Monday, April 28, 2008

20th Anniversary Reflections: David Abedon

In this entry, David Abedon, co-founder of Coffee Kids, chronicles the genesis of the organization when he helped Bill Fishbein plan his trip to Guatemala to visit coffee-farming families in the late ‘80s. Abedon is a professor in the Natural Resources Science Department in the College of Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. He currently serves on Coffee Kids board of directors.

“In the 80s I applied for a sabbatical leave from URI and stayed at Brown University in the School for Portuguese and Brazilian Studies.

“In order to get to Brown, I would walk from my house through Wickendon Street to the east side of Providence to Brown. I would stop at Bill’s store, the Coffee Exchange, for some muffins on my way to work and on my way back and that’s when we started to discuss coffee and poverty.

“So when Bill told me he was going down to Guatemala, I said, ‘What are you going to do when you get there? Who are you going to see?’ And Bill said, ‘Well, I don’t know. I just have to go.’
“So we looked at the schedule and started to set things up.
“I called up Partners for the Americas and Bill and I figured out a way for him to visit some of these coffee regions and so he came back and said, ‘We gotta’ do something.’

“I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘I don’t know, what?’

“Sometime along when we were starting to figure things out and we’d started to do some fundraisers, I invited Dean Cycon and he and Bill hit it off and Coffee Kids mushroomed from there.”

For more information on the history of Coffee Kids, download our latest newsletter (PDF 1.9MB).

20th Anniversary Reflections: Dan Cox

Dan Cox was one of the first members of Coffee Kids’ Advisory Board in the late ‘80s when he was working for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. He is now the founder and owner of Coffee Enterprises.

In this entry for our 20th Anniversary, he chronicles his first meeting with Bill Fishbein, founder of Coffee Kids.

“I read the smallest of small articles on Bill and I can’t remember what magazine it was in. This thing was probably 1×1.5 inches and it was really nothing more than this guy who was trying to help coffee farmers.

“I thought this is kind of interesting, a little retailer who wants to do something international and he’s making something happen on his own.

“So I called Bill up and I said, ‘Hey are you the real deal and he said, ‘Well, I’m trying.’ So I said, ‘I’m doing a lot of business in Boston would you wanna meet?’

“We met a the Harvard bookstore, literally two strangers joined by a common love of good coffee and we just sat down and I asked, ‘What are you trying to do?’

“And he basically said he wasn’t sure, but he had to do something, because the plight is so real that doing nothing would be a sin of omission.

“I thought that was interesting and even though I’d traveled to coffee-producing countries, they were mostly glamour trips with big groups of people where you’re only seeing the best of a producing country and you’re somewhat sheltered from seeing the daily travails of coffee producers.

“You go to really nice plantations. You stay in nice hotels. You drive around in nice air-conditioned buses and that’s the whole thing about those trips at the time. You’re going to the producing world in a first rate fashion.

“So bill had seen something that I hadn’t seen, he went out and he stayed on the farms and he went off the beaten track where there were open latrines where people were paid just enough to feed themselves for that day. It was that kind of stuff that just wrenched his heart.”

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

20th Anniversary Dinner Sold Out

Thanks to all of our sponsors and those who signed up early, Coffee Kids’ 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner is sold out. We look forward to celebrating two decades with everyone attending.

If you weren’t able to get tickets to the event, be sure to visit our booth (#1241) in the exhibition hall. We’ll be featuring a plethora of information on our efforts with coffee-growing families.

Food Crises Hit the Developing World

As more countries dedicate resources to producing crops for biofuels, few have paid attention to the unintended consequences. A food crisis of staggering proportions is looming on the horizon. “U.N. expert: Food crisis ‘a silent tsunami’”, a recent article on CNN, talks about the problem. With more emphasis on foodstuffs for fuel production, prices for grains have gone up around the world.

The New York Times looked at food riots in Haiti in their article “Across Globe, Empty Bellies Bring Rising Anger.”

Many of Coffee Kids’ partners are working to help communities create their own sustainable food options. CAMPO has been promoting organic gardening, crop diversification and beekeeping among the communities they serve for years. Program participants working with ICSUR in Chiapas, Mexico, have been raising mushrooms and chickens. These options help the communities reduce their reliance on outside sources for food and also help create economically diverse communities.

