Appendix E-J

We don’t get spiritual in this sliver of cyberspace too often, but these are good things to consider regardless of your beliefs concerning beliefs.

Speaking Of Faith is a fine show on public radio that has had input concerning the way certain things are done around Everyday Joe’s. The show and the people of the show don’t  know this, of course. Methinks they have input many places. Host Krista Tippett spoke at First United Methodist back in the fall. Several of us went and it was wonderful. There is an amusing story that came out of the evening, but we’ll get to that some other time.

The staff of SOF maintain a Twitter account (@softweets). Today it produced this tweet:

40 Days 40 Deeds: a project “to be kinder, to give more, to inconvenience” + “make the world a more pleasant place.”

This sounded so lovely to my heart, I clicked on the provided link and was taken to a post son the SOF blog SOF Observed. From there, my clicking intrigue took me to another post on Observed and to an entirely different blog, 40days40deeds. It was a lot of work for my clicking finger, but it was worth it.

The “other post” on Observed is actually titled “A Is For Alleluia.” It marks the beginning of the Lenten season, and the Irish writer marked my heart with the statement:

Lent is less for giving up, and more for making space.

40days40deeds is a project of sorts, centered on Lent and the hearts of 4 folks across the U.S.

40 Days 40 Deeds is a project created by a small group of people in various U.S. cities who have pledged to make small changes throughout the 2010 Lenten season to encourage people to be kinder, to give more, to inconvenience themselves a little to make the world a more pleasant place to be.

Those are sentiments of sacrifice and service…things at the core of Everyday Joe’s. The volunteers of Everyday Joe’s…those are the things their hearts beat for. Please know that.

It has been said here lately that what Everyday Joe’s IS must not stay at Everyday Joe’s. By reading this, you take part in this place. If you come in, you take part in this place. By being a human being, you take part in this place, because this place is part of a much larger thing. We are all in it.

Everyday Joe’s wants to make space for things of love and goodness to occur. We want to make changes that provide space. The best part is, we can all do this each day all the time. Perhaps a new habit can be formed over fourty days…a habit that makes the places we are a part of more pleasant places to be. A habit that makes space for pleasantries to occur. Then we can be thankful.

Please take a moment to read those posts/blogs. Comment if you please, or come in and say hello.

FURTHER:

• Follow Speaking Of Faith on Twitter
• A Is For Alleluia
• 40days40deeds

Popularity: 8% [?]

There are rumblings of the Mountain Regional Barista Competition happening in Northern Colorado next month. This has the majority of us excited. It had me daydreaming the other day as I drove down College Avenue. It had me thinking to much about coffee and not enough about people. I stopped at a light and looked at the people in another coffee shop and something quivered in my being. The reality of people. At another light, someone protesting something was talking and smiling with a young fellow who appeared extremely excited to get somewhere, as his feet wouldn’t stop moving though he stood in place. More quivers.

About this same time people in Haiti were experiencing a natural disaster. People were being buried in rubble. The earth was changing at a very rapid rate all around them. I have beliefs about these quivers I felt & we can talk about them sometime if you like…but for now it is just safe to say that earthquakes are bigger than coffee. The world is huge and we are not as big as we might think we are. But we need to take care of each other and love each other. Methinks those are part of each other.

Love people here. The people next to you. But love the people in Haiti. If you pray, pray for them please. If you have the desire, go to Haiti. If you have the means, give to Haiti. We’re not as small as we may think we are.

FURTHER:

• Avatar For Haiti
• Oxfam

Popularity: 9% [?]

If you were at the 2009 Everyday Joe’s 90/10 benefit, that card there might just mean something to you. It does to me. I keep it in my wallet.

The cards were distributed to those in attendance by one Mr. Todd Fadel of the musical superiors Agents Of Future. The cards & their suits corresponded with a certain percussive action. Before long, the audience was the backing band for the Agents, and images were being drawn on an overhead projector by those feeling the need, and dancing was happening by those who couldn’t contain it anymore.

“Come exist with me,” Mr. Fadel invited from the stage. “This is where I exist, where I am a child.”

This invitation is also the heart behind Love Is Concrete, a beautiful online community Todd has created for all of us. Folks have taken notice, including the people at Sojourner’s magazine. They recently interviewed our friend and it is a beautiful read. Go ahead and see for yourself, then join Love Is Concrete.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Direct Trade coffee is important. We should all drink it this new year…but what is it? Oh, here you go:

1. The best way to get an exceptional cup of coffee, comes from knowing the hands that work on the farm.
2. Understanding the growers, plants, sites, sounds, smells and culture of each region, we can ensure that our coffee is not blindly accepted as fair or sustainable.
3. A commitment to frequent communication with our growers, giving each of us a voice in the bigger than business transaction of life and economies.

You’ve already started on this resolution…did you know that? Just by drinking at Everyday Joe’s.

