Just one year ago, founder Kenny Sipes entered the shop’s future location to find the flooring, installed just two days earlier, already starting to peel upward at the edges.
The flooring was one of the final components to put in place before we could open our doors. Almost out of money and weeks behind our goal, some of the Roosevelt board members met Sipes at the shop to figure out whether opening the shop was still possible.
After allowing ourselves a moment of frustration until we could sort of joke about it, we called together a larger group of staff and friends, who joined us with willingness, and got on hands and knees to reinstall the floor.
As a nonprofit, this is an example of our aim to stretch donations further, as we’d done from the onset—we bought auctioned bowling alleys for countertops, tasked a friend with making homemade aprons for baristas, and fashioned old hog barn tin into counter wraps.
But even more, this was a portrait of our reliance on people to carry the vision. To borrow language from Marilynne Robinson, we created a lingering dream and invited others to step inside. And they did, bringing with them tangible, sacrificial support in the process. Before we’d even sold our first cup of coffee, supporters were sharing the vision, offering guidance, and taking interest in the charities we believed in.
And the growth of this community is humbling.
“Each time someone new hears our vision and decides to step inside the dream with us, our faith in the impossible cause is restored a little. It’s like seeing the value of our own mission mirrored back to us, helping us relearn the need for it and its durability in the world. The magic of relearning the mission will never wear thin.”
We continue to rely on this support through every stage. Our community’s financial donations funded the opening of our doors, but they also support the reason we’re here—in the first year we’ve been open for business, we’ve donated over $18,000 to charities committed to eradicating hunger, unclean water, and human trafficking.
This is made possible only by our community.
Whether through donations, tips, spreading awareness, or buying a cup of coffee, it makes a difference. Our model of sustainability only works with a sustained community.
In the nonprofit world, it’s important to partner with organizations from the same lineage. Because our partnerships are important, we like talking about them. We’ll keep you updated on these charities here.
Our blog is where you can stay up to date on all things Roosevelt. Stories, news, and awareness. Most importantly, we’ll highlight our causes and talk about what’s being done in the world, what we’re doing, and what you can do. Getting you connected is why we’re here.
Thank you.