ST. DROGO FOUNDATION

The St. Drogo Foundation was inspired by a good friend, Sister Donna Ryan. She brought up the notion of St. Drogo, the patron saint of coffee, who is now the symbol for our dedication to countries of origin.

In addition to paying prices that are generally four times higher than what the commercial coffee companies pay, we also contribute a percentage for every pound of coffee we buy to the communities where our coffee is grown. That money goes into the St. Drogo Foundation fund where it is joined by money and “sweat equity” from origin communities.

With this money, we’ve been able to make significant contributions to education in Brazil, Costa Rica and Columbia.

BRAZIL

We joined our friend Marcelo Vieira in bringing computers and high-speed satellite Internet service to a school in Brazil that didn’t even have a phone at the time. We also helped build a preschool for the younger children and, consequently, helped resolve the labor shortage problem in this area and provide opportunities for women to work outside the home.

COSTA RICA

We used our Brazilian experience as a model for other countries. The next project was two preschools in Costa Rica. They were already up and running, but very short on funds, supplies and resources of all kinds. We joined our friends at Deli Café and started a long-term strategic partnership with the help of the community. Once again, this was their project, their planning and their sweat equity.

COLOMBIA

Over the years, the Colombian Coffee Federation has done a terrific job of helping develop infrastructure throughout the coffee country in Colombia. So, when our coffee growers approached us and said they had good schools and health facilities, but needed a community center, we knew what to do. Plans were drawn up, and a community center is being constructed in partnership with our friends at Cafe Condor S.A.

St. Drogo is just one more reason to feel good about choosing The Roasterie. You can take pride in knowing that the coffee you’re drinking is helping fund important humanitarian projects in coffee-growing communities around the world.

WATERPARTNERS

WaterPartners is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization committed to providing safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries. Working in partnership with donors and local communities, we have helped thousands of people develop accessible, sustainable, community-level water supplies. WaterPartners not only offers traditional, grant-funded programs but is also harnessing the power of micro-finance to address the world water crisis.

KNOW THE FACTS:

More than one billion people lack access to a safe supply of drinking water.Water-related diseases are one of the leading causes of illness and death in the world. 88 percent of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

The Roasterie also recognizes the fact that many coffee growing regions are impoverished, and that poor drinking water is prevalent in the lives of coffee farmers and their families. That’s why The Roasterie is a proud supporter of WaterPartners. If you’re interested in helping end this world crisis, visit water.org

OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL

The levels of poverty are well documented in India, and it is estimated that India is home to at least one-third of the world’s poor. Furthermore, up to 87% of the poorest households in India do not have access to credit, and there are potentially 250 million to 380 million people in need of microfinance services in India. Urban poverty is a well-documented travesty, but in addition, the country’s rural poor are the most isolated from financial services. Opportunity’s goal is to create new loan products, increase insurance offerings, continue rapidly expanding throughout the rural areas and affect the lives of 100,000 loan clients by the end of 2010. Opportunity is looking for partners to assist in this effort. If you’re interested in helping, please visit opportunity.org