But what about at your home? In your kitchen…on your deck…at your desk…on the front porch…looking out the window…in good company.

You could always buy the beans of Novo Coffee from Everyday Joe’s, but coffee from different roasters is like beer from different breweries. It comes to a point when you have a desire to try them all. A solution on the coffee front is here.

Enter the Direct Trade Coffee Club (they wrote that nice three-point summary up there). Currently a partnership between our old friends at Intelligentsia and the Grand Rapids-based Madcap Coffee, the DTCC (just coined that one) delivers Direct Trade beans to your home every month. A little bird told me they are evaluating a few more roasters and pursuing others with hopes to top out at six total, allowing each partner to provide the beans twice a year.

“We started the Direct Trade Coffee Club to connect consumers with the finest roasters of specialty coffee who purchase coffee direct from the farmer.”

The club also provides brewing, tasting, and seed-to-cup infos on their site. Information is the key, I hear. All that info & the ordering process can be found here. A wise way to spend that Christmas money, I say.

FURTHER:

• Join the Direct Trade Coffee Club
• MadCap Coffee Company
• Intelligentsia Coffee

Popularity: 2% [?]

Let’s keep this brief, shall we?

This month at Everyday Joe’s, we are taking part in No Words November. It is a month to use less words and see what comes out of that. Hopefully listening to each other & hearing more than we normally might. It is exciting to imagine what we could hear.

This idea has been brewing in the head of a member of the Everyday Joe’s family for some time now, inspired by some of the themes of Sleeping At Last’s latest album Storyboards. For the month of November, there will not be any music played on the house speakers that contains words. This is a practical application of the idea of No Words November, encouraging the volunteers to listen to what is happening in the building and to see what they might hear. I wonder what customers think, or if they even notice.

Here is an idea for participating in No Words November that we would like to pass on to you…

Pick one day this month to fast from unnecessary words. Do not ignore others. This is not a vow of silence, but a vow to quiet down. To listen more and see what we hear. Perhaps this one day will translate to two days and then a week and then a month and then it could keep going. I think we may love each other more through it.

The coffee house is a place meant for conversation and relationship. But, we often sit on the other side of the table, calculating what we will say next. Let’s listen more.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Coffee is a spectacular thing. Much more spectacular than most folks give it credit for. We know the spectacularness of wine. The spectacularness of beer. The spectacularness of food. Coffee is just as spectacular. So are people doing good things.

Everyday Joe’s is very excited to introduce Coffee & Goodness. Every few months, we will host an afternoon of coffee education to benefit good things. The first of these afternoons is on September 12 and will benefit the efforts of International Teams: Greece (and an Everyday Joe’s volunteer Wendy Thompson ).

You can come in for free and learn about Wendy’s efforts, but the cost to educate your coffee palette concerning coffee is $7. We will “host” one bean for the afternoon (thinking a Guatemalan for this go round) and brew it for you 4 different ways. All profits will go to Wendy & her efforts. Your seven bones will get you:

• 6 oz. cup brewed via Hario Ceramic Drip
• 6 oz. cup brewed via Chemex
• 6 oz. cup brewed via French Press
• single origin espresso

We will have volunteers at each station, telling you what tasting notes to look for and what makes the brewing method special/delicious. Wendy will also be working the room with her smiling face and knowledge of her efforts working with refugees in Greece.

We hope to see you on September 12. If you are interested in being the beneficiary of an afternoon of Coffee & Goodness, just let us know and we’ll chat it up.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Hello. It has been some time.

We’ve been resting and trying our best to avoid exhaustion. A 3-day trip to the great midwest and back will really take it out of you…even if you do have Danny & The Pirate & the others of Tortilla Flat to keep you company across the landscapes of Kansas.

Our first go at taking Everyday Joe’s other places was a resounding success and good time. It’s a different measure of success, though. We got to see some good and beautiful things happen, and we got to be in the middle of most of them. It was very lovely.

Here is a video briefly documenting the trip. Come ask about it if you like…we have a lot of stories and met a lot of good people. We’re looking at May for our next outing. The location is hush hush at this point…but we’re very excited.

Popularity: 4% [?]

This is it. The weekend has arrived. We’re off to Missouri to provide the homeless with outdoor gear, hand out iced toddy, and see a show. We’ll try to post some updates as the weekend progresses, but can make no promises. There will be video when we return, thanks to the generosity of Mr. Daryle Dickens. Plans are in the works for another trip of this sort, so stay tuned. In the meantime, please enjoy these maps of Colorado & Missouri from 1895:

FURTHER:

• Everyday Joe’s Is Going To Missouri…And Needs Your Gear

Popularity: 28% [?]

It’s nice when a 5-year-long conversation proves fruitful.