This article in the Christian Science Monitor (“How to Ease the Squeeze on Food Access”), presents a variety of options for solving the food crisis, but some of the best options for countries that have the resources seem to be promoting ‘back to basics,’ locally-based agriculture.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Coffee Kids Mourns the Loss of Dedicated Supporter David Williamson

All of us at Coffee Kids would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and co-workers of David Williamson, managing director of Matthew Algie and dedicated Coffee Kid supporter, who passed away last week.

Williamson, a sixth-generation descendant of the founder of the 144-year-old coffee importer and roaster in Glasgow, was dedicated to Coffee Kids’ mission and a firm believer in helping create a more sustainable lifestyle for coffee-farming families.

Williamson was not only a supporter, but also a close friend and will be sorely missed by all at Coffee Kids.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Voice from the Field: Itzel Guadalupe Navarro Espinoza

Itzel Guadalupe is a member of a youth training group and the radio production workshop sponsored by Coffee Kids’ partner Self-Managed Development (AUGE) in Cosautlan, Veracruz, Mexico.

“I have been a part of the youth training group since 2006. I began by participating in a survey that we conducted in the area of Teocelo. The idea was to learn what the youth enjoyed and liked to do, to know what they thnk where they are from, what they study, what they see for their future, to learn why they emigrate or stop studying and other topics.

“After that, I got involved in other groups with the trainers including music, theater, painting and dance. I’m currently working in radio production and training. There I”ve had the opportunity to participate in the production of radio spots for a world campaign to prevent AIDS for which we won the UNICEF-OneWorld Radio Prize in 2006. We went to Mexico City to receive the prize.

“I have also participated in a Mesoamerican Network of Youth that they conduct every year on the national level. It was a wonderful experience and it’s interesting to participate in the workshops and meet other youth from other regions, states and countries that have similiar ideas and a different vision for the country. And it’s rewarding to meet other young people who not only think about having fun, but also think about the future.

“Another part of the work I do at my school. As a part of my social service, I spend time teaching women from the savings groups in my community to use computers. That way they can track their savings and loans using Excel int he computer that AUGE donated.

“I have enjoyed working with AUGE because from them we have learned and had many experiences that will serve us well in the future.”

Friday, April 04, 2008

Voz del Campo: Itzel Guadalupe Navarro Espinoza

Soy parte del grupo de jóvenes facilitadores desde el 2006. Comencé participando en una encuesta realizada en el área de influencia de Teocelo. La idea era conocer que es lo que a los jóvenes les gusta e interesa hacer, saber que es lo piensan, de donde son, que estudian, que futuro esperan o les gustaría tener, aprender de las razones por las cuales emigran o ya no estudian, y otros temas mas. Después me integre a los otros grupos de facilitadores, teatro, música, pintura y danza.

Actualmente estoy en los talleres de producción de radio y de facilitadores. Ahí tuve la oportunidad de participar en la producción de unos spots de radio para una campaña mundial para la prevención del SIDA, por ese trabajo ganamos el premio UNICEF/OneWorld radio Prize 2006, el cual fuimos a recibir a la ciudad de México.

También he participado en la red Mesomaricana de Jóvenes que se efectúa cada año a nivel nacional, fue una experiencia muy bonita, porque es muy interesante participar en los talleres conocer a otros jóvenes de otras regiones, otros estados y países que tienen las mismas ideas de dar una visión diferente al país. Y darnos cuenta que somos jóvenes que no solamente pensamos en divertirnos, sino que también pensamos en el futuro.

Otra parte de mi trabajo lo hago a través de mi escuela, ya que tengo que prestar un servicio social y lo hago enseñando computación a las mujeres de los grupos de ahorro de mi comunidad, así ellas pueden ahora llevar el registro de sus prestamos y ahorro usando una hoja de Excel en la computadora que AUGE les donó.

Me ha dado mucho gusto conocer AUGE, porque de ella hemos aprendido y tenido muchas experiencias que el día de mañana nos servirán mucho más.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Sponsors Keep Rolling in for 20th Anniversary Celebration

Our sponsor list for Coffee Kids 20th Anniversary Celebration Dinner keeps growing as we get closer to the May 3 event. The celebration will commemorate achievements over the past two decades and honor all of our partners and our members who have helped thousands of coffee-farming families around the world improve their quality of life.

Tickets for the celebration dinner are available at the price of $75 each and reservations are required. Coffee Kids still has various sponsorship opportunities available. Any sponsorship revenue in excess of costs will be directed toward Coffee Kids projects in Latin America. Please contact Heather Ferraro by e-mail at or call 505-820-1143 for more information on tickets or sponsorship opportunities.

