We launched our new coffee ministry at church the other day.  This isn't your typical donut and coffee time ministry.  It is a ministry that is raising awareness in our church and community and making an impact in lives across the globe.  While we were at Catalyst we met some folks from Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee.  L.O.A.T.H. Coffee (wow, that is a bad acronym) is changing the lives of thousands, if not millions, of Rwandan coffee growers.  In the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 there were 800,000 people killed, and nearly half of them were coffee growers.  Entire families were annihilated because or racial hate.  The two warring tribes, the Hutu's and Tutsi's are now on a long road to reconciliation.  Land of a Thousand Hills is assisting that process.  In the communities that Land of a Thousand Hills purchases their coffee from Hutu's and Tutsi's must work side by side in order to make a living.  This is bringing people who would otherwise be lifetime enemies together for common goal of bettering their communities.  

Land of a Thousand Hills also pays almost 75% more per pound of coffee than what the Fair Trade label requires.  While these growers would usually be making $.40/lb they are making nearly $2/lb.  This allows families to educate their children and have adequate health care.  For every pound of coffee that is sold another dollar goes into a fund to offer micro-finance loans to widows of the genocide.  This supports them as they start their own business and pull themselves out of poverty. 

It is exciting to even see Christ working through what we buy.  Be on the look out for small changes that you can make in your life (like buying Fair Trade) that can make an impact in someone else's.  

On the same note, I have always been disappointed when coffee shops (...pronounced, "StarBucks") offer a handful of Fair Trade coffees, but their main market is still un-Fair Trade. It is like they are saying, "Yeah, Fair Trade is morally good and all, but only as far as we can market it and make money off of it."  So, I have been trying to steer clear of 'Four-Bucks'.  I did, however, find an awesome little coffee shop in downtown Maryville called Grounded Coffee.  They serve nothing but Fair Trade (hoorah) and have the best atmosphere of anywhere I have been.  So hats off to you, Grounded Coffee of Maryville Tn.  

Back to our coffee ministry though... we sold out on our first Sunday (about 50 bags)!  Thus we sent about $150 back to Rwanda... not bad for just starting.  And the coffee is seriously good so I am sure that that $150 will be multiplying itself as people get all hopped up on caffeine. 

Posted In: coffee fair-trade

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