Beginning the evening of August 14th, we’ll be redesigning our coffee bar. That night (a Friday), we will not have a concert. There will not be a concert Saturday either. There will be nails flying, conduit running in various directions, some minor demolition and wonderful rebuilding. Come August 18th, there will be magic waiting for you.

Truth is, we’ve always wanted to redesign the coffee bar…mainly so we can serve you better. The idea was first thrown around back in ’04. It took various incantations of the talks before the right people started thinking about it and sparks began flying.

Here’s the thing: we know you have extra materials in your garages and basements and sheds. We will gladly take them off your hands. What materials, you may want to know? Well…looky here. I have a sheet of our needs you can download by clicking here. All of your donations will be tax deductible. Please just bring donations to Everyday Joe’s during business hours, and we’ll give you a free drink on top of a hug. Lovely. Your name will also adorn the bar. We’re not saying how, though. That’s a surprise.

The idea of this being a communal project is something that tickles me to bits. Thank you for supporting us over the years. Now, we want to better serve you.

love.
everyday joe’s

FURTHER:

• Download the Bill Of Materials (fancy name for needs)

Popularity: 75% [?]

Well…this is the most exciting news in some time.

It has long been a desire around 144 S. Mason to figure out ways to take the heart of Everyday Joe’s outside these walls & to then plop that heart down in someone’s lap. I’d say we do an alright job of this in Fort Collins, though there are things in the works to make Everyday Joe’s an even more noticable kind & loving presence in the Choice City. However, right now we’re talking about crossing state lines.

Everyday Joe’s is going to Missouri. Not permanently. Just for a weekend…though we hope to leave some permanent marks and sparks.

The Weiss Family

You see, a little while ago, Mr. Steve Shafer (the volunteer who orchestrated the arrival of David Bazan at Everyday Joe’s) approached me with some tour dates involving some bands we both love: The Weiss Family (a downsized version of mewithoutYou), Damien Jurado, and The Psalters. These acts are traveling the midwest together, and the closest they are coming to Colorado is the ever-wonderful Springfield, MO. With my coffee-stained index finger, I pointed at that date and said with great and good declaration, “We’re going.”

We began to talk about the trip. One thing lead to another and we decided we needed more people to go with us. We decided we needed vans. We decided that a trip involving just a wonderful concert 13 hours away would not do the trick. We decided we needed to take Everyday Joe’s to Springfield and serve some people. And so we will.

Homeless Gear is a grand, grand organization in Fort Collins that equips those living outside with gear to survive the elements and get to the next day. They do monthly distributions of gear in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Longmont. The gear is donated by manufacturers, local shops, and folks with gear to get rid of. Here it is in their words (probably better):

The mission of Homeless Gear is a simple one.  Collect unwanted outdoor gear (packs, sleeping bags, etc) and re-distribute these items to the homeless.  Homeless Gear intends to find a home for all unwanted outdoor gear and make the outdoors a little more like home for those without permanent shelter.

I’d have to say, with all sincerity, that Homeless Gear is dope.

The Kitchen in Springfield is another organization we think highly of. I will spare you my trying to explain what they do and cut straight to their words:

The Kitchen has been providing housing, food, and medical services to the homeless, underserved, and uninsured in the Springfield area since 1983. We are a local organization whose purpose is those in the Springfield community. All contributions are utilized for the betterment of our immediate service area. We serve a very diverse population and needs with the many programs sponsored by The Kitchen.

So, how does this all add up? A bulleted list will explain it nicely:

• Everyday Joe’s will be hosting a Homeless Gear collection drive July 27 – August 19. Bring down your unwanted gear and we’ll give it to folks in need PLUS get 10% off your order when you donate.
• On August 21st,  a group of folks from Everyday Joe’s will load up a trailer and hop in a van and drive to Springfield, MO.
• The morning of August 22, we’ll set up shop in a park or at a farmer’s market in Springfield, MO. We’ll distribute the gear, give folks coffee, and do some bike repairs. We’re working with The Kitchen to determine the best location and to help spread the word amongst folks in need. Anything not distributed will be left with The Kitchen to distribute as needed.
• Saturday night, we’re going to the show. MewithoutYou and The Psalters are both passionate about helping the poor. We hope they will get behind this effort…but at the very least we’ll get to enjoy some nice music.
• Sunday we get up and drive back to Fort Collins.

As I write, I am exploding with joy. I do hope this is the first of many efforts to spread the spirit of 144 S. Mason. Please please please consider donating your old gear or some new gear. Keep in mind the current season and the seasons approaching when deciding what gear to give.

If you are interested in going, the cost is $60 and you must pay by August 4. E-mail your name and contact info to chris [at] everydayjoes [dot] org.

Thank you and good day.

love.

everyday joe’s

FURTHER:

• Homeless Gear Official Site
• List Of Gear Needs
• The Kitchen Official Site

Popularity: 96% [?]