coffee at crossroads.
it's world-changing.

Why not charge a couple of bucks or put out a mason jar with “donations” taped to it?

When you invite a friend over to your house, do you offer them coffee?
Um, yes.
Do you charge them for it?
Duh, no.
We feel the same way.

We don’t want the first interaction a person has with Crossroads to be a transaction. Crossroads is relational above transactional every day of the week. BTW, so is God. We’re just following his lead. So all of our coffee is free and we pay for it out of the generosity of our people.

I assume we’re using the cheapest coffee beans possible so all the money we save can go directly to people in need, right?

You know what happens when you assume? You make an ass out of Uma Thurman. Never do that.

You’d be surprised by how not cheap our coffee is. But, you’ll also be shocked by how much good it does in the world. The beans that just produced your cup of coffee either came from our friend Luis in Nicaragua or Marcelline Buzda from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. The work they are doing is incredible, here’s a slice of their stories.

Ladies first, tell me about Marcelline.

Coffee has been a notoriously male-dominated global industry. In Africa, that disparity has created instability in communities and families where women are underpaid and have trouble feeding their families. In steps Marcelline with a bold vision to flip the script.

Marcelline bravely founded a coffee co-op called Rebuilding Women’s Hope (RWH) that puts a focus on women working in the coffee industry, making sure that they get the credit (and pay) they deserve. This does more than just taste great with cream and sugar, it stabilizes an entire society. We’ll drink to that. For a deeper dive into the story, read about RWH here.

Ok, what about Luis?

Luis and his family own a successful coffee business in Nicaragua where they produce “speciality” coffee. Pro tip: “Speciality” in the coffee world means “best of the best.” It’s like the Lebron James of beans.

But wait, there’s more. Third world industries like chocolate or coffee don’t have a sparkling reputation for high wages or great working conditions. But Luis loves Jesus. And relying on faith, he’s decided to run his business differently, with a focus on above average wages and commitment to his workers and their families. Oh, and his facility? Also way above average. We don’t have time to go into the details, but read this if you want to know more. Luis wants his farm, employees, and community to thrive. That’s unique in the industry.

We’re gushing now, but get this. Luis took his business profits and bought a bunch of mountain-ready motorcycles and gave them to local pastors who live in the mountains. These bikes allow the pastors to get to places a car could never reach, helping them meet the needs of people all over the region. Man, we love Luis.

Oh, and if we talk about Luis like we know him, that’s because we do. Having a relationship with the actual farm owner who grows your coffee is unheard of in the church world. At least, we’d never heard of it. Neither had Luis. But our team has visited Luis and his farm many times over the past couple of years, and Luis has visited us in the U.S. We’ve seen the beans, hugged the workers, and shared some laughs (pro traveler tip: fart noises are funny in any language.)

You’ve mentioned Nicaragua, doesn’t Crossroads do stuff there?

Yep. That’s another reason why we invest in the work Luis is doing. Crossroads loves the people of Nicaragua. We’ve developed a huge partnership with Compassion International and we do GO Trips with groups like Amigos for Christ. We’re taking a swing at helping an entire nation in need. Our coffee investment is just another dog in the fight.

What about roasting?
Do we use some super-mega-huge-impersonal corporate coffee roasting conglomerate?

Actually, exactly the opposite. This story just keeps getting better. Check this action out: Crossroads’ coffee is roasted by a delightful couple from Northern Kentucky, Justin and Emily Carabello. You should totally watch their story here. Long story short, they also love Jesus and feel called to support sustainable farming and business in Nicaragua. They roast delicious coffee and take their earnings and do incredible good in the world.

Wow. I mean, wow.

We know, right? Here’s the thing. The coffee at Crossroads, which we’re sure you’ve personally never, for one second, taken for granted, is changing the world. It’s roasted by a small business founded on philanthropy and directly bought from farmers we personally know who are committed to running businesses in a way that honors God. Imagine a bunch of celebratory emojis right here followed by a coffee cup and some fireworks!

Know this: Just by drinking a cup of Crossroads coffee, you are supporting this work. Well done.

But even better, if you give money to Crossroads, YOU are directly involved in not only blessing a friend or neighbor with a cup of delicious hot joe, you’re changing lives in Nicaragua and Africa. Triple well done.