I have been thinking about begging lately. We have all encountered beggars -- whether on the streets of Nairobi, Chicago, or Boise. In future blogs I will give some of my personal perspectives on begging, but I recently came across the following story about Brother Juniper (1210-1258), who was one of St. Francis of Assisi's original followers. He is known for being one of the most outrageous "holy fools" in the history of Christianity, and this painting of Brother Juniper and the Beggar is displayed in the Louvre in Paris.

"Brother Juniper was so full of pity and compassion for the poor, that when he saw anyone poor or naked he immediately took off his tunic, or the hood of his clock, and gave it to him. (His superiors therefore ordered that he not) give away his tunic or any part of his habit. A few days afterwards, a poor half-naked man asked an alms of Brother Juniper for the love of God, who answered him with great compassion: "I have nothing which I could give thee but my tunic, and my superior has (commanded me) not to give it, nor any part of my habit, to anyone. But if thou take it off my back I will not resist thee." ... The beggar forthwith stripped him of his tunic, and went off with it. When Brother Juniper returned home, and was asked what had become of his tunic, he replied: "A good man took it off my back, and went away with it." And as the virtue of compassion increased in him, he was not contented with giving his tunic, but would give books, or clocks, or whatever he could lay his hands on, to the poor. For this reason the brethren took care to leave nothing in the common rooms of the convent, because Brother Juniper gave away everything for the love of God and to the glory of his name."

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It is exciting to see Cauzal Coffee becoming known by nonprofits, especially as coffee sales through Cauzal can be used to raise needed support for nonprofits during these difficult economic times. Yesterday Cauzal Coffee was profiled in a blog that is dedicated to nonprofits, the people who run them, and the donors who support them -- Nonprofit Awareness.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2009

Cauzal Coffee

Today continues our look at for-profit businesses that are doing good.  Cauzal Coffee not only employs socially responsible business practices, but also uses their proceeds and resources to help improve the world we live in.

Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world. It's an $18 billion industry in the United States alone, with 3 out of 4 American adults purchasing coffee. With that in mind, Cauzal Coffee has committed themselves to using those facts to make a difference. Twenty-five percent of every sale goes to a humanitarian cauze. When you purchase from the company you not only choose from six blends, but also choose the cause you want to support: huger, poverty, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, Disaster: Congo Crisis, or Unclean Water. Cauzal Effect helps people suffering from these tragedies.

The Cauzal Effect is a global movement that encourages generous and responsible living to benefit people in need. Nonprofit organizations are carefully selected; organizations that practice financial integrity and effective aid distribution in the six areas of global need previously mentioned.

The premium micro-roasted coffee starts with responsible sourcing, making organic and shade grown coffee available and using 100% post-consumer recycling materials for shipping boxes. By sourcing coffee through their roaster's Farm Friendly Direct program, Cauzal is able to support poverty stricken communities as they work to build a stronger future. This means paying farmers above market prices for their coffee, in addition to a premium that finances farm and community assistance projects such as tree planting, water treatment facilities, community centers, school buildings, and funding teachers' salaries. Each project is tailored to the needs of the local community.  Many of the programs Cauzal Coffee supports aid coffee growing regions.  

Cauzal Coffee also offers opportunities for individuals and nonprofit organizations to benefit from their philanthropic initiatives. Through MyCauze (for Individuals) and Our Cauze (for nonprofits), individuals and nonprofit organizations can have Cazual Coffee support their causes. MyCauze and OurCauze help generate financial support for your humanitarian cause. Purchases by your constituents gains your cause 25%- 33% of the sale proceeds. For more information on the programs and organization criteria please visit Cauzal Coffee.

Please visit Cauzal Coffee's site. It's a wonderful company, and it goes to show how making a simple change in brand can make such a huge difference. They provide great information about the causes they support, including stories about why their work is so important. There is plenty of information on how you can get involved, whether it's by purchasing coffee or fundraising for your own cauze.

These Numbers Have Faces (TNHF) is an exciting new nonprofit that is confronting generational poverty in South Africa by providing college scholarships for youth in the township of Gugulethu. TNHF has recently partnered with Cauzal Coffee to raise funds through OurCauze -- a turnkey fundraiser for nonprofits -- with the goal of raising $500 by July. Click HERE to support TNHF through Cauzal Coffee. 

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It is great to see nonprofits across the U.S. learn about Cauzal Coffee and how they can raise funds through the OurCauze turnkey fundraiser, which allows supporters to direct money that they're already spending on coffee to the nonprofit organization instead. Here are a few examples of OurCauze fundraisers that are currently underway. Join Cauzal Coffee in supporting these important Cauzes!

410 Bridge (Alpharetta, GA) is raising $85,000 through a Cauze titled "Build a Clinic with Coffee." All over Africa people are dying of easily treatable diseases and ailments simply because clinics and hospitals are too far away to reach. 410 Bridge is building a health clinic in the Kenyan village of Ngamba.

The Student Missionary Union of Biola University (La Mirada, CA) is sending a short-term team to Hungary for two and a half weeks in January. Their goal is to raise $1,800 through a Cauze titled "Team Hungary 2009." The Biola student team will partner with Good Sports Ministry in Miskolch, Hungary to work with two orphanages and a gypsy outreach program.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Colorado Springs, CO) is raising $15,000 through a Cauze titled "Holy Cross Youth Missions," which will support a youth team going to work on a South Dakota Native American reservation. The youth team will be working on home repairs, painting, and building decks, and the church expects to take 300 youth on this work trip, demonstrating the outpouring of God's love in this needy community.

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It seems that wherever I turn -- the radio, newspaper, television, internet, work, church, family, friends, neighbors, conversations -- people are talking about the economic crisis. Friends are out of work, cash is drying up, and the news is not good. As Reuters reports, "No Christmas cheer as recession gathers steam. ... Bah humbug. Recession, recession, recession."

Wow, this is unprecedented in my lifetime! Do you also feel like you're living through an historic event, as terrible as it is? How are you dealing with this crisis, and how are you reaching out to those in need around you? Are churches, governments, nonprofits, and businesses responding to the needs in our communities?

As I was pondering this crisis I came across a recent report from Doctors Without Borders, an international aid organization, which describes their list of the top 10 humanitarian crises of 2008. In this report they cite violence in Somalia, forced civilian displacements in eastern Congo, and neglected medical emergencies in Burma and Zimbabwe among the globe's top 10 crises. Even though these crises are horrendous and shocking in comparison to the economic crisis, the pain felt by individuals going through any of these crises can be extreme and overwhelming. My prayer for this Christmas season is that in the midst of crisis, we can bring the message of hope, love, and joy to those in need all around us, whenever and wherever we may encounter them. 

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As many of us are making last minute preparations for Christmas, hundreds of thousands of Congolese continue to suffer from war and injustice. Last week the UN Secretary General said that the UN has opened investigations into possible war crimes committed in eastern Congo, where more than 1.35 million people are now displaced. He said that there is alarming evidence of targeted killings and possibly civilian massacres. (Read more news here.) 

Cauzal Coffee recently created a new Disaster Cauze that is focused on helping to alleviate the suffering in Congo. When you visit the Cauzal Coffee Shop and buy Cauzal's award-winning coffee, Cauzal Coffee will send 25% of the purchase price to World Relief for the provision of vital supplies to uprooted families in eastern Congo. What better gift can you give this Christmas?

At Cauzal Coffee we have a lot of fun working with great nonprofits and helping them raise funds for their activities! One such group is "Mission Kids", which is working to help parents and their children engage in meaningful and creative opportunities to learn, love, and serve others.

Mission Kids is partnering with the World Relief NEXT project to educate American school-aged children about the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their goal is to raise $8,000 by the end of December. Join in this exciting cauze by purchasing Cauzal coffee through this link: www.cauzal.com/ourcauze1256.    

 

Part of the buzz of web 2.0 is that information flow on the internet is much more viral, spreading quickly and exponentially in new and exciting ways. If you want to read a great piece on how this relates to blogging, Seth Godin has web-published a cool booklet titled "Seth Godin's Incomplete Guide to Blogs and the New Web."

So I was excited yesterday when I saw that World Magazine is blogging about Cauzal Coffee and how 25% of every coffee sale goes to a humanitarian cause. If you're a blogger, if you send emails, or if you participate in a social network (e.g., facebook), become part of the viral infection that is Cauzal Coffee!

 

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Thanksgiving and black Friday are behind us. This year the Brose family is going to do Christmas gift-giving a little different than in the past. We're going to give small, personal and unique gifts to each other ... and the gifts must fit in the Christmas stockings! Our goal is to make gift giving more meaningful and personal, focusing on the relationships and not on the gifts.

What does your family do to make Christmas meaningful? Please send me your ideas, thoughts and suggestions (by personal email or by adding a comment), as I'd like to blog about the different ways that people add meaning to Christmas. And remember that Cauzal coffee makes a great Christmas gift -- delivered right to the doorstep. You can choose the cauze that you want to support, sharing a gift packed with meaning and significance with your loved ones.

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