Jupiter Coffee Shop Pays it Forward to Haiti
According to owner Daniel Moretz, “We’re proud to be supporting some of the poorest farmers in coffee. As well as serving a relatively undiscovered treasure to our neighbors in Jupiter”. I Need Coffee sources roasted Haitian coffee. As well as chocolate bars from Singing Rooster, who also works with metal artists in Haiti.
I Need Coffee’s owners are well aware of ongoing violence and chaos in Haiti. Although farmers are relatively insulated, by serving Haitian coffee, they’re able to continue economy-building in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. When they learned metal artists were especially vulnerable to Haiti’s current chaos, they went to work!
“I sent out my monthly e-news and featured an artist we’ve known for years,” said CEO of Singing Rooster, Molly Nicaise. “Then I get an email from Daniel saying he wants to pay Gonzalez’s studio rent for a year. Here you have a couple, with small children, who’ve opened a coffee shop in the middle of a world pandemic wanting to help others.”
The recipient of their generosity is Gonzalez Seignon a 34 year old who is a quiet leader and artist in Croix des Bouquets a suburb of Port au Prince that is world renown for art made from upcycled oil drums. “When I heard this man and woman were paying for my studio this year, it was like a dream. I hope to meet them one day, to thank them in person. It brings hope that people are good.” said Gonzales.
You can find Gonzales’ oil drum art along with Haitian blue mountain coffee and chocolate at Jupiter’s I Need Coffee.