TULSA, Okla. — When the pandemic put everything on lockdown last spring, one local non-profit in Tulsa went to work.
Hope Fellowship opened its doors on a passion project it has been dreaming of for years.
In the heart of Brookside, during the height of the pandemic, a sign of hope emerged.
“I don’t usually drink coffee but I saw the hope sign on the front and I felt like I just needed to come here. I don’t know why," said customer Jordan Welcher.
Welcher had no idea how a chance encounter inside Hope Collective Coffee would fill her cup.
“I walked in and had a kind of life-changing moment,” Welcher continued.
She's not alone.
Hope Collective Coffee shop is on a mission to change lives. It's a non-profit providing hope and help to people around the world, one coffee cup at a time. Each drink purchased here supports refugees displaced by war and persecution.
“Part of our mission of the coffee shop is to support our mission in Amman, Jordan,” said Luke Emmert, General Manager of Hope Collective Coffee.
This work began nearly 2 years ago in the Hope Fellowship sanctuary just beyond the coffee shop doors. Pastor Dean Johnson says the church and the coffee shop serve nearly 3,000 Iraqi and Syrian refugees.
“They didn’t choose to leave their countries. They were displaced by ISIS. In many instances, their homes don’t exist anymore," said Pastor Dean Johnson. “So they were able to immigrate just across the border to Jordan, and the unemployment rate in Jordan is about 20% without the refugees. And so they can’t get a work visa, there are not enough jobs for Jordanians let alone the refugees, so they can’t go home, they can’t work. So they’re just kind of stuck.”
To help, church donations combine with the coffee shop sales with 100% of the profits going to the mission.
The goal is to send at least $1,000 a month to help the refugees and their families.
“It’s going to something bigger, something bigger than ourselves. This isn’t about profit, It’s about people at the end of the day,” said Pastor Johnson.
Hope Collective Coffee is also working to touch lives close at home too. Customers can always find a fresh cup when they walk through the doors.
"We want all people to feel welcome here, including moms with kids. Bring your families in," Emmert said. "This is a place for community."
Welcher can attest. The non-coffee drinker turned believer says she always leaves with a 'glass half full' feeling.
“Every time I come in here I feel better whenever I leave,” said Welcher.
Hope Collective Coffee says if you can dream it, they can brew it. They have a full menu of hot and cold items, as well as using locally and regionally roasted beans.
The coffee shop is open Monday through Saturday. It's closed for church services on Sunday.
All details about the coffee shop, as well as the groups and special events it hosts, can be found on Hope Fellowship's website.
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