Our platinum donor is Longbottom Coffee and Tea, a coffee roaster and retailer based in Hillsboro, Ore. Owner and CEO Michael Baccellieri and his company have been enthusiastic Coffee Kids supporters since 1992. Baccellieri even traveled with our staff to Oaxaca, Mexico, in April 2007 to learn about the efforts of Coffee Kids partner FomCafé.

Others who have signed up to sponsor the celebration include:
Gold
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Waterbury, VT

Silver
Paragon Coffee Trading Company, L.P., White Plains, NY
Fres-co System USA, Inc., Telford, PA

Bronze
Coffee Exchange, Providence, RI
InterAmerican Coffee Inc. Houston, TX
Probat-Werke, Emmerich, Germany
Melissa J. Pugash, Los Angeles, CA
S-D Coffee, Concord, NC
Starbucks Coffee, Seattle, WA

Benefactor
Mars Drinks North America, Westchester, PA
Peets Coffee and Tea, Berkeley, CA
Coffee and Cocoa International, UK

Patron
Atlantic Specialty Coffee, Inc. Hayward, CA
Baratza, Bellevue, WA
Batdorf & Bronson/Challain, Inc., Olympia, WA
Bongo Java, Nashville, TN
Bunn-o-Matic Corporation, Springfield, IL
Gaviña Gourmet Coffee, Vernon, CA
Gulf Winds International, Houston, TX
Magnum Coffee Roastery, Nunica, MI
Bongo Java, Nashville, TN
Illy Espresso of the Americas, Inc., Oakland, CA
Wilbur Curtis Company, Dilveron, IL

Supporter
Aroma Coffee of Santa Fe, NM
Van Houtte, Inc., Montreal, Canada
Balzac Brothers and Company, Inc., Charleston, SC
Mont Blanc Gourmet, Denver, CO
Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Co., Mobile, AL
Deli Café, S.A., San Jose, Costa Rica
Eight o’ Clock Coffee, Towson, MD
Coffee Solutions, Franklin, MA

Friend
Cape Horn Coffees, Inc., Springfield, OR
Elan Organic Coffees, San Diego, CA
Payden & Co., LLC, East Greenwich, RI
Urnex Brands, Inc., Yonkers, NY
Walton Coffee Co., Walton, NY
www.coffeecreations.co.uk, Glouscester, UK
Yellowstone Coffee, Bozeman, MT
Green Coffee Buying Club
Expocert Café, Santa Barbara, Costa Rica
The Inter Trade Co., San Francisco, CA
Cirqua, Camarillo, CA
Pacific Espresso, Santa Cruz, CA
Pod Pack International, Baton Rouge, LA
American Coffee Corporation, Jersey City, NJ
Karalynn M. McDermott, Seattle, WA
Coffee Lab International, Waterbury, VT
First Colony Coffee and Tea, Norfolk, VA

In-Kind Donors
Putumayo World Music, New York, NY
DaVinci Gourmet, Seattle, WA
The Hot Chocolate Sparrow, North Eastham, MA
Payden and Co., East Greenwich, RI
Fresh Cup Magazine, Portland, OR

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Fences, Neighbors and Immigration

The Christian Science Monitor recently featured a story on the continuing efforts by the United States to build a wall on the border with Mexico.“Where US-Mexico Border Fence is Tall, Border Crossings Fall” talks about the Yuma corridor in Arizona where “800 people used to be apprehended trying to cross the border every day. Now, agents catch 50 people or fewer daily.”

The story reminded me of a book I recently read called, “The Devil’s Highway,” by Luis Alberto Urrea. It tells the story of 26 immigrants who attempted to cross the border near the Yuma corridor in May of 2001. The group got lost on the hike and only 12 of the men made it out alive. Urrea paints a vivid picture of the extremes people will go to for survival of their families.

Many of the men who made the attempt were coffee farmers from Veracruz, Mexico, trying to help their families. The immigrant debate is full of loaded words and rhetorical flourishes. ‘Illegal aliens,’ ‘undocumented workers,’ and many other phrases obscure the problem. They are people trying to make a living. Given viable economic alternatives at home, most people wouldn’t risk their lives.

Coffee Kids partner AUGE is working diligently to help coffee farming families create economic alternatives that can provide for a sustainable lifestyle and a higher quality of life. Check out our the latest pictures from our program trip to the area on Coffee Kids Flickr page.