Holiday Goodness

http://www.coffeebreak2day.com/images/keep-cup.png" hspace="10" height="321" border="5" align="left" width="301" vspace="10" title="keep cup picture" alt="keep cup picture" />So, one of my favorite things about coffee people is that they are good-hearted and truly charitable in ways that go far beyond dropping a bill in the collection plate at church. Coffee roasters tend to operate in socially responsible ways, and nearly every one I've ever found has a favorite charity or has built a foundation to help the people with whom they work. One of my favorites has always been Coffee Kids, in part, I'm sure, because it was founded by the owner of a coffee house I know and like a lot. They do lots of great stuff -- and one of my favorite parts of CK is that they allow the communities they're helping to lead the way. As a long-time grass-roots community organizer, I'm a strong believer in that ethos -- when you let people decide what they need there's a much better chance that they'll actually get what they need.  

You're probably wondering what a plastic cup has to do with a charity that works with coffee farmers. I'm so glad you asked. The KeepCup is an Australian product that's meant to reduce the stream of disposable coffee cups entering the waste stream. It's billed as the first barista standard resusable cup because it's designed to fit under standard group heads -- that means the barista at your favorite coffee bar can pull your shot directly into your cup. They come in four different sizes, including an extra-small 4-oz size, and you can design your own in up to 11,000 different color combinations. They're pretty reasonably priced, as well.

However. I'm not pitching KeepCups. I'm making a pitch for Coffee Kids. See, earlier this afternoon,  Coffee Kids tweeted that KeepCups has committed to contribute $5 to Coffee Kids for every Twitter Follow ( https://twitter.com/#!/KeepCup)  and Facebook Like they receive between now and Christmas Day. So go on. What are you waiting for? It doesn't cost you  anything but a couple of minutes time.