Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

Welcome to Our Southern Souls Sunday. I’m glad you’re here. This week’s stories are about creating community and doing good through coffee shops.

“We opened Great Day Latte a week ago. It still blows me away to walk into the real thing that started with a design I drew up on paper. A little Black girl from Trinity Gardens and Prichard created something like this. There wasn't a black-owned coffee shop in Mobile where you can see us in this setting. I created what we were missing: a place where we can network and talk about family, business, and mental health.”

Click here to read Kim’s story

“I was four or five when I had my first cup of coffee. My grandmother kept me after school and would have a hot pot of Folgers medium roast ready for me, even though my mom was adamant about not giving me caffeine. I'm rambunctious and curious enough: the last thing I need is caffeine to keep me up. But my grandmother made it a certain way, and I got addicted. Always drank it out of my big blue cup—filled it to the rim. We would drink coffee and talk about everything or watch PBS Kids. I learned how to make our coffee myself. So having The Coffee Shop in Opelika is full circle. I work hard here as a tribute to my grandmother. She passed away, but she’s the reason I'm willing to do this.

Click here to read Josh’s story

“We met Gran when we were living in Haiti. She's the grandmother to one of our Konbit co-founders, but she's Gran to everyone. She hiked in the mountains behind our house every Sunday, grabbing a handful of beans and roasting them over charcoal. Her coffee was dark and smooth. We later realized those beans were similar to Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, but Haiti hadn’t done much to market their beans. We started dreaming of opening a coffee shop with Haitian beans when we moved back to Daphne, but it took us a long time to open.”

Click here to read Stephanie and Ryan’s story

Flashback

Here’s the story behind Stephanie and Ryan’s ministry with Konbit Haiti that led to Cloud Mountain Coffee. Stephanie and I did this interview in 2016 and we talked about the dream of a coffee shop with Haitian beans. It shows that some dreams take longer, but persistence and commitment pay off.

“We originally went for three months, but have been working in Haiti for ten years. It has been a hard adjustment but Haiti is also a beautiful country that is untouched. We created Konbit Haiti, a non-profit that stands with local leaders in Souboy, a community in the foothills of the mountains. We are the only mission group there and my husband and I lived in Souboy full-time until 2016. That year I had a massive heat struck, so we cut back to six months a year. The water program is still going and we have a children’s program that helps 150-200 kids every week.  We have over 40 on our staff or partners, many started as volunteers.”

Click here to read Stephanie’s story

From Lynn

The book Our Southern Souls, Vol. II will be here in a week. It took a year to make, then three months to print. It used to seem so far away, but now it’s almost here. I can’t wait to hold it and see those beautiful faces and stories in print. I will try not to wear you out talking about it, but here’s a link to sales page if you want to pre-order it now. The shipping is free-my gift to you for caring about Souls and all of these stories. All book proceeds go to the Magnolia Breeze Youth Ensemble, a therapeutic band in Mobile that gives all kids a chance to become musicians.

Also Stories Matter: A Night with Ardith Goodwin and Lynn Oldshue is next Sunday night. Ardith is one of the most extraordinarily creative humans I know. Our friendship started with an interview, and I have watched her bring to life so many visions in her head. She has just published her first children’s book from The Land of Ardithian and her exhibit of her paintings and characters from The Land of Ardithian opened this weekend at the 1927 Gallery next to the Saenger in Mobile.

Ardith and I talk often talk about the importance of stories in understanding the world around us, and we’ve wanted to bring our storytelling together for a long time. We’d love for you to join us. Here’s the link for tickets and more information.

Thank you for sharing a part of your Sunday with Souls. If you have suggestions for folks I should talk to, email me at [email protected].  Have a great week!

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