot Coffee Roasters. Coffee and community are intertwined. We want to give back to our communities and reach out to everyone regardless of their situation. What we love about Emergency Housing Consortium is their support for the entire community, not just a select few. EHC is a model cause for our Cause and Effect program and we are extremely excited about working hard to spread awareness about their valuable services and having some small hand in grinding homelessness to a halt.
Casa Segura is available for purchase at the July 3rd Day on the Meadow festival and the July 4th San Jose America Festival in downtown San Jose. To jump start the program, the donation an all purchases of Casa Segura made at these two events will be doubled to $2 per pound. It is also available at Barefoot Coffee Roasters located at 5237 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara.
Restaurants, cafor other businesses interested in providing sustainable support for the homeless or any of the other Cause and Effect charitable support programs can contact Barefoot Coffee Roasters at 408-687-3692 for more information.
Emergency Housing Consortium is a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation serving homeless and low-income individuals, families, and youth in Santa Clara County. At several locations throughout Silicon Valley, EHC offers shelter, housing and services, and assists clients in their efforts to regain independence. EHC is more than shelter. EHC rebuilds lives. For more information about EHC, please visit www.homelessness.org or call (408) 539-2100.
Barefoot Coffee Roasters is a full-service coffee and espresso bar and artisan wholesale coffee roaster located at 5237 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara (at the corner of Lawrence Expressway near Bed, Bath and Beyond). All coffees are roasted fresh in the cafy skilled artisan roasters using old-world, small batch roasting techniques to coax the best flavor out of every coffee. Barefoot Coffee Roasters actively practices and promotes sustainability in both products and practices. Over 85% of Barefoot Coffee Roasters coffees are organic, shade grown and fair traded, resulting in not only better coffee but better living and working conditions for the farmers and their children for successive generations. The cafeatures computers for Internet access, as well as Wi-Fi Internet access, and serves high-quality coffees, teas, pastries, desserts and chocolates. Barefoot Coffees are served and enjoyed in many fine cafand restaurants throughout the Bay Area. Barefoot Coffee Roasters is proud to be a participating member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the Roasters Guild and a founding member of the Barista Guild of America. For more information, please call (408) 248-4500 or simply drop by.
Monday, 14 May 2007
Barefoot Coffee Roasters Helps Grind Homelessness to a Halt
CoffeeNet Announces Grand Opening
The grand opening for CoffeeNet, a coffee shop in the metro Atlanta area, is scheduled for March 27, 2004. CoffeeNet is a coffee house featuring gourmet coffees, lattes, cappucinos, teas, desserts and business productivity services. Services include free internet, color copying, faxing, mailbox rental, and room rental.
Smyrna, GA March 1, 2004--COFFEENET ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 27, 2004.
Smyrna has a new coffeehouse in the neighborhood. To celebrate the opening on March 27, 2004, festivities will include free drip coffee, an appearance by Smyrnas mayor, balloons for kids, prize giveaways, and entertainment in the evening. There will also be a Guess the Number of Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans in the Jar contest. CoffeeNet is located at 3100 Highlands Parkway, near the intersection of South Cobb Drive and Highlands Parkway.
We are very excited to open our first store, says co-owner Gayle Link. Our goal here at CoffeeNet is to provide inspirational customer service in a comfortable atmosphere. CoffeeNet is committed to meeting the needs of our customers while using top quality ingredients. We also believe in fast, consistent drink preparation.
A coffee and technology fusion concept, CoffeeNet is a coffee shop that features fresh, gourmet coffee as well as a business productivity center. Patrons can surf the Internet for free or check email while sipping on a latte or eating a delicious piece of cake. You can bring in your own laptop or utilize CoffeeNets computers. On the menu are several coffee varieties, including fair trade, organic coffees, espresso-based beverages such as lattes and cappuccinos, flavored coffees, teas, smoothies and bakery items such as cookies, cakes, and muffins. In addition to surfing the Internet, customers can utilize many other services. They can make color copies, order business cards and stationary, use our mailbox services, work on a document in Microsoft Word or send a fax. CoffeeNet also has a large training room and two smaller rooms that can be used for meetings. Or, you can just sit back and relax while enjoying your coffee, says Link.
