“10 Cents of Change” Raises Over $1,000 to Provide Clean Water to Coffee-Growing Families in Honduras
August 8, 2018 (Published: July 18, 2018)
In June, Customers at Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Columbus and Tallmadge, Ohio donated $1,091.50 through our “10 Cents of Change” fundraising drive. The money will go to provide water filters, buckets and training to about 44 families who lack access to clean water in the remote coffee-growing region of Siguatepeque, Honduras.
“We’re thrilled that our customers responded so generously to this fundraising drive,” said Founder and President Greg Ubert. “Thousands of customers donated ten cents each to help improve the lives of the people who labor to provide the coffee in their morning cup.”
Through our Friend2Farmer program, Crimson Cup has been working with small-plot coffee farmers in Siguatepeque since 2011. “During our frequent visits to work with farmers there, we’ve seen that access to clean drinking water is a serious health issue – especially among families with children,” said Coffee Buyer Dave Eldridge. “Most houses lack running water, so families often get their water from polluted rivers and streams that may be infested with microorganisms and parasitic worms.”
He noted that women and children often carry heavy water buckets for several kilometers from their homes. “Using water filters and buckets, families can purify rainwater for drinking and cooking,” he said. “This will produce potable water without the backbreaking labor.”
Crimson Cup’s partner in Honduras distributes the filter buckets and teaches the families how to use them properly. It costs about $25 to purchase and transport each filter bucket to Honduras. Crimson Cup covers all related administrative costs, so 100 percent of the money raised will go directly to purchase and distribution of the filter buckets.
“Our initial program was so successful that some of the independent coffee shops supported through our 7 Steps to Success program have decided to run their own 10 Cents of Change programs,” Greg said. “By expanding relationships with small-plot coffee farmers and helping their communities thrive, coffee roasters and coffee shop owners are contributing to a sustainable coffee harvest for years to come.”