Coffee Cards by Casey Blanchard
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| Photo by Julia Luckett |
Fareed Zakaria said, in order to understand the world, you
have to travel and see the world, with your eyes and mind wide open.
Experiencing the world of coffee has done just that by introducing me to one of
the most humanly engaged, diverse, and
vibrant businesses on the planet. Visiting coffee farms and meeting the
workers, managers, and owners in dozens of countries, attending SCAA, NCA, CQI
conventions and board meetings, and volunteering for Grounds For Health in the
remote regions of Mexico has been transformative.
The perspective I have gained from my husband, Dan Cox of Coffee Enterprises,
has been invaluable. I have been inspired by the commitment of so many to
survive and thrive.
While so many in the coffee industry experience challenges,
they also have the determination to solve their problems and ultimately put
coffee in the cups of consumers. However, there is a part of this industry,
possibly the most important, that has the fewest resources to ensure their survival:
the very families we count on to grow the coffee. Within those families are
women, the very backbone in their communities, who are desperate for
opportunities to ensure their basic needs are met. They are the same women that are last on everyone’s lists. I have
seen women receiving precious drops of helpful investments and turn it into
buckets of thirst quenching solutions. It is powerful and inspiring!
The coffee world has supported my family and friends in so
many ways, now I want to give back at the source, to the women and families
that bring us coffee. How does this artist give back? I have created coffee
note cards for coffee companies to use for retail or as Thank Yous for their
clients. The idea is to sell the cards,
donate a portion of the sales and help ensure the continuation of valuable
programs: Grounds for Health, Food 4 Farmers, and The International Women’s
Coffee Alliance.
Please go to my website to learn more about these important
nonprofits and to purchase the note cards: http://caseyblanchard.com/giving_gallery.html
Sincerely,
Casey Blanchard
PO Box 777
Shelburne, VT
05445
(802) 985-3037