CoffeeNet is not your typical coffeehouse. Housed in a new shopping center on Highlands Parkway, right off of South Cobb Drive, the main dining room features warm, subdued lighting, tables and chairs, as well as other comfortable seating options. Towards the back of the shop are two rooms that offer privacy for patrons seeking to have a small private meeting, or perhaps lounge and read a book while enjoying a French roast. Behind those rooms are the main computer room and the large training room. The training room is the perfect size for many different types of events club meetings, Bible studies, seminars, lectures, classes, or even a bridal shower or tea or poetry reading. We really look forward to serving Smyrna and the metro Atlanta area and hosting events at our shop, says Link. The coffee and business productivity combination was a concept that came naturally to CoffeeNets owners, Gayle Link and P. Lei Yarber. CoffeeNets owners were known to drink coffee late into the evening, while working. But like many, they were also known to relax and chat over a cup of coffee as well. We hope that people will come here to work, but also to unwind, play and socialize.
CoffeeNet is privately held. Founded in 2003, CoffeeNet is a coffee and technology fusion concept in the metro Atlanta area. For more information about CoffeeNet, call 404-794-7744 or visit http://www.coffee-net.net/
Gourmet Coffee Popularity Soars, New Franchise Opportunities Created for Home Business Entrepreneurs
Over the past five years, the number of gourmet coffee drinkers has risen from 7 million to 27 million, an astounding gain. Espresso Italia, with its unique distributorship franchise program, has positioned itself to allow more small business people to take advantage of a coffee craze that shows no signs of abating.
Boynton Beach, FL June 21, 2004 -- According to recent market studies, more than 77% of American adults - roughly 161 million consumers - are daily coffee drinkers. Despite the near ubiquity of coffee as a staple in Americans' daily routines, only one in eight Americans has ever enjoyed a cappuccino or latte. These statistics hint at the vast untapped market for more "sophisticated" gourmet coffee drinks, while the 27 million self-identified gourmet coffee consumers indicates that a sizable market is already well established. In the space of just over three years, the Espresso Italia corporation, headquartered in Boynton Beach, Florida, has begun to play an increasingly important role in the burgeoning gourmet coffee industry.
The Specialty Coffee Association of America estimates that gourmet coffee represents $4.2 billion out of the $14 billion dollar coffee industry, and it's predicted that the gourmet sector will double in size over the next 5 years! Espresso Italia, which had annual revenues approaching $10 million in 2003, has been expanding and introducing new products to meet the rising demand for specialty coffee beverages. The company has grown dramatically, and now boasts over 1,000 distributors in 43 states, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.
As gourmet coffee continues to break into the mainstream consumer audience, and the interest in working from home in a downsized corporate job market also grows, the timing of Espresso Italia's core concepts - inexpensive coffee distributorships for small business entrepreneurs, and free espresso machines for end users - starts to look more and more auspicious.
As President Shadd Vickery points out: "Our very attractive program allows our distributors to participate in the dynamic coffee industry. This immediate growth potential, coupled with the fact that the business is home-based, with locations supplied by us, adds to the appeal." Look for Espresso Italia to continue contributing to the trend of more accessible and sophisticated gourmet coffee arriving in your neighborhood in the months and years to come!
Brewing Hope: Bringing Fair Trade Coffee from Chiapas to Ann Arbor
Brewing Hope is a new project created by Ann Arbor residents and led by a group of University of Michigan students who want to create a direct relationship with farmers from Chiapas, Mexico. available along with the coffee.
Ann Arbor, MI July 3, 2004 -- Brewing Hope is a new project created by Ann Arbor residents and led by a group of University of Michigan students who want to create a direct relationship with farmers from Chiapas, Mexico. Their goal is to bring Fair Trade coffee directly from one cooperative in ChiapasYachilto local cafes and grocery stores in Ann Arbor, while educating consumers about the social and environmental benefits of fair trade coffee through educational pamphlets that will be available along with the coffee.
Brewing Hope has already been in contact with several Ann Arbor coffee shop owners who have expressed enthusiasm for this project. Brewing Hope has also partnered with Higher Grounds Trading Co., Michigans only 100% fair trade gourmet coffee company, because of the companys unique relationship with many fair trade farming co-ops in Chiapas. Higher Grounds will be contracting a local Ann Arbor roaster, Perk and Brew, to roast, package, and distribute the coffee. The first order of coffee from Yachil arrived in Ann Arbor on June 9th. From Aug. 15th to Aug. 23rd, Brewing Hope, in conjunction with Higher Grounds Trading Co., will lead a delegation of University of Michigan students to Chiapas. They will investigate the effects of the coffee crisis in Chiapas and the important role of fair trade and organic agriculture in providing Ann Arbors partner cooperative, Yachil, with liveable wages and a healthy environment.
