Who am I? And of all things, why coffee?
My name is Darrin. I love helping people. People ask all of the time, how did I get started in coffee. Honestly, I was at a time in my life when I wanted to be happy. I learned from a Buddhist Monk, like seriously a monk, that if even if I wasn't happy inside, I could find joy in bringing others joy,
I thought to myself that even if people didn't drink coffee, the smell of coffee, always seemed to make people smile. There's not a person that I could think of, that didn't find a bit of joy around coffee. My first tagline for Darrin's Coffee was, "Best enjoyed among friends."
My first "giver" moment.
On Thanksgiving 2012, I had maybe 35lbs of coffee to my name and I learned that the Mozel Sanders Foundation was short of their fundraising goal. I didn't have much, but I felt compelled to donate 30lbs to the Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Meal.
It's a huge event, where a lot of hungry people get fed. After that, we changed the tagline to, "Everyone deserves to drink great coffee."
I knew about Direct Trade and Fair Trade. There's a difference. So, when I decided to buy coffee, I reached out to a farm in Costa Rica. They used coffee to provide jobs opportunities to people in the area. Then, Haiti had an earthquake. In looking for a way to use coffee to help, I was able to establish a relationship with a nonprofit, probably the most transparent one in Haiti, and I began buying and roasting their coffee. I'm one of their channel partners now. Check me out.
Most don't know that at one time Haiti was the second largest coffee producing country in the world. Now, because of major calamities, about 4% of the entire country is forested. The nonprofit I purchase from not only has coffee that's the Haitian Cup of Excellence Winner, they plant a tree for every pound of unroasted coffee that I purchase. I want to buy as much coffee from them as possible. I also want to come full circle to the farm in Costa Rica, the first Direct Trade coffee purchase I made and buy coffee from them as well.
I saw that there was a need for young black men to learn entrepreneurship, so I decided to start a program to teach entrepreneurship to these boys. In addition to that program, I began an additional program to teach a younger group about the fundamentals of group economics.
I know I am blessed.
I am the only Black Owned Coffee Roaster in the State of Indiana. I plan on using that Diversity Status to sell some coffee and create some jobs. My plan includes leveraging coffee to help those with disabilities as well as those with felony backgrounds earn a living. I believe that if the coffee is good and the people around the coffee are the same, it is impossible for anything but good to be the result. I am only one guy on a mission. So here I am. The giver, becoming the asker. I need your help.
What am I asking?
I know A LOT of people. I believe that if enough of the people that know me, they know my story and they know why I do what I do, when I ask for their help in accomplishing this goal, they won't hesitate in helping. I've lost a lot of friends just by asking them to buy coffee from me. (Crazy right?) That's why I've been hesitant to start this project. This is bigger than me. It always has been. So the giver is now the asker.
I'm not asking for a lot. Am I?
Whenever I am asked for a donation from my business, space to hold a function and even when I'm not asked, my answer is not just yes, but, how can I help more. I want to be the community guy that happens to own a coffee shop. Not the other way around.
What scares me about asking you for help?
When I asked for donations to help start my entrepreneurship program, my post received A TON of "Likes". Sadly, the grand total of donations was $23. I suppose that was another reason that's kept me from asking again. Remember, I've lost friends by just asking them why have they never bought any coffee from me. But this is bigger than me.
Just put "Five on it".
My ask is that my family, you guys help with at least $5, and if you give more, I've added perks.
I'm also asking that you bring three people that you know love giving and understand the impact this will make. RIGHT HERE IN INDIANA! (Remember, this is not only going to help someone in another part of the world, a tangible economic benefit locally is the result. Give globally, benefit locally. Wow.)
Outside of that, I'm not asking for anything else. I actually spent more than $5 for lunch last week. If $5 is too much to consider, please get in touch with me, we will get you help.
It's a new year. Let's start this off the right way, by doing a little to do a lot.
Darrin
