SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — On Giving Tuesday, a local coffee shop has a great way to give back and get a little as well.
3-19 Coffee in Shaker Heights and Ohio City is running a coffee bag fundraiser. Coffee lovers can buy some java as each bag supports a local or national non-profit. There are more than a dozen different groups to choose from. Efforts like VeloSano, Rescue Village and the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless will get $5 for each $20 purchase of coffee grounds.
3-19 Coffee owner Mike Vehar says his business can relate to struggling charities as every small business is feeling the pandemic effects.
"What we're all going through right now, and as we go into the colder winter months here into the pandemic, a small business like ours, things have been slower," Vehar says. "The same things are happening with organizations here in Cleveland, so this is a great way to partner up and showcase the great things happening here in Cleveland."
For the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, funding right now is more crucial than ever. Shelters across the region have COVID-19 restrictions in place, evictions are back in service and jobs are still hard to find. Director Molly Martin says the pandemic is also forcing people out on the streets as more businesses and public spaces close again out of COVID-19 precaution.
"People have comfort spots, somewhere they can go for a meal or a library to check their e-mail, a place to relax and be in community with others, all of those places have shut down," she points out. "So when you think about, it's one thing to have an option overnight. Having a place to go during the day -- other than an RTA bus stop -- is really critical for people who are spending a lot of time outdoors."
Visit this website to find the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless coffee bag, as well as the other charities. You can also support NOCH's efforts by buying their "Cleveland Street Chronicle," a newspaper written and made by people who have experienced homelessness. This year, it features pages designed to look like wrapping paper, created by the paper's writers, to use for your gift giving this year. Click here to learn how to buy a paper, apart of their Wrap up Homelessness effort.
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