The delegation will meet with the fair trade coffee co-op to request a formal partnership with the community of Santa Catarina, one of the central villages within Yachil Xojobal Chulchan (The New Light in the Sky) cooperative.
Marlowe Coolican, one of the students going on the delegation, says, Its exciting to be a part of a trip where I am actually going to take part in establishing a new relationship between my hometown and the community we are visiting. I always try to buy fair trade coffee in Ann Arbor, because I believe it is a good economic alternative, but actually being able to meet and live with the farmers who grow this coffee makes it even more personal.
The Yachil cooperative represents about 850 coffee producing families who have been outspoken in their goals of obtaining sustainability and peace. The cooperative, which produces gourmet fair trade and organically-grown coffee, has had difficulty selling at fair prices due to the global coffee crisis and instability in the region. Chiapas has been the scene of an on-going low intensity war waged against Mayan peoples striving for indigenous rights and autonomy. While the on-going threat of further violence remains, the coffee farmers are faced with the worst coffee crisis in history.
After spending nearly a year with Mayan coffee producers in Chiapas, Mexico, and witnessing firsthand the coffee crisis on small-scale coffee producers, Chris and Jody Treter returned to Michigan to form Higher Grounds Trading Co. The partnership between Brewing Hope and Higher Grounds Trading Co. serves to grow a market for Yachils coffee, which, in turn, gives the farmers control over their livelihoods.
Coffee prices on New York's Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange -- which provides the industry with its benchmark for beans -- currently hover around 50 cents a pound, down more than 80 percent from their peak in 1997 and about 30 cents below the cost of production. Over 2/3 of Mexicos coffee producers are indigenous campesinos holding less than 5 acres of land. These small farmers are the most vulnerable to the world market, and the hardest hit by the coffee crisis. At the same time as record lows occur in the price of coffee on the global market, conventional coffee companies are making record profits.
The fair trade certification system, used by Higher Grounds Trading Co. corrects market imbalances by guaranteeing at least US $1.26 per pound for small farmers' harvests, and encouraging organic and sustainable growing methods. With a fair and stable income, coffee growers can invest in their families' health care and education. The new Brewing Hope project in Ann Arbor hopes to go a step beyond fair trade certification by creating a direct relationship between two communities thousands of miles apart. Through activities such as the student delegation in August, and future reciprocal visits by Chiapas farmers to Ann Arbor, Higher Grounds and Brewing Hope put profit back into coffee producing communities in Chiapas while building awareness in Ann Arbor.
To learn more about the Yachil coffee in Ann Arbor, or being a part of this project by ordering the coffee, contact Chris Treter at 231-256-9667.
Mission: "Coffee for Our Troops"
Thousands of Pounds of Coffee Being Shipped to U.S. Troops in Iraq & Afghanistan
Sacramento, CA November 24, 2004 -- American troops serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) will soon be receiving a strong message of support from Sacramento.Hundreds of pounds of ground coffee are being shipped as part of the Coffee for Our Troops program. The program is a partnership between two Sacramento-based entities: non-profit Move America Forward (www.MoveAmericaForward.org) and premium coffee roaster, Cornerstone Coffee (www.CornerstoneCoffee.com).
The best part is the fact that each bag of ground coffee being shipped over is sponsored by an American who supports our troops. The bag of coffee is accompanied by a message of support that the individuals write themselves. Move America Forward then sends over the coffee (along with message of support) directly to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The brave men and women of our armed forces are making heroic sacrifices to fight terrorism overseas so that we dont face attack here at home. During this holiday season you cant help but think about the fact that our troops are in harms way, thousands of miles from family and friends. It is incumbent upon us to take steps to show them how much we appreciate them and all that they are doing, said Howard Kaloogian, Chairman of Move America Forward.
Cornerstone Coffee was chosen by Move America Forward to provide the coffee because of their unmatched quality and dedication to supporting our troops and the missions they are serving on.
We are so very grateful to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and we want them to know how many Americans support them. It is our honor and privilege to provide the coffee for this program, and our goal is to see to it that every unit that desires the highest quality coffee receives it, said Burke Hodge, president of Cornerstone Coffee.
Americans have already sponsored several hundred pounds of coffee. The coffee is first specially roasted at Cornerstone Coffees roasting facility. Then the coffee is packaged along with letters of support at Move America Forwards headquarters at 770 L Street Suite #950 in Downtown Sacramento. The packages are then taken to the downtown Sacramento Post Office facility at 801 I Street.
Individuals can sponsor their own bag of coffee to be shipped over to our troops. To participate, log on to www.MoveAmericaForward.org and follow the order instructions. For $11.95 a 12 ounce bag of premium ground coffee will be shipped to a U.S. serviceman or woman serving in Iraq or Afghanistan along with a note from the person placing the order. The individuals message, their name and their city and state will be printed out and affixed to the bag of coffee so the troops know who paid for the coffee and read their message of support.
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CoffeeSamples.com Launches and Targets Help For Coffee Suppliers
CoffeeSamples.com launches creating a service allowing coffee suppliers to connect directly with coffee connoisseurs worldwide. By connecting with the consumers the suppliers reach a larger clientele and can put their coffee in the homes of millions.
Irvine, CA November 30, 2004 -- CoffeeSamples.com launches creating a service allowing coffee suppliers to connect directly with coffee connoisseurs worldwide. By connecting with the consumers the suppliers reach a larger clientele and can put their coffee in the homes of millions. The program was created to inform coffee drinkers of new coffee choices and get them to make the switch from their repetitive drinking from inherited brand loyalties.
Most consumers are faced with few choices at supermarkets and are unaware of the quality of the products available. CoffeeSamples.com targets the small to medium sized suppliers that put gourmet coffee and quality as their focus in business.
"Coffee suppliers generally offer samples to let the consumers try new product lines and give them the opportunity to switch. CoffeeSamples.com takes the leg work out of searching the Internet for websites and puts all the samples in a centralized location with consumers reviews." says Nicholas Raba, co-founder of CoffeeSamples.com
To fill the cups of the coffee drinkers, CoffeeSamples.com is seeking coffee suppliers to offer free samples to the consumers. Offering samples to consumers allows the supplier to reach new customers and put their beans back in the life of prior drinkers and the opportunity to offer discounts, future samples, product information and fulfill the need for coffee drinkers to try gourmet coffee. CoffeeSamples.com interacts with the coffee sample recipients allowing the drinker to review the coffee they were sent for others looking for reviews of coffees.
Joining CoffeeSamples.com comes at no charge to either the consumer or suppliers.
The CoffeeSamples.com supplier program ( http://www.coffeesamples.com/supplier_signup.php ) is interactive and allows the supplier to fulfill the orders and update the consumers when the orders have shipped. Quantities of the samples can be limited and show the consumer when all samples are exhausted, at anytime the supplier can add additional quantities or new samples.
4 Tons of Coffee Shipped and More on the Way
The "Coffee for Our Troops" program started by Cornerstone Coffee Company and Move America Forward is making it's way through the ranks!
Sacramento, CA January 24, 2005 -- Coffee for Our Troops, a program created by Cornerstone Coffee Company and Move America Forward is currently seeking Corporate Sponsors.To date we have shipped more than 4 tons of coffee directly to our troops in the Middle East.
We are making impressive headway toward our goal to supply every troop in Afghanistan and Iraq a bag of fresh roasted coffee from home. I cant drink the stuff they are getting as part of their rations, I cant imagine they enjoy it either! said Burke Hodge, President of Cornerstone Coffee Company.
Now businesses both large and small can show their support by sponsoring cases of coffee to be sent. Each case will include a message from your company indicating your sponsorship and support as well as personalized messages from you and/or your staff on every bag.
We are getting many requests from troops who have heard about our program but have not yet received coffee. It is obvious that our program is making its way through the ranks said Siobhan Guiney, Executive Director of Move America Forward.
Coffee is in short supply as well as one of the most requested comfort items from home, not to mention the temperature has been between 20 30 degrees. What a message your sponsorship will send to our Men and Women fighting over there, Hodge said.
You can sponsor bags of coffee individually by visiting our website at www.CornerstoneCoffee.com or if you would like information on how to become a corporate or business sponsor, please contact Greg Heckle, V. P. of Operations at (916) 308-4